Too many taxis cruise Hanoi

Many taxi firms have cheated to increase the number of cars operating in Ha Noi to get profits, according to the Municipal Transport Authority.

A recent inspection by the city's Department of Transport found that many taxis had their number plates registered in Ha Noi, but have the taxi badge (registration) granted by transport authorities in other provinces.

In 2010, the department blocked taxi firms from adding to their fleets because it said there were already too many taxis on the capital city's roads.

It blamed the rise in taxis for increasing traffic problems throughout the city.

For example, Ha Anh Taxi Company vehicles use a badge granted by the transport authority in northern Ninh Binh Province; Song Hong Transport Co-operative has badges granted by northern Bac Ninh and Vinh Phuc provinces.

However, both companies operate in Ha Noi and their number plates were issued by Ha Noi's authority.

Bui Danh Lien, chairman of the city's Transport Association, said that big profits and easy procedures helped the illegal business flourish.

"All they need are some cars and an enterprise-establishment certificate, and they will soon get a badge to start their business. This loophole contributes to violations, such as driving without a licence and ‘hot' meters used to overcharge customers," he said.

Lien said taxi firms took advantage of a loophole in the Law on Enterprises. This allowed them to open branches in other provinces.

Vice-chief inspector of the city's transport department, Hoang Van Manh, said it might be necessary to eliminate small enterprises and require all taxi firms to have their own colours.

Every taxi would also have to use a badge issued by a State agency. It will be renewed every 12 months. The badge would identify the enterprise and have the car's number plate printed on it

According to the deparment, Ha Noi has about 17,400 taxis. More than 10,000 violations have been reported since early this year. Three hundred taxis have also been seized.

Six injured in ceiling collapse

Six children at a kindergarten in Dung Tien Commune in Ha Noi City's Thuong Tin District were injured, one seriously, when a concrete block fell from the ceiling onto them yesterday afternoon.

The injured child was taken to the Viet Nam-Germany Hospital, according to the school Deputy Principal Dang Thi Nguyet.

The concrete block was about one square metre in size.

Local authorities are holding an investigations.

Farmers to be honoured for outstanding contribution

A ceremony will be held in Hanoi on October 15, to honour 62 of the nations’ most outstanding farmers who have made good performance in production and building rural areas.

It was announced at a press briefing on October 7 that the awardees, 15 female and five from ethnic minority groups, are selected from more than 100 local farmers across the country.

They will be honoured in recognition of their intelligence, creativity and contributions to national construction, emulation movements, and environment protection.

The chosen farmers successfully improve their own household economy, help many others escape poverty, raise income, and ensure social welfare within their locality.

As part of the event the Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Rural Today) newspaper, in coordination with Binh Dien fertiliser company, launched a writing contest entitled “Proud of Vietnamese Farmers” to encourage local farmers to develop excellent agricultural models.

Entries can be sent either to Rural Today newspaper’s headquarters at No13 Thuy Khue Street, Hanoi, or through email at ntnnhn@gmail.com from October 2013 to October 2014.   

Community provides relief aid for Wutip victims

The Vietnam War Veterans’ Association (VWVA) Central Committee on October 7 called on its staff to donate at least one working-day’s salary to help victims of tropical storm Wutip.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Vice President of the VWVA Central Committee Phuc Khac Dang said Wutip, the 10th hitting Vietnam so far this year, has caused great losses in both human lives and property in the central region.

He said the natural disaster has left tens of people dead and injured hundreds of others while destroying thousands of houses and tens of thousands of hectares of rice and other crops.

According to the VWVA, six members of the association’s Quang Binh chapter were killed, 21 others injured and 90 percent of its staff had their house torn apart during the tropical storm.

War veterans’ businesses in Quang Binh suffered huge losses, especially rubber plantations which have been seriously damaged after the storm swept through, the association said.

The same day, Nguyen Thi Hong Thu, Vice President of the Vietnam General Federation of Labour, led a delegation to visited Wutip victims in Quang Tri province.

The delegation handed over a total of VND300 million to local victims.

Earlier, the Quang Tri provincial Federation of Labour and the Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper presented VND50 million to 20 households in Vinh Linh district to help them repair their homes.

Quang Tri province was hard hit by the storm with losses totaling more than VND2 trillion.

The storm killed one person and injured 37 others in the central province. It also destroyed 8,000 hectares of rubber trees and 5,000 hectares of crops while blowing off roofs of 11,000 houses and causing 17 others to collapse.

Also on October 7, the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang launched a similar ceremony, during which over VND260 million were mobilised in support for Wutip victims.

Apart from VND500 million from its budget, the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s Quang Nam chapter has also collected nearly VND2.4 billion to help the victims.

MobiFone company reported that it had raised VND1 billion to assist Wutip victims.

On the day, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations met with officials from international organisations, development and cooperation agencies and donors to brief on the losses Wutip cost the central region.

It also called on foreign non-governmental organisations and international development and cooperation agencies to come up with aid relief for the storm-hit people.

Vaccination for better community health

The Developing Countries Vaccine Manufactures Network (DCVMN) opened its 14th Annual General Meeting in Hanoi on October 7 to work out measures to improve vaccine quality for better health care.

The three-day event focused on developing extended vaccination programmes, improving legal frameworks, and promoting new technology in vaccine production and distribution.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 3 million children worldwide are saved by vaccine, while about two million children die because they are not vaccinated against infectious diseases. At present, vaccine can prevent 30 infectious diseases.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long affirmed the important role of vaccine in helping reduce fatal cases caused by infectious diseases, noting that vaccination has saved millions of children throughout the world.

In Vietnam, the number of infectious diseases among children is reducing sharply year on year thanks to vaccination programmes. It has been recognized as one of most successful countries in implementing extended vaccination programmes for children. Local medicine producers can supply 10/11 types of vaccine for these programmes, Long said.

He said the ongoing meeting would be a good opportunity for domestic and foreign scientists to share information and experience in vaccine production and management.

DCVMN was established in 2000, sharing the vision of protecting all people against known and emerging infectious diseases, with the mission of increasing the quality and availability of vaccines and making it affordable to all. It is a voluntary public health driven alliance of vaccine manufacturers from developing countries that aims to make a consistent supply of quality vaccines.

Ha Noi Eye Hospital sees legal reprieve

The Ha Noi Eye Hospital did not exchange crystalline lenses for lower-quality ones to earn profit, the city's Department of Health and the Party Committee's Dissemination and Education Board jointly confirmed at a press conference in Ha Noi yesterday.

An inspection was performed at the hospital following accusations of corruption made by two doctors working there.

Investigators from the Ha Noi Health Department said it was all a misunderstanding caused by administrative faults, reaffirming that there was no corruption involved.

Vietnam, US foster maritime security cooperation

Representatives from the navy, border guard force, general customs department, relevant agencies of Vietnam as well as US experts gathered at a seminar on maritime security in Hanoi on October 7.

The seminar organised by the Vietnam Marine Police and the Defence Cooperation Office under the US Embassy in Vietnam aim to boost coordination and information exchanges between agencies in charge of maritime security in Vietnam and support the drafting documents in service of managing the sea.

It also offers a chance for relevant Vietnamese agencies to learn experience from US experts in the field, while strengthening their coordination and cooperation to ensure safe territorial waters in line with Vietnam’s laws and international treaties and practices.

The seminar will run until October 11.

UNDP project empowers people with disabilities 

A United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)- funded project worth US$350,000 to promote the rights of persons with disabilities was launched in Vietnam on October 7.

The UNDP Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pratibha Mehta said Vietnam is one of the first countries to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, noting that the project will help create the best possible conditions for organisations of the disabled to become involved in the implementation of the Convention.

She praised the country’s significant contributions to promoting the rights of disabled people, and called on the Vietnamese Government and partners to better meet the group’s demands for social welfare access.

Hanoi asks for Toulouse’s help in preservation

Vice Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich has asked France’s Toulouse city to continue helping the capital in preserving historical monuments and urban planning.

She particularly mentioned the case of Duong Lam ancient village, the first of its kind in the northern region to be recognised as a national relic site, the preservation of which is facing various difficulties in the context of rapid urbanisation.

The Vice Chairwoman made the request while receiving a delegation from the French city in Hanoi on October 7. The guests are here to attend the Toulouse Cultural Week in Hanoi from October 4-9.

She noted that Hanoi is home to 5,000 historical monuments, including many world cultural heritage sites such as Thang Long Imperial Citadel and the Temple of Literature.

Therefore, the cooperation of foreign partners such as Toulouse city is very important for the city in preserving and promoting the values of historical monuments.

Toulouse Deputy Mayor Romain Cujives affirmed his city’s policy to maintain sustainable cooperative ties with Hanoi.

He took note of Hanoi’s proposals and said his city will consider specific plans to help the capital city of Vietnam in the time ahead.

