Book publication in first 6 months of 2023 decreases

The publishing conference in the first 6 months of 2023 in Hanoi on August 8 reported a 28.8 percent decrease in publishing books in the past 6 months.

It was announced at the conference that publishers have published 14,968 books with more than 176.8 million copies.

According to the report, although fewer books were published at the beginning of the year, many publications have good content and humanistic value; therefore, they satisfied readers’ increasing demands for all kinds of books, from political theory books, socio-economic books, cultural and literary books, books on national sovereignty over sea and islands, educational - vocational books, books on science - technology, general knowledge, career guidance and children's books.

In particular, there are typical publications on the theory and practice of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong such as several theoretical and practical issues on socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam being printed in seven foreign languages, the fight against corruption and negativity, contributing to building an increasingly pure and strong Party and State; some issues on military lines and defense strategies in the cause of building and defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in the new period published by the National Political Publishing House.

In addition to achievements, the conference also analyzed and clarified some shortcomings and limitations in the sector that need to be overcome soon.

Although the number of publications infringing on the content has decreased compared to previous years, state management agencies still had to handle 10 publications infringing on the content by requesting to correct three publication errors; requesting for content appraisal of 7 publications. There are still books with inappropriate political and ideological contents, violating regulations on fine custom and traditions, violating copyright, and unverified content. Some publishers have not paid attention to the training and retraining of editors and publishers.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission Department Tran Thanh Lam set out a number of key tasks that the sector needs to implement in the coming time including publications serving political tasks of the Party and State and major national holidays, innovation of contents, methods to suit in the context of 4.0 era in addition to attention to international cooperation, copyright transactions and export of book content through multimedia platforms.

32nd SEA Games' medalists expectedly waiting for award

Although the 32nd Southeast Asian Games terminated in Cambodia on May 17, many coaches and athletes of national sports teams who achieved medals and contributed to bringing medals to Vietnam have not received any awards yet.

At the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, the Vietnamese sport delegation pocketed 136 golden medals, 105 silver medals, and 118 bronze medals, topping the medal tally at the regional Games.

Pursuant to the regulations of the State, the Vietnamese sport delegation will receive a total amount of US$1.5 million for the achievements at the sport tournament.

One of the main reasons for the late award giving was that the Vietnam Sports Administration had switched its management model into Sports Authority of Vietnam within two months of June and July but the Sports Authority of Vietnam has not had its chief accountant yet. Only when the new chief accountant is appointed, the awards for coaches and athletes will be delivered.

Besides, the “hot” bonus for medalists has not been granted so far.

In the recent 32nd SEA Games, all of the sponsors decided to spend “hot” bonus for gold medalists only. But the medalists have still been waiting after providing their personal information to the Vietnam - National Olympic Committee (NOC) for checking and verification.

Among the sponsors, only Sabeco has given athletes winning gold medals at the 32nd SEA Games a “hot” bonus of VND10 million (US$420) each.

According to the Decree 152/2018/ND-CP dated November 7, 2018 of the Government stipulating several mechanisms for coaches and sports athletes during the time of training and competition, with the following results at the SEA Games, the awards dedicated to athletes with a golden medal, silver medal and bronze medal will be VND45 million (US$1,900), VND25 million (US$1,050) and VND20 million (US$841), respectively. Besides, each athlete who breaks the SEA Games record shall be received an additional award of VND20 million (US$841).

Da Lat conducts safety checks of building works on cliffs, slopes

Da Lat City’s authorities have conducted safety checks and inspected building works during construction.

The People’s Committee of Da Lat City in the central highland province of Lam Dong has directed wards to establish mission teams to urgently inspect and evaluate the safety and stability of construction works located on cliffs, slopes, and streams and put at risk of landslide.

The People’s Committee of the city previously set four working delegations led by Chairman and Vice Chairpersons to check and inspect natural disaster prevention and control activities, construction orders, and land management in 16 wards and communes.

