Hanoi: 4 drug smugglers face criminal proceedings

Stuff seized when the police raideded Son's house. (Photo: anninhthudo.vn)

Hanoi’s police have busted an interprovincial drug ring and launched criminal proceedings against the case and its four suspects.

The suspects are Nguyen Kim Hieu (born in 1984), Nguyen Hoang Dai (1961), Pham Ba Son (1975), and Nguyen Van Tam (1978).

Files on the case showed that the capital’s criminal investigation police launched a probe when they discovered initial information on the operation of a large-scale drug ring in the city. 

On August 27, the police followed and stopped a suspicious man, who drove a scooter from Long Bien district heading to Vinh Tuy Bridge. The man, Hieu, a resident in Ngo Thi Nham ward, Hai Ba Trung district, was found carrying 3 kg of methamphetamine. 

Meanwhile, another investigation team caught Dai red-handed transporting 2 kg of methamphetamine, while the suspect was travelling on his bike along an alley on Sai Dong Street, Long Bien district. Dai resided in Ly Thai To ward, Hoan Kiem district.

Hieu and Dai later admitted that they bought the dug from Pham Ba Son, a man with criminal background related to illegal weapon possession and a resident in the Sai Dong urban area in Phuc Dong ward, Long Bien district.

Under an emergency search warrant, the police raided Son’s house. They seized three military guns, 168 bullets, five plastic packages containing white powder and blue pills, 68 ketamin-labelled bottles with liquid inside, and numerous tools used for making drug.    

The investigation finally reached Tam, who lived in Vinh City, the central province of Nghe An. Tam was identified as the drug supplier for Son.

Further investigation is underway.

National health programme to improve Vietnamese stature, well-being

Health worker gives a child Vitamin A oral supplement. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the Vietnam Health Programme to improve the well-being, stature, longevity and life quality of Vietnamese people.

The programme sets three goals – to promote a healthy diet and lifestyle with appropriate nutrition and increased physical activity to improve Vietnamese people’s stature and well-being; to raise public awareness for behavioral change to protect health and prevent health-related common risks; and to provide constant and long-term primary health care services to reduce burden of illness and health on the community and enhance the quality of life for people.

To achieve the goals, it will focus on improving health care for children and students; prevent impact of tobacco and alcohol; ensure environmental sanitation and food safety; and foster the early detection and management of a number of non-communicable diseases, community-based health care provision, and the delivery of health care services for the elderly and workers.

The Vietnam Health Programme will link different programmes and projects on related issues to strive towards these goals.

It will be implemented nationwide from 2018 – 2030. From 2031, the programme will review its goals and priorities based on the results and real situation at that time.

Malnutrition has been mainly blamed for Vietnamese people’s shortness compared with other their peers in countries in Asia and Europe, according to the National Institute of Nutrition. 

Vietnamese men are 163.7cm tall on average – 13.1cm shorter than the World Health Organisation standard, while Vietnamese women are 153cm on average – 10.7cm below the standard. Compared with peoples of other countries in the region, Vietnamese people are on average about 8cm shorter.

The clearest difference in height between Vietnamese people and others is seen in children 6-12 months old and 6-11 years old. 

Nutrition experts affirmed that genetic heredity is not responsible for Vietnamese people’s shortness. Vietnamese children who are born and grow up in Europe grow as tall as those in their host country. 

Factors that affect children’s height and weight mainly occur in the foetal stage and in the first two years, so it is vital to provide the correct micronutrients to children during those periods.

Conference highlights need for building Encyclopedia of Vietnam

It is necessary to speed up the compilation of the Encyclopedia of Vietnam as it is a standard and essential learning tool and reference in the context of the country’s industrialisation, modernisation and international integration, an expert has said. 

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) made the suggestion during a science conference on the project to compile the Encyclopedia of Vietnam held by VASS in Hanoi on September 6. 

After one year of completing the Encyclopedia outline, the book clarifies specificities of international economics and international experience in building encyclopedias.

The project’s specific goal is building a system of 1,200 to 1,500 words and word headings with no duplicates, providing readers and searchers with the most   concise contents. 

Thuan said that to successfully complete the compilation of the Encyclopedia, it should promote the building of macro and specific structure of the encyclopedia on international economics. 

Once the building is completed, it is necessary to arrange words in an appropriate order, especially in terms of interpretation of specific contents, he noted. 

