Mentioning the scenario on priority sectors, including tourism, the official urged reviewing land use, population density, economic activities and infrastructure to better the allocation of development space to sub-regions.

Encompassing the five provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong, the Central Highlands is blessed with favourable climate and soil conditions, and rich natural resources.

It is connected with important seaports in the coastal central and southeastern regions and plays a crucial role in fresh water regulation and supply to localities in the two regions.

The Central Highlands also boasts great potential for forest-based economic development, and agro-forestry product processing, mining, and especially tourism development with its diverse ethnic minority culture.

The Politburo’s resolution on orientations for socio-economic development and national defence and security in the Central Highlands by 2030 with a vision towards 2045 targets rapid, sustainable development based on the green, circular economy for the region by 2030, turning it into an attractive destination for both domestic and foreign tourists.  

For the draft framework, economists pointed out limitations such as unreasonable population density, natural resources inefficiency, low workforce quality, and unattractive business environment.

As the region plays an important role in the ecosystem and water resources security, some suggested planning conservation areas and development space, and maintaining environmental protection targets.

HCM City boosts cooperation with Siemens

Ho Chi Minh City whishes to maintain cooperation with the German multinational technology conglomerate Siemens in digital transformation, digital economy, and smart city development, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Van Dung has said.

Hosting Matthias Rebellius, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO Smart Infrastructure, on August 16, Dung congratulated the group on the 30th founding anniversary of Siemens Vietnam, affirming that over the past three decades, the company has coordinated closely with local authorities and the business community in implementing activities in the aspects essential to Vietnam’s development such as industry, energy, smart infrastructure and health, thus contributing importantly to the country’s socio-economic development.

Appreciating Siemens’s assistance and collaboration in its projects implemented in the city, he affirmed that the metropolis is committed to continuing to create favourable conditions for Siemens's activities and projects on the basis of win-win cooperation.

Matthias Rebellius said that in its 30-year journey in Vietnam, in addition to providing technical and technological solutions, Siemens also pays attention to human resources training to meet development requirements.

He expressed his hope to continue working closely with the largest economic hub of Vietnam in the areas the group has strengths and the city has demand such as high-tech development, digital transformation, urban transport, climate change response, and smart city building.

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee gave opinions on a draft report on the five-year implementation of a joint resolution of the NA Standing Committee, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) that details regulations on the VFF’s supervision and social criticism role, on August 16 morning during the committee's 25th session.

According to Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Truong Thi Ngoc Anh, the VFF Central Committee has maintained close coordination with the NA Standing Committee and the Government in implementing the Resolution and building annual plans for supervision and social criticism.

The VFF has also participated in specialised supervisions of the NA and the NA Standing Committee as well as in the settlement of petitions, she stressed. 

Many recommendations, proposals, and criticisms from the VFF Central Committee hold theoretical and practical values, and were highly regarded by the Government and the NA Standing Committee, she said, adding that these serve as vital grounds for the legislative and regulatory bodies to build laws, ordinances, and resolutions that suit reality and have high levels of feasibility.

Every year, the VFF Central Committee’s standing committee holds consultations with political and social organisations at the same level to jointly determine appropriate content, subjects, and the number of supervision and social criticism activities in line with the functions and tasks of each organization; and build draft plans to send to the NA Standing Committee and the Government for consultations to prevent overlapping. 

Over the last five years, the VFF Central Committee’s standing committees at all levels have engaged in 19,714 direct dialogues with agencies and organisations, Anh noted. 

However, she also mentioned difficulties and challenges that arose in performing supervision and social criticism, saying that the quality of the work in some localities remained limited.

Regarding tasks and solutions, the draft report recommended that Party committees at all levels should continue to pay attention to directing and orienting supervision and social criticism in accordance with the reality of each locality; strengthen responsibility in giving comments to the annual supervision and criticism plans.

The ministries, departments, and People's Committees at all levels should enhance collaboration with the VFF in the work, and strictly implement regulations of the 2015 Law on Promulgation of Legal Normative Documents.

Top Party leader chairs corruption prevention meeting in Hanoi

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on August 16 presided over the 24th meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption and Negative Phenomena Prevention and Control. 

The meeting is to review activities of the committee in the first half of 2023 as well as corruption prevention and control in Vietnam following the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.  

Delegates are also scheduled to outline key tasks of the committee in the remaining months of 2023 and beyond.

The ongoing anti-corruption drive launched and led by the Communist Party of Vietnam has recorded encouraging results over the past years, especially since the 13th National Party Congress in early 2021.

The fight has been accelerated in all aspects of life under the mottos such as “no forbidden zone.” “no exception”, or “whoever the person is”.

