Danang invests in infrastructure projects worth VND40 billion

The People’s Committee of Danang City has approved three infrastructure projects worth a combined VND40 billion (US$1.73 million).

The first project is to build a six-story parking lot in Hai Chau District, according to the municipal Transport Department.

The project will require roughly VND28 billion (US$1.2 million) from the city budget and get off the ground next year. The parking lot will include two six-story steel blocks, with parking space for 50 cars with seven or less seats.

The city has more than 77,000 cars and 894,000 motorbikes, which often cause traffic congestion in downtown areas during peak hours.

To ease the congestion, the local government has taken some corrective action, such as collecting parking fee and allowing vehicles to park on certain roads on even and odd days.

The second project is to upgrade a road to Hoa Nhon Stone Mine in the outlying district of Hoa Vang. It will cost some VND9.6 billion (US$416,822) and will be funded by local mineral production, exploitation, trading and transport companies.

The last project is to develop a system of 44 fire hydrants along alleys in Hai Chau District. This will cost the city budget more than VND2.6 billion (US$112,780).

In a related development, the Construction Department of Danang said eight out of 44 real estate trading floors were forced to stop operations as they had failed to meet the necessary operation requirements.

Facilitating labour export

Sending Vietnamese labourers abroad is a sound policy of the Party and State in a bid to generate more jobs for labourers, particularly young people. Vietnam has so far had about 500,000 labourers working in foreign countries and the number of labourers working abroad has increased in recent years.

Remarkably, Vietnam sent 134,000 workers abroad in 2017, equivalent to 128% of the target set for the entire year. In the first five months of this year, the total number of Vietnamese workers abroad was posted at 47,247, reaching 42.95% of the year's plan.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, sending labourers abroad helps Vietnam to create jobs for more than 100,000 people and earn nearly US$3 billion each year.

In addition, labour export also contributes significantly to changing the thinking and awareness of labourers in addition to improving their work skills. Employees can have access to advanced technology and equipment while enhancing their foreign languages and cultural understanding. Many labourers continue to work in the field of their expertise and earn a stable income after returning to Vietnam.

However, in markets with high incomes, the rate of Vietnamese workers who fled or refused to return home after the expiration of their labour contract remains high. In the Republic of Korea (RoK), the highest annual ratio was recorded at 55%, while the average ratio in other countries is 15%. An important reason for this situation is the high demand for workers from RoK business owners while workers illegally staying in the RoK can evade income taxes.

In recent years, Vietnam has stopped sending labourers from a number of provinces and districts to the RoK as the host country refused to accept labourers from Vietnamese localities where the rate of labourers illegally staying in the RoK was more than 30%.

In addition, the operations of some companies specialising in labour export reveal inadequacies and violations, causing anxiety for the families of labourers and for labourers themselves.

Under the direction of the Government, relevant agencies of Vietnam have worked with the RoK authorities to strictly handle businesses committing violations. Vietnamese localities, ministries and sectors have also participated in disseminating information for labourers so that they must strictly comply with the contracts.

Thanks to joint efforts, the number of labourers illegally remaining abroad has seen an annual decrease. There were 58 districts with more than 30% of the workers staying in the RoK illegally in 2016 and that figure has fallen to 49 districts in 2018.

In addition, administrative procedures in the field of labour export should be further reduced to create favourable conditions for labourers, especially those in remote and mountainous areas.

It is necessary to strictly punish labour export enterprises committing violations to ensure that labourers can benefit from the relevant policies of the Party and State. Enterprises must issue public announcement on recruitment demand, fees, income and job description in each market. The concerned authorised agencies should provide specific information for labourers who wish to work abroad to avoid paying any additional fees.

The authorities also need to develop effective measures to overcome the current weaknesses of Vietnamese workers such as poor language skills and poor labour discipline. In addition, labour export enterprises should closely coordinate with the authorities of host countries and Vietnam to regularly support and solve problems for Vietnamese labourers abroad.

Chinese agencies support Vietnamese flood-hit victims

Flash floods and landslides triggered by downpours in June left 23 dead and 10 missing in northern mountainous provinces

Chinese agencies have provided nearly VND4 billion (USD181,818) for people affected by recent floods in the northern mountainous region.

Of the total figure, VND1.115 billion was from the Chinese Red Cross; VND2.5 billion from the Chinese Enterprise Association in Vietnam and the remainder from the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.  

Since 2016, the Chinese Red Cross have provided around USD380,000 for Vietnam to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters. 

The agency has also helped Vietnam to implement some clean water projects in remote areas.

Vietnam previously donated USD300,000 to China for those hit by the earthquake in Sichuan Province.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi has also sent a message of condolences to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh over recent loss of lives and property caused by the recent flood in the northern mountainous localities.

Flash floods and landslides triggered by downpours in June left 23 dead and 10 missing in northern mountainous provinces, mainly in Lai Chau and Ha Giang.

Of the victims, 16 deaths and 9 missing victims were in Lai Chau Province, five deaths in Ha Giang, one death each in Quang Ninh and Lao Cai, and one missing person in Dien Bien, reported the Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Floods also pulled down or swept away 161 houses, damaged 958 homes and flooded 1,800 others.

Hanoi authorities sum up disastrous Usilk City project

Usilk City Project in Hanoi

The Department of Construction concluded that the investor of Usilk City Project in Hanoi violated the Law on Housing after hundreds of buyers hung banners to protest against the stagnant project.

The Usilk City project is located in La Khe Ward, Ha Dong District and invested by Song Da Thang Long Company. The investor collected 50% to full payments from hundreds of buyers as of July 2012 but haven't transferred the apartments to buyers yet. Hundreds of buyers then hang banners in protest in May since 50% to full payments were collected yet the project is still incomplete after 8 years.

Vuong Hung Son said he paid VND1.7bn (USD68,000) back in 2009. "We were promised that the apartments would be completed from 2012 to 2014. But once we paid up, the construction stopped," he said.

The departments of construction of Hanoi and Ha Dong District worked with the representative of Song Da Thang Long and Hai Phat Capital Company about the complaints. According to Hanoi Department of Construction, 1,769 apartments were sold as of July 2012. Over 93% of total payment, more than VND3.4trn (USD136m), had been collected for several apartment blocks but construction stopped soon after.

The representative of Hanoi Department of Construction said three apartment blocks were almost completed and can be transferred to buyers. Three blocks only had five storeys completed and another block has only the basic structure completed.

In accordance with the building permit, the apartment blocks should have been completed and transferred to buyers in the final quarter of 2013. It is concluded that Song Da Thang Long breached the contracts and violated the Law on Housing, the city Department of Construction wrote in their report.

According to Song Da Thang Long, their investments at that time were too spread out. As a result, they lacked funding to continue the Usilk City Project. 

Song Da Thang Long representative said, "We’re struggling to reform and dealing with legal procedures. We're thinking of collaborating with another investor to continue the project or divesting from other projects."

Efforts made to prevent and fight forest fires

A forest fire in Dien Chau district, Nghe An province 

Most of the forest areas in the Northern and Central regions are at high risk of fire, often at level 5 (extremely dangerous). Forest fires have broken out in some localities, posing an urgent need for the active prevention of forest fires.

In the central province of Nghe An, forest fires broke out in Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Nam Dan and Quynh Luu districts in the early days of July. According to the provincial Department of Forest Protection, in the coming days, the Foehn wind, caused by the impact of the southeastern edge of the western hot low-pressure area, will continue causing hot weather across the region with temperatures always over 40 degrees Celsius.

Most recently, at about 14.30 on July 3, in Quynh My commune, Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province, a fire broke out in the forest and quickly destroyed 1 hectare of four-year-old acacia forest. Functional forces and around 300 local people were mobilised to control the fire.

In Ha Tinh province, hot and severe weather makes the danger of forest fire a permanent threat. Within 10 days from June 21 to July 1, six forest fires occurred over a total area of over 37 hectares in the province. About 10 hectares of forest was damaged.

The northern mountainous province of Son La is also focusing on many measures and plans to actively prevent and fight forest fires. According to Director of the Forest Protection Department Luong Ngoc Hoan, the province is managing more than 600 hectares of forestry, of which the majority are specialised, mixed, and regenerating forests with a high risk of fire (levels 4 and 5). From the beginning of the year, the province has organised 2,789 grassroots forest ranger teams while more than 88,000 households in the province have signed a commitment to forest protection.

The Vietnam Forestry Administration has sent an urgent message on forest fire prevention and fighting to provinces and cities such as Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Quang Binh, Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and Khanh Hoa.

Accordingly, authorities at grassroots levels must promote communication works on fire prevention and fighting among their residents while forces should be ready around the clock in case forest fires occur.

Roles must be assigned among members of all-level steering boards of the national target programme on sustainable forestry development to enhance inspections. Meanwhile, military and police forces were ordered to stand ready to offer assistance in case of fires.

Forest ranger teams should work with people’s committees to direct and examine efforts to prevent forest fires while forest owners are responsible for upgrading their firefighting facilities.

Key traffic projects linking Hai Phong and Quang Ninh to be completed in Q3

Bach Dang Bridge, which links Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city, will open to traffic in Q3 this year (Photo: baoquangninh.com.vn) 

Three key traffic projects linking Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province will be completed and opened to traffic in the third quarter of this year, announced the Ministry of Transport on July 4.

They include a 26 kilometre highway project linking Ha Long city with Bach Dang Bridge, two BOT projects on the 60 kilometre Ha Long-Van Don Expressway, and the Bach Dang Bridge.

The key projects are designed to connect the Hanoi-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh economic triangle and improve the transport infrastructure system in Quang Ninh province, thus contributing to boosting local socio-economic development and promoting tourism.

Once they become operational, the three projects will help to reduce the distance from Hanoi to Ha Long city from 180 kilometres to 130 kilometres, and shorten the travel time from three hours to one hour.

Meanwhile, the length of the journey from Ha Long to Hai Phong will be reduced by two thirds, from 75 km to just 25 km.

My Thuan 2 Bridge may be built sooner

A view of the current My Thuan Bridge project

The My Thuan 2 bridge project will likely get off the ground in August or September 2019, instead of Q1 2020, to make good use of the future Trung Luong-My Thuan and My Thuan-Can Tho expressways, officials said.

Speaking at a meeting with the authority of Tien Giang Province on July 3, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat noted that competitive tenders would be invited to carry out the 26-kilometer My Thuan-Can Tho expressway project.

“The ministry and the central Government have pushed for the completion of the My Thuan-CanTho and Trung Luong-My Thuan expressways by 2021,” he said.

Construction on the project was originally scheduled for completion in Q1 2020 by Project Management Unit 7 (PMU7).

Nhat said it will take 42 months to complete My Thuan 2 Bridge, so it could be ready by the first quarter of 2023 instead of the third quarter, as scheduled by PMU7.

Nhat asserted that following the completion of the two expressways, My Thuan 2 Bridge, which is located between them, will be prioritized for completion to ease traffic flows and shorten travel times between HCMC and the Mekong Delta provinces.

Speeding up the three projects will help ease the burden on Cai Lay in Tien Giang Province as well, Nhat added.

“Cai Lay Town is struggling with not only environmental problems but also traffic jams. Residents will be able to use the new route running between the Mekong Delta region and HCMC when it is opened to traffic,” the deputy minister noted.

Earlier, PMU7 had written to the Ministry of Transport about the feasibility study for the construction of the My Thuan 2 six-lane bridge, measuring 1,905 meters in length and 25 meters width, and its approach roads.

Construction of the approach roads will be done in two phases, where phase one involves building a four-lane road with a designed speed of 80 km/h, and phase two involves building a six-lane road to handle speeds up to 100 km/h.

PMU7 had drawn up three investment options, two of which required total capital of VND5,125 billion.

HCMC needs new solutions for breakthrough programs

Traffic is heavy on a street in HCMC

Despite initial achievements in implementing seven breakthrough programs since 2015, the city still needs new solutions to overcome multiple shortcomings and bring these programs to success, said the city’s top leader at a meeting yesterday, July 4.

Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan told the 17th meeting of the committee that the city’s economy has performed well in the past couple of years by ensuring a progressive economic growth rate that is 1.3 times higher than the national average. Its economic growth was recorded at 8.05% in 2016 and accelerated to 8.25% in 2017, he said.

Nhan noted that increasing labor productivity rather than the labor input plays an important role in the city’s economic expansion, adding that in 2017, labor productivity contributed 84% to the city’s economic growth.

However, a series of shortcomings need to be solved to further rev up HCMC’s economy, Nhan said. He observed that the city’s export revenue as a proportion of the national total has not increased and remained at approximately 16% since 2015, while its economic growth rate stayed in the target range of 8% to 8.5%.

The city’s Party leader stressed that some breakthrough programs have barely moved ahead due to a shortage of capital, slow site clearance, and residents’ limited participation in relevant projects.

The city’s 10th Party Congress early in 2015 approved the seven breakthrough programs for the 2015-2020 period, comprising human resource improvement; administrative reform; improvement of growth quality and competitiveness; reduction of traffic congestion and accidents; flood control and response to climate change; environmental protection; and urban rehabilitation and development.

Having pointed out the hindrances, Nhan suggested some solutions, including the deeper involvement by the city’s leadership in such programs. Each program, Nhan said, should be headed by the city chairman or a vice chairman, while the Party Committee should also dispatch officials to oversee the execution progress.

Nhan also highlighted the role of new technologies.

For example, to deal with traffic congestion, apart from structural measures such as building roads and bridges, there should be non-structural measures such as smart parking and smart control. Relevant authorities must ensure capital sources, further call for private investment, and encourage the public participation in those programs, such as not to discharge waste in public places so as to protect the environment and prevent flooding from worsening.

To implement the breakthrough programs successfully, it is necessary to improve the State governance and to set more stringent regulations on construction, waste treatment and traffic control.

Notably, as the total capital of the seven breakthrough programs in the 2016-2020 period was high, at hundreds of trillions of Vietnam dong, while the city’s budget can afford only 60%, there should be efficient solutions to pool capital sources from private enterprises, according to Nhan.