Accommodation facilities, restaurants, top check-in places, and popular spots for cloud hunting located on slopes are asked to meet safety requirements and business conditions in accordance with new regulations to be allowed to operate.

Heads of the units that do not comply with requirements of disaster prevention causing loss of life and property will be asked to suspend work and make a report on their self-assessment of work and responsibilities.

Smartphone users warned of unnoticed cyberattacks

Smartphones, as a useful tool for people to save personal information and perform different professional tasks, has become the favorite target of illegal hackers for ill intentions.

Recently, an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attack aiming at iOS mobile devices has been detected. Technological experts informed that infected devices can automatically send personal information (records, images, geolocation, sensitive data) of device owners to remote servers, which will then use these data for ill purposes.

Director Nguyen Van Cuong of the Cyber Security Department in Bkav Group mentioned typical attacks into smartphones. They can be via harmful apps installed on the device (followed by device taking-over to make scamming calls to others), vulnerabilities in software and the operation system, Bluetooth and wireless connections, file sharing.

Statistics presented by Kaspersky in July 2023 show that the total number of harmful emails blocked by its Anti-Phising system in 2022 was nearly 18 million, including 1.6 million aiming at businesses and 16.3 million at consumers in Vietnam, especially through mobile devices.

Technology Director Vu Ngoc Son of Vietnam National Cyber Security Technology Corp (NCS) commented that the most dangerous yet popular attack type is via a fake app, where criminals impersonate the staff of state agencies to send messages to or call victims and instruct these innocent people to install a harmful app that can control the infected device. Confidential information on these devices will then be stolen, and the devices can even be used to withdraw money from the victim’s bank accounts.

He advised the public to pay attention to their smartphones for any suspicious statuses like getting hot while not in use, quickly running out of battery, playing sound in inactive mode.

A personal smartphone when infected might cause great harm to related organizations or companies since this tool is used increasingly more in professional tasks.

Thanh Thuy, an officer of T.C. Co. in District 1 of HCMC, recalled her incident. While buying goods online, she saw a pop-up link offering discounts. After filling in the form and clicking the given link, nothing happened. When her phone became frozen, she immediately felt anxious and asked an IT officer in her company to check the device to find out that her phone had been attacked. Thanks to timely addressing, her working email saved on the phone had not been hacked.

Director Son warned that it is extremely risky to click strange links given in messages, emails, chat content and to install unfamiliar apps on Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It is also not advisable to allow apps to access messages and data on the phone unless to serve the functions of those apps. Setting up biometric authentication for banking apps is a wise choice.

Statistics from the World Economic Forum reveal that 95 percent of cyber security incidents are caused by humans. This is correlated to the data in Kaspersky’s 2022 Information Technology Security survey that 22 percent of information leak cases in small and medium enterprises are created by their own employees. This asks for a serious training session to raise awareness about cyber security and avoid popular security incidents.

Vice Chairman of Vietnam Information Security Association Ngo Vi Dong stated that this year is the high time for digital transformation, leading to both new strategies, technologies, and challenges. Right when the community still has a low guard on cyberattacks, hackers have taken advantage of advanced and novel technologies to conduct illegal activities in cyberspace for scamming purposes.

Obviously, besides the convenience and efficiency that state-of-the-art technologies offer to users, people should be cautious against dirty technological tricks to carry out cyberattacks or steal their sensitive information for ill intentions.

Party’s resolution spurs environmental protection progress: Official

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on August 10 organised a seminar to review a decade implementing the 11th Party Central Committee’s Resolution 24-NQ/TW on proactive climate change response and improved resource management and environmental protection – the first thematic one by the committee that comprehensively presents viewpoints, principles, and policies for the work.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister Vo Tuan Nhan evaluated that after 10 years, Vietnam’s environmental protection efforts have witnessed positive growth and achieved noteworthy results. The related system of policies and laws has made remarkable leaps in development, becoming increasingly refined. This is clearly demonstrated in the 2020 environmental protection law which marks a phase of strong transition toward improving environmental quality and safeguarding public health.