Many notorious cases have been brought to light, including the test kit scandal at Viet A Technologies JSC, the bribery scandal regarding repatriation flights for Vietnamese people at the Consular Department, and the share manipulation scandal at FLC Group. Two other cases under close scrutiny are the property fraud case at Tan Hoang Minh Group and the case regarding medical supply procurement violations at AIC – Vietnam Valuation and Investment JSC.

Party leader Trong has reiterated the Party’s strong resolve to root out corruption, stating that it will be an enduring policy. He has also refuted rumours that the anti-corruption drive, which includes the handling of ranking officials who commit violations, is an internal purge or an internal struggle among various factions of the Party.

Vietnamese projects win Asia Architecture Design Awards 2023

A number of local projects claimed prizes at the Asia Architecture Design Awards 2023, which was held on August 14 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

The awarded projects included The Grand Maria Saigon - The Lake Tower (Best Furniture Manufacturer Awards), Xuan Thao Residence (Best Residential Architecture Design), CBRE Hanoi Office (Best Workplace Interior Design), and The Ngo (Best Residential Architecture Design-Landed Housing). This is along with Rooftop Infinity Pool of Grand Tourane Nha Trang (Best Leisure and Wellness Architecture Design), Mai Chau Culture Resort (Best Resort Architecture Design), and Hispania Nha Trang Restaurant (Best F&B Architecture Design).

Upon addressing the awards ceremony, Dylan Yip, vice president of Global Business of the Asia Awards Organisation (AAO), noted that after more than eight months of implementation, AADA has received more than 436 project portfolios registered to participate.

A distinguished panel made up of 20 experts specialising in real estate, architecture, and interior design, among other fields, have worked hard to select a total of 50 outstanding projects which will be honoured at the Winners' Night.

Since its launch back in December, 2022, the Asia Architecture Design Awards (AADA) has received plenty of attention from architects, designers, as well as large and small organisations in the industry from countries across Asia as hundreds of projects and works have been submitted.

The Asia Architecture Design Awards featured 30 award categories across six disciplines, such as Architecture Design, Interior Design, Furniture Design, Architecture Design Firm, Interior Design Firm, and Firms in Furniture Manufacturing & Retailing.

Lao PM appreciates Vietnamese firm’s support for social welfare in Laos

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone on August 16 received a donation of 200,000 USD from the Vietnam-Laos energy investment and development company to support flood victims in Laos.

On the occasion, the Lao PM appreciated the kindness of the company, saying that the act contributes to further deepening the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the Parties, States and people of the two countries.
         
Chairman of the company Le Thanh Tao offered sympathies to the Lao government and people over the great loss caused by recent floods. He affirmed his belief that under the leadership of the Lao government, the Lao people will quickly overcome the consequences of natural disasters and return to normal life.   
 
Continuous torential rains over the past many days have caused flooding and landslides across Laos, blocking many transport routes, submerging many farms, houses and infrastructure facilities, affecting tens of thousands of people.

Legal proceedings launched against truck driver in serious Gia Lai accident

The Gia Lai police announced on August 16 that it had decided to start legal proceedings and implement a temporary detention order against a truck driver for his involvement in a serious traffic accident which caused three deaths in Chu Puh district on August 12.

According to the initial investigation, on the afternoon of August 12, on National Highway 14, the truck driven by Dinh Tien Binh, without ensuring safety conditions and with the lack of attention, crashed into the rear of a car, making it lose control. Without stopping, the truck continued to hit a second time to the left of the car and pushed it into the opposite lane, causing a terrible accident.

The accident made three people in the car, all members of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club with one being a foreign player, die on the spot, and injured the car driver.

Binh's acts violated Clause 2, Article 14 of the 2008 Law on Road Traffic, showing signs of violating the regulations on participating in road traffic in accordance with the provisions of Article 260 of the Penal Code.

Hanoi: Initiatives help overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19

In response to a programme on 1 million initiatives to overcome difficulties and fight the COVID-19 pandemic launched by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), trade unions at all levels in Hanoi had registered 130,569 initiatives as of August 3, surpassing the target of 130,000 proposed by the city Confederation of Labour.

With this figure, Hanoi ranked fourth in the country in terms of the number of initiatives. It led the nation in the number of people submitting initiatives, with 36,240.

Notably, even though the VGCL assigned Hanoi with 60,000 initiatives, the municipal Confederation of Labour had actively proposed and determined to strive for 130,000 ones.

The programme, launched on January 8, 2022 and lasting until September 1, 2023, is part of efforts to boost socio-economic recovery and development while ensuring social welfare and people's life and health.

HCMC set to launch high-speed ferry service to Con Dao by year-end

The HCMC Department of Transport has worked with relevant agencies on a plan to launch a high-speed ferry service from HCMC to Con Dao.

According to the department, this high-speed ferry service will significantly contribute to the development of waterway transportation and tourism between HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

The initiative aligns with the prime minister’s directives and showcases the joint efforts of the authorities in HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to advance inter-regional transportation projects and enhance inland waterway travel between the two regions.

Bui Hoa An, vice director of the HCMC Department of Transport, emphasized the vital role of the express ferry service as it not only caters to the travel needs of residents but also boosting transportation, tourism, and the preservation of the regions’ cultural and historical heritage.

Incorporated into HCMC’s waterway development plan for 2023 to 2025, the high-speed ferry service is on track. Thus, the HCMC Department of Transport has urged collaborating agencies to work closely with Phu Quoc Express Joint Stock Company, the operator of the boat service, to address any obstacles the enterprise may face.

“The HCMC People’s Committee and relevant departments are committed to supporting the enterprise in removing hindrances during the service launch. The ferry service between HCMC and Con Dao is expected to be operational by September 2023, or no later than the end of the year,” said the vice director of the department.

With a passenger capacity of 1,000 per trip, the ferry will cover 230 kilometers in approximately five hours, traveling from Hiep Phuoc port in Nha Be District to Ben Dam port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

Mekong Delta facing shortage of schools and teachers in remote areas

In less than half a month, millions of students across the country will enter the new school year 2023-2024. However, many localities in the Mekong Delta are facing a shortage of schools and teachers.

Dropping out of high school has long been viewed as a serious educational problem. Ngoc Chanh Commune - a remote commune of the Mekong Delta Province of Ca Mau - has a high rate of dropouts in recent years. To raise the number of children to go to schools in the new school year, from the beginning of July 2023, staff of the local education sector and their peers of social organizations have visited each household to encourage parents to send their children to schools.

Teacher Tran Huyen Tran, in charge of teaching at Hiep Hoa school, said that although teachers have visited a family three times, parents have not decided to send their children to class blaming them for home-to-school distance. Moreover, teacher Huyen Tran is most worried about the lack of classrooms while existing classrooms are severely degraded and have not been maintained or repaired.

Head of the Department of Education and Training in Ca Mau Province’s Dam Doi District Vo Loi said that due to the interlaced river conditions and difficult travel in the region, 94 schools in the district including 48 kindergartens and 46 primary schools are built in remote districts.

He added that without these educational facilities, it will be difficult to mobilize students to go to school. However, the education sector is having difficulty in investing in facilities and equipment for teaching and learning plus a shortage of teachers in these institutions.

The local education sector has proposed the government to remove its difficulties but there has been so far no radical solution.

According to the plan, in the school year 2023-2024, the Mekong Delta Province of Kien Giang has more than 10,000 classes with over 300,000 students from preschools to high schools. Director of the Department of Education and Training of Kien Giang Province Tran Quang Bao moaned that the province continues to lack more than 1,000 teachers in the school year 2023-2024.

The shortage of teachers is the same in the previous school year and the years before that without a radical solution. Specifically, remote and island districts such as An Minh, An Bien, U Minh, and Phu Quoc City of the Mekong Delta Province of Kien Giang have experienced a severe shortage of teachers; for instance, Phu Quoc City lacks about 300 teacher staff.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ca Mau Province Le Hoang Du informed that in the past time, the province has made great efforts to implement the project on arrangement and development of the school network in the area in the period of 2020-2025 with a vision towards 2030.

However, after three years of implementation, the project has not been effective. Currently, several inadequacies are still existing in the education-training sector in the province. Specifically, most schools that teach 2 shifts a day still lack classrooms. The number of students is large but it sees a lack of places for students to take a nap, lack of toilet facilities, bathrooms, clean water, kitchen, and dining room.

According to Director of Kien Giang Department of Education and Training Tran Quang Bao, to solve the shortage of teachers in the locality, the department has advised the provincial People's Committee to develop a scheme to transfer teachers from places having many teachers to places which are short of teachers until 2025. There will be support policies and regimes for teachers who have to move away from their place of residence.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training show that in the Mekong Delta, there are more than 92,900 classrooms of preschools and public high schools but the percentage of permanent classrooms is only about 81.5 percent. In particular, more than 1,270 classrooms in areas with extremely difficult economic and social conditions are located in other facilities.

Nearly 6,000 traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles in one year

The Traffic Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) yesterday informed that in the first 6 months of 2023, there were over 4,900 road traffic accidents, killing 2,800 people and injuring another 3,400.

Accordingly, the figure for traffic accident cases in the first half of this year is a reduction by 863 compared to this time last year. The quantities of dead and injured people by road traffic accidents also decrease by 527 and 268 victims respectively.

Since 2022, there have been over 16,200 road traffic accidents, killing 9,000 people and injuring another 11,200. Among them, the figures for accidents caused by commercial vehicles have been 6,000 cases, 3,700 dead people, and 2,700 injured victims.

In order to ensure traffic order and safety as well as reducing accidents related to commercial vehicles, the Ministry of Public Security has announced its plan of overall checking for passenger vehicles and container trucks.

The plan takes place from August 1 to October 15, 2023 and is divided into two stages. The first one from August 1-14 focuses on information propaganda to the public and commitment signing with vehicle drivers. The second stage from August 15 to October 15 will be the time for the traffic police to patrol, check, and punish any law-breaking cases.

Many hydropower reservoirs must discharge due to surplus water

Multiple hydroelectric reservoirs in the Northern and Central Highlands areas have been released to ensure safe operational protocols, as heavy rainfall has led to an increased flow of water from upstream sources.

After a period of drought that caused reservoir water levels to drop to alarming levels, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reports that over the past week, multiple hydroelectric reservoirs in the Northern and Central Highlands areas have been released to ensure safe operational protocols, as heavy rainfall has led to an increased flow of water from upstream sources.

On August 13, water levels in hydroelectric reservoirs across the Northern and Central Highlands regions still saw a slight increase. Consequently, reservoirs in Lai Chau, Son La, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, and Lam Dong are maintaining high water levels and ramping up power generation to optimize water usage and minimize excess discharge.

Nonetheless, some reservoirs, such as Lai Chau, Trung Son, Tri An, Buon Kuop, and Buon Tua Srah, are still required to discharge surplus water. The other large hydroelectric reservoirs with high water levels are ready to release water following directives.

In the South Central coastal region, reservoirs are still elevating water levels and producing electricity in adherence to operational protocols, all while mobilizing power generation as guided by the overseeing agency, given the water scarcity.

Vietnam Electricity further reported that over the past few days, heavy rains and flooding in numerous areas had compelled certain hydroelectric reservoirs to discharge water in accordance with regulations, aiming to safeguard construction sites and downstream regions.

Prior to initiating water discharge, hydroelectric companies always notify competent authorities and residents residing in downstream areas. Upon receipt of flood discharge or operational mode alteration notifications, residents should expeditiously undertake advised precautions to ensure the safety of individuals and assets.

Motorcycle taxi drivers want to participate in social insurance to have pensions

Many motorcycle taxi drivers in the Central Province of Quang Nam want to participate in social insurance to have pensions.

Many motorcycle taxi drivers who are carrying tourists to visit Quang Nam Province’s UNESCO-recognized natural heritage site of Hoi An City, the Hoai River with meager income but they still want to pay voluntary social insurance so that they will have a pension to ensure their life when they get old.

On a field trip to Quang Nam Province organized by the Vietnam Social Security, journalists in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City interviewed motorcycle taxi drivers in the ancient town about social security policies for freelance workers.

Chairman of the Hoi An motorcycle taxi service Union Phan Phuoc Tung said that a grassroots organization under the Hoi An City Labor Federation was established in 1997 - a gathering of freelance motorcycle taxi drivers in Hoi An ancient town. Since its establishment, the union has only 52 members, but 102 have joined to become union members dividing into 4 groups with 5 berths. Cyclo cycling not only serves tourists who wish to see the old town but also creates a unique image and ancient beauty for this country.

According to Mr. Phan Phuoc Tung, although their incomes are about VND8 million-VND10 million a month, 10 people decided to join the social insurance voluntarily to enjoy health care policies; most importantly, they will later have a pension.

With a total monthly income of more than VND10 million from cycling, Mr. Tung decided to deduct 10 percent (or about VND 1.1 million) per month to pay for voluntary social insurance.

Mr. Tung revealed some people have paid VND 500,000, VND 700,000, and VND 800,000 per month for voluntary insurance depending on their incomes for about a year.

Young man Nguyen Tan Manh born in 1991, in Cam Nam Ward, a union member, said that he has been working as a motorcycle taxi driver for 6 years. During and after the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of tourists decreased, and the economy was still difficult, so he and many members of the union could not participate in voluntary social insurance, but he affirmed to join if the policy is more open while the economy recovered.

According to the provisions of Article 87 of the Law on Social Insurance 2014, the monthly voluntary social insurance contribution rate is equal to 22 percent of the monthly income selected by the participants (but must be at least equal to the poverty line in rural areas).

Although the poverty line of rural areas has increased from VND 700,000 to VND 1.5 million a month from January 1, 2022, according to the Decree No. 07/2021/ND-CP, many workers are still also unable to pay for insurance due to their inadequate incomes.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Manh said if a person only pays a few hundred to VND1 million a month, their pension will not be much.

However, according to the social insurance industry, the pension level to be enjoyed upon reaching the retirement age and full years of payment is not based on the amount already paid for social insurance but is paid based on the income level as the basis for paying voluntary social insurance contributions that the person has paid. Therefore, for those who participate in voluntary social insurance, in addition to the amount of money employees pay themselves, the State will help them pay a sum for voluntary social insurance.

According to the Vietnam Social Security, the number of people participating in and benefiting from social insurance and health insurance is increasing day by day. It is estimated that by the end of July 2023, the country has about 17.5 million people participating in social insurance up 3.64 percent over the same period in 2022.

Amongst them, more than 16 million people participate in compulsory social insurance and nearly 1.5 million people participate in voluntary social insurance. At the same time, the total number of people participating in unemployment insurance is 14.3 million. The total number of people participating in health insurance is 91.3 million people or the national coverage rate of nearly 92 percent.

Large population of elephants found in Dong Nai

Through the Elephant Conservation Pilot Program, a large population of elephants was found in the Southern Province of Dong Nai.

Experts said that the elephant population is much larger than the number suggested by the results of the rapid report conducted in 2016. Scientists will have a detailed report on the program’s result at the end of August.

Through taking pictures, experts and scientists have discovered that the quantity and amount of elephant population in our country is more than they actually are. What the local government should do is issuance of harsh penalties on those who are involved in animal fighting, causing unnecessary suffering to animals or committing a wide range of serious crimes against wildlife as well as educate people about the love of nature.

The Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that August 12 is the World Elephant Day with this year’s theme ‘Ending the Illegal Wildlife Trade’. Many countries have applied ‘Harmonious common life’ in elephant conservation after the method of zoning to protect elephants in some countries did not achieve the expected effect.

In Vietnam, this trend was started and tested with the project "Protecting Asian Elephants in Dong Nai Province".

At the end of July 2023, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan spent three days on field trips in the Central Province of Nghe An to promote the development trend of multi-use forests and living in harmony with nature.

According to the Department of Forestry, Nghe An Province is experimenting with beekeeping to increase their livelihoods and as a fence to protect wild elephants meanwhile Quang Nam Province is planting locust trees as a fence to protect elephants.

Dong Nai Province has promoted the development of eco-tourism from exploiting the image of elephants to creating new livelihoods for local inhabitants so that people are willing to protect elephants.

Dak Lak Province changes the tourism model from using elephants to transport tourists to travelers experiencing elephants in a friendly way.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the initiative to monitor elephants using the format method began to be implemented in 2019 followed by the initiative to manage the elephant-human conflict area using the aeratable spreadsheet application in 2021 and the initiative to monitor elephant habitats and distribution areas in 2023 has been carried out in Dong Nai Province within the framework of the project on ‘protecting Asian Elephants in Dong Nai Province’ by the Vietnam Administration of Forestry and Humane Society International (HSI) in collaboration with the Forestry Department and the Sub-Department of Dong Nai Forestry.

People still breach prohibition of ads promoting alcohol

People still breach the prohibition of ads promoting or referencing alcohol; thus, it is necessary to have tougher measures to deter violations.

Yesterday, this was released at a workshop to review the 3-year implementation of the regulations on management of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of alcohol of the Law on Prevention and Control of harmful effects of alcohol by the Ministry of Health in Hanoi.

At the seminar, a representative of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Legal said that the Law on Prevention and Control of harmful effects of alcohol took effect on January 1, 2020. The law includes regulations on advertising management of promotion and sponsorship of alcohol.

However, the advertising, promotion and sponsorship of alcohol have been so far still quite complicated; thus, stricter measures are needed to better implement the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of harmful effects of alcohol in general and regulations on the management of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of alcohol in particular.

Meanwhile, according to a representative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, after the law took effect, people decreased their alcohol consumption due to the prolonged effects of the Covid-19 epidemic. Up to now, the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has not imposed any administrative fines for violating the ban on alcohol advertisements.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also proposed to continue organizing training courses and propaganda on the prevention and control of harmful effects of alcohol in various forms.

Issuance of ID card to no-nationality people of VN origin living in VN approved

Major General Nguyen Thi Xuan – Standing Member of the National Assembly's National Defense and Security Committee – yesterday reported 8 main matters about adjusting the draft Law on Citizen Identification (amended).

Accordingly, the Standing Committee of the National Defense and Security Committee asked for the opinion of NA’s Standing Committee on the name of the draft Law, the adjustment scope and application subjects of the draft Law, the issuance of an ID card as well as the management of people who have Vietnamese origin and are living in the country but without a nationality, information of citizens in the National Population Database and the National Identification Database, the content displayed on an ID card, ID card holders, integrated information into an ID card as well as the management of an e-ID card.

Major General Nguyen Thi Xuan stated that most of the Standing Committee of the National Defense and Security Committee approve the issuance of an ID card for people of Vietnamese origin living in the nation but without a nationality.

Many meeting participants also agree with the proposal of this Standing Committee, saying that this is a deeply humane matter to ensure the rights of Vietnamese-origin people and the vulnerable, which is in compliance with the guidelines of the Party and the State.

However, Standing member Nguyen Thanh Cam of NA’s Social Affairs Committee and Standing member Vu Xuan Hung of the National Defense and Security Committee suggested that the law preparation team present more persuasive reasons along with detailed statistics and an evaluation of the current status of that special group of people. That will become a foundation to consider the demand and influence of issuing such an ID card. It is also necessary to refer to international experience in this matter.

As to the content displayed on an ID card, Standing member Luu Van Duc of NA’s Ethnic Council said that many voters are concerned about the section in the draft Law on Citizen Identification (amended) to omit information about ethnicity and religion on the ID card. He recommended a thorough explanation to the public about this matter.

Summarizing the meeting, NA’s Vice Chairman Tran Quang Phuong stressed that the agency in charge of preparing the draft Law should add a report on possible influences of the Law, the adjustment scope and application subjects of the Law.

Regarding the content displayed on an ID card, he said that it is essential to clearly define the mandatory and optional information, while introducing detailed regulations on citizen data sharing, exploitation, and security.

Police officers destroy trafficking ring selling children

In an investigation, the Criminal Police Division (PC02) destroyed a trafficking ring selling children, said a department leader in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday afternoon.

Previously, through monitoring cyberspace and the information provided by the public, the PC02 Division discovered a baby trafficking ring, so they decided to carry out an investigation.

The criminal has been using the nickname "Kimthao le" on social networks such as Facebook and Zalo to post statuses about baby adoption from mothers with unintended pregnancies or infertile families who want to adopt children. Police officers suspected that this nickname is trading in babies and selling children.

Through surveillance, the criminal has regularly joined clandestinegroups for child adoption and associations of infertile couples who seeking gestational surrogacy for child adoption, or women who wanted to give eggs and kidney donations’ to find pregnant women with unintended pregnancies who do not want to raise the child to entice the child with the suggestion of fostering money.

On the other hand, this criminal has also joined groups to find infertile couples who want to adopt a child to sell the child in the form of an adoption agency to benefit.

The criminal rented a room in a secluded area to nurture pregnant women waiting for their due date to hand over their children or as a place to take care of their children before selling to infertile families to facilitate illegal acts and avoid detection by the police force.

In addition, the criminal also used the trick of reporting the loss of identity papers of pregnant women upon admission and falsely declaring information so that the hospital would issue birth certificates with incorrect information in order to legalize birth certificates for infertile families when buying children.

Police officers have identified the group led by Le Hong Anh in HCMC’s District 4, who engaged in trafficking in children under 16 years old. Therefore, on July 25, police officers of the PC02 Division coordinated with their peers of the District 1 police station to arrest Le Hong Anh while she was buying and selling a newborn baby with two women in front of house number 154 Tran Hung Dao Street in Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward of District 1. At the police station, the two women confessed their illicit acts.

On June 28, one of the two women gave birth to a baby boy weighing 2.9 kg at a hospital in the Mekong Delta Province of Ben Tre but the family did not agree to let her raise the baby because of the family’s poor economic status.

So the young girl had no choice but sent her baby boy at the non-public Social Protection Facility Duc Quang Shelter in Long Hoa Commune of Ben Tre Province on July 1. After that, he posted a status to sell her biological child on the Facebook group.

Subsequently, on July 24, Le Hong Anh texted the young girl to buy the baby, the young girl required a gratuity of VND 16.5 million (US$694). Around 3 pm on July 25, when the young girl and her biological mother handed over the baby to Anh to receive the above amount in front of house number 154 Tran Hung Dao, Nguyen Cu Trinh ward, district 1, police officers discovered them.

With the collected documents, the Ho Chi Minh City Police issued an arrest warrant for Le Hong Anh who was detained in an emergency.

Currently, police officers of the PC02 Division in coordination with the District 1 People's Committee have transferred the child in the case to the City Social Protection Center for further care.

Le Duc Phat earns men’s singles title at Tajikistan International Series 2023

Badminton player Le Duc Phat achieved a notable victory in the men's singles final at the Tajikistan International Series 2023 Tournament.

Le Duc Phat stood as the sole representative of Vietnamese men's badminton in this tournament, holding the 3rd seed position. His journey to the finals involved defeating Canadian contender Xiaodong Sheng in the quarter-finals with a decisive score of 2-0 (21/16, 21/7). Progressing to the semi-finals, Le Duc Phat faced the top-seeded player from Azerbaijan, Ade Resky Dwicahyo, and secured a smooth victory with a score of 2-0 (21/17, 21/12).

On August 11, local time, the men's singles final of the tournament unfolded, pitting Le Duc Phat against the 8th-seeded player, Daniil Dubovenko, from Israel. The match was riveting as Duc Phat and his opponent battled fiercely for every point right from the outset. In the opening game, both competitors maintained a brisk pace, and Duc Phat managed to pull ahead of Dubovenko's pursuit, gaining a lead only at the 16th point.

Bringing this set to a close, Le Duc Phat secured a victory with a score of 21/16. In the subsequent game, the intensity of the competition escalated, with both sides exchanging points in each service rotation. Nevertheless, driven by unwavering determination, Le Duc Phat emerged triumphant with a score of 24/22, thus securing an impressive 2-0 overall victory.

The Tajikistan International Series 2023 Tournament is part of the International Series competition system. Following this triumph, Duc Phat said he was added extra points for his individual ranking. As a result, he is on the brink of securing a place within the top 90 positions of the global Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, which are going to be unveiled in the forthcoming week.

Ministry to develop community bookcases in ethnic minority and mountainous areas

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has decided to develop community bookcases in 120 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Under the Ministry’s decision to develop community bookcases in 120 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism assigned the Library Department to coordinate with departments of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in provinces such as Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Nghe An, agencies and organizations in building community bookcases for ethnic minority and mountainous communes.

These bodies will buy bookshelves and books with the contents of propaganda and education on laws on culture, sports, family and tourism and books on laws of child marriage and consanguineous marriage in a bid to disseminate regulations and cultivate a reading culture in ethnic minority communities.

Sacred animal statues imbued with Bat Trang ceramic art on display

An exhibition of art ceramics entitled "Sacred Animals of Modern Times" by Bat Trang's Meritorious Artisan Tran Nam Tuoc has opened at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi, featuring more than 30 sets of ceramic sculptures on the theme of sacred animals, such as horse, kylin, dragon, carp turning into dragon, and phoenix.

The works show the combination of visual elements of painting, and the language of sculpture, inheriting the quintessence of traditional Bat Trang ceramics with Tuoc's new inventions in glaze colors and shapes.

Painter Luong Xuan Doan, President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, said Tuoc had brought ceramic sculptures to the public with a unique style deeply rooted in the traditional culture of the Vietnamese people.

He added that Tuoc had created modern ceramic works with high aesthetic value, containing meaningful messages about Vietnamese cultural tradition and history through images of sacred animals.

"With his talent, artist Tuoc has created many valuable ceramic sculptures and contributed to the diversified development of Vietnam's contemporary art," Doan said.

According to Doan, Tuoc has succeeded in preserving the cultural values imbued with the Vietnamese spirit in his works. With the artist's creative efforts to inherit, preserve and promote cultural heritage, Tuoc has written a new history of Vietnamese ceramic art.

Meritorious artist Tran Nam Tuoc (whose birth name is Tran Xuan Trieu) was born in 1974 in the northern province of Thai Binh. He is the only person awarded the title of Meritorious Artist of Bat Trang Ceramic Art, although he was not born in Bat Trang Village, Hanoi.

Starting his career in 1996 as a helper in a pottery kiln, Tuoc has been constantly researching, experimenting and realizing the value of Bat Trang ceramic glaze.

With his own ceramic thinking, he has created seemingly simple but excellent enamel lines using simple input production materials.

Tuoc's works have created a personal touch, recreating the quintessence of the craft village, and are always appreciated by the leading experts in the industry.

The exhibition is open until August 20 at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.

Intellectual property exhibition planned in Hanoi in Q3

 Hanoi plans to hold an exhibition in the third quarter to raise public awareness of intellectual property protection for locally made products.

The two-day event will be held anytime from October 1 to December 10 at the Inter-Agency Government Building on Vo Chi Cong Road, Tay Ho District.

About 20 to 25 producers and organizations will take part in the event, including farmers' associations, cooperatives, associations of craft villages, technology developers, and consulting agencies.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a workshop with 100-150 participants, including business and organization managers, specialists, and representatives from local authorities and farmers' and craft village associations in Hanoi.

The event will serve as a venue for the city authorities and producers to promote the activities and result in intellectual property development in the city.

Participants and experts will also discuss ways to better manage, utilize and develop local IP brands.

According to the plan, all items displayed at the exhibition must be proven effective and adaptable to different conditions, while the booths must be eye-catching.

In addition, the organization of the exhibition must be cost-effective and practical.

National Innovation Center to be fully operational in October

 The second facility of the National Innovation Center (NIC) will be fully operational in October 2023, center director Vu Quoc Huy said on August 15.

The facility will be built within the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Thach That District. Once operational, the NIC will have two facilities, with the other located on Ton That Thuyet Street in Cau Giay District.

The NIC is an agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The center aims to improve the productivity and competitiveness of the Vietnamese economy by incubating initiatives and startups, renewing the growth model based on innovation, science and technology, and supporting enterprises to enhance their creativity and innovation capacity.

The NIC at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park is expected to be the largest innovation facility in Vietnam, providing incentives and attracting tech giants, startup organizations and specialists to come and operate.

With two office buildings and an international convention center, NIC Hoa Lac will become the environment that drives innovation in Vietnam and completes the national startup ecosystem.

The center will host its first event, the Vietnam International Innovation Exhibition 2023 (VIIE 2023), from October 28 to November 1, bringing together hundreds of technology companies from Vietnam and other countries, government organizations and agencies, research institutes, universities and colleges, specialists, investment funds and incubators, as well as some 40,000 participants and delegates.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said on August 15 that VIIE 2023 would be a hub to gather ideas and initiatives, deploy potential creative projects, and realize the Government's intention to make Vietnam one of the best destinations for start-up businesses.

At the expo, companies and organizations will showcase their products in eight key ICT areas: smart factory, smart city, digital communication, environmental technology, cybersecurity, semiconductor industry, hydrogen, and healthcare.

Notebooks for students programme kicks off in HCM City

A ceremony to kick off the programme “A million notebooks for students in the Central Highlands and Binh Phuoc province” was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15.

Co-organised by the city’s Business Association of Vietnamese Veterans (BAV), the Ho Chi Minh City Veterans Association, and the Veterans Entrepreneurs Association, the event aims to mark the 50th anniversary of the Reunification Day (April 30, 1975-2025).

Speaking at the event, Labour Hero Nguyen Dinh Truong, Chairman of BAV, said that the initiative aims to share, support ethnic children in the provinces of Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Kon Tum.

Truong shared that through the programme, veteran entrepreneurs hope to contribute to the implementation of the policy of the Party and State in socio-economic development, ensuring national defence and security in the Central Highlands until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

The programme runs from August 15 to April 30, 2025, with a total budget of about 6 billion VND (250,000 USD). The initiative aims to encourage the studiousness movement of ethnic minority students in the Central Highlands and Binh Phuoc province.

At the launching ceremony, veteran entrepreneurs, businesses and philanthropists donated nearly 3 billion VND for the programme.

President suggests Vietnam, Bangladesh foster comprehensive cooperation

President Vo Van Thuong on August 15 suggested Vietnam and Bangladesh step up all-level delegation exchanges, thus strengthening their comprehensive cooperation.

At a Hanoi reception for outgoing Ambassador of Bangladesh Samina Naz, the leader highlighted the traditional relationship between the two countries, saying Bangladesh was among the very few South Asian nations that established diplomatic ties with Vietnam 50 years ago.

Vietnam and Bangladesh share many similarities in economic development as both have paid attention to foreign investment attraction based on their abundant workforce, he said, suggesting them cooperate and exchange experience in this field.

Thuong shared Naz’s view that the Vietnam-Bangladesh relationship is developing fruitfully, with two-way trade jumping four-fold over the past decade and the two countries striving to raise the value to 2 billion USD in the coming years.

Apart from trade, the two countries should boost collaboration in other spheres, while maintaining their mutual support at reginal and global multilateral forums, he continued.

Vietnam supports the enhancement of the relations between Bangladesh and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to which Vietnam is a member, the leader emphasised.

Thuong commended contributions by the ambassador to the bilateral friendship and cooperation during her six-year tenure in Vietnam, and expressed his belief that Naz, in any position, will contribute more to the relationship.  

The President asked the diplomat to convey his regards to President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin.

For her part, Naz also conveyed greetings and regards from President Shahabuddin to his Vietnamese counterpart.  

The ambassador congratulated Vietnam on its achievements across spheres, and its advanced position in the international arena, stressing Bangladesh always hopes to learn from Vietnam’s experience.

Naz said she believes that the bilateral relationship will grow further in the time ahead, especially in tourism, including spiritual tourism.

The diplomat also noted her belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam will reap more achievements in the future, and her wish to work as goodwill ambassador of Vietnam in the time ahead.

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