Efforts made to rescue drifting Panamanian ship

Relevant agencies are seeking ways to salvage the Panamanian ship Bright Royal and deal with its oil slick. The vessel is drifting south after being stranded in the waters of Ly Son island, the central province of Quang Ngai.

The Quang Ngai Port Authority reported that the ship, swept out to sea by tidal surges and big waves, was adrift 35 nautical miles from Quy Nhon port of central Binh Dinh province as of noon on October 7.

The Quang Ngai Border Guard High Command’s two boats has coordinated with Bright Royal’s crew to anchor the ship. It has also asked the Coastal Information Station of central Da Nang city to warn operating ships of the drifting vessel so as to avoid any accidents.

Late on the day, the Binh Dinh People’s Committee instructed relevant departments to work with the ship’s owner to prepare measures for the ship sinking when it still has around 400 tonnes of oil aboard.

Bright Royal got into difficulty on October 4 while transporting 27,250 tonnes of clinker from central Ha Tinh province’s Vung Ang port to Bangladesh. All 24 crew members were rescued.

Health Ministry helps deal with calamity’s aftermaths

The Ministry of Health has set up three teams in charge of directing disease prevention following the recent natural calamity in the central region.

From October 7, the teams started to collect data and evaluate the damage in terms of health care in affected localities including Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

They will help intensify the work on the environmental and food hygiene, the supply of clean water and other necessities in parallel with treating victims.

The ministry has warned locals of the need for hygienic eating and drinking practices, and cleaning their residential areas in the presentation of such possible diseases as diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, flu and cholera.

Flood waters threaten autumn-winter crops

Water levels have risen rapidly in the upper Cuu Long (Mekong) provinces of An Giang and Dong Thap, threatening the autumn-winter rice crop and aquaculture farms.

Water levels on the rivers in Dong Thap's Hong Ngu District have risen 10cm to 20cm each day. Section of roads and residential areas in the communes of Thuong Phuoc, Thuong Thoi Hau A and Long Thuan were seriously damaged.

The rising water has also threatened 2,600ha of autumn-winter rice crop in Thuong Phuoc A and Thuong Thoi Tien communes, as well as vegetable fields and fish breeding ponds in Long Phu Thuan Island Commune.

The Dong Thap provincial authority has sent aquaculture officials to six communes that have 527ha of shrimp ponds in Hong Ngu to reinforce sections of embankments threatened by the rising flood waters.

Nguyen Van Trai, head of Tan Cuong Coop in Tam Nong District's Phu Cuong Commune, said that sewers along the embankments had been closed.

"All members of the coop's management board have been sent to communes to pump water out of an area where 400ha of the autumn-winter rice crop in the district are being grown," Trai told Viet Nam News.

Doan Tri Vung, deputy director of Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said farmers had harvested over 100,000ha of the 133,000ha under the autumn-winter rice crop in the province, adding that 1,000ha of the rice crop had been destroyed by rains and floods.

Vung said Dong Thap provincial authority has urged farmers to speed up the harvesting of autumn-winter rice and other crops and strengthen the embankments.

Vo Thanh, director of An Giang Hydro-Meteorological Centre, said flood waters in the provinces on the upper section of the Mekong River in Viet Nam might reach peak levels on October 8 and 9.

He said water levels on Tien (Anterior Mekong) River in An Giang Province's Tan Chau Commune could hit the highest warning level, number 3, which is slightly lower than 4.5 metres, before receding in mid-October.

Thanh also warned that a number of storms and low pressure fronts could occur again this year, affecting areas from the central to southern regions of Viet Nam.

Under such a situation, the Mekong Delta could encounter higher flood water levels caused by water flows discharged from reservoirs on the upper sections of the Mekong River.

Thanh said combined with showers and storms, flood water levels could exceed the third and highest warning level.

Disabled people to get improved protection

People with disabilities nation-wide are expected to receive better access to health and education, employment and protection towards 2015.

To this end, an initiative was jointly launched yesterday by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the United Nations.

The US$350,000 initiative will help disabled people's organisations engage actively with the Government in the effective implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

It will also help address disability issues more effectively in different UN programmes and projects in Viet Nam.

The ministry said the country now has about 6.7 million disabled people.

Street children miss out on crucial support

A recent study has shown that street children facing a high risk of being sexually abused are unaware of support services and programmes available to them.