In addition, science, technology, and international cooperation in the field have been continuously strengthened and expanded, and integrated and effective environmental management tools deployed, noted the official.

According to a report on the outcomes obtained, between 2013 and 2023, the ministry reviewed and provided feedback on over 190 strategic environmental assessment reports, and approved over 1,500 environmental impact assessment ones.

Localities nationwide focused on projects with significant environmental investment proportions, with some working on preventing and controlling pollution from the investment attraction phase. The government has established a method of coordination between the central and local authorities in controlling, monitoring, and resolving environmental pollution sources and emerging environmental issues.

In late 2017, the ministry established a hotline for feedback about environmental pollution, which hasreceived a total of 2,545 reports and petitions as of 2022.

Meanwhile, by the end of 2022, out of the 63 provinces and cities, 58 had deployed 1,298 automatic monitoring stations that transmit data to the ministry.

Joint efforts exerted to alleviate plight of AO victims

Over the past years, thanks to joint efforts by the entire society and support from international friends, victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin in Vietnam have seen their material and spiritual life being improved.

Each year, the State earmarks more than 10 trillion VND (421.18 million USD) for AO victims and their families, as well as the areas severely affected by the toxic chemical.

Multiple policies have been adopted for revolution contributors, including war veterans whose children are also AO victims.  

Over the past two decades, the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/dioxin (VAVA) has mobilised more than 3 trillion VND in support of the victims and their families.

The VAVA Fund has so far this year collected up to 320 billion VND, which has been used to provide medical services for AO victims and help them in building houses and securing livelihoods.

VAVA Vice President and General Director Dang Nam Dien said a large number of AO victims’ children and grandchildren are being cared for at nursing centres, stressing that specific and harmonious policies should be rolled out for them at both central and grassroots levels.
 
VAVA will continue proposing the State pay more attention to third-generation AO victims, he added.

The US army sprayed some 80 million litres of toxic chemicals in Vietnam during the war, 61% of which was AO, containing 366kg of dioxin. As a result, more than 3 million ha of forested land was destroyed, while basic water and food sources for millions of people were contaminated.

Preliminary statistics showed that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to AO/dioxin. Tens of thousands of people died from exposure, while millions of others went on to suffer from cancer and other incurable diseases. Children and grandchildren of many victims have been affected with widespread birth deformities.

Belgian woman dedicated to improving livelihoods for AO/dioxin victims in Hoi An

Chris Geyskens, a Belgian woman, has worked dedicatedly over the past decade in a bid to improve living conditions of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Hoi An city in the central province of Quang Nam.

The woman, who is nearly 80 years old, developed a connection with the Vietnamese land immediately when she set foot here years ago. Meeting with the local less fortunate group, she knew she had to do something to help them.

Returning home after the first trip to Vietnam, Geyskens presented her idea and received full support from the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium. As a result, a charity golf tournament, named "Vietnamese Ambassador’s Golf Cup" was officially organised in the summer of 2013. The funds raised from the annual event is personally brought to Vietnam by Geyskens and her husband and given to the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Hoi An (VAVA Hoi An). With the funding, the organisation has purchased breeding chickens, coops, and feed for donations to families of the victims, helping them develop poultry farming for more stable income and better care for their affected members.

In addition to the sporting event, Geyskens, chairperson of VAVA Hoi An’s Belgian chapter since its establishment in 2015, has also run bazaars to raise more funds.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium Nguyen Van Thao stressed that although the amount of collected money is not big, it demonstrates the humanitarian spirit and the heartfelt contribution of Geyskens and her husband to Vietnam. This is also one of the proofs of the friendship shared between the two nations.

Luc Gronson, head of the Hulencourt golf club, which sponsors the course for the annual tournament, expressed his admiration for Geyskens and affirmed that she has transferred her enthusiasm to members of the club.

Since its establishment, the Belgian branch has so far raised 49,730 EUR. Each year, Geyskens and her husband flew to Hoi An to witness firsthand outcomes that the organisation brought to the families of dioxin victims.
She wishes to have good health to continue with the golf tournament and do more useful things for Vietnam which she considers as her second hometown.

The US army sprayed some 80 million litres of toxic chemicals in Vietnam during the war, 61% of which was Agent Orange, containing 366kg of dioxin. As a result, more than 3 million ha of forested land was destroyed, while basic water and food sources for millions of people were contaminated.

Preliminary statistics showed that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin. Tens of thousands of people died from exposure, while millions of others went on to suffer from cancer and other incurable diseases. Children and grandchildren of many victims have been affected with widespread birth deformities.

Firms advised to study partners before trading in Latin America

Trade Counselor in Mexico and Panama Luu Van Khang has advised Vietnamese businesses to carefully study their partners, following a range of trade frauds in Latin America in which firms from the Southeast Asian nation were victimised.

The official said language barriers make Vietnamese businesses more vulnerable to scams, adding that most of the criminals use bank accounts in a third country to hinder investigations by competent agencies.

Khang recommended Vietnamese enterprises to sign contracts with legally authorised representatives of their partners, and use the L/C (letter of credit) payment method instead of T/T (telegraphic transfer).

If they have no choice except to use the T/T method, they should not transfer money to bank accounts in a third country or personal accounts, he added.  

Apart from coordinating with the Vietnamese Trade Office in information verification, they should cooperate with law firms and business associations in Mexico in particular and Latin America in general to diversify the sources of information, Khang said.

As members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Vietnam and Mexico have great opportunities to boost their trade ties.

Mexico has committed to eliminating 77% of tariff lines from January 14, 2018, and 98% after a decade since the coming into force of the agreement. As a result, Vietnam's exports such as seafood, coffee, rubber, phones, and auto components to Mexico have recently experienced significant growth, ranging from 27% to 65%.

Mexico has also gradually increased its export of beef, pork, agricultural products, and beverages to the Southeast Asian nation.

A woman jailed for rape and sexual abuse of three children 

A 62-year-old woman in southern Đồng Tháp Province has been sentenced to 23 years in jail for rape and sexual abuse of children under 13 years old.

On Thursday, the People's Court of Bạc Liêu Province conducted the preliminary trial for Trần Thị Bé Tư, residing in Đồng Tháp Province.

She was charged by the People's Procuracy of Bạc Liêu Province with two counts of rape and sexually abusing a person as specified in Article 146 of the Criminal Code.

All three victims were under 13 years old.

According to the indictment, on May 1, 2022, Tư, along with her partner (not legally married), Đ.V.D., 57, visited D.'s biological daughter's residence in Phước Long District.

There were three children at the daughter’s house, including T.T, a seven-year-old boy, V.N, an 11-year-old boy who was D.'s biological son, and K.A., a 15-year-old girl who was the niece of D.'s ex-wife.

On May 2, 2022, to satisfy her own sexual desires, Tư repeatedly engaged in sexual acts with the two boys and used sex toys to penetrate the girl.

After committing these acts, the woman told the victims not to tell anyone what had happened.

The prosecuting authorities concluded that Tư's actions caused physical and mental pain for the victims. 

Chairman of land company accused of defrauding 500 customers

The Hà Nội People's Court opened a first-instance trial for Lê Thanh Thản, Chairman of Mường Thanh Group and General Director of Bemes Company who is accused of "deceiving customers".

The trial panel consisted of three individuals: one judge and two lay assessors, with Judge Lưu Ngọc Cảnh, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Court, Hà Nội People's Court, presiding. Two prosecutors from the Hà Nội People's Procuracy were assigned to exercise their prosecution and trial supervision rights during the trial.

Along with Thản, six other people are also on trial.

They are: Đỗ Văn Hưng, 55, former Chairman of Kiến Hưng People's Committee; Nguyễn Duy Uyển, 59, former Vice Chairman of Kiến Hưng People's Committee; Bùi Văn Bằng, 54, former Vice Chairman of Kiến Hưng People's Committee; Nguyễn Văn Năm, 58, former Chief of Construction Inspection, Hà Đông District; Vương Đăng Quân, born in 1955, former Deputy Chief of Construction Inspection, Hà Đông District; Mai Quang Bài, 63, former officer of Construction Inspection, Hà Đông District, all indicted by the Hà Nội People's Procuracy for the charge of "negligence of responsibility, causing serious consequences " as stipulated in Article 285, Clause 2 of the Criminal Code.

During the trial, hundreds of victims, who were customers that purchased apartments in the CT6 Kiến Hưng project (Hà Đông, Hanoi), were present to demand their legitimate rights and interests.

According to the indictment, Thản, 73, who was the Chairman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Bemes Company, was heavily involved. The Hà Tây People's Committee (now Hà Nội) approved the detailed construction plan of the CT6 Kiến Hưng project. However, afterward, Thản unilaterally changed the land use purpose and conducted serious planning violations without the proper authorised approval.

Specifically, with high-rise buildings, Thản directed the increase in the construction area, height of the structures, and changed their intended usage. Bemes Company also built additional apartments and an unapproved CT6C tower. In the case of low-rise buildings, Bemes Company expanded the construction land area and the number of low-rise apartments, violating the red line limit.

From March 2011, Thản instructed subordinates to disseminate deceptive information about the project's legality in order to sell illegally constructed apartments. Thản advertised that the project had been approved, the apartment designs complied with construction regulations, and the apartment prices included land usage rights.

Many customers, trusting this, signed purchase contracts with Bemes Company. In the project's contracts, Thản, in his role as General Director, personally signed with customers and committed to terms to foster their trust in submitting payment for apartments according to the construction progress. Business operations and setting apartment prices in the project were all decided by Thản.

Specifically, Thản sold 488 apartments without recognised land use rights, making illicit gains of more VNĐ480 billion (US$20.2 million). The prosecutorial authorities determined that the violations also involved the negligence of the leadership team, officials of Kiến Hưng Ward, and the construction inspection of Hà Đông District.

Specifically, Bemes Company's investment in the CT6 Kiến Hưng project included numerous severe legal violations in the fields of design, construction, supervision, and acceptance testing, to create apartments in the CT6 Kiến Hưng project that lacked the legal conditions for issuance of land titles and for residential transactions.

This misconduct occurred over an extended period, yet the aforementioned leadership team and officials did not inspect or discover violations to prevent or address them in accordance with the law, causing severe and significant damages to 488 customers.

At the investigation agency, the 488 customers who purchased apartments without being granted land titles reported that at the time of signing their purchase contracts, they were unaware that the apartments in the CT6 Kiến Hưng project were constructed contrary to the approved plan. All customers trusted that Thản had built the apartments according to the approved design. During the investigation process, the majority of the affected individuals requested support in obtaining Certificates of Land Use Rights, home ownership rights, and property rights associated with the land. Only six of the affected individuals requested to return their apartments to the Investor and demanded a total refund of over VNĐ7 billion (US$295,000).

Prior to the court session, many residents of the CT6C Kiến Hưng condominium submitted petitions to relevant authorities, hoping for a thorough resolution of their rights and interests. 

MoT proposes toll collection for State-funded expressways

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has submitted a proposal to the Government to issue a resolution on toll collection for the use of state-invested expressways.

According to the ministry, expressways play a crucial role in the country's development, reducing travel time between regions, promoting socio-economic growth, and ensuring national security and defence, both at the state and local levels where expressways pass through.

In the proposal, the MoT said that vehicles using expressways will save a certain amount compared to travelling on national highways.

Currently, each vehicle saves about VNĐ5,265 (US$0.22) per kilometre when using the Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình, HCM City-Trung Lương and HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây expressways.

This cost-saving is achieved through a 25 per cent reduction in vehicle operating expenses and a 75 per cent reduction in travel time.

Passenger vehicles with 30 seats or more save the most, with an estimated average of VNĐ12,348 ($0.51) per kilometre while trucks under two tonnes save VNĐ1,974 ($0.08).

For commuters, using expressways will lead to a 60 per cent reduction in travel time.

As per the national socio-economic development strategy for the 2021-2030 period, the goal is to have about 5,000 kilometres of expressways nationwide by 2030, out of the total planned length of 9,014 kilometres.

To achieve this goal, initial investment capital for construction, management, and operation until 2030 is estimated at around VNĐ813 trillion (over $34.1 million).

For the 2021-2025 period, about VNĐ393 trillion ($16.5 million) is needed to complete 2,043 kilometres and commence the construction of 925 kilometres of expressways, according to the MoT.

Collecting tolls for expressway use through booths is one of the tools and solutions aimed at enhancing management efforts. This approach helps balance the flow of vehicles on expressways and existing national highways, enabling load control, monitoring and restricting vehicles that do not meet standards, and prohibiting their travel on expressways.

These measures contribute to improving the effectiveness of expressway operations and enhancing the benefits they bring.

The collected toll fees will be contributed to the State budget and utilised according to regulations on budget allocation. This allocation prioritises investment funds, management, and road maintenance.

It also supports road investment projects through the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract model, especially in cases affected by traffic diversion due to the opening of the expressway routes (compared to the initial terms of project contracts).

The mechanism for sharing toll revenue is based on the investment ratio of both the central and local budgets participating in expressway investment projects.

Lam Dong wants to declare landslide emergency

The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is seeking approval from the Ministry of Transport and Directorate for Roads of Vietnam to declare a landslide and subsidence emergency for many local roads.

According to the provincial Department of Transport, following torrential rains over the recent days, many roads have been hard hit by landslides and subsidence including National Highway 20’s section through Mimosa Pass and national highways 27, 27C, 28B and 55.

Amid the rain, landslides have caused serious inundation on these roads. Some sections of National Highway 27 have been submerged by 40cm, while the Loc Nam area on National Highway 55 has been flooded by 1m.

Local authorities have cut down trees and cleared 1,350 cubic metres of soil and stone on the landslide-ravaged roads.

The damaged road sections have been temporarily covered by crushed stones to serve traffic during rainy days. When the weather is dry, the road surface will be repaired using asphalt.

On July 30, a landslide occurred on Bao Loc Pass in Lam Dong, killing four, including three traffic policemen.

As many as 163 sites in Lam Dong are prone to landslides.

North struggles with torrential rains
 
Northern localities have continued facing heavy rains, posing the risk of flooding in many areas, reported the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

According to the centre, rains would expand in the northern region with a highest rainfall of 70mm on August 10-12.

Lightning, hail and strong winds have been forecasted to occur during rains. Low areas would be at particular risk of inundation.  

Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said from now to the end of the month, the north would see some hot and rainy fronts.

In August, the average rainfall in the northern region would be 10-25 percent lower than that of previous years. The rainfall in the northwest from now to late August would be 150-250mm, with the figure for northern delta localities being 150-300mm.

Torrential rains in the north over the recent days have resulted in severe landslides for many localities, including Son La and Lai Chau.

Hanoi: Vinh Tuy bridge phase 2 to open for traffic before September 2

Hanoi’s Vinh Tuy Bridge phase 2 is expected to open for traffic before September 2 (National Day), thanks to the efforts of the Hanoi People's Committee to expedite the disbursement of public investment capital for key projects.

The Vinh Tuy Bridge phase 2 project was initiated in January 2021 and received a total investment of over 2.5 trillion VND (105 million USD) from the city’s budget. It has a total length of over 3.4 km, including approach roads.

It is expected to help to reduce traffic pressure and connect provinces, and districts to the east of Hanoi with the inner city centre.

Moreover, the city is also actively working on reorganising traffic, installing border dividers, and painting the Vinh Tuy bridge (phase1) to ensure a comprehensive and synchronised completion of the entire project before October 10 on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of Capital Liberation Day.

According to the Hanoi People's Committee, the city is directing the Department of Transport, the Management Board of Hanoi Traffic Works, investors, and contractors to speed up the disbursement of public investment capital for key projects in the city such as the Hanoi Urban Railway Project’s the Nhon-Hanoi Station section with a length of 12.5km, including 8.5km of elevated roads and 4 km underground with a total investment of 32.9 trillion VND.

Up to now, about 77.5% of the work on the railway section has been completed.

Another key project is Ring Road 4 which is 112.8km long including 103.1km of Ring Road 4 and 9.7km of the route connecting Noi Bai-Ha Long expressway.

The starting point of the ring road is on Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway in Thanh Xuan commune, outlying Soc Son district while its end point is on Noi Bai-Ha Long expressway in Que Vo district, Bac Ninh province.

The project is divided into seven component projects, with the total estimated investment for phase 1 about 85.8 trillion VND.

On June 25, the Ring Road 4 construction was started in Hanoi, and neighbouring Hung Yen and Bac Ninh provinces. It is expected to be completed in 2026 and put into operation in 2027.

Meanwhile, the Ring Road 1 project’s  Hoang Cau-Voi Phuc section (phase 1) with a length of 2,274 metres starts at the intersects with Cat Linh-La Thanh-Yen Lang road at Hoang Cau in Dong Da district and ends at Voi Phuc intersection in Ba Dinh district.

Its phase 1 investment is 7.211 trillion VND from the city budget. Up to now, the project has disbursed 19.5% of the capital plan.

The municipal People's Committee said that for the first seven months of 2023, the city disbursed 23.6 trillion VND, down 0.5% over the same period last year and equaling 45.7% of the plan for the year 2023.

Techfest Hanoi 2023 slated for October

The People's Committee of Hanoi has a plan to organise a festival for innovative start-ups (Techfest Hanoi 2023), to promote the start-up and innovation ecosystem in the Capital Region, with Hanoi as the focal point.

The event is slated for October 5-7, to be co-hosted by the municipal People’s Committee and the Ministry of Science and Technology, attracting the participation of hundreds of delegates from Vinh Phuc, Thai Nguyen, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho.

It is expected to connect consumers, managers, scientists and the business community together, driving the expansion of markets and orienting future development of businesses' products.

A policy dialogue between experts, managers and the start-up community and a start-up competition are also scheduled to take place to encourage and foster the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit in the Capital Region.

Activities at the festival will include an exhibition showcasing innovative start-up projects and products; technology demonstrations, OCOP (One Commune One Product) products that have been protected by intellectual property rights, and other signature products from Hanoi and localities within the Capital Region.

Firms advised to study partners before trading in Latin America

Trade Counselor in Mexico and Panama Luu Van Khang has advised Vietnamese businesses to carefully study their partners, following a range of trade frauds in Latin America in which firms from the Southeast Asian nation were victimised.      

The official said language barriers make Vietnamese businesses more vulnerable to scams, adding that most of the criminals use bank accounts in a third country to hinder investigations by competent agencies.

Khang recommended Vietnamese enterprises to sign contracts with legally authorised representatives of their partners, and use the L/C (letter of credit) payment method instead of T/T (telegraphic transfer).

If they have no choice except to use the T/T method, they should not transfer money to bank accounts in a third country or personal accounts, he added.  

Apart from coordinating with the Vietnamese Trade Office in information verification, they should cooperate with law firms and business associations in Mexico in particular and Latin America in general to diversify the sources of information, Khang said.

As members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Vietnam and Mexico have great opportunities to boost their trade ties.

Mexico has committed to eliminating 77% of tariff lines from January 14, 2018, and 98% after a decade since the coming into force of the agreement. As a result, Vietnam's exports such as seafood, coffee, rubber, phones, and auto components to Mexico have recently experienced significant growth, ranging from 27% to 65%.

Mexico has also gradually increased its export of beef, pork, agricultural products, and beverages to the Southeast Asian nation.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes