VN’s first online financial library launched

The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in Vietnam officially inaugurated its new online financial library on October 9.

The library is designed to help people improve their personal financial management skills by offering online training courses.

Internet users will also be able to learn about the banks’ products and services when they access the library.

HSBC Vietnam’s CEO Sumit Dutta said that the library will provide up-to-date accurate information and knowledge on financial issues for Vietnamese people.

Nguyen Toan Thang, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, said he hoped that HSBC’s online financial library will benefit the community and bring it closer to the banking sector.

Internet users can access the library at http://www.hsbc.com.vn/1/2/about-hsbc/thu-vien-tai-chinh-truc-tuyen-hsbc.

Over VND27.5 trillion for sustainable poverty reduction

The Prime Minister has approved a national target program of poverty reduction in the 2012-2015 period.

Accordingly, 10 percent of poor districts, 50 percent of specially disadvantaged communes in coastal and island districts and 30 percent of communes in ethnic minority and mountain districts will escape absolute poverty by 2015.

The program aims to raise the average per capita income of poor households in the country by 1.6 times compared to the late 2011 figure and in mountainous areas by 2.5 times.

 It is expected that the number of poor households will drop by 2 percent annually and the number of poor districts and communes by 4 percent.

Vietnam will continue with its comprehensive poverty reduction policies to improve the living conditions of the poor, in terms of health care, education, culture, water supply, and other basic social services.

By 2015, 60 percent of communes will have cement roads, 100 percent of communal centres will be connected to the power grid and over 90 percent of communes will access an electricity supply for daily use and production. The average income of poor households will increase by 15-20 percent and 10 percent of poor households will escape poverty each year.

The will be carried out throughout the country from 2012 to 2015 at an estimated cost of VND27,509 billion sourced from the State and local budgets, foreign aid and other sources.

Int’l seminar discusses maritime and island issues

An international seminar was held in the northern province of Thai Binh on October 9 to discuss international experiences in issuing and enforcing laws on maritime activities and territorial islands, and report on the actual situation in Vietnam.  

Addressing the seminar, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Chu Pham Ngoc Hien emphasized that the event aimed to share experiences in law enforcement related to maritime and island issues, especially the management, protection and sustainable development of natural resources.

The focus of the seminar was on formulating, issuing and enforcing policies and laws to manage Vietnam’s maritime natural resources; preserving coastal areas, sharing experiences of nations such as the Republic of Korea and the US in sustainable development and appropriate exploitation of natural resources and the maritime environment.

They also agreed that Vietnam must manage its marine resources and islands effectively to ensure a balance between economic, social and environmental goals.

Participants also presented solutions for the future and urged the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to continue building and perfecting its policies on maritime and island issues in order to fully tap their potential, promote sustainable development and protect Vietnamese sovereignty.

Vietnam hosts int’l conference on estuaries, coasts

Almost 200 international lecturers and experts in the irrigation science from 15 nations are attending the fourth international conference on estuaries and coasts (ICEC) in Hanoi.

Rector of the Water Resources University Nguyen Quang Kim said the October 8-11 conference, the first of its kind in Vietnam, creates an opportunity to share valuable experiences and improve scientific research quality and raise tertiary and post graduation training quality in the field for Vietnam’s universities.

It is also a big forum for foreign and domestic sponsors, managers, engineers and scientists to get up-to-date technology so as to rationally tap resources and develop estuaries and coastal areas in a sustainable manner.

Almost 40 reports presented by Vietnamese experts and lecturers focus on coastal and estuarine hydrodynamics and management, environmental and ecological hydraulics.

Vietnam counts more than 2,360 rivers with 10 basins covering more than 10,000sq.m. each.

Warning on birth drug

The Department of Maternal and Child Health has requested obstetric clinics throughout Viet Nam not to use prostaglandin, a labour inducing medicine, to avoid obstetric complications.

According to a department report, during the first six months of the year, 88 mothers and babies died during childbirth.

Among them, 60 cases followed obstetric complications.

Luu Thi Hong, the department's deputy head, said the use of prostaglandin was a common method of inducing labour, but if used on women nine-months' pregnant, it could lead to tubal rupture and foetal distress.

Hong said if the drug was used in other cases, the mothers' condition must be carefully supervised.

The Department of Maternal and Child Health also requested health departments to conduct regular inspections on the use of labour inducing medicines.

Agribank facilitates eye care for citizens

The Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) presented an ambulance and other medical equipment worth VND1.2 billion to the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO) on October 9.

Speaking at the donation ceremony, an Agribank official said this is an initial cooperation programme with the VNIO to help prevent blindness and work towards the global vision target for 2020.  
 
VNIO Deputy Director Nguyen Xuan Hiep thanked Agribank for its assistance and promised to use it effectively to help provide eye check-ups and treatment, especially for the poor.

He also said he hopes that Agribank will continue helping the hospital with its blindness prevention programme.

The VNIO has received significant support over the past few years from both domestic and foreign individuals and organizations.

These donations have helped improve the quality of overall treatment and services, and provide free treatment and surgeries for poor people, which is a positive contribution to the national blindness prevention programme.

Honouring good people and good deeds

A ceremony was held in Hanoi on October 8 to honour 1,002 individuals who have made great contributions to the capital city.

On the occasion, ten people were awarded the title “outstanding citizens of the city”.

Ha Thi Vinh, General Director of Quang Vinh company in the Bat Trang craft village in Hanoi’s outlying district of Gia Lam, expressed her pleasure at receiving the award and pledged to do her best for the community and the homeland.

At the award ceremony, Politburo member Dinh The Huynh, Secretary of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and Head of the PCC Commission for Communication and Education, spoke highly of Hanoi’s good people and good deeds and wished Hanoians would further uphold their glorious tradition and actively engage in the national emulation movements and campaigns to study and follow the late President Ho Chi Minh’s moral example.

Since it was launched in 1992, the “good people and good deeds” movement has played an important role in encouraging people to contribute to the society. Tens of thousands of outstanding citizens have been honoured for their good deeds so far.

Nomad settlement slows down

The settlement of nomadic ethnic people in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has reached only 30 per cent of this year's planned target due to lack of funds.

The province has so far received only VND30.5 billion (US$1.4 million), about 21.4 per cent of the total scheduled budget, said the provincial People's Committee.

Under the plan, 1023 nomadic ethnic households in Nam Dong, A Luoi, Phong Dien, Phu Loc districts and Huong Tra town will settle down in 10 new residential areas.

However, only two out of 10 settlement areas have been completed. They provide accommodation for 291 nomad families in Nam Dong district.

The new homes have basic infrastructure including roads, water and electricity supplies, and schools.

Co Tu nomads who have already settled in the Ta Rinh residential area in Nam Dong district have received between 500 and 1000 square metres of land for household development.

The project helps the former nomads improve their lifestyles, eliminate hunger, upgrade their material possessions.

At the same time, it also helps solve the practice of cutting down trees for slash-and-burn farming.

According to provincial ethnic minority department, due to the lack of funds, some households were not provided enough land for their production at their new resettlements. As a result of it, these households didn't earn stable income and the poverty rate among these households were high.

The settlement work is scheduled for completion by 2015, says the department. This means that the province has to complete eight new residential areas for the remaining households

Ha Noi plans to relocate flea market

The Ha Noi's People's Committee has approved plans to move Hoa Binh Market, known as Troi Market to a new location.

Troi Market was established in the 1950s and is considered one of the largest markets in the capital with 700 businesses trading households products.

However, the activities at the market have caused public disorder and concerns from locals over fake goods, environmental pollution and traffic jams.

The new location as suggested by the Hoang Mai district's authorities is Den Lu wholesale market.

Sales clerk injured as van smashes into shop

A saleperson was injured when a burning van rammed into her shop in HCM City's Tan Binh District on Monday morning.

Huong, the saleswoman, was injured by pieces of broken glass as the seven-seat van crashed into the shop selling medical equipment at 1A Ly Thuong Kiet Street.

Witnesses said smoke was emanating from the van, which was heading from the Bay Hien Crossroads towards the Ba Thang Hai (Feb.3rd) Street, as it crashed into the shop. Passers-by used extinguishers to stamp out the fire before taking out the driver, who was unconscious.

Both the saleswoman and the driver, a 48-year-old South Korean citizen named Han Deok Yoong, were rushed to the hospital.

Police are investigating the accident.

VNN/VOV/VNS