The research was conducted by the Centre for Management and Sustainable Development (MSD) from the beginning of this year with technical and financial support from the Danish non-governmental organisation, Fontana.

The research surveyed 120 street children, aged between 8 and 17 years old in HCM City, and living off begging, shoe polishing or postcard and book peddling.

Results of the study showed more than 90 per cent of respondents had been sexually abused to varying degrees; ranging from involuntarily physical contact to being forced to watch explicit films.

Meanwhile, nearly 70 per cent of respondents had not reported incidents of abuse; often feeling frightened, ashamed, or not knowing appropriate avenues for counseling or recourse.

Nearly 97 per cent of interviewed children had also been exposed to addictive substances, including alcohol, tobacco and various forms of heroin - sometimes leading to nerve damage, hepatitis B, HIV or sexual abuse.

However, only 21 per cent of the children knew about rehabilitation centres and nearly 80 per cent were unaware of any centres supporting children suffering from sexual abuse.

Hoang Thu Trang, an expert of the MSD and member of the research group, said the research was a siren call for relevant agencies to address the issue in a coordinated manner.

The research provides substantial, empirical evidence for policy makers and legislators, she said, adding that the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education was to be amended this year.

Trang suggested that helping street children attain identity papers would enable easy access to support services, adding that clearer regulations were needed in the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education; including a potential provision considering child prostitutes as victims of sexual abuse.

The State should have policies encouraging organisations and individuals to collaborate in providing care and protective services for street children, she said.

Ha Dinh Bon, deputy director of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' Legislation Department, said that the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education was issued 10 years ago and was hampered by limitations.

Legislators will look to include more detailed regulations on children's rights in the revised Law, incorporating elements from the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

At present, the convention regulates approximately 28 forms of child rights, of which only 10 are enshrined in the present law, said Bon.

The law would also define the rights and responsibility of families, schools and organisations in providing support and protection for children being sexually abused.

Authorities are also determined to provide consistent punishments for people found sexually abusing or engaging in violent behaviour towards children, he said.

The law is expected to be submitted to the Government by mid 2015.

Event supports fishermen

A programme titled "Connecting the East Sea" was held yesterday as part of a campaign launched to raise funds in support of fishermen.

The event, broadcast live across VTV channels, created opportunities for fishermen to describe the challenges and risks facing them in their work offshore.

A lack of sufficient communications equipment emerged as a key concern, with stranded sailors at risk of losing contact with land.

Viewers nation-wide were given a clear view of heart-rending accidents that fishermen suffered and heard both successful and unsuccessful rescue stories retold by sea police.

A TV report was screened on this occasion describing the daily activities of fishermen from Da Nang City who were operating offshore Hoang Sa archipelagos.

Representatives from businesses and organisations used the occasion to donate money and communications device to these fishermen.

The month-long campaign was launched on September 15 with the aim of helping fishermen cope with natural disasters and contribute to protecting national sovereignty. It has so far raised nearly VND4 billion (US$190,000) from organisations and individuals.

Collected funds will be used to equip vessels of fishermen across the country with communications devices worth VND10 million ($476) each.

The devices are expected to help fishermen promptly receive information relating to natural disasters so that they can take appropriate preventive measures to remain safe.

People can support the fishermen by sending an SMS, handing in communications equipment or sending a wire transfer.

The campaign has been jointly organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications, Viet Nam Red Cross, Viet Nam Television and Radio the Voice of Viet Nam.

Viet Nam currently has a fleet of around 130,000 fishing vessels, only 10 per cent of which have been equipped with communications devices.

Japan to build med school in Ecopark

Japan’s leading Waseda Health Sciences Education Corporation recently inked a land lease contract with Ecopark developer Viet Hung Urban Development and Investment JSC to build the first international medical university in Vietnam – Tokyo Vietnam Medical University – at an estimated startup cost of $19 million.

Design and construction is expected to go for two years with the university going on-line in 2015, focusing on the majors of nursing and physiotherapy.

Over time, the university will expand training to other majors including functional rehabilitation and clinical sciences. It will enroll 1,500 students.

When asked why Ecopark was chosen as the university’s home, Waseda Health Sciences Education Corporation’s president Mari Kusumi said, “Developing advanced medicine with top-of-the-line healthcare services is important to cultivating a society of peace, freedom, and affluence. Our vision is to train medical professionals willing to work in countries around the world to bring health and happiness to people.”

The university will include an auditorium, research area, and indoor and outdoor sports complexes. Design, construction, and supervision of the project will be conducted by international contractors.

To celebrate the contract, Ecopark announced a Waseda Scholarship Fund valued at $286,000 that gives five annual scholarships for students in Cuu Cao, Phung Cong, and Xuan Quan communes to study at the upcoming medical school.

Hanoi launches month for poor, storm victims

The capital city of Hanoi on October 7 launched a month for the poor and storm victims.

The annual programme, coorganised by the Hanoi Fatherland Front and the Hanoi Radio Television, forms part of the city’s efforts to reduce poverty while promoting the spirit of mutual help.

According to Dao Van Binh, Chairman of the Hanoi Fatherland Front, the city strives to cut the rate of poor households from 1.5 to 1.8 percent annually and bring the percentage of those to below 2 percent by 2015.

Over the past 13 years, the capital city has helped build and repair more than 30,000 houses. In 2012 alone, the “For the poor” fund collected nearly 40 billion VND.

However, more efforts are needed as Hanoi still has over 59.300 poor households and more than 42.000 families living near the poverty line, making up 3.6 percent and 2.5 percent of its population, Binh stressed.

On this occasion, some 80 billion VND (3.76 million USD) were collected in support of the poor and storm victims.

Earlier, on October 2, the capital city donated 7 billion VND to victims of natural disasters in other provinces.

Vietnam had over 2.1 million poor households and over 1.4 million families living near the poverty line in 2012, accounting for 9.64 percent and 6.57 percent of the population, respectively.

The national poverty rate last year was reduced by 2.12 percent, exceeding the target of 2 percent set by the National Assembly. In particular, the rate sharply fell in poor districts by 7.02 percent while the NA target was just 4 percent.-

Central Highlands pupils learn ethnic languages

Up to 106 primary schools are offering lessons on Jrai and Bahnar languages to pupils of ethnic groups as a move to keep them from falling into oblivion.

The move, underway since 2008, is in pursuant to the Ministry of Education and Training’s guideline of improving education quality in ethnic areas and keeping Jrai and Bahnar languages alive.

Four classes per week designed for 11,200 Jrai and Bahmar third-fifth graders have been added to their main curricula. All the 286 qualified teachers are native speakers who have received professional training.

Necessary materials and teaching equipment are made available while five different Vietnamese-ethnic minority language dictionaries are being compiled.

Authorities in the Central Highlands have also collected, compiled and published many bilingual book titles in Vietnamese and ethnic languages, then provided them to hamlets and villages in the region.

Besides, local stations have broadcast programmes in ethnic languages. Other forms of media are also on the way to become more accessible.

The Vietnamese News Agency has joined in the efforts with the launch of bilingual news and pictorial magazine entitled Dan toc va Mien Nui (Nationalities and Mountain Areas) in Vietnamese and five ethnic minority languages, including Ede and Bahnar this August.-

Hanoi helps blind people escape poverty

The poverty rate among Hanoian blind people has been dropped to 17.5 percent as the visually-impaired people in the city have received loans, job training and job offers from the local authority in recent times.

The city has given loans worth over 14 billion VND (666,700 USD) to about 10,000 visually-impaired people and provided jobs for 13,600 others in the past time.

Besides this, nearly 1,400 visually impaired people have received vocational training courses, said Chairman of the Hanoi Blind’s Association Le Trung Quyet.

Many of them have operated their businesses successfully. For example, Mr. Tran Viet Hoan in Hoai Duc district has earned 150 million VND (7,140 USD) per year, or Mr. Hoang Duc Thanh in Dong Anh district has earned roughly 500 million VND (23,800 USD) per year.

Mr. Quyet also said the association plans to open 30 vocational training classes, providing job consultancy for 70 percent of association members in the coming time. This helps reducing the yearly poverty rate by 3.5 – 4 percent.-

Refresher course on coping with sea oil spills held

The Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment held a refresher course , in Da Nang city on October 7 for nearly 40 officials from relevant authorities and forces, especially those in the central region to raise their capacity in dealing with oil spills at sea.

The course made known the ways to prevent the mishaps and contain environment pollution at sea and on islands, and what of environment management agencies should do to deal with the consequences.

Participants also listened to the coordination between Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia to settle the issue in the Gulf of Thailand.

Seeing the importance of the work, especially in the Gulf of Thailand area, Vietnam’s Prime Minister in August 2009 ratified an action plan to realise the three nations’ joint statement and framework programme on cooperation in response to spills at sea.-

Source: VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri