WB-funded project improves Vietnam urban infrastructure

The World Bank has provided more than US$382 million for a project to improve infrastructure and living conditions for low-income people in four Vietnamese provinces and cities.

At a review meeting in Can Tho on May 30, a WB representative reported that the project was implemented from 2004 to 2012 in Haiphong (US$39.9 million), Nam Dinh (US$38.5 million), Ho Chi Minh City (US$266.7 million) and Can Tho (US$37.2 million).

Can Tho City

The WB representative said the project was carried out successfully, helping 11 million people in the four beneficiary localities raise their living conditions through safe water and power supply, sanitation, and irrigation sub-projects.

It also helped improve infrastructure in low-income residential areas and build resettlement areas for displaced people.

Vietnam, RoK cooperate in copyright protection

The ministries of culture, sports and tourism of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) signed a memorandum of understanding on copyright protection cooperation at a conference in Hanoi on May 30.

The move is expected to promote the legal use of artistic works and develop the two countries’ culture and innovation, heard the function.

Protecting copyright at a time of global integration is essential for ensuring the legitimate interests of the creators and producing a healthy environment for competitiveness, experts said.

After becoming more aware of copyright self-protection measures and the self-execution of legal regulations, artists and businesses have been working closely with Vietnamese law enforcement agencies to stop any violations in the field, said deputy head of the Vietnam Copyright Office Pham Thi Kim Oanh.

Vietnam ’s laws stipulate fines of 250 million VND (12,000 USD) for copyright violations by individuals and 500 million VND (24,0000 USD) by organisations.

Last year, the Vietnamese ministry collected over 2 billion VND (about 95,200 USD) in fines from businesses for software copyright violations, and ordered three websites to remove thousands of pirated films.

It also received 60 letters of complaint on copyright disputes over 142 book editions from 25 publishing houses during the year.

Vietnam and the RoK have stepped up co-operation for copyright protection since January this year, with the RoK Copyright Centre opening a representative office in Vietnam.

Workers abroad fined for violating contracts

The Vietnam Embassy in the Republic of Korea (RoK) has announced fines for two Vietnamese workers sent to the country for violating labour contracts signed with their Korean employers.

Under Decree No 95/2013/ND-CP issued by the Vietnamese Government on fines for violations related to labour rights, social insurance and overseas labour contracts, the fines of 90 million VND (4,230 USD) and 100 million VND 4,700 (USD) have been imposed on Vu Van Duong and Ngo Van Hiep, respectively.

Duong, born in the northern province of Nam Dinh, escaped from his working place in the RoK on July 26, 2013. This broke his labour contract with his Korean employer, which would have run until May 15, 2014.

Meanwhile, Hiep, a worker from central Nghe An province, ran away from Incheon International Airport after entering the RoK on May 20.

The embassy has sent the announcement to the Overseas Labour Management Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the localities that are home to the two men.

A representative from the managing board for Vietnamese workers in the RoK said the body will continue to observe and report on such workers in the near future. These are expected to become a valid basis for relevant agencies to impose fines when necessary.

MoH orders reports on health hotlines

The Ministry of Health ordered health departments of provinces and cities to submit biannual reports about the effectiveness of hotlines by June 10 and December 10.

The hotlines, established last year, receive complaints from patients in order to improve the quality of examination and treatment.

The ministry also required the departments to upload feedback from patients into the ministry's system.

Workers hospitalised for exposure to extreme hot weather

As many as 79 workers of the VMC Hoang Gia in the southern province of Tay Ninh's Tan Bien District have been hospitalised since yesterday afternoon.

Five of them were in serious condition and were taken to the Tay Ninh General Hospital. The remaining workers were treated at the Tan Bien District Medical Station.

The workers suffered spells of fainting, vomiting and convulsions.

Initial investigation showed that these workers had been working in extreme heat in an area that was not properly ventilated with fresh air for breathing.

HCM City Customs officers seize drug precursor

The HCM City Customs Department seized two plastic jars yesterday containing nearly 10 kilos of pseudoephedrine, worth VND7 billion (US$330,000).

Pseudoephedrine is a key ingredient in methamphetamine production. Found mixed with shrimp sauce, the drug precursor was being sent by a person living in District 6 to an address in Australia.

The department is co-operating with police to investigate the case.

The department has confiscated more than 67 kilos of drug precursors for methamphetamine and around 4 kilos of heroin hidden in food and cosmetics in the past eight months..

Children’s fun day forges Vietnam-RoK ties

The Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) in Hanoi will organise an entertainment programme aimed at children from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) on June 1.

The event, which aims to create a fun playground for children on the occasion of International Children’s Day (June 1), expects to attract the participation of about 200 children, including many from disadvantaged backgrounds, while others are students from the Korean International School.

KCC Director Park Nark Jong said the event will tighten the bond between the two countries’ children, further bolstering the bilateral friendship in the future.

Through introducing folk games and traditional foods, the event also helps promote the culture of the two nations, he added.

US army helps build bridges in An Giang

Ten small bridges were inaugurated on May 30 in Long Xuyen city, the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, as gifts from the US Pacific Command.

Construction of the bridges, in the city’s My Thoi ward and My Hoa Hung commune, commenced in October last year at a cost of 728,900 USD to replace the old and unsafe bamboo bridges in the localities. The new ones have a loading capacity of 1 tonne each.

According to Robert Ogburn, US Deputy Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, the bridges’ construction fee was sourced from the fund for humanitarian assistance of the US Department of Defence.

Since 2000, the fund has also helped upgrade the local infrastructure system and build schools in remote and poor areas that were hard hit by the war, he noted, adding that similar activities will continue in the coming years.

Mormon Church representatives to form official Vietnamese committee

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs has granted recognition to a provisional committee representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose main branch is called Mormonism.

The committee will act on behalf of the Mormon Church and its followers in Vietnam. It will comprise a head and two other members, each serving a two-year term.

Addressing the granting ceremony on May 30 in Hanoi, which attracted the participation of the US Embassy representatives in Vietnam and many leaders and followers of the Church, Deputy Minister of Interior and head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Pham Dung congratulated the Church and its followers.

Dung said he believes that the followers will continue to practice their religious activities in accordance with the law, while staying attached with their local communities.

He also expressed hope that the Church will soon become the 38th religious organisation and the 14 th recognised religion in Vietnam .

The Mormon Church was introduced in Vietnam in 1962. However, in 1975 it suspended its operation in the country for 20 years. Since resuming its activities in 1995, it has gathered nearly 1,000 followers, mostly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Established in the US in the early 19th century, the Mormon Church now has nearly 16 million followers in over 100 countries and territories.-

Ho Chi Minh City, Vientiane enhance science, technology ties

Vo Van Thuong, permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, hosted a reception on May 30 for a delegation from the Vientiane Science and Technology Department of Laos.

The delegation is led by Deputy Secretary of Vientiane’s Party Committee Sihoun Sitthileuxay.

Thuong stated that the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, as well as between Ho Chi Minh City and Vientiane, are developing in a sustainable, extensive and intensive manner.

He suggested the two cities strengthen connections in economics, science-technology, health and education.

Sihoun Sitthileuxay expressed his impression on Ho Chi Minh City’s dynamic development, saying that his delegation’s visit aims to boost the two sides’ cooperation, particularly in science and technology.

Vietnamese students learn about Japan culture

Vietnam and Japan jointly held a training course for 600 Vietnamese students in Tokyo on May 30 which saw the participation of 36 Japanese schools from Tokyo, Kanto and Koshin Etsu.

Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education (APJLE) President Sato Jiro said that the course aimed to improve Vietnamese students’s understanding of Japanese culture, education and training and the local legal system, to help them best assimilate into society and give them a better chance of success in their chosen careers.

Jiro also noted that the number of Vietnamese students in Japan has increased sharply in the recent past. He quoted statistics saying approximately 8,000 Vietnamese students studied in Japan in 2013 which is four-fold the number in 2012.

Vietnamese counsellor in charge of education and training Do Van Trung stressed that more such courses will be held in the future to equip Vietnamese students with necessary knowledge of life and regulations of Japan.

APJLE statistics show 81.4% of Vietnamese students passed tertiary entrance examinations after finishing study in Japanese schools in 2012.

Japanese schools also provide scholarships to encourage students to continue their study, with 583 students approved in 2013.

Continued objection to China’s illegal acts

Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) around the globe are continuing to stage peaceful marches and demonstrations in opposition to China’s unprecedented illegal intrusion into Vietnam’s territorial waters.

The placement of the Haiyang Shiyou-981 drilling oil rig in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf has touched off an overwhelming display of patriotic support by OVs and international friends alike.

The Vietnamese Community in Cuba held a meeting on May 29 at which they condemned China’s illegal act and issued a proclamation calling upon China to cease all provocations and withdraw the oil rig from Vietnam’s territorial waters.

Mai Thao, President of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Cuba, expressed his belief in the Vietnamese Government’s proper reaction, which not only demonstrates peace loving spirit and maximum restraint but also strong determination to protect sovereignty over sea and islands.

Le Anh Thu, a Vietnamese student, said that each Vietnamese person should raise his or her voice in order to help international friends understand the real situation in the East Sea and stand united in opposition to China’s blatantly illegal acts.

On the occasion, OVs in Cuba raised funds worth US$2,300 for coast guard forces who are protecting the national sovereignty.

*** Around 50 Vietnamese people and students in Barcelona, Spain, gathered at Cataluna Square to protest against China’s violation.

They signed a letter addressed to the Chinese Embassy in Madrid and the Consulate General in Barcelona, asking China to remove the drilling oil rig and escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters.

Participants raised nearly EUR1,000 to support Vietnamese coast guards and fishermen whose fishing boats were attacked and destroyed by Chinese vessels.

 *** Julio César Tinoco Oros, Secretary of the Mexican Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) in charge of international affairs, on May 29 handed over the PRD’s statement protesting China’s East Sea violation to the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexican city.

The statement called on parties concerned to exercise restraint and settle disputes by peaceful measures.

The PRD called on Vietnamese and Chinese Governments to deescalate tensions through political negotiations based on international law and suggested that the United Nations play a conciliatory role and allow the International Arbitration Court to judge the case.

It urged the Mexican Foreign Ministry to show its position on this issue and hoped that Mexico will play a more active role in seeking and keeping peace in the world. It asserted that it respects sovereignty and self-determination of each nation in the world and supports peace.

Earlier, the Mexican Labour Party (PT) and the Mexico-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group issued their statement to support Vietnam’s peaceful viewpoint and asked the Upper House, Lower House and Foreign Ministry to consider the issue and adopt a statement soon.

Health sector launches comprehensive review

The 30-year review of Viet Nam's health sector reforms should result in more policies for non-state hospitals, general director of Vinmec Hospital, Professor Do Tat Cuong, said yesterday in Ha Noi.

During a half-day conference hosted by the Party Central Committee's Commission for Publicity and Education and the Ha Noi Medical University, health experts discussed research methods and the review on the country's 30 years of health sector reform, which will run until 2016.

Cuong said that non-state hospitals were playing an increasingly important role in the health sector and helping reduce overcrowding in state hospitals. They were also contributing better services for patients, he said. However, non-state hospitals were not receiving any support from the State coffers, while in need of priority policies, extra staff and training.

"The review should define clearly and exactly the role of non-state hospitals and then develop proper rights and policies for the hospitals," said Cuong.

Professor Le Vu Anh, chairman of the Vietnam Public Health Association, proposed the review to focus on preventive medical services.

The preventive medical sector has helped to reign in epidemics at the grassroots levels and helped alleviate overcrowding at big hospitals. However, preventive medicines had not receive much attention, he said.

Nguyen Kim Phuong, representing Vietnam's chapter of the World Health Organisation, said the review should not focus on the status quo and that it needed to define the health sector's model for the future, and develop a roadmap for implementation.

The health sector model should have detailed information on the services, funding for the services and policies supporting lower socio-economic groups, said Phuong.

The review should also determine challenges that the model will cope with and measures to resolve the challenges, she said.

Health experts urge higher tobacco tax

Health experts have asked for increase in tax on tobacco as an effective measure to reduce production, trading and use of tobacco.

Speaking at a meeting to mark World Tobacco Day (May 31), Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen stated that the current tax on tobacco, which is 41.6 per cent of retail price, was lower compared to other countries in the region.

"Increasing tax on tobacco to 60–70 per cent of retail price will be an effective measure to reduce the use of tobacco among the youth as well as lessen the damage to people's health and community," stressed Xuyen.

"In order to reduce the national smoking rate by 1 per cent per year, special consumption tax on tobacco should be raised from the current 65 per cent to 105 per cent by 2015, to 145 per cent by 2018 and to 155 per cent by 2020," stated Xuyen.

Xuyen added that increasing tax on tobacco will also help in increasing financial source for the State Budget.

Dr Gabit Ismailov from the World Health Organisation also pointed out that the increase of tax on tobacco will help Viet Nam to avoid between 5,000 and 9,000 deaths per year and reduce the male smoking rate to 39 per cent by 2020.

The health ministry survey revealed that 47 per cent of adult men and 1.4 per cent of women above the age of 15 were smokers, equivalent to 15 million people. Around 21.6 per cent of the youth, aged 16–24, were smokers. A study on tobacco use among students aged 13–15 revealed that more than 10 per cent of male students and 4 per cent of female students said that they intended to smoke in the future.

The country's total economic burden caused by five tobacco-related diseases in Viet Nam was over VND23 trillion (approximately US$1.1 billion) in 2011, accounting for 0.91 per cent of the country's GDP.

The World Health Organisation reported that around 6 million deaths related to tobacco use occur each year, including 600,000 from passive smoking. If current trends continue, by 2030, approximately 8 million people will die each year from tobacco use, of whom 80 per cent will be from low- and middle-income groups.

CIAT launches strategy to strengthen food security

The International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) on Tuesday launched its new global research strategy for the 2014-20 period in Ha Noi.

The strategy aims to strengthen food security and bioefficiency in tropical countries, including Viet Nam.

It defines three objectives which are central for creating upward spirals of sustainable growth: to make affordable high-quality food readily available to the rural and urban poor by boosting agriculture productivity and enhancing the nutritional quality of staple crops; to promote rural income growth by making smallholder farming more competitive and market-oriented through improved agricultural value chains; and to provide the means to develop more intensive and competitive agriculture in an environmental friendly manner.

Under the strategy, in the coming years, CIAT will continue to concentrate on developing more resilient and productive crop varieties, including common beans, cassava, tropical forages and rice, the four vital crops in the tropical and subtropical areas.

CIAT Director General Ruben Echeverria said that tropical countries face many challenges during their economic growth, including urbanisation and environmental pollution, and added that the improvement of crops and sustainable agriculture could help address the challenges.

CIAT emphasised the importance of cassava, animal feed and sustainable soil management in achieving bioefficiency in Asia.

According to CIAT, cassava is the third-most important food crop in the tropical region and also serves as livestock feed and industrial raw material.

About eight million rural households across Southeast Asia depend on the annual production of about 75 million tonnes of cassava grown in four million hectares.

In Viet Nam last year, cassava and related products brought an export value of US$1.13 million.

Head of Viet Nam Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Nguyen Van Bo said that cassava was earlier blamed for soil degradation.

However, if it is grown with the right techniques, it is able to adapt to the changing climate and generate more income for farmers, because it can be used as animal feed and as raw material for bio-energy and pharmaceutical industries.

"Science and technology are an important factor in helping improve the farmers' income," he said, calling for further scientific cooperation between Viet Nam and its international partners.

The CIAT's new strategy is expected to promote cooperation in developing more resilient and productive varieties and technology transfer.

The CIAT based in Colombia since 1967 is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. CIAT develops technologies, methods, and knowledge that better enable farmers, mainly smallholders, to enhance eco-efficiency in agriculture.

Shrimp farmers told to halt polluting practice

The Directorate of Fisheries and local authorities have told farmers in Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta not to breed white-legged shrimp in fresh water areas as wastewater from breeding could pollute water sources.

White-legged shrimp live in brackish, saline water and are normally bred in coastal areas. To breed the shrimp in fresh water areas, farmers have been using bored well water, to which they add salt.

Farmers who have no access to waste treatment have been releasing waste water directly into rivers and canals.

The release of saline waste water in fresh water areas will affect rice production, the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2 has said.

Last year, many farmers in the Delta began raising the profitable white-legged shrimp in unzoned areas despite warnings from local authorities.

Farmers earned a profit VND500-700 million (US$23,800 - 33,300) per ha for one crop (bred over 70 to 90 days) of white-legged shrimp last year.

Because of higher yields and prices due to export demand, profits were higher than those from rice cultivation and other aquatic species.

Last year, the country's 600,000ha of black tiger shrimp had an output of 268,000 tonnes, while its 66,000ha of white-legged shrimp yielded 280,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Many farmers in fresh water areas have turned their orchards, rice fields and fresh-water ponds into white-legged shrimp ponds.

As of last month, in the delta's fresh water and salt water areas, farmers had bred more than 1,200ha of white-legged shrimp in unzoned areas, according to the directorate.

White-legged shrimp breeding has developed rapidly in upstream provinces like Dong Thap and An Giang.

In Dong Thap Province, for instance, 57 households in fresh-water areas have bred white-legged shrimp on a total area of more than 64 ha.

Of the 57 households, 14 have harvested white-legged shrimp, with an average yield of 5.6 tonnes per ha. One kilo of 70 shrimp sells for about VND93,000 ($4.4). Most of the households use bored well water to breed shrimp.

The massive exploitation of groundwater to breed white-legged shrimp could deplete this water source, according to the directorate.

In addition, if shrimp disease outbreaks occur in upstream provinces, they could threaten shrimp cultivation in downstream provinces, it said.

Speaking at a seminar held in Dong Thap on May 14, Nguyen Huy Dien, deputy head of the directorate, said the breeding of white-legged shrimp had brought immediate economic benefits because of high yields and prices.

However, the adverse impact will be severe, especially in fresh-water areas, he said.

Dien asked the directorate's Aquaculture Division and other agencies to issue a report on the breeding of white-legged shrimp to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The directorate's Aquaculture Division was asked to propose measures to tighten the management of white-legged shrimp breeding and ban the exploitation of groundwater for breeding the shrimp in fresh-water areas.

Local fisheries sub-departments were also advised to instruct farmers about the long-term impact of breeding white-legged shrimp in fresh-water areas, he said.

Winter-spring rice sees high yields despite bad weather

Farmers nationwide are reporting high yields for their winter-spring rice crop despite unfavourable weather in many provinces, including a cold wave and a plant-disease outbreak in the north.

Two prolonged cold spells in February and cool weather in March in the north have extended the growing period of rice before the blooming stage by seven to 10 days.

Despite this, farms have had high yields as farmers have used special cultivation techniques, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said at a meeting in Thanh Hoa Province on Tuesday to review the northern region's rice output.

The north has had an average yield of 6.2 tonnes a hectare, up 50 kilos against last year's winter-spring crop, the ministry said.

Northern provinces have planted more short-term rice and high-quality rice varieties this year, and the cultivation of hybrid-rice varieties has increased productivity and output.

Le Quoc Doanh, MARD's deputy minister, said farmers should closely monitor their fields to prevent disease outbreaks.

The northern region has planted over 1.1 million ha of rice, down 1,500 ha against the 2012-13 winter-spring crop.

In the central region, rice yields in many provinces like Quang Nam and Quang Ngai have reached a record high.

Tran Thi Do, who has harvested 1,500 sq. m of a rice field in Nghia Hanh District's Hanh Thinh Commune in Quang Ngai Province, said her farm had produced 700 kilos of paddy.

"In previous years, I could only get about 500 kilos."

Quang Ngai has planted over 38,800ha of rice in the winter-spring crop, harvested an average yield of 5.7 tonnes per hectare, said the province's agriculture department.

The department attributed the high productivity rate to several factors, including high-quality and disease-resistant seeds, appropriate cultivation methods and sufficient irrigation water.

The province has faced several unfavourable weather conditions, such as prolonged rain, floods and cold spells after initial planting, and drought in the middle of the crop.

In Quang Nam Province, the winter-spring crop has achieved a record-high yield, said the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The province's rice output is expected to reach 244,000 tonnes, up 6,500 tonnes against last year.

MARD said farmers in the Mekong Delta, the country's rice basket, had completed the harvesting of 1.6 million ha of the winter-spring crop, with an average yield of 6.8 tonne per ha, an increase of 0.3 tonnes over the estimate by the ministry's Plant Cultivation Department.

The delta this year also expanded the area of large-scale rice fields to over 100,000ha for the winter-spring crop, up 34,000 ha against last year, according to the Steering Committee for Southwest Region.

An Giang Province and Can Tho City have the largest areas of large-scale rice fields in the delta. Farmers of these fields sign contracts with companies to grow high-quality rice for export.