Woman dies in Highway 5 accident

A 31-year-old woman riding her motorbike was killed on the spot on Highway 5 yesterday afternoon after hitting a container truck traveling in the same direction.

The accident occurred at around 5.30 p.m. on the road that connects Ha Noi and Hai Phong City, creating traffic jam lasting several hours on one of the busiest highways in the north.

Also yesterday afternoon, there people were injured when a trailer hit a passenger bus on a stretch of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway that runs through Xuan Ai Commune, Van Yen District, Yen Bai Province.

Three members of family die in road accident

Three members of a family were killed when their truck collided with a vehicle carrying frozen shrimps in Ca Mau City last night.

The accident occurred at 6pm when the family was travelling from Bac Lieu Province to Ca Mau City. Tieu Sy Nguyen was driving the truck carrying vegetables on National Road No 1, when it hit the side of a refrigerated truck carrying frozen shrimps, coming from the opposite direction. The other vehicle was being driven by To Anh Huy, 31, a resident of Ly Van Lam Commune in Ca Mau City.

Nguyen's wife died instantly, while Nguyen and his son died on the way to the hospital.

Ca Mau City Police blamed the frozen shrimp truck driver, who had turned left suddenly, for causing the accident.

The front of Nguyen's truck was damaged in the collision, while the other vehicle's cargo area was badly damaged.

Also yesterday, two people were killed and four were injured when a 16-seater minibus crashed into a four-seater car coming from the opposite direction in the Central Highlands Gia Lai Province.

Two people, including the driver of the four-seater car, died instantly, while one person was critically injured. Three people on the minibus were also seriously injured in the accident and were treated at Gia Lai Province's General Hospital.

Local residents, who were at the scene, said the speeding four-seater car was to blame for the accident.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Landslide destroys houses in Hau Giang

Twenty six houses are situated in an erosion danger zone, Hau Giang Province's Steering Committee for Natural Disasters Prevention, Search and Rescue has reported.

The provincial People's Committees have asked local authorities and agencies to evacuate the elderly and children to a temporary resettlement area. They have also told householders to move their property from their houses to minimise damage.

Work on upgrading Phu Yen-Gia Lai road begins

Construction work to upgrade Phu Yen-Gia Lai road, with a total investment of VND4.66 trillion (US$217 million) from government bonds, began today in central Phu Yen Province.

The project will help shorten roads connecting delta provinces with the Central Highlands region. It will also boost the potential of each locality and the socio-economic development of the mountainous provinces in the region, Phu Yen People's Committee's Permanent Deputy Chairman Le Van Truc said.

Asphalt or concrete will be poured along a 5.5m stretch of the 61.3km-long route on mountainous road level 4, measuring 7.5m wide.

The project will be built under a build-transfer (BT) format and is scheduled to be completed within 36 months.

Ho Chi Minh City delays collection of road fees from bike owners

Ho Chi Minh City administration should not collect road maintenance fees from motorbike owners until the municipal People’s Council finishes reviewing all relevant reports of applying the collection, the council has requested.

The city’s administration is required to submit prepare such reports and postpone the fee collection, the council said in a request sent to the former.

The fee collection had previously been slated to be carried out this month, according to under a decision of the administration.

The people’s council requested that the reports detail the plan and method of fee collection and its possible efficiency, the advantages and disadvantages of applying, and relevant proposals.

The city’s administration has thus asked relevant agencies to review all related legal documents to prepare the reports.

The fee collection is stipulated in Government Decree 18/2012 dated March 13, 2012 on the establishment, management and use of the Road Maintenance Fund.

Based on the decree, the Ministry of Finance issued a circular to stipulate two fee ranges, including the VND50,000-100,000 ($2.3-4.6) range per year for electric bicycles and motorbikes with an engine capacity of 50 - 100 cubic centimeters (cc) and the VND100,000-150,000 range per year for those with engine sizes of over 100 cc.

Based on these ranges, People’s Councils in provinces and cities will determine their own rates that fit their social and economic characteristics.

Under the decree, users of motorized vehicles were supposed to pay a road maintenance fee, which was intended to feed the fund, from June 1, 2012, but the government later delayed the fee collection until January 1, 2013, given that people were facing difficulties in their daily lives due to the troubled economy.

However, while all other localities have set out their own fee rates and collected them since 2013, Ho Chi Minh City has continued to postpone its fee collection to spare residents any further burdens until now.

Under a decision issued last month by the city People’s Committee, owners of motorbikes with engines of up to 100 cc will have to pay VND50,000 (US$2.3) per annum, and those who own bikes with 100-175 cc engines will be liable for a higher rate, VND100,000 ($4.6) per year.

As for bikes with engines of over 175 cc, the fee rate will be VND150,000 ($6.9) per year. No fee will be imposed on electric bicycles.

The people’s committees of wards, communes and towns are tasked with instructing motorbike owners to fill out fee declaration forms for motorbike use, according to the fee collection plan of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport.

Over 40,000 youths, communist members join 2015 Red Vacation

At the Youth Culture House in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union yesterday launched the 14th Red Vacation 2015 program.

The program has attracted more than 40,000 youths, communist members who are studying and working in schools and companies in the city.

This year, the program has 9 teams with a focus on healthcare, aiming to provide production and planting experience to inhabitants and farmers  as well as transfer advanced techniques to residents in remote districts.

In addition, 9 teams will go to countryside districts where is recognized to achieve new rural standards as per the Government’s New Rural Development Plan, export processing zones and industrial parks in HCMC , in the South Eastern and Southwest provinces, Phu Quy Island and a province in Lao.

The program lasts from July 5 to August 16.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Nguyen Van Ranh, head of the department of public relations under the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, said that the participants are showed the voluntary spirit for the community, adding that young people should strive to complete the program as per schedule.

The participants went to Nha Be and Cu Chi Districts earlier, they held hypothetical courts to provide law information to young inhabitants, workers and consulted how to change driving permission and vegetable planting technique as per VietGap standard and other techniques of breeding.

In district 1, Thu Duc and Binh Chanh, they installed new water clock and pipes to 60 poor households as well as fix electricity system which are in poor repairs.

At the ceremony, over 1,000 youths donated their blood to save people.

Vietnam & Taiwan expand e-commerce cooperation

A forum on Vietnam- Taiwan information and communications technology will be held at Sheraton Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City on July 7, by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Taiwan Internet and E-Commerce Association.

Around 21 outstanding firms of Taiwan (China) in the fields of information and communications technology, electronic commerce such as PChome Online, Uitox, AppWorks, Accelerator, 2R International, Fashion Guide, Achilles Information, ShineWant Tech.Co.,Ltd (Youth Want website), Ruten (PChome & ebay JV) will attend in the event.

The event will focus on topics of online services, electronic commerce and cloud computing, aiming to strengthen electronic commerce cooperation between two countries.

The forum is considered as a favorable chance for individuals, businessmen to advertise their best products and strengthen further cooperative relation in the near future.

Outstanding employees and workers honoured

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) convened the ninth national patriotic emulation congress in Hanoi on July 5.

The event was attended by several Politburo members, including the Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and the National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

In his opening speech, President of the VGCL, Dang Ngoc Tung, highlighted that over recent years, positive changes have been made in the patriotic emulation movements of the confederation, contributing significantly to the successful implementation of socio-economic development policies in the 2010-2015 period and Resolution of the 11th Congress of the VGCL.

Via campaigns and emulation movements launched by the confederation, such as ‘Excellent Labour’, and ‘Creative Labour’, over 160 thousand technical initiatives and scientific research projects have been applied in practice, making a profit of nearly VND12 billion, he noted.

Speaking at the event, NA Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan urged the VGCL to continue implementing its important political task of encouraging its members to actively participate in patriotic emulation movements, contributing to national construction and defence.

She also urged the confederation to maintain its role in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of its members in particular and workers in general.

At the congress, Labour Orders of third class were presented to eight outstanding individuals, 30 others received Certificates of Merit granted by the Prime Minister.

Shinsegae Corp. to build toy library for local kids

The parent firm of the Emart hypermarket system, Shinsegae Corporation, on July 2 signed with Vietnam Children Protection Fund and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish Hope Toy Library in HCMC, where the first Emart hypermarket will go up late this year.

According to this MOU, Shinsegae will establish the first Hope Toy Library in the city with the construction, operation and maintenance budget up to VND3 billion. This is one of the community activities that Shinsegae collaborates with Green Umbrella Children Foundation (Korea) to work on with the model of a free playground for children in difficult living conditions and from low income families.

Kim Kun Sun, deputy general director of Shinsegae Corporation, said: “With the hope to join hands in building a better and impartial living environment for everyone, especially for children in difficulties, Shinsegae is partnering with Vietnam Children Protection Fund to build Hope Toy Library for children in the city, where we are going to operate our first Emart hypermarket. The model of Toy Library is necessary to equip children with basic knowledge and skills for their future life and enables them to have a happy childhood”.

Operating for 9 years in Korea with 36 libraries established since 2007, the Hope Toy Library project in Vietnam is the first community activity abroad with voluntary contributions of more than 32,000 staff from Shinsegae Corporation and the usage of Matching Grant Fund. In the coming time, the project will be implemented in all countries where Emart is present.

In April 2015, Emart Vietnam Limited Company signed an agreement with the National Traffic Safety Committee to give 50,000 standard helmets for students nationwide.

Marine police seizes smuggled tobacco from motorboat

The Viet Nam Marine Police Force on Sunday seized more than 4,300 packets of smuggled tobacco from a motorboat off Kien Giang Province's Ha Tien.

The marine police said local inhabitants informed them about two people piloting the motorboat from Cambodia to Mui Nai Beach in Ha Tien Town in the southern province.

After a 30-minute chase, the police seized the motorboat and arrested one person named Ha Trang Nghiem. The other person jumped into the sea and escaped.

The police confiscated the motorboat, a Bavapen mobile phone, and more than 4,000 tobacco packets of different brands such as Golden Deer, Ram and Hero.

Nghiem, 35, said he was transporting the packets for Hung (who jumped into the sea) from Cambodia to Viet Nam for VND300,000 (US$15) per trip. He claimed he didn't know they were smuggled tobacco packets.

Vietnamese scientists in Australia voice opinions

The Vietnamese Embassy to Australia hosted a seminar on July 4 in Canberra, bringing together more than 20 Vietnamese scientists, who works at universities and research institutes across Australia.

Present at the event were Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi and representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Ministry of Education and Training (MET).

In his opening remark, Ambassador Nghi briefed attendees on the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Australia which has been strengthened following the visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to Australia last March.

Both sides have been implementing the Scientific and Technological Agreement inked in 2013 with a focus on information exchange, technology transfer and training, Nghi said.

He also spoke highly of the contribution of the scientists to the country’s socio-economic development over the years.

During the seminar, scientists in various fields shared ideas on several matters, including technology transfer in Vietnam, the implementation of joint research projects with counterparts in the home country, and the training of young Vietnamese scientists.

They also gave feedback on policies towards overseas Vietnamese scientists, practical application of research projects and how to establish a network between domestic and overseas scientists.

The seminar was among a series of activity by the Government to encourage overseas Vietnamese scientific and technological specialists to assist with national industrialization and modernisation.-

HCMC has 5,000 dengue fever infection cases

The Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday said that dengue fever was complicatedly widespread with increase in infection cases.

In June, 519 people were hospitalized, an increase of 20 percent compared to May when 433 infection cases were recorded. Accordingly, the city has total 5,025 dengue fever cases since the beginning of the year, a surge of 39 percent compared to same period last year.

As per statistics of the city's Preventive Medicine Center, the disease has been spreading in districts 3, 12, Thu Duc, Go Vap, Binh Tan, and Binh Thanh. Thu Duc District is a hot spot of the disease with 7 wards having the outbreak of dengue fever.

There has been no vaccine and specific medication for dengue fever. The Department of Health has warned people an upward trend as it is rainy season when conditions are perfect for breeding of mosquito which is the key factor of disease transmission. As a result, dengue outbreaks occur every rainy season in the counry.

Without specific vaccine or medicine for the disease, health workers have called all families to destroy the Aedes mosquito - the vector of the disease - by frequently checking and removing stagnant water.

Ministry told to promote health insurance

The Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Insurance will have to work with localities to encourage people to buy medical insurance to help realize the target of having 75% of the population being medically insured this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told a web conference on health insurance on Wednesday that the two agencies needed to identify why the medically insured has not reached the target.

Data of the Ministry of Health showed 64.6 million people, 71.4% of the national population, had had purchased health insurance as of May 31, up 2.7 million people (or 4.4%) against the same period of last year.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said the 75% target could be reached if around three million more people buy medical insurance towards the year-end. However, the target is not easy to achieve.

Insurance registration procedures are troublesome while many enterprises pay insurance premiums for their employees and health services for the medically  insured remain poor.  

But Dam insisted the ministry and the social insurance agency solve the problems and encourage more people to buy medical insurance and provide financial support for people in the near-poor group so that 75% of the population will benefit from the insurance product this year and 80% in 2020.

Besides, the two agencies need to simplify administrative procedures and apply information technology to make it convenient for people to buy medical insurance and for the insured to have access to better health services.

Ninh Thuan aids drought-affected areas

Authorities have taken drastic measures to help local people in southern Ninh Thuan province cope with water shortages caused by the prolonged drought.

The province has been delivering 25-30 litres of water per person to nearly 5,800 families in 19 drought-affected villages daily and provided over 2,800 tonnes of rice aid for six districts.

Some 80,400 billion VND from the State’s financial aid have been allocated to counter the impacts of drought, including water provision for daily use, financial aid to help the locals deal with production damages and purchase livestock feeds alongside digging ponds for water reserve.

Agencies and localities nationwide have also extended a helping hand to Ninh Thuan. The Ministry of Defence has presented 5,000 gift packages, worth 2.5 billion VND in total, to impoverished households and policy beneficiaries from seven districts and Phan Rang-Thap Cham City.

Meanwhile, the High Command of Military Zone 5 has handed over 3,000 gift packages, worth 1.5 billion VND, to local households and sent a truck with water filter, five tankers and personnel to help with the free delivery of clean water for needy people.

Ninh Thuan authorities have recommended farmers to switch to crops that require less water, such as hybrid maize, green peas and watermelons.

Vietnam-Indonesia friendship association’s congress convenes

The Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Association (VIFA) held its third congress on July 6 in Hanoi, electing Nguyen Dang Tien, General Director of Radio The Voice of Vietnam as the Chairman for the 2015-20 tenure.

Participants at the congress also selected a 17-member executive board.

Addressing the event, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Associations Vu Xuan Hong praised the VIFA’s efforts in enhancing friendship and mutual understanding between Vietnam and Indonesia .

He said he hopes in the future, the association will diversify its operation forms to ultilise cooperation potential between the two countries, promote bilateral economic, cultural, tourism and science-technology collaboration.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Mayerfas said Vietnam has become the only strategic partner of Indonesia in the region, noting that this year, the two sides will celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

He revealed that Indonesia has also set up the Indonesia-Vietnam Friendship Association to boost friendship, cooperation and people-to-people contacts between the two nations, which is part of activities to mark the anniversary.

On the occasion, Hong presented “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” insignia to Tran Thi Trung Chien, former Minister of Health and ex-Chairman of the VIFA, and Tran Chien Thang, former VIFA Vice President, for their contributions to the association’s development.

English seen as tool to foster ASEAN Community understanding

A workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on July 6 underscored the importance of English as a popular communication language in the global integration landscape, especially in the ASEAN Economic Community that is slated for debut later this year.

To link ASEAN member states together towards “a single community and identity”, English language is a tool to raise their mutual understanding, said Chairwoman of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association Phan Thi Hong Xuan.

Sali Kasemrat, who authored the “English for ASEAN Community” book, shared advantages and difficulties in teaching English at Thai schools.

According to several opinions, Vietnamese students generally fail to tap into English for study and research as well as communicate in English fluently.

English teaching in Vietnam only focuses on vocabulary, grammar and translation with less use of technology, they said.

They were of the view that the school curricula should also embrace subjects of culture, history, and traditional values of the ASEAN community.

Currently, English is officially spoken in 53 countries and territories and the third popular language around the world, behind China and Spain.

It is forecast that around 400 million people speak English as their mother tongue and 1 billion use it as a second language.

Southwest patients to get free treatment

An association to sponsor the medical treatment of disadvantaged patients in the southwest region was launched on July 4.

The association consists of 104 members who are in charge of mobilising public support for the deprived section.

It has thus far raised more than 63 billion VND (2.9 million USD), of which 5 billion VND (230,000 USD) will be used for building shelters, 500 million VND (23,000 USD) to sponsor five heart surgeries, and 100 million VND (4,608 USD) will be utilised to support poor children, among others.

The association plans to mobilise a total of 200 billion VND (9.2 million USD) within the first three years of its operation.

Protestant activities still on right track: conference

A conference reviewing 10-year activities among Protestant communities in the Central Highlands, the southern province of Binh Phuoc and several central coastal provinces took place in Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province on July 7.

They have so far recorded 306 accredited and over 1,300 licensed chapters, renovated about 150 places of worship, ordained hundreds of dignitaries and sent thousands of followers to theology bachelor courses at the Alliance Evangelical Divinity School based in Ho Chi Minh City.

Over 2,000 from Protestant chapters have taken doctrine courses across localities.

Five Central Highlands provinces have given recognition to six Vietnam Adventist Churches, one Church of the Vietnam Baptist Convention and three Churches of the Vietnam Christian Mission.

Annually, authorities of the participating localities open 500 training courses available to about 250,000 Protestant dignitaries, followers and officials from the grassroots level.

They have been regularly updated on the Party and State’s religious policies and the relationship between churches and all-level authorities.

As many as 761 outstanding Protestants have been admitted to the Party.

Participants shared that many pastors and chapters actively joined patriotic emulation and new rural construction campaigns, among other social development causes.

They pledged to continue bringing Party and State guidelines and policies on Protestantism to life, which are clearly described as a basic and long-term task of the entire political system.

Vietnamese, Portuguese trade unions enhance ties

Chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Dang Ngoc Tung hosted a reception for General Secretary of the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers Armenio Carlos in Hanoi on July 6.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged information on activities of each country’s trade unions in recent years while affirming to further friendship and cooperation.

The VGCL has about 8.5 million members and nearly 120,000 chapters, Tung said, adding that it has focused on the development of members, especially in in the non-State economic sector.

Armenio Carlos said the General Confederation of the Portuguese Workers is the biggest trade unions in the country with nearly 750,000 members in 14 member chapters.

The VGCL Chairman expressed his belief that friendship and cooperation between the two sides will be deepened through the exchange of information and mutual support at international forums.

Chinese American apprehended over US$70,000 credit card scam in Vietnam

Police have detained an American suspected of using fake creditcards to appropriate over US$71,000 from foreign cardholders at a domestic bank in south-central Vietnam last week.

Police officers in Khanh Hoa Province on July 5 arrested Yang Qing, 43, a Chinese American, on charges of “using information on bank accounts or cards of agencies, organizations and individuals to pay for goods and services to appropriate property of cardholders,” pursuant to Article 226b of the Penal Code.

The arrest was made after police launched an investigation based on a report received on July 1 from the local branch of the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank of Vietnam saying that someone could have used credit cards to withdraw a large amount of money from the bank.

These signs were detected when 42 payments were made in a row on June 30 through the same Point of Sale (POS) machine installed at Huong Viet Restaurant at 1 Tran Hung Dao Street, Loc Tho Ward, Nha Trang City, the bank said in its report.

The total amount withdrawn through the POS amounted to VND1.554 billion (US$71,250), Colonel Truong Vinh Quang, head of the security and investigation agency of Khanh Hoa Police, cited the bank as saying.

After identifying Yang, who was staying at a hotel in the ward, as the suspect, police raided his hotel room yesterday and detained him for investigation.

On searching the room, police seized a laptop, a credit card scanner, three electronic devices, numerous international credit cards, 935 Chinese yuan, 23,000 Myanmar kyat and US$86.

Yang confessed to police that he arrived in Vietnam to appropriate money from cardholders by using fake cards.

He told police that on June 30, he and an interpreter ate at Huong Viet Restaurant.

Yang then asked the restaurant owner, Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, to join him in a scam in which he used the POS at the eatery to transfer the money of cardholders to the account of the restaurant by using fake credit cards.

The owner agreed and Yang made false payments for 50 bills for meals eaten at the restaurant at a total amount as mentioned, he said.

The Huong Viet boss then kept VND700 million (US$32,100) of the total as her commission in the fraud and Yang then transferred the remaining amount to his various accounts for appropriation, the foreigner added.

The Chinese American said his fake cards were created by using information stolen from real cardholders by others abroad, who then provided such information for him.   

Police said they are clarifying the relations between Yang and Huong and expanding their investigation into the case to identify his victims.

Two banks in the US have found three victims who lost money from their credit accounts used by Yang, police said.

Campaign to promote green summer kicks off in HCM City

The 22nd Green Summer Campaign aimed at boosting widespread youth volunteer activities throughout the nation kicked off on July 6 in Ho Chi Minh City at a launching ceremony attended by 1,400 young people.

The campaign will take place for nearly a month, with the focus of volunteer activities scheduled in cities and provinces in the Central Highlands and the southern region. Some activities will also occur in Laos. Officials have targeted participation by approximately 90,000 young people and students.

Ung Van Hai, deputy chairman of the Tra Vinh Provincial People's Committee, who attended the ceremony, expressed appreciation for the Green Summer Campaign and praised the young volunteers for their contributions for the general development of the community.

Hai said the goal of green summer this year is focused on improving urban lifestyles, numerous environmental protection activities, and galvanizing a national response to climate change in youth across the nation.

Immediately following the ceremony, several awareness-raising activities, such as encouraging people to protect the environment were begun.

Vietnamese people encouraged to travel domestically

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) marked its 55th founding anniversary on July 7 and launched a campaign encouraging Vietnamese people to travel domestically.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness on the tourism sector’s role and position in the national socio-economic development, and industrialisation and modernisation process.

After the launch ceremony, more than 200 students of the Saigon College of Arts, Culture and Tourism cycled through HCM City main streets, calling on the public to join hands to protect the environment and tourism resources.

Tran Nguyen Hop Chung, a representative from Viettravel, said such activity will help the Vietnamese people gain a better understanding about the Vietnam tourism sector, tourist destinations and tourism development orientations. They will be encouraged to visit more domestic tourism sites and value Vietnam’s tourism products.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri