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According to the municipal People’s Committee, the capital city has defined science-technology as a decisive factor in boosting economic growth and improving productivity, quality and efficiency of all socio-economic activities.
Under the plan, the city will strive to create a total-factor productivity (TFP) contribution of over 50% to the economic growth in 2025 and more than 55% in 2030.
Labour productivity is hoped to increase 7.7.5% in 2025, and 7.5-8% in 2030. The proportion of digital economy in the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) is expected to reach 30% in 2025 and about 35% in 2030.
At the same time, the rate of high-tech agricultural production in overall production value of the agricultural sector is planned to hit 70% in 2025 and over 85% in 2030.
The city will also strive for over 70% in the rate of high-tech value in the processing-manufacturing sector in 2025, and 85% in 2030.
At least 40% of OCOP (One Commune-One Product) products of the city are expected to receive support in intellectual property registration, which will be raised to 60% in 2030.
Hanoi will work to have 12 science-technology researchers and developers out of each 10,000 people in 2024, and 14 out of each 10,000 people in 2030.
To this end, the city will set aside 1.2-1.5% of its GRDP to invest in science-technology development. The rate will be 1.5-2% in 2030.
Water resources planning for 2021-2030 approved
The Vietnamese Government has adopted a decision to approve the master plan on water resources for the period 2021-30 in an attempt to address droughts and pollution problems.
The viewpoint is that the master plan on water resources must be strategic, ensuring a long-term vision, overall orientation, regulation and distribution of water resources to meet the objectives of the socio-economic development strategy, and priority should be given to ensuring water supply for daily life, stabilising social security, eradicating hunger and reducing poverty.
Decision No. 1622/QĐ-TTg aims to ensure national water source security; effectively and sustainably managing, protecting and using water resources; combating and overcoming harmful consequences caused by water, ensuring a balance between needs for people's livelihood, socio-economic development and environmental protection.
It also aims to control the quality and reserve of water sources, improve the water storage capacity in river basins, economic zones and localities basing on climate change adaptation and ensure national defence and security.
It looks towards integrated governance of the water sector on the basis of digital technology; managing and using water resources in a cyclical cycle, ensuring thrift and efficiency, serving multi-purposes, and meeting the requirements of rapid and sustainable national development.
The goal by 2030 is to harmonise and distribute water resources fairly and reasonably among sectors, localities, and water exploiters and users according to the integrated planning of inter-provincial river basins.
By 2025, 100 per cent of large and important river basins will have integrated planning for inter-provincial river basins; the rate of using clean water for daily life among urban population will be raised to to 95 per cent – 100 per cent and 65 per cent among the rural population.
On the other hand, the plans set a target of basically monitoring over 90 per cent of water exploitation and use activities; improving the efficiency and capacity of water exploitation and minimising water loss in the system of irrigation works; reducing the rate of water loss in water supply activities to 10 per cent.
The water management sector will also work to effectively overcome drought and water shortages in the dry season in river basins, areas with difficult access to water sources, especially in the South Central region, Central Highlands, Mekong River Delta, remote areas and regions. remote and islands.
By 2030, wastewater to be collected and treated meeting standards and technical regulations before being discharged into the environment is set to account for 30 per cent of the total volume in urban areas from Grade II and above.
Other key works are to improve and restore important water sources that have degraded, depleted and polluted; and to complete the establishment and announcement of corridors to protect water sources, ensure flow circulation, prevent and control landslides on riverbanks, and reduce water-induced harmful effects.
By 2050, Việt Nam is expected to raise its national water security index to be among the countries that effectively ensure water security in the world. It will work towards being proactive in water resources in all situations, forecasting and regulating water, preventing floods, droughts, saltwater intrusion, pollution, degradation, and water depletion, and responding to climate change.
Quang Nam vice chairman detained over Covid-19 repatriation flights
Vice chairman of the Quang Nam Province People’s Committee Tran Van Tan, 43, was detained over allegations that he took bribes in the Covid-19 repatriation flights case.
Ministry of Public Security investigators issued a decision pressing charges against and detaining Tan on December 31, 2022.
The police arrested Tan as part of efforts to expand an investigation into the giving and taking of bribes, bribery brokering, abuse of powers while on duty and fraud at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hanoi City and other provinces.
Tan was accused of wrongdoings involving responsibility in a dozen legal papers that enable businesses and organizations to provide paid quarantine services at local hotels in Quang Nam Province.
Previously, investigators from the Ministry of Public Security requested the officials of Quang Nam Province to supply material for the probe in October 2022.