He stressed the necessity to continue to make the outline and promote the building of macro structure in the coming time, especially in compiling words to avoid redundancy and lack of words, thus helping the editorial staff know more information and continue completing the outline of the Encyclopedia. 

At the event, participants discussed, shared and agreed on the development of the Encyclopedia in the field of international economics, towards contributing to raising people’s knowledge and serving the national construction, safeguarding and development.

The Encyclopedia is hoped to become an official tool for learning and reference, which is very essential for the country’s industrialisation, modernisation and international integration.

Asian cities promote tourism capacity at CPTA meeting

The Council for the Promotion of Tourism in Asia (CPTA 16) meeting heard member cities introduce their tourism potential and strength in Hanoi on September 7.

At the event, representatives from Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Manila, Jakarta, and Hanoi all presented local beauty, tourism services, transport infrastructure, and shopping destinations, among others.

They also informed the meeting on existing tourism cooperation programmes among CPTA members, in the hope that their partnership would grow stronger. 

The Hanoi Department of Tourism said the capital welcomes visitors from almost 190 countries and territories worldwide. 

The number of foreign tourists to the country was estimated to grow at an average of 18 percent in the 2015-2018 period. In the first eight months of 2018, the figure was nearly 3.8 million, up 19.5 percent year-on-year. 

Visitors from CPTA members to Hanoi are also on the rise, with those from Japan numbering 300,000 a year, and Malaysia, 95,400.

Hari Wibowo from the Jakarta Tourism and Culture Office, said that this is the second time he has come to Hanoi, noting the changes he observed in local tourism infrastructure and services.

He went on to say that he expects CPTA cities will engage in more joint tourism promotion projects.

Representing Kuala Lumpur, Director of the city’s Culture, Arts, Tourism, and Sports Department Khairul Anuar Bin Mhd Juri said CPTA members should be more proactive in stepping up joint tourism promotion events and support each other to create combined resources for better results.

The CPTA gathers the state tourism management agencies of 10 Asian cities, namely Tokyo (Japan), Bangkok (Thailand), New Delhi (India), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Taipei (Taiwan), Metropolitan Manila (Philippines), Tomsk (Russia), and Hanoi. 

The 16th meeting of the CPTA officially kicked off in the capital city on September 6. This is the fourth time that Hanoi has hosted the meeting. 

On September 9, a photo exhibition on the tourism potential of participating cities is scheduled to open at the Ly Thai To flower garden in Hanoi’s downtown.

Vietnam, Japan join hands to tap tourism potential

A tourist destination in Vietnam 

Vietnam and Japan hold huge potential to further promote tourism cooperation, Director of the market department at the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Dinh Ngoc Duc has said.

The official made the statement during a seminar on the development of the Vietnam-Japan tourism market, which was held on September 7 as part of the ongoing 14th International Travel Expo: Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC).

Japan has been amongst the most important markets for Vietnam’s tourism sector, Duc said. In 2017, about 800,000 Japanese tourists travelled to Vietnam, up 7 percent against the previous year.

Meanwhile, in the first eight months of 2018, Vietnam welcomed more than 465,000 holidaymakers from Japan. 

Vietnam has also implemented various tourism promotion activities in the Japanese market, and at the same time worked to increase outbound tourism to Japan. 

Additionally, the increase of direct flights connecting major cities between Vietnam and Japan has greatly contributed to the tourism sector of the nations.

Duc added that with the comprehensive strategic partnership and cultural closeness, Vietnam will continue to launch new, top-quality tourism products tailored towards Japanese visitors. He voiced his hope that by 2020, Vietnam will receive 1 million Japanese tourists to the country.

For his part, Japanese Consul General to HCM City Junichi Kawaue noted that about 300,000 visitors from Vietnam came to Japan last year, with the Vietnamese market amongst the tourism markets with highest growth for Japan. 

Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines are the most popular Asian destinations for Japanese people, according to the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA).

The association recommended that Vietnam’s tourism sector develop new products in the major cities of Hanoi, HCM City, and Da Nang to meet the demand of Japanese tourists, particularly in terms of shopping tourism, MICE tourism, and cuisine and fashion tourism, among others.

Furthermore, the sector should pay heed to improving the quality of tourism services and workers.

Seminar on ASEAN tourism awards 2018 held in HCM City

VNAT General Director Nguyen Van Tuan at the event 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) held a seminar on the ASEAN Tourism Awards 2018 in Ho Chi Minh City on September 7. 

The event was part of the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City 2018, which has attracted both domestic and foreign tour agencies, lodging facilities, and representatives from major tourist attractions. 

Speaking at the event, VNAT General Director Nguyen Van Tuan said Vietnam and ASEAN member states have scored positive gains in tourism cooperation. The bloc has issued a tourism development strategy for the 2016-2025 period, with priority given to green, sustainable, harmonious, and effective tourism. 

A set of eight ASEAN tourism standards were introduced to participants at the event, including those involving lodging facilities towards the goal of sustainable and socially responsible tourism.

Delegates learnt about Vietnam’s tourism development trend in the bloc including initiatives to apply new technologies towards mitigating negative impacts on the environment.

Major tourist attractions and quality, eco-friendly tourism products were also introduced on the occasion. 

As part of the event, the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism award was presented to the Thai Hai Reserve of Ecological Stilt House Village based in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, while the ASEAN Green Tourist City award belonged to the central cities of Hue, Hoi An, and Da Lat city. 

The organising board granted five ASEAN green hotel awards and five ASEAN MICE venue awards to Vietnamese hotels which were honoured at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Thailand in January 2018.

Vietnam will host the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 themed “ASEAN: The Power of One” in the city of Ha Long, in the northern province of Quang Ninh. 

Anniversary celebrations for Hue’s UNESCO heritage recognition

At the Complex of Hue Monuments 

A ceremony celebrating the 25th anniversary of UNESCO recognition of the Complex of Hue Monuments as a site of world cultural heritage (December 1993) took place in Hue city, in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on September 7. 

After the war, the complex was seriously ravaged with 400 out of 1,400 works in dilapidated conditions. 

On February 12, 1996, the Prime Minister issued Decision No.105/TTg that approved a project to preserve and uphold the values of the complex for the 2010-2020 period. 

Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre Phan Thanh Hai said Hue has been hailed by UNESCO as the leading Vietnamese locality in terms of heritage preservation, which turned it into a model centre for technological heritage transfer in the Asia-Pacific. 

Over the past few years, around 170 works of different sizes were restored – most notably Ngo Mon, Thai Hoa Palace, Hien Lam Cac, Duyet Thi Duong; as well as the royal tombs of Kings Gia Long, Dong Khanh, Thieu Tri, and Tu Duc, among others. 

Hai said the restoration not only revived the cultural heritages but also made important contributions to urban landscaping, turning Hue into a must-see destination in the Central Heritage Road Tour. 

The ceremony also marked the 15th anniversary of Hue royal court music being recognised as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Over the past year, tourist arrivals to the ancient capital of Hue have grown by 15-18 percent year-on-year. 

This year, the centre is expected to welcome over 3 million visitors.

Thanh Hoa: Over 5 billion VND to support flood-hit residents

Flood damages houses in Thanh Hoa province.

The central province of Thanh Hoa raised a fund of more than 5 billion VND (215,000 USD) from individuals and organisations at a ceremony held on September 7 to support flood-hit locals, helping them overcome difficulties and stabilise their lives.

Of the total amount, the province’s police and the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies each donated 2 billion VND (86,000 USD).

Besides the amount mobilised at the ceremony, the Vietnam Red Cross Society’s Thanh Hoa chapter as well as organisations and businesses outside and inside the province gave aid worth 1.4 billion VND (60,200 USD), 340 million VND (14,620 USD) of which was in cash and the remainders were commodities like instant noodle, water bottles, notebooks and school bags.

Torrential rain from August 28-31, triggered by a low tropical pressure, caused serious floods in Muong Lat, Quan Son, Quan Hoa, Ba Thuoc, Cam Thuy, Thach Thanh, Vinh Loc and Yen Dinh districts. 

According to statistics, flood left 12 people dead and missing while 13,000 houses have been inundated and 800 others swept away, collapsed or severely damaged. Thousands hectares of crops have been submerged in floodwater, and hundreds of head of cattle and poultry were killed.

Critical damage was seen in roads, schools, medical stations, and telecommunication facilities.

Exhibition on nostalgia for Hanoi held

Visitors to the exhibition on nostalgia for Hanoi’s streets 

An exhibition on nostalgia for Hanoi’s streets was held in Hanoi on September 6 as part of activities celebrating the 45th anniversary of Vietnam – France diplomatic ties.

The exhibition displays more than 130 copies of documents, photos, maps and technical drawings on the history, culture, the land and people of Hanoi from the early 19th century to mid-20th century.

Highlights of the exhibition include images of Hanoi Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, West Lake and its surrounding historical sites, Sword Lake and The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple, and Turtle Tower.

The exhibition aims to provide visitors with an archival treasure trove of research and information on Hanoi, thus inspiring love and pride among Hanoians and encouraging them to preserve and uphold the capital city’s traditional cultural values.

The event, organised by the National Archives of Vietnam (NAV) in collaboration with the French Embassy in Hanoi, will run through December 31.

Mayor-level dialogue on low carbon emission policy held

A mayor-level policy dialogue on low carbon emission city development took place in Ho Chi Minh City on September 6. 

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Huynh Cach Mang said the Japanese city of Osaka boasts advanced technology and experience in addressing environmental issues and coping with climate change. 

Via a low carbon emission city development scheme, Osaka has assisted Ho Chi Minh City in building an action plan in response to climate change for the 2017-2020 period with a vision to 2030, in particular offering technical support in building a forecasting model for greenhouse gas emission, he said. 

Vice Mayor of Osaka city Seigo Tanaka said the project will help the two cities reduce carbon emission effectively, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development. 

Akikazu Ikegami from Osaka’s Department of Environmental Engineering said the city has chosen Ho Chi Minh City for a joint credit mechanism with a view to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from Japanese technology and promoting the use of non-fossil energy. 

He added that Osaka will also install five sets of inverter worth 70 million JPY (630,000 USD) at Thu Duc water treatment plant, which will reduce 11,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. 

According to him, the two cities have devised six relevant projects under the joint credit mechanism, including promoting the construction of green hospitals and energy saving at hotels, installing solar power systems at shopping malls.

Ha Minh Chau, deputy head of the hydrometeorology and climate change office from the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said with the support of Osaka, Ho Chi Minh City can review greenhouse gas emission biennially; implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; build an action plan in response to climate change for the 2021-2025 period; and specify a solar power project at Binh Dien wholesale market. 

Under the 2017-2020 action plan in response to climate change, Ho Chi Minh City and Osaka signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral cooperation in July 2011. In July 2013, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signed an MoU on promoting low carbon emission. 

In October 2013, Ho Chi Minh City and Osaka signed a cooperation agreement on developing cities with low carbon emission.

Between 2017 and 2020, Ho Chi Minh City is focusing its scientific studies on energy, transportation, industry, waste management, and agriculture towards achieving low carbon emission. 

The municipal Department of Industry and Trade and the Department of Construction have developed renewable and clean energies such as solar, waste, and biogas-fuelled power. The use of renewable energies is expected to top 1.74 percent of the city’s total energy consumption till 2020.

Fifth Golden Moment press photo awards launched

VNA Deputy Director General Le Quoc Minh, Chairperson of the award council (standing) speaks at the launching ceremony 

The fifth edition of the “Golden Moment” press photo awards was launched by Vietnam News Agency (VNA) in Hanoi on September 6.

The event is run as part of activities to mark the 73rd founding anniversary of the State-run agency (September 15, 1945).

Speaking at the launching ceremony, VNA Deputy Director General Le Quoc Minh, Chairperson of the award council, said photography plays a crucial role in the press. 

With the development of technology, taking photos no longer requires specialised equipment as nowadays many mobile phone models are able to take high-quality photos.

The content and artistry of a photo makes the professionalism of a journalist, he said, adding that the award creates a useful playground for journalists and photographers to show their personal perspectives alongside their professional skills.

He hoped the Vietnamese press photography would go on to gain more international awards in the time ahead.

A new feature of this year’s event is a separate competition section for photos shot with mobile phones.

All photographs must have been taken from January 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018.

The organising board will receive single photos or a collection of photos from the launch day until 6pm on November 30, 2018. Regarding submissions of photograph collections, they must be a minimum of three photographers and a maximm of 12 images.

Contestants can send their entries on the website www.khoanhkhacvang.vnanet.vn or via the email khoanhkhacvang05@gmail.com. 

The photos cover wide-ranging fields from politics, diplomacy, and economy to culture, healthcare, education, sport, and environment.

The contest is designed for both professional and amateur photographers who are Vietnamese citizens.

The organising board will not receive entries which are arranged, cluttered, or technically intervened.  All parameters on the image file must be kept unchanged without adjustments. The contestants must ensure accuracy of the photo information.

The awarding ceremony is due to take place in December 2018, including one first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes, as well as some consolation prizes.

Seventy-three awards will be put on display at the event. The first “Golden Moment” press photo award was launched by VNA in 2008. The Vietnam News Agency boasts a network of 63 bureaus in all the cities and provinces nationwide and 30 overseas bureaus across five continents. 

With more than 1,000 reporters and editors among its 2,400-strong staff, the agency is now the largest producer of media products in the country. It produces more than 60 products including bulletins, photographs, television programmes, dailies, weeklies, monthlies, magazines, pictorials, books, TV programmes, e-newspapers, and information programmes on mobile platforms. 

The agency also delivers news in the largest number of languages. In addition to official Vietnamese-language news items provided to domestic and foreign media outlets, articles are published in English, Chinese, French, and Spanish, not to mention print and e-newspapers in four other languages: Lao, Korean, Japanese, and Russian. 

Workshop talks cooperation in vocational education

Better cooperation between the State, schools, businesses, international organisations, and professional associations would both contribute to improving the quality of vocational education, and benefit all parties involved, heard a workshop in Hanoi on September 6.

The workshop was jointly held by the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training, under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Delegates at the event explained that through collaboration, enterprises will gain from good-quality human resources and schools will receive the support of the State and firms in improving training quality. 

Besides this, high-quality human resources will help the State raise the quality of life across the nation, as well as the competitiveness of its national economy, they said.

They noted that enhancing international cooperation in improving vocational education quality, especially in high-quality personnel training, is one of the main solutions set forward in the strategy on vocational education development.

Looking towards higher vocational education quality, the MoLISA has outlined a number of projects, while the Directorate of Vocational Education and Training has also employed solutions to revamp State management and finance mechanisms, empower schools, and connect training institutions with enterprises. 

The delegates discussed measures to help vocational education institutions join hands with businesses in training students able to work right after graduation. 

Australian experts shared their country’s experience in collaboration between the State, schools, and enterprises in personnel training. 

Australia is one of Vietnam’s strategic partners in vocational education. Australia’s Chisholm Academy has transferred training programmes to the Vietnamese Directorate of Vocational Education and Training. These programmes are being piloted at 25 vocational education institutions in Vietnam. 

Tourism, business opportunities in Vietnam introduced in Indonesia

Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Vinh Quang at the event 

The Vietnamese nation, people and tourist attractions, as well as investment and trade opportunities in the country were introduced during a conference held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia on September 6.

Addressing the event, which drew representatives of nearly 100 Vietnamese and Indonesian firms, Ambassador Pham Vinh Quang said that since Vietnam and Indonesia set up their diplomatic relations in 1955, their bilateral partnership has grown in many areas such as politics, security, defence, economy, and trade.

In 2017, 81,000 Indonesian tourists visited Vietnam, up 16 percent year-on-year.

However, the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and tourism has yet to match its full potential, said the ambassador.

He expressed his hope that in the future, the business communities of Vietnam and Indonesia will seek more opportunities to foster their connectivity and partnership, while expanding markets in each other’s country, thus boosting affiliation in trade, investment, and tourism between the two sides.

At the conference, a representative from the Ministry of Tourism said that among the ASEAN countries, Vietnam is a promising tourism market. Currently, it is easy for foreign tourists to reach Vietnam thanks to the operation of various low-cost airlines.

He held that in the future, more Indonesian tourists will choose Vietnam for their vacations after receiving such information from the country.

The conference was a chance for Vietnam to promote its tourism through introducing unique cultural value and famous landscapes. Through the event, Indonesian firms also had a chance to eye up investment and trade opportunities in Vietnam.

Slogan contest for traffic safety launched

The Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security launched the contest (Photo: nhandan.com.vn)

A slogan contest for the “Traffic Safety in Vietnam with Doraemon” 2018-2019 programme was launched in Hanoi on September 6 by the Ministry of Public Security’s Traffic Police Department, in collaboration with the ministry’s Department of Foreign Relations and Japan’s Mainichi Shimbum newspaper.

The event, organised for the third consecutive year, is part of activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.

According to Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department Le Xuan Duc, the contest, this year themed “Wearing Helmets”, aims to raise public self-discipline in wearing head protection while driving motorbikes and electric bikes.

The contest is open for both Vietnamese and foreigners living in Vietnam. Entries should be no longer than 20 words, and serve the theme of “Wearing helmets while on motorbikes and electric bikes” for participants from 6 to 10 years old, and “Wearing helmets for yourselves and others” for those from 11 years old.

Contestants should submit their entries by post to the programme’s communication office at Tung Sing Tower, 2 Ngo Nguyen Street, Hanoi, or the programme’s websites of www.antoangiaothong.com.vn and www.csgt.vn. 

Awards will be given to the top 20 slogans, with the best used as the road safety slogan of the year and will appear on posters hung at primary schools nationwide during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Doraemon, the fictional robot cat, is a famous Japanese animation character popular among children in Asia and around the world. It has served as a symbol of traffic safety for decades in Japan.

Last year, the “Traffic Safety in Vietnam with Doraemon” programme was carried out with 26 extra-curricular courses, Duc said, adding that 30,000 road safety handbooks and badges were given to primary students in 13 localities nationwide. 

Japan first launched a traffic safety programme featuring Doraemon 30 years ago when road safety in the nation was a much bigger issue, with some 15,000 people killed by traffic accidents each year. 

The country has since flourished into an exemplary model with one of the safest traffic networks in the world, as well as a general public understanding of road safety. The number of traffic-related deaths in the Japan has shrunk to around 4,000 per year.

The same day, a Kizuna Ekiden running event held for the cause of traffic safety was launched.

According to Major General Vu Ngoc Lan, Deputy Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, some 1,600 Vietnamese and Japanese people are expected join the event, which will take place at 7am on November 18.

Ekiden was born in Japan 100 years ago. A sash called Tasuki is handed over from runner to runner to complete the race, thus it is billed as a symbol of unity and friendship, or “kizuna” in Japanese.

The running tournament aims to bolster the friendship and increase exchanges between Vietnam and Japan.

Registration for the running event is open from 3pm on September 6, at https://racejungle.com and http://www.facebook.com/racejungle.

Fujita Hironobu, Director of the international project division at Mainichi Shimbum, said that the running event will help promote the winning slogan of the “Traffic Safety in Vietnam with Doraemon” programme. 

PM: Ngoc Linh ginseng needs protection as national brand

The brand of Ngoc Linh ginseng needs protection as a national one, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a conference on developing Ngoc Linh ginseng and other medicinal herbs in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on September 6. 

The Government leader said Ngoc Linh ginseng, which is dubbed as a national treasure, could become a source of national livelihood in different aspects, whether job generation or State budget contribution. 

He raised the question on how to help Vietnam’s herbal medicines and health products join the global playground, and set the target of earning billions of US dollars in production and export values from those products in the next decades. Phuc added that the target is feasible given the high growth rate forecast for the international ginseng market.  

To that end, it requires prompt and organized actions to assist Kon Tum and central Quang Nam province where Ngoc Linh ginseng is being planted, in implementing their ginseng development strategies, PM Phuc said. 

He emphasised the need to raise the values of Ngoc Linh ginseng, both economically and medically, protect its purebred gene, and develop geographical indication for the medicinal herb. 

“Popularising Ngoc Linh ginseng does not mean lowering its values, but developing it as a high-end product,” the President said. 

The Ngoc Linh ginseng (Panax vietnamensis, or Vietnamese ginseng), a rare medical root containing 52 saponin compounds helpful to health, was found on Ngoc Linh Mountain on the boundary between Kon Tum and Quang Nam in the late 1960s.

Besides saponin, Ngoc Linh ginseng contains 17 amino acids, 20 trace minerals and 0.1 percent of attar. The ginseng has high effects in anti-stress and anti-aging conditions. It helps improve immunity, enhance liver function, and lower cholesterol. Besides, it also works well with antibiotics and diabetes medications.

Ngoc Linh ginseng is one of the world’s most precious ginsengs. It has been approved as a national product under the Prime Minister’s Decision 787/QD-TTg.

Nine communes Tu Mo Rong and Dak Glei districts of Kon Tum province have received geographical indication certificates for Ngoc Linh ginseng with a total area of about 400 hectares. 

Meanwhile, Quang Nam province has also set forth a project on Ngoc Linh ginseng development by 2020 and has another project on Ngoc Linh ginseng preservation by 2030 approved by the Prime Minister.