WB supports Vietnam’s climate change response program

The World Bank on November 8 approved a credit of US$70 million for the second Vietnam Climate Change Development Policy Operation.

The credit provides parallel financing under a multi-donor budget support program for the Government’s Support Program to Respond to Climate Change, the bank said in its press release.

Accordingly, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the French Development Agency (AfD) will jointly provide roughly US$145 million. The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) will join with a first AUD8 million, and Korea Eximbank with US$30 million, bringing total support to about US$253 million in the context of the proposed operation.

This operation includes five policy actions, under the three thematic pillars of climate change adaptation, mitigation and cross-cutting issues. They focus on the water sector, energy sector, climate change integration into development planning and a more conducive environment for climate financing.

In particular, this policy operation has supported the development of a new Law on Water Resources, the adoption of regulations establishing the qualification and certification requirements for energy auditors and managers.

It also helped with the establishment of a National Climate Change Strategy, the readiness for a national coordination platform for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, and an institutional mechanism to promote climate – response financing sources.

The credit comes from the International Development Association, the WB’s concessional lending resource for low income countries. This credit has a 25-year maturity with a 5-year grace period.

Red Cross representatives receive precious insignias

Special insignias for work on supporting the Viet Nam Red Cross were presented to Frank Kueppers from the German Red Cross Office and Bhupinder Tomar from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent on Wednesday.

On the same day, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations also awarded insignia recognising work on fostering peace and friendship among nations to Bhupinder Tomar.

The insignias from the two Vietnamese groups honour outstanding contributions to the cause of humanity and the development of friendship between Vietnamese people and other countries around the world.

RoK hands over new facilities to Vinh Phuc

Businesses from the Republic of Korea (RoK) currently operating in Vietnam’s northern province of Vinh Phuc have funded the construction of several community facilities in the locality.

The ceremony to hand over the public works to the local authorities was held in the province on November 7, as part of a series of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The VND2.6 billion funded by the RoK’s Trade and Investment Promotions Department and 10 private companies have helped the province build five houses for the poor, upgrade three nursery schools as well as a selection of other socially orientated projects.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister for the RoK’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy Han Jin Hyun said he hoped that similar social activities will be applied to 2,700 other enterprises currently operating in Vietnam.

The Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, Phung Quang Hung, said that Vinh Phuc will continue to offer the best possible conditions for the RoK’s companies in particular and foreign firms in general to carry out business effectively in the province.

The RoK is the second biggest overseas investor in Vietnam. By September 2012, it had poured more than US$24 billion into over 3,000 projects in the Southeast Asian country, of which 41 projects, worth US$241 million, are in Vinh Phuc.

137 students receive Kumho Asiana scholarships

The Kumho Asiana-Vietnam Scholarship and Cultural Foundation presented scholarships to 137 students in Hanoi on November 8.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Tran Quang Quy said that the scholarships are a great source of encouragement to help scholarship recipients overcome difficulties and excel their studies.

He added that it also helps develop human resource capacities in Vietnam and tightens cooperative relations between the two countries.

Kumho Asiana is one of the first Korean groups to invest in Vietnam. Since 2008, the group has granted scholarships to nearly 900 students.

Kumho Asiana President Park Sam-koo expressed his hope that the recipients will endeavour to study hard so they can contribute to family and society.

The Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Ha Chan Ho said people-to-people exchanges have been strengthened in recent times. Currently, nearly 130,000 Korean people are working and living in Vietnam while 120,000 Vietnamese reside in the RoK.

The RoK ranks second for foreign direct investment in Vietnam, with more than 2,700 businesses operating there.
The Ambassador forecast that two-way trade turnover is likely to reach US$20 billion this year.

Smugglers found with lucrative rhino horns

Noi Bai International Airport Customs officers have caught two men attempting to smuggle animal products, alleged to be rhino's horns worth dozens of billions of dong, into the country.

The discovery was made when officers checked the luggage of two men arriving on a flight from Qatar.

The horns, which weigh 23.5kg, were wrapped carefully in several layers of nylon and tin foil and hidden in the suitcases of both. They covered the horns with garlic to disguise their smell.

HCM City calls for health check project funds

More funds should be allocated to expand the pre-marital counselling and health check-up programme for youth aged 15 to 24 in HCM City, a city official has urged.

The national General Office for Population and Family Planning is responsible for making budgetary decisions for the programme, according to Dang Phi Yen, head of HCM City's Population Division's Health Education and Information Room.

Yen said the country and the city in particular was seeing an increasing number of abortions and a higher rate of sexually transmitted diseases.

In a survey conducted of 420 youth by the General Office, only 39 per cent of the students were aware of the danger of having unsafe abortions.

Recent figures released by several HCM City public hospitals showed a rising number of abortions, particularly among youth.

Last year, there were a total of 95,067 abortions in the city, and of that figure, 3,876 were performed on youth aged 15 to 24. The latter figure was an increase of 1,839 compared to the previous year.

Only 32 per cent of the 420 youth surveyed were aware of infertility issues and pre-natal check-ups.

Most of them had an average knowledge of safe sex and contraceptive methods, the survey found.

Can Tho grants scholarships to Cambodian, Lao students

The Can Tho People’s Committee has decided to award scholarships to 10 Lao and Cambodian students, valued at more than VND890 million.

The announcement follows requests to Can Tho from Kampong Chnang Province in Cambodia and Champasak Province in Laos to give scholarships to their students for studies in fisheries, agriculture and health care.

 The beneficiaries will study at Can Tho University and Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Can Tho University also proposed the municipal People’s Committee to assist the scholars with health insurance, learning facilities and travel costs.

Project looks at consumption habits

A 1.4 million euro (VND37.5 billion) project on sustainable consumption was launched on Wednesday in Ha Noi.
The project aims to encourage Vietnamese consumers to switch to more sustainable consumption behaviours.

By 2015, the project plans to have trained 1,000 "change agents" from six cities that can teach others about sustainable consumption and create a lasting change.

The project is a joint effort by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, the Viet Nam Cleaner Production Centre and the Asian Institute of Technology in Viet Nam.

VNN/VOV/VNS