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Vietnam Farmers’ Union holds 6th congress
The Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VFU) held its 6th congress in Hanoi on February 22.
Participants at the congress agreed that the VFU will create models to transfer technology to its members in 2011.
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However, there is a lot of red tape in the procedures and the short repayment times make the farmers hesitant to borrow. In addition, diseases and low quality fertiliser have negatively affected their income in recent times.
In 2010, the value of agro-forestry and aquatic production reached over VND230 trillion, an increase of 4.7 percent over 2009.
The unions in all levels also cooperate actively with organisations and businesses to provide capital, give advice and offer job training programmes and market information for the farmers.
They also implement policies to promote agricultural production including helping disadvantaged people and families of beneficiaries in the 63 poorest districts across the country. They provide farmers with capital to purchase materials to build houses and help them access investment capital and apply technology in their production to raise their living conditions.
Conference on convention for women’s rights
Hanoi is hosting an international conference seeking the ratification of Convention no. 183 concerning the rights of working pregnant and nursing women.
The convention, presented by Laura Addatti, an expert on female workers from the International Labour Organization (ILO), focused on ensuring women’s rights before, during and after childbirth.
Under the convention, women are entitled to maternity leave of no less than 14 weeks, as well as allowances, and medical care.
It also states that a woman must be guaranteed a safe working environment during her pregnancy and the right to return to the same job at the end of her maternity leave. She shall also be given medical guidance and care and have the chance to breastfeed her child.
Only 19 nations in the world have ratified Convention 183, none of them in Asia.
In the Asian region, Vietnam, Japan and Australia are considered by ILO to have attained sufficient standards to take part in the convention. These countries ensure that women have a maternity leave of 17-26 weeks and receive 100 percent of their wage during this leave.
Addressing the conference on February 22, Vice President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Nguyen Thi Thu Hong affirmed that her organization attaches great importance to improving the quality of life and pregnancy health of women.
Ms Hong added that the Vietnamese Party and State pay due attention to women’s issues and make great efforts to refine the laws to protect their rights.
The two-day conference is co-organized by the VGCL, ILO, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions, the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation, and the International Metalworkers’ Federation.
Teacher attains top IELTS score
Tran Hoai Giang, 24, a teacher of English from the Viet Nam National University of Ha Noi become the first Vietnamese to score 9/9 in her IELTS – (International English Language Testing System) listening, reading and writing test. Giang took the IELTS exam on January 15 at a Viet Nam IDP Education centre in Ha Noi. IDP Education operates a network of 75 offices in 29 countries around the world.
Police say negligence caused boat tragedy
Investigators blamed negligence for the fatal boat tragedy in Ha Long Bay last Thursday which killed 12 people – 11 of whom were foreign tourists.
Colonel Vu Chi Thuc, the provincial Public Security director, said Do Van Thang, 27, the Truong Hai boat's chief mechanic, forgot to close valves used to let in sea water to cool the engine.
The pump used to expel water from the engine room was also not working as the engine was turned off.
He also said the captain and crew members, who should have been on duty, had gone to bed.
Local police have arrested the captain and the chief mechanic.
Investigators are also planning to inspect the condition of the boat, which has still to be raised.
Local authorities have repatriated all the dead.
German health project benefits two provinces
Nghe An and Thai Binh provinces became the latest two beneficiaries of a Health Ministry project to strengthen provincial health systems as the project's second phase was kicked off yesterday.
The project, which has already been implemented in Thanh Hoa, Yen Bai and Phu Yen provinces since 2009, will help provide local poor people with better access to healthcare services.
Germany has committed to providing non-refundable grants worth almost US$7 million to the five-year project.
The provinces were selected by the Health Ministry on the basis of poor health indicators.
Clearing the way for progress
Chairman of Ha Noi People's Committee Nguyen The Thao has told authorities to speed up key construction work in the city.
Thao ordered the completion of work on the Van Cao-Ho Tay flyover before May 30 to reduce chronic traffic jams.
Tay Ho District People's Committee has convinced 78 stubborn remaining families to move home to allow the project to proceed.
Contractors have also pushed ahead with construction on ground cleared of other existing houses.
To build the flyover, more than 37,000,000 sq.m of ground was resumed from 364 households. Most of the families involved moved to new houses, apart from the 78 who held out.
According to reports, the completion of a new bridge in Nhat Tan ward in Tay Ho district, and Noi Bai Airport's T2 terminal, are more than a year overdue. The delays have been caused by slow ground clearances and involved investment and bidding procedures.
Work on the T2 Terminal begun in April, 2008, but so far only 85.12ha of the necessary 115ha of land needed for the job have been cleared. The terminal is expected to be finished by February 2014.
The Nhat Tan bridge will link the centre of the capital with industrial zones in the north. It spans nearly 9km, including a 3.7km long bridge across the Red River.
Fake feed producers face fines
Counterfeit animal feed producers will face a fine of VND35 million (US$1,700) as of March 15 this year under a recent Government decree.
Additionally, fake producers will have their products withdrawn from sale and destroyed.
Under the new regulation, those producing livestock feed without business licences or engaged in the import and trade of livestock feed not permitted for production and circulation in Viet Nam will be liable for a fine of between VND30-40 million ($1,500-2,000).
A fine of between VND35-40 million will be applied to animal feed processing factories that continue to produce animal feed while under suspension by authorised agencies.
Animal feed trading companies found to have no shops, signs or clear trading addresses will be subjected to a fine of between VND1-2 million ($50-100).
This is the first time specific disciplinary regulations related to livestock feed production and trade has been issued, said Nguyen Van Thanh, head of inspection office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Department of Animal Husbandry.
"The regulation is expected to help prevent the production and trade of low-quality animal feed, as at present inspectors are using regulations only related to violations of agriculture and rural development rules," he said.
Ha Noi needs $10b for transport works
Ha Noi needs to find US$10 billion to develop the city's transport infrastructure during the next five years, Transport and Public Works Department director Nguyen Quoc Hung said on Monday.
The city will source the capital through Official Development Assistance loans, bond issues and forms of investment including Building and Transfer and Building, Operation and Transfer.
The city's 2011-15 infrastructure investment will focus on key traffic projects, including completing ring-roads and upgrading highways.
Additionally, the city has defined key urban regions for investment, such as O Cho Dua, Voi Phuc, O Dong Mac and Nguyen Khoai and rural routes such as Lang Hoa Lac-Son Tay, Phap Van-Cau Gie.
The city will build and upgrade highways linking the city with provinces and motorways and the main north-south highway as a way to improve soci-economic development in the regions.
It also will repair inner key roads, build more bridges and continue to build underground car parks.
Sixty locations that experience serious traffic jams will be investigated to find solutions, while traffic signals and road marking will be added.
The city also will invest in public buses and driver training, upgrade its transport information provision, such as schedules and time tables, and create bus routes in high-density residential areas.
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