Tan was elected deputy chairman of the Quang Nam Province People’s Committee in 2018. At the time, he was the country’s youngest provincial deputy chairman at the age of 39, the local media reported.
Since uncovering the Covid-19 repatriation flights scandal in January 2022, the Ministry of Public Security has filed charges against and detained 38 people, with many of them working at the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and Transport, as well as the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security.
Tourist hotspots welcome huge number of foreign visitors during New Year
According to statistics released by Vietnamese provinces on January 3, the number of foreign visitors to popular tourist destinations throughout the country during the New Year period sharply increased.
This marked the first New Year holiday since the country reopened its borders to foreign visitors on March 15, 2022. As a result of this, some tourist hotspots recorded an added influx of foreign arrivals who came to enjoy their winter vacation.
According to statistics compiled by the Quang Nam province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the total number of tourists visiting the province during the New Year break amounted to 120,000, including 89,000 foreign nationals.
Nguyen Thanh Hong, director of the provincial department, noted that the number of international visitors to the country stood at three times higher than that of domestic travelers.
He added that the figure showed positive signs, showing an optimistic 2023 for the tourism industry, particularly following the long and hard days caused by the COVID-19.
Furthermore, the statistics released by the Department of Culture and Sports of Thua Thien - Hue province also indicate that during the period the province welcomed 19,000 visitors, of which foreign visitors accounted for 50% of the total.
Da Nang airport also welcomed a total of 395 flights carrying 58,000 passengers, with the number of foreigners accounting for more than 60%.
In line with this, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City recorded the highest number of international travelers with 38,000 and 35,000, respectively.
The number of stay-over foreign tourists in the capital accounted for 30% of the total number of travelers, coming mainly from Japan, Germany, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and the United States.
Cam Ranh International Airport said that from December 30, 2022, to January 2 it had served an average of 11 international flights with more than 200 passengers per day.
On the first day of the year, more than 300 foreign visitors, mainly from Incheon in the RoK and Almaty in Kazakhstan arrived in the coastal province of Khanh Hoa.
Meanwhile, travel agencies shared that they did not receive a lot of New Year bookings from domestic travelers due to the Lunar New Year holiday being just two weeks away.
As a result, many Vietnamese people will choose to take some time away during the upcoming Lunar New Year instead.
Exhibition of collections of Vietnamese folk paintings to open in HCMC
HCMC Fine Arts Museum in coordination with the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum organized an exhibition titled “The color of Spring in Tu Binh folk paintings” featuring collections of Vietnamese folk paintings.
Exhibits include 20 collections of paintings namely Tu Quy (Four Seasons of the Year), To Nu (Four Female Musicians), and Tu Dan (Four Important Careers of the Human, including Fishing, Woodcutting, Farming, Teaching), among others.
“Tu Binh” is a set of four paintings that usually depict four periods of the year, four stages of life, four anecdotes in a story, and four different types of the beauty of girls. They give knowledge of the time and daily life of the people in the old days to today’s generations.
The event taking place at the HCMC Fine Arts Museum in HCMC’s District 1 will be held from January 6-February 28.
Opinions for draft revised Land Law collected from today
Opinions for the draft Land Law (revised) will be collected from people from all walks of life from January 3 to March 15.
The bill has been made public for all Vietnamese people inside and outside the country, State agencies from central to local levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committees at all levels, socio-political and trade organisations, businesses, cooperatives, business households and other economic organisations, research institutes, experts and scientists.
Ideas for the draft law can be sent to the legislature through the online portals of the National Assembly, the Government, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as well as mass media and through other forms.
The full contents of the draft Land Law (revised) have been available on the online portals of the National Assembly, the Government and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
VTV honours best TV shows and personalities
Vietnam Television (VTV) held a gala night on January 1 to welcome the New Year and honour the best programmes and personalities on the national broadcaster over the past year.
The show featured about 20 brilliant performances with the participation of popular singers, dancers, actors and actresses, and sports commentators.
The highlight of the night was the announcement of the VTV Awards, which were presented to the best TV shows and personalities over the past year across 12 categories.
“The Epic of Peace”, a two-hour show honouring wounded and fallen soldiers aired on July 27, won the Programme of the Year award, while the documentary award went to “Four Seasons in the Deep Jungle”, which tells the story of those devoting their whole life to protect forests.
The best entertainment show belonged to a variety show called “Weekend Appointment” and the best culture and sports show award was given to a programme about altruists.
The best TV drama series went to “Thuong Ngay Nang Ve”, a remake of the Korean series “Mother of Mine”.
Thanh Son won the best actor award and Minh Huyen received the best actress award.
Duc Bao was named the most impressive news presenter, while the promising artist award went to singer Truong My Anh.
83 traffic accidents in New Year holiday
Eighty-three traffic accidents happened in the three days of the New Year, killing 50 people and injuring 51 others, an increase of 29.7%, 31.6% and 45.7%, respectively, according to the Ministry of Public Security.
The ministry reported that a total of 21,872 traffic law violations have been handled, with fines totaling over 37.58 billion VND (1.59 million USD).
Due to high travel demand, jams occurred on the first day of the holiday (December 31, 2022) at gateways of big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
On the last day of the holiday (January 2), a large number of vehicles flocked to the cities' inner, but no serious congestion has been reported.
Traffic police have been mobilised to ensure smooth movement of vehicles in major points.
Vietnam’s air traffic on the rise
Vietnam served up to 55 million air passengers at local airports in 2022, a 3.7-fold increase over 2021, the year which witnessed widespread Covid-19 travel restrictions, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.
While domestic tourists totaled 43.2 million, foreign arrivals surpassed 11 million, a 22-fold rise year-on-year.
The country’s airports handled 1.25 million tons of air freight, 1.1 million tons of which came from international flights.
According to the agency, Vietnam’s air transportation has shown signs of strongly rebounding since the late first quarter of 2022, notably in the domestic market.
As for the international segment, despite Vietnam resuming visa waivers for visitors from 25 countries in May 2022, the recovery pace has yet to meet expectations.
The authorities have collaborated closely with officials from the International Civil Aviation Organization and local counterparts in Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Laos and Cambodia, among others, to resume international flight routes.
Vietnam’s aviation sector is expected to fully return to its pre-pandemic performance level in 2023, potentially as early as 2024.
Vietnam, Germany cooperate in preventing future pandemics
An environmental microbiology laboratory, which is capable of detecting pandemic viruses through testing wastewater samples, will be set up at Vietnamese - German University (VGU) with the support of the World University Service (WUS) of Germany.
The lab, worth around 500,000 EUR (533,860 USD), will be funded by the Ministry of Economics of the German State of Hessen and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. It will be the first one of this type in Southeast Asia and will effectively contribute to the early detection of the pandemic.
Various studies showed that the virus can be noticed in wastewater up to 14 days earlier by evaluating tests. This will be useful in combating pandemics, for example, researchers can localise an epidemic hotspot on a certain street.
The early detection of the pandemic through the study of domestic wastewater has been developed by Dr Susanne Lackner of Germany’s Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt). The laboratory at TU Darmstadt is also one of the leading laboratories for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by genome sequencing and operates as a reference laboratory of the European Union (EU).
WUS President Kambiz Ghawami said that the above-mentioned cooperation reflects the friendly, deep and close relationship between the state of Hessen and Vietnam, making an essential contribution to the cooperation in research and teaching in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Russian expert speaks highly of Vietnam’s stance on East Sea issue
A Russian expert has spoken highly of Vietnam’s consistent stance and viewpoint of addressing disputes in the East Sea peacefully and via negotiations.
Grigory Trofimchuk, Chairman of the Council of Experts of the Eurasian Research Fund, also stressed that Vietnam's stance meets the goal of stability and security in Southeast Asia.
At a commentary on the East Sea, held recently by the information channel Avrova in Moscow, the official stressed that the disputes should be settled through negotiations to prevent tension escalation.
He cited the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), towards the signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), as important legal documents for the negotiations.
The programme was broadcast live on Avrova’s radio and Youtube channels.
Sa Pa draws nearly 42,000 visitors during New Year holiday
Sa Pa, a famous tourist destination in the north of Vietnam, welcomed nearly 42,000 visitors in the three-day New Year holiday, according to Hoang Thi Vuong, head of the Culture-Information Office of the town in Lao Cai province.
Vuong said that the figure is 2.7 times higher than that recorded in the same time last year, while revenue is also higher at about 126 billion VND (5.33 million USD).
The official said that local accommodation facilities meet the demands of tourists, while drastic measures have been applied to ensure traffic safety and food safety during the holiday, which spans from December 31, 2022 to January 2, 2023.
Despite the freezing cold weather on top of Fansipan Mount, the highest mountain in Indochina has still been a favourite check-in destination for a large number of visitors.
Five more special national relic sites recognised
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has signed a decision recognising five more relic sites as special national ones.
They include Roc Tung - Go Da archaeological relic in An Khe town of the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai; the Sa Huynh culture archaeological relic in Duc Pho town of the central province of Quang Ngai; the Huong Canh communal house complex in Binh Xuyen district of the northern province of Vinh Phuc; the King Mai Hac De Temple in Nam Dan district of the central province of Nghe An; and the Ap Bac Victory site in Cai Lay town in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.
The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and chairpersons of people’s committees of provinces where the recognised relics are located, are required to manage the sites in line with legal regulations on cultural heritages within their authority.
Tourists flock to Hoi An during New Year holiday
Tens of thousands of visitors flocked to the ancient riverbank city of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam during the New Year holiday (December 31, 2022 - January 2, 2023), opening a promising new year for the locality’s tourism sector.
In the second day of the holiday, Hoi An welcomed 34 foreign visitors from Mongolia and the Republic of Korea.
A representative of the foreign visitors expressed her impression of the friendliness and hospitality of local residents.
Cau Pagoda, Hoai River, and Lantern street are the biggest attractions for visitors on the occasion.
The municipal authorities have held a series of activities and events to attract visitors, and said Quang Nam will focus on enhancing tourism promotion activities in key markets to draw more foreigners to the locality.
Hoi An was ranked 20th among the 25 best cities of the world in 2022, as voted by readers of Travel Leisure US travel magazine.
Hanoi serves 208,000 visitors during New Year holiday
Hanoi welcomed 208,000 tourists, earning 779 billion VND (32.9 million USD) during the three-day New Year holiday (December 31, 2022 - January 2, 2023), according to the municipal Department of Tourism.
The capital city served 170,000 domestic tourists in the holiday, 3 times higher than the same period last year, the department reported.
Meanwhile, as many as 38,000 foreigners, mostly from Japan, China, the UK, the US, Germany, the Republic of Korea, and Finland, visited Hanoi on the occasion.
On January 1, Vietjet Air welcomed international passengers to Hanoi from Osaka (Japan) at Noi Bai Airport.
Many cultural and art programmes to welcome the new year have been held, attracting the attention of tourists.
During the holiday, many tourist attractions in the city launched new products and organise attractive activities to stimulate demand and attract more visitors.
Danang holds Tet market for workers
A market for the Tet Lunar New Year is being held in the central city of Danang’s Hai Chau District.
The event is part of a programme called Workers’ Day-Welcome Tet 2023 which began on Wednesday evening and is slated to end on December 30.
There will be 60 stalls at the market to offer hundreds of essential products to workers at preferential prices.
Eighteen businesses at local industrial parks will also use the event to promote 5,000 job vacancies. In addition, 20,000 workers in Hai Chau will be provided with medical check-ups. Around 4,800 gifts worth VND2.5 billion will be distributed to disadvantaged people.
Up to 18,850 vouchers for free goods will be provided to workers. Authorities in Hai Chau District will offer free bus tickets for poor workers to return to their hometown on Tet.
HCM City to pilot 14 more bus routes at Tan Son Nhat Airport
HCM City Transport Department has just announced the pilot operation of 14 bus routes connecting Tan Son Nhat Airport to local urban and tourist centres.
According to the plan, 14 bus routes will link Tan Son Nhat Airport to Thu Duc City and the districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 10, 11, Binh Tan, Hoc Mon, Binh Chanh, Tan Phu, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan, and Binh Thanh.
These 19-seat bus capacity routes will be operated by Hai Van Transportation Company from February 1, 2023.
At present, only the 109, 152 and 72-1 operate at Tan Son Nhat Airport.
The 109 runs from the airport to Saigon Bus Station in District 1. It also passes Ben Thanh Bus Station, making it very convenient for tourists who are staying in the area around Ben Thanh Market or the HCM City backpacker district.
The 152 connects the airport with Trung Son Residential Area in Binh Chanh District. Meanwhile, route 72-1 links the airport with Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.
Phuong Trang Joint Stock Company which is operating the 109 bus route proposed adding 17 more routes at the airport to solve the congestion problem.
VNA adds over 90,000 seats for upcoming Tet holiday
Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has announced its third increase in flight frequency, offering an additional 500 flights, equivalent to over 90,000 seats, to satisfy the soaring travel demand during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet.
The national flag carrier will operate these flights on domestic routes linking HCMC with Hanoi, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Dong Hoi, Chu Lai and the Thanh Hoa-Dalat route between January 6 and February 2, 2023 (from the 15th of the 12th lunar month to the 15th of the first lunar month).
VNA is also set to add 200 flights, equal to 36,000 seats on the HCMC-Thanh Hoa route from January 15 to February 5, if it gets the nod from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.
The carrier made two increases in flight frequency in August and December this year to serve the peak travel season of Tet, offering millions of seats on both international and domestic routes.
VNA passengers are encouraged to use online check-in services to save time and avoid long queues and mass gatherings at airports.
HCMC hands over 34 hectares of land to Beltway No. 3 project
The government of Thu Duc City in HCMC today, December 29, handed over 34 hectares of cleared land to the My Thuan Project Management Board to develop the Tan Van-Nhon Trach section, called component 1A, part of the Beltway No. 3 project.
The Tan Van-Nhon Trach section requires nearly VND7 trillion in investment and a total of 35.7 hectares of land in Thu Duc City, the local media reported.
The remaining 1.7 hectares of land in the city for the project will be handed over in the first quarter of 2023.
Land clearance and compensation processes are moving sooner than expected, said Thu Duc City Chairman Hoang Tung.
Tran Van Thi, director of the My Thuan Project Management Board, said that the land handover was 95.7% complete, contributing to executing the project on schedule as assigned by the prime minister.
After receiving the cleared land, the investor will start work on approach roads to the HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway and work with contractors and consulting units to ensure the quality and progress of the project to open the road to traffic in late 2025, Thi said.
The land handover for component 1A reached a record pace, HCMC Vice Chairman Bui Xuan Cuong said, explaining that when work on the project began in September, the handover met a mere 30%, but now over 95% of the land was handed over.
The 8.2-kilometer-long Tan Van-Nhon Trach road will have six lanes and allow a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. The route will play a key role in connecting HCMC with Dong Nai and other neighboring provinces.
Ring Road No. 3 will connect HCMC, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An, with a total length of over 76 kilometers, of which 47 kilometers will sprawl through HCMC’s Thu Duc City and three outlying districts of Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh.
Binh Duong TV International Cycling Tournament returns next month
The Binh Duong Television International Cycling Tournament 2023 will take place from January 5-11, the organiser announced on December 29.
The tournament brings together eight teams including two from the Republic of Korea and the Philippines.
With a total route of 991 km, the riders will compete in six stages passing through Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Tuy Hoa, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong and Dong Nai, and finish in Thu Dau Mot city of Binh Duong province on January 11.
To win this tournament’s Yellow and Red jerseys, the athletes have to conquer three passes - Ca, Giang Ly, and Khanh Le, which are renowned for their windings. There will be the Green jersey for the winner of the Points Classification, and the White jersey for the most outstanding young athlete.
This tournament’s prizes have a total value of more than 400 million VND (16,900 USD).
HCM City to restore 31 monuments, relics through 2025
HCM City has plans to restore 31 monuments and relics across districts and Thủ Đức City, including Tân Quy Đông communal house and Hưng Lợi ceramic kiln.
At a recent meeting, it was agreed by experts that many historical, cultural and artistic relics and monuments in HCM City have been seriously degraded, without capital allocated for repair and restoration.
Recently, the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports made a report on investment policies for eight urgent projects to submit to competent authorities. The total investment is estimated at VNĐ440 billion (US$18 million).
According to the city People's Committee, investors are co-ordinating with relevant agencies to prepare for the restoration of Giồng Cá Vồ, Chỉ Hoà communal house, History Museum, Giác Viên Pagoda, Xuân Hiệp communal house and Bình Đông communal house.
Meanwhile, 12 projects are having their documents prepared for appraisal, including Tân Túc communal house, Phú Lạc communal house, Vĩnh Trường communal house, Chợ Quán Hospital prison, Continental Hotel, Giác Lâm Pagoda and Linh Tây communal house, among others.
The city has investment plans for 11 projects, including the national archaeological relics of the Hưng Lợi pottery kilns, Nam Tiến communal house, Tân Quy Đông communal house, Vĩnh Hội communal house, Tân Hoà Tây communal houses, Hoà Thạnh communal house, Tân Hội communal house, Xa Tân temple and Xuân Hoà communal house.
Due to limited budget, the city Department of Culture and Sports has worked with relevant authorities to look at the status of the Museum of Fine Arts Museum, Tân Quy Đông communal house and Hưng Lợi pottery kiln, among others, to make a list of priorities.
According to the city People's Committee, the Department of Culture and Sports is seeking approval to restore relics urgently while planning to mobilise funds from other capital sources in an effort to effectively preserve existing cultural heritage.
For projects using public investment capital, the Department of Planning and Investment advises the city to allocate VNĐ100 million to restore the Sài Gòn - Chợ Lớn - Gia Định traditional area (phase 3); VNĐ100 million for the exhibition area of Bến Dược martyrs; VNĐ50 million for the headquarters of the Việt Nam People's Army Command and VNĐ100 million for the national historical relics at Chợ Quán Hospital, where General Secretary Trần Phú sacrificed his life.
Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes
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