The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh has twice been honored as a World Natural Heritage site - a testament to its unique geomorphology and global tourism value and countless efforts of Vietnam to increase awareness in the process of international integration.

Over the past two decades, the province has preserved cultural heritage values of the national park toward the goal of sustainable development.

On July 3, 2003, the World Heritage Committee under the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) approved Vietnam's submission to recognise the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park as a World Natural Heritage Site, with criteria of exceptional global value in terms of geology and geomorphology.

The Government of Vietnam, with support of international organisations, saw the park expand to more than 123,000 hectares to preserve the largest ancient limestone region in Southeast Asia.

On July 3, 2015, UNESCO members agreed to add the criterion of outstanding value representing the evolutionary and development processes of terrestrial ecosystems, possessing meaningful natural habitats for biodiversity conservation.

Over the years, the park management board has actively cooperated with domestic and foreign organisations to carry out scientific projects in the fields of environment, geology-geomorphology, biodiversity, and culture-history to preserve the heritage for the local socioeconomic development.

Since 2003, experts from the Royal British Cave Association surveyed and discovered 425 caves in seven areas and systems, of which 389 caves have been measured with a total length of 243 km. The most prominent was the discovery of Son Doong - the world's largest cave. The site is important in caving research in the region, promoting the image of Vietnam and Quang Binh and Phong Nha-Ke Bang around the world.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has three forms of tourism, including self-exploration, joint venture businesses, and leasing of forest environment services.

Currently, the World Natural Heritage site has 15 different routes possible on a tour that include various combinations of nature exploration, caves, camping, walking, and zip line areas.

The development of tourism services has attracted an increasing number of visitors to the site. In order to ensure both tourism development and sustainable heritage conservation, the park management board is monitoring and assessing the impact of tourism activities on the caves to mitigate negative impacts on the heritage.

Pham Hong Thai, Director of Phong Nha- Ke Bang National Park Management Board, said in the coming time, the board will continue to strengthen forest management and protection work, scientific research and rescue of wildlife in order to preserve the outstanding global value of the heritage.

The National Park is a model of "Ecosystem and Biodiversity" with a unique population not found anywhere else on the Earth, an evergreen tropical forest with a 500-year-old cypress species.

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park borders the Hin Nam No National Park of Laos. In line with UNESCO's goal of expanding cooperation in the conservation and preservation of heritage sites, Vietnam and Laos are working together to build the first inter-country heritage profile in Southeast Asia and the largest continuous karts cross-border heritage in the world. The expansion plans are to be submitted to UNESCO in 2024.

Tiền Giang develops aquaculture

Tiền Giang Province is promoting aquaculture by teaching farmers breeding techniques and encouraging them to use advanced techniques using intensive methods.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province has expanded breeding models adapted to climate change in economically disadvantaged areas on the Gò Công coast, Tháp Mười (Plain of Reeds) and flood-prone localities.

The localities have established concentrated aquaculture areas for shrimp-rice farming in Tân Phú Đông District, hi-tech shrimp breeding on the Gò Công coast and cage aquaculture in the Tiền River in Mỹ Tho City and other upstream districts.

The upstream districts have converted nearly 300ha of unproductive rice fields into aquaculture farms, mostly for producing aquatic seeds.

They supply juveniles to other provinces and cities in the South.

Freshwater aquaculture, including in cages in rivers, in the upstream districts offers higher profits to farmers than rice, and is adapted to climate change.

The province has 1,161 cages to breed various fish species in the Tiền River, a tributary of the Mekong.

Mostly in Mỹ Tho City and the districts of Châu Thành, Cái Bè and Cai Lậy, they are used to breed red tilapia and other high-value species such as basa, carp and white pomfret.

They produce around 10,500 tonnes of fish annually.

Thới Sơn island commune in the Tiền River in Mỹ Tho City has cage aquaculture and fruit orchards in combination with tourism services.

Nguyễn Văn Phong, secretary of the Thới Sơn Party Committee, said the commune has 585 cages.

Huỳnh Văn Nhàn breeds red tilapia in 11 cages here and earns VNĐ330 million (US$12,700) a year from them.

He has a steady income thanks to aquaculture, he said.

The price of red tilapia has increased sharply this year, and this has encouraged farmers to invest more in intensive breeding and improve output and quality to meet market requirements, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Coastal districts like Tân Phú Đông and Gò Công Đông has expanded aquaculture to adapt to climate change and create jobs for locals.

Gò Công Đông has a 2,200ha concentrated clam breeding area where tourists are also hosted.

It also has 362ha of white-legged shrimp farms in coastal communes.

It harvested 12,200 tonnes of aquatic species farmed in brackish water and saltwater farms in the first half of the year.

The conversion of unproductive rice fields into aquaculture farms has helped many households escape poverty and lead stable lives.

Gò Công Đông was the province’s first district in which all communes were recognised as new-style under the country’s programme to develop new-style rural areas.

Tiền Giang has 13,100ha of aquaculture farms which yielded nearly 94,000 tonnes in the first half of the year, up 16.5 per cent year-on-year, according to the department.

It plans to increase the area to 14,700ha and harvest more than 364,000 tonnes this year, it added. 

Recently opened expressway flooded, causing prolonged congestion
July 29, 2023 - 20:18
 
 
The recently opened Dầu Giây - Phan Thiết expressway in the south central province of Bình Thuận was hit by heavy rainfall over the weekend, leading to severe flooding and prolonged congestion.
 
Flooding occurs in the section passing through Sông Phan Commune, Hàm Tân District in Bình Thuận Province. — VNA/VNS Photo
BÌNH THUẬN — The recently opened Dầu Giây - Phan Thiết expressway in the south central province of Bình Thuận was hit by heavy rainfall over the weekend, leading to severe flooding and prolonged congestion.

The flooding occurred early Saturday morning at the section passing through Sông Phan Commune in Hàm Tân District, and water from the roadside overflowed onto the expressway, causing flooding nearly one metre deep in some areas.

The dangerous conditions resulted in numerous vehicles being stranded and a queue of over one kilometre for almost five hours. Some cars were even swept away by the water and stuck on the flooded roadside.

Despite the expressway having drainage pipes, they were not large enough, causing slow water drainage, which exacerbated the flooding and congestion, provincial authorities said.

To address the situation, a highway patrol team from the provincial Traffic Police Department redirected vehicles towards National Highway 1 to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Motorists were recommended to avoid entering the expressway to prevent further congestion.

By 7am, traffic could flow smoothly in the north-south direction, but congestion continued in the opposite direction.

The Phan Thiết – Dầu Giây expressway, connecting Đồng Nai and Bình Thuận provinces, spans 99 kilometres, with six lanes and a top speed of 120 kph.

The expressway cost VNĐ12.5 trillion (US$543 million) and opened to traffic at the end of April. 

Lao Cai residents face water cut following floods

The Coc San Water Plant which supplies water for half of residents in the northern city of Lao Cai had to suspend operations from Friday afternoon after rising floods contaminated water in the Ngoi Dum Spring.

According to the plant, they have been unable to process the muddy water from Ngoi Dum Spring. Therefore, they will temporarily stop supplying water to Kim Tan Ward and all residents in the city's southern parts due to the contaminated water sources.

"Floods triggered by heavy rains from the evening of July 27 to July 28 together with the releasing of water from a local hydropower plant have seriously contaminated the water at Ngoi Dum Spring," the plant announced on July 28. "The water source has exceeded our processing capacity. We apologise for this incident and will try to supply water again as soon as the water source returns to normal quality."

There are currently three water plants in Lao Cai City which supply water to nearly 32,000 customers.

Five fishing boats catch fire in Nghe An

Some five fishing boats caught fire while anchored at a port in the northern central province of Nghe An on Friday night. 

Some six fishing boats caught fire while anchored at a port in the northern central province of Nghe An on July 28.

Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews Newspaper at 9 pm on July 28, the chairman of Quynh Thuan Commune People's Committee, Tran Van Trung, said that the fire broke out on one of the boats and then quickly spread to others which were anchored at the Lach Quen Port at about 8 pm.

"Some local residents heard a loud explosion from the boats and rushed out to see the boats catching fire," the official said. "They tried to put out the fire and call the fire services. Rescue activities faced difficulties as the boats started to drift away in strong winds during the fire while smoke went up to tens of metres."

According to a report from local authorities, there were no people inside the boats at that time. Initial investigations showed that the fire might have been caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder.

The fire was brought under control at about 11 pm. Total losses are estimated at over VND10 billion.

Ha Long Bay coral reefs see strong recovery

Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh has witnessed a strong recovery of its coral reefs following the bay management board’s protection efforts.

The Ha Long Bay Management Board and the Institute of Marine Environment and Resources have jointly surveyed the coral ecosystem at Bu Xam, Cong Do, Coc Cheo, Tung Ngon, Luoi Liem and Soi Van in the bay. 

The survey indicated that coral reefs in these areas have developed well, particularly those in Bu Xam and Coc Cheo.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, Ha Long Bay no longer had any reefs in very good condition in 2013. The situation deteriorated further in 2015 when a survey showed that coral cover in the best-maintained reefs was below 50 percent and the average rate in the bay was just 20 percent.

The damage was blamed on the declining water quality and the emergence of Drupella snails that eat coral tissue. Both of these are considered the result of human activity including tourism, fishing, pollution, and industrial and household wastewater.

But the Ha Long Bay Management Board has built a database of the ecosystems that could help with conservation solutions. In addition, it has also trained specialists in the management and protection of the coral reef ecosystem.

The board has also closely worked with Ha Long authorities to conduct regular patrols to detect fishing violations and promote the protection of aquatic resources.

These solutions have helped to improve the water environment and deal with illegal coral exploitation. As a result, some reefs have been discovered with coral cover as high as 60 to 70 percent, showing their remarkable recovery.

Airfares for National Day holiday surge

Air tickets for flights scheduled to depart for the September 2 National Day Holiday have sharply increased.

As this year's National Day is on the weekend, employees nationwide will have four days off on September 1-4. This has fuelled travel demand, causing airfares to increase 2-3 fold.

Phu Quoc is among the most popular spots for this holiday. A one-way Vietnam Airlines ticket from Hanoi to Phu Quoc on September 1-2 costs from VND3 million (VND127.65). The same ticket costs just VND1.5 million two to three days earlier.   

Each one-way ticket of VietJet’s Hanoi-Phu Quoc flights will be around VND2 million on this occasion, compared to just VND700,000 on normal days.

Vietnam Airlines flights from HCM City to Phu Quoc will have a one-way ticket of VND1.7 million. Meanwhile, it is VND1.4 million for VietJet’s flights against a mere VND600,000 as usual.

For routes from Hanoi to Da Lat, Hue, Nha Trang and Danang, each one-way ticket will be up to VND1.5 -2 million.

Economy airfares to many popular tourist destinations have been fully booked.

To avoid the situation in which airfares for the April 30-May 1 Holiday initially surged and then suddenly dropped close to the travel date, a representative from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam stated that the agency will intensify inspections and monitoring of airfare prices for the coming National Day holiday.

Vietnam Railways has also announced plans to offer tickets for the National Day holiday with continued discounts.

Vam Cong Ferry set to resume operations in early September

Vam Cong ferry service on the Hau River in the Mekong Delta is set to resume on September 2 after a four-year hiatus induced by the completion in 2019 of the Vam Cong Bridge.

The decision comes in response to the increasing demand from residents living near the ferry terminal, said Le Hoang Bao, director of the Dong Thap Department of Transport.

Residents in the local area often travel an additional 10-kilometer distance to cross the river as the Vam Cong Bridge was situated four kilometers from the ferry terminal location, the local media reported.

To address this, the authorities will initially operate three ferries of 40 to 60 tons from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m. The ferry service will only accommodate automobiles with 30 seats or less and trucks weighing less than seven tons.

Fares for the ferry service will vary depending on vehicles. For motorcycles, the fare starts at VND6,000, while vehicles with seven seats or less and trucks under three tons will be charged VND25,000. Trucks weighing 5-7 tons or coaches with 16-30 seats will be charged VND60,000 per trip.

The ferry service connects two parts of National Highway 80, one in Lap Vo District, Dong Thap Province, and one in Long Xuyen City, An Giang Province. It had been operational for a century until local authorities decided to halt the service after the inauguration of the Vam Cong Bridge on May 19, 2019.

The bridge, which links Can Tho City and An Giang Province, cost VND5,700 billion.

Vietnamese players earn three gold medals at Hong Kong Shuttlecock Open

The Vietnamese shuttlecock team is currently competing in an international tournament in Hong Kong (China), and they have achieved remarkable gold medal results.
 
The third Hong Kong Shuttlecock Open takes place from July 28 to July 31, with players participating in various events, including men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

Teams from Vietnam, Macau (China), Guangxi (China), and the host Hong Kong (China), are all taking part in this competition.

The Vietnamese shuttlecock team advanced to three finals and emerged victorious, earning gold medals. Specifically, Ha Nhu Hung claimed the gold medal in the men's singles event, Luu Hoang Thanh Ngan won the gold medal in the women's singles event, and the Vietnamese men's doubles team (Manh Tu/Viet Tiep/Hong Hiep/Thanh Cuong/Hieu Thuan/Nhu Hung) secured the gold medal.

Shuttlecock is not part of the recent SEA Games competition program. However, in several Asian countries, this sport continues to be developed, with an annual tournament organized. This competition provides the Vietnamese shuttlecock team with valuable opportunities to gain experience and improve their skills. Just before participating in the tournament in Hong Kong (China) in early July, the Vietnamese shuttlecock players took part in the thrilling 2023 National Beach Shuttlecock Championships in Khanh Hoa Province.

At present, the World Shuttlecock Federation is still in search of a suitable venue and time to host the 11th Shuttlecock World Championships.

Heavy rain causes severe damage in Mekong Delta

On July 29, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hau Giang Province reported that heavy rains in recent days had resulted in the damage of nearly 5,000 hectares of rice crops in the region.

Among the affected crops, approximately 3,600 hectares of summer-autumn rice were ready for harvest, and over 1,300 hectares of winter-spring rice had just been sown.

In Kien Giang Province, on July 29, the local authorities and relevant agencies mandated the temporary suspension of all ship and boat operations between the mainland and the islands, namely Kien Hai, Phu Quoc, Kien Luong, and Ha Tien, due to the impact of typhoon No.2. Passengers who had pre-booked tickets were assisted by the operating companies to either reschedule their trips or obtain refunds for their tickets.

The heavy rain also caused many tourists to be stranded in Phu Quoc City, and some of them had to opt for air travel instead. On July 29, the tourism industry in Kien Giang Province called on hotels and guesthouses in Phu Quoc City to provide support by offering meals and reducing room charges for the affected tourists.

Continuous heavy rainfall on July 28 and 29 caused extensive flooding in Rach Gia City (Kien Giang Province), with water levels reaching over 0.5 meters in some areas. Additionally, localized flooding was reported in the regions of Ben Tram Hamlet, Cua Duong Commune, and Cua Can Commune in Phu Quoc City.

According to the forecast, thunderstorms with rainfall are anticipated to persist in the afternoon and evening in the Northern region until August 3, while the daytime will remain hot and sunny. In the Southern and Central Highlands regions, the rainy conditions are expected to continue for several more days, with an estimated rainfall of approximately 20-50mm on July 30 and over 100mm in some areas.

Weightlifter Do Tu Tung bags three gold medals in men’s 55kg Junior category

At the 2023 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, the young weightlifter Do Tu Tung displayed an impressive performance, earning three gold medals in the 55kg men's category.

During the competition on the evening of July 29 at the ongoing weightlifting tournament in India, young Vietnamese weightlifters continued to compete and achieved remarkable results, winning several noteworthy medals.

Do Tu Tung had the best performance of the day in Vietnamese youth weightlifting. Competing in the 55kg men's Junior section, he began his snatch with a successful lift of 110kg. He then went on to attempt 115kg and successfully lifted it. However, in his third snatch attempt at 118kg, the Vietnamese weightlifter was not successful, so his best snatch result remained at 115kg.

For the clean and jerk, Do Tu Tung achieved the best result of 145kg after three attempts. This, along with his other records of 115kg (snatch) and a total weight of 260kg, makes him the top performer among all weightlifters in the 55kg men's championship. As a result, he earned three gold medals in the junior section.

Do Tu Tung is a familiar name in the young weightlifting community of Vietnam. Prior to competing in India, he had participated in numerous youth-level competitions and was a member of the national team. In May, Tung represented Vietnam in the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championship, competing in the men's 55kg category, where he secured an impressive victory with two gold medals. He achieved a snatch of 116kg, a clean and jerk of 147kg, and a total lift of 263kg.

In the men's 55kg category, K'Duong was a highly anticipated athlete besides Do Tu Tung. However, he only achieved 105kg in snatch, 135kg in clean and jerk, and a total lift of 240kg, which earned him the 4th position overall. Nevertheless, in the Youth section, K'Duong still managed to secure the top rank. Additionally, Vietnam's weightlifting team had another athlete, Duong Tuan Kiet, in the men’s 55kg Junior category, who performed admirably with 109kg in snatch, 135kg in clean and jerk, and a total lift of 244kg. Duong Tuan Kiet earned a bronze medal in the total lift, a silver medal in the snatch, and a bronze medal in clean and jerk.

On the day of the competition, Nguyen Thi Hoai competed in the women’s 67kg Youth category and achieved a total lift of 151kg. Meanwhile, Tran Thi Bac Giang competed in the women’s 70kg Junior category and lifted a total of 154kg. Both athletes performed exceptionally well and earned medals for their respective events.

Men’s SEA V.League 2023: Vietnamese men's volleyball eyes 2nd place overall

The Vietnamese men's volleyball team achieved their first victory in the second round of the Men’s SEA V.League 2023, a part of the SEA Volleyball League, by triumphing over Thailand in an intense match.

On the afternoon of July 29, during the second round of the Men’s SEA V.League 2023, the Vietnamese men's volleyball team competed against the Thai men's team. Before the match, there were numerous opinions indicating that the Vietnamese team might hold an advantage in terms of skills and experience, considering Thailand's participation with a lineup of young U21 players.

Nevertheless, that was merely a theoretical assumption. The actual events on the court turned out differently, as both teams displayed balanced performances. Despite this, the Vietnam team started the game with a composed mindset, allowing its spikers to perform exceptionally well in the first two sets. Players such as Tu Thanh Thuan, Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, Duong Van Tien, and Truong The Khai played impressively and efficiently scored points, ultimately guiding the Vietnamese men's volleyball team to a triumph with scores of 25/20 and 25/19 against their opponents.

During the third set, the Thai players showed great determination to capitalize on opportunities and reclaim points for a set victory. Thai young spikers displayed remarkable confidence throughout the match. Meanwhile, the defense of the Vietnamese men's volleyball team was cautious and well-prepared; however, luck was not on Coach Tran Dinh Tien's team's side. The set concluded with a score of 30/28 in favor of the Thai men's team.

During the fourth set, it appeared that the Thai players could predict the Vietnamese team's attacks. Consequently, the coaching staff made adjustments by bringing in Nguyen Huynh Anh Phi for Dinh Van Duy and Pham Van Hiep for Tu Thanh Thuan. However, despite the changes, the Vietnamese team could not lift their spirits in this set and ended up losing with a score of 21/25. Throughout the match, Chaiwat, Jakkrit, and Supakorn stood out as the key spikers for the Thai team.

In the crucial fifth set, the television coverage revealed the coaching staff urging each player to maintain utmost focus and caution in every attack. During this set, opposite hitter Tu Thanh Thuan returned to the court, and the Captain of the Vietnamese men's volleyball team played remarkably, guiding the Vietnam team to a triumphant 15/9 victory. With this win, the Vietnamese men's volleyball team concluded the match with an overall 3-2 victory.

Thanks to this triumph, the Vietnamese men's volleyball team is still in contention for second place overall in the championship. The final match is scheduled for July 30, and Vietnam will be competing against the host team, the Philippines.

VN wins one gold at 2023 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships

A young Vietnamese female weightlifter clinched the first gold medal at the 2023 Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships.

The competition is being held in India and officially commenced on the evening of July 28, local time. The women's 40kg and men's 49kg categories were the first events to take place. Vietnam weightlifting has already secured a valuable gold medal on the opening day, thanks to the remarkable performance of young weightlifter Nguyen Phuong Linh.

In the women's 40kg category, Phuong Linh excelled with a snatch of 56kg and a clean and jerk of 68kg, accumulating a total lift of 124kg. Her outstanding snatch performance earned her a silver medal, while her impressive clean and jerk lifts and total weight secured her the gold medal, clinching first place in the competition.

In this competition, Phuong Linh encountered a formidable competitor, female weightlifter Alexsandra Ann Diaz from the Philippines. Notably, Alexsandra Ann Diaz is the granddaughter of the famous athlete Hidilyn Diaz, who won the gold medal in weightlifting at the Olympic Tokyo 2020 for the Philippines. Alexsandra secured a gold medal in the snatch with a lift of 57kg but settled for silver medals in both the clean and jerk (66kg) and total lift (123kg).

In this tournament, the young Vietnamese weightlifting team boasts a strong lineup featuring athletes such as Bac Giang, Tuan Kiet, Hoai Huong, Phuong Linh, Nhat Ha, Anh Nhu, Nguyen Thi Hoai, Van Nam, K'Brum, K'Duong, Tu Tung, Minh Dao, Kim Lua, Ha Thi Xien, Minh Tri, Bich Tram, A Tieu, A Tan, and Yen Nhi. The championship will run until August 5.

This year, the event has attracted 220 athletes from 18 countries and territories across the continent to compete.

Land-related hiccups affect investment environment, production

Matters related to land and environmental management have affected the investment environment and enterprises’ production; thus, responsible agencies must solve soon, said Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai today.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment today held a ceremony to celebrate its 20th establishment anniversary with the participation of Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh and Chairman Phan Van Mai.

At the ceremony, Director of the city Department of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Toan Thang said that the municipal People's Committee on July 18, 2003 issued Decision No. 121/2003/QD-UB to establish the Department of Natural Resources and Environment by unifying the Department of Land and other organizations performing the state management of water resources, mineral resources and the environment under the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Departments of Industry and Trade, and the Departments of Science and Technology, Environment and the Department of Transport.

From 2003 up to now, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has recovered, allocated, leased, and changed land use purposes of 2,670 projects, with a total area of 17,856.7 hectares, including 835 housing projects with an area of 6.526.8ha; 944 production and business projects with an area of 6,706.4 ha; 859 public welfare projects in an area of 4,559.3ha.

This achievement has contributed to the city's socio-economic development by generating revenue for the state budget. Moreover, many public works projects have been contributing to improving people's quality of life.

Mr. Nguyen Toan Thang also frankly admitted that the city's natural resources and environment sector still has limitations; so people and businesses have still made complaints.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh praised achievements made by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment over the past 20 years. He also suggested several tasks that the sector should carry out in the coming time. For instance, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment suggested that Ho Chi Minh City soon complete the HCMC Master Plan to 2030 with a vision to 2050 and a 5-year land use plan for the 2021-2025 period with a focus on perfecting master plans and plans on land use to ensure sustainability and the city’s development.

Besides, Ho Chi Minh City needs to soon complete the database of land and natural resources to provide regular online public services, improve the efficiency of land management, and save time and costs while enhancing transparency and publicity.

In addition, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment also suggested the southern largest city pay attention to climate change, and water resource management while restoring lakes, ponds and canals in big cities.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Phan Van Mai also praised the efforts of generations of leaders, civil servants, officials and employees of the natural resources and environment sector over the periods. The chairman of the City People's Committee noticed that the southern metropolis is entering a new stage of development with many opportunities and advantages, but it also faces many difficulties and challenges. Land and environmental management-related matters should be solved soon so as not to affect the investment environment and production as well as people's lives. 

Therefore, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment should advise the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to strictly manage and efficiently use natural resources, especially land resources. The Natural Resources and Environment sector should give advice to the city People's Committee to effectively implement the pilot contents of specific mechanisms and policies for the city’s growth as per the Resolution No. 98/2003/QH15 which has just been approved by the National Assembly; particularly, the sector should have a good recommendation on compensation and resettlement support according to the Resolution to accelerate the disbursement of public investment capital.

Chairman Phan Van Mai also asked the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to submit a plan of treatment of solid waste generated from daily activities, and emissions in the city including solutions to speed up the implementation of projects on technology conversion using clean energy to ensure the city’s waste security.

On this occasion, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment received the traditional flag of the People's Committee for its excellent achievements over the years.

Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Toan Thang was honored with a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister.

HCMC makes efforts to solve land-related problems

Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai yesterday had a meeting with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh to solve problems in the fields of natural resources and the environment.

At the meeting, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Toan Thang said that the city proposed 16 land-related contents.

Regarding recommendations in land management, the city specifically proposed to remove the old regulations for land allocation and land lease but allow changing the purpose of the annual district-level land use plan. The city will base on the approved land use planning or detailed urban construction planning to allocate land.

According to the municipal People's Committee, many real estate projects in Ho Chi Minh City have changed the purpose of land use from land allocated or leased by the State, which has completed the construction investment, taken over and put into use. Houses have been sold and people have moved in and lived stably, but the government has not approved land prices so that the city can collect land use fees. Worse, land use certificates have not been issued to people.

This leads to land use fees unpaid to the state budget, increasing the burden of paying bank loan interest of enterprises and complaints and lawsuits from people because they have not been granted house ownership and land use right certificates.

Therefore, the city leader proposed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment submit to the Prime Minister a proposal allowing real estate project investors to change land use purpose from land owned by equitized state-owned enterprises to complete projects. Moreover, the city expected that the financial obligation on land at the right market price should be determined for collection and payment to the state budget.

Furthermore, Ho Chi Minh City also voiced several other recommendations to remove difficulties in land management such as the issue of certificates of land use rights, ownership of houses and other assets attached to land.

In the field of environment, Ho Chi Minh City proposed to allow the application of environmental sanctions through camera images. Any enterprises that violate environmental protection regulations must face additional penalties such as electricity and water cuts.

Mr. Vu Sy Kien, Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Land Resource Development, said that in the draft revised Land Law, people and households are allowed to transfer land use rights without having a land use plan. This is a new direction in the near future. As for housing projects, they still have to comply with regulations on having a land use plan.

Particularly, it comes within the Government's jurisdiction to equitized state enterprises without a land use plan. The ministry will coordinate with the central ministries to submit these to the Government for consideration. Land users will be issued with a land use certificate upon fulfillment of state financial obligations.

At the meeting, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dang Quoc Khanh asked relevant bodies carefully notice the city’s proposals and later these bodies must have clear answers to each issue. In addition, the above recommendations are collected as a basis for inclusion in the amended Land Law accordingly.

The minister also suggested that Ho Chi Minh City must comply with the land use planning, minimizing adjustments. Land use plans in districts still need to be maintained to avoid disturbing people's lives. Construction planning must be associated with climate change response to reduce the risk of economic damage caused by inundation. Additionally, the city should review and soon invest in more centralized wastewater treatment plants in old residential areas.

Regarding waste treatment, the city has enough resources, potential and technology to implement it, so it is necessary to pay attention to investing in a large-capacity waste treatment plant to ensure the treatment of the amount of increasing waste generated by daily activities. In particular, the city should quickly review resources and inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. This is the basis for the city to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the ministry will support the allocation of carbon credit resources for HCMC.

Trainees to benefit from new programme for chances to work in Australia

The Ho Chi Minh City Vocational Education Association has said a kitchen training programme provided by DSS Education & Immigration and Australian MD College will help Vietnamese trainees and workers improve their skills, thus getting opportunities to study and work in Australia.

DSS Education & Immigration and MD College recently co-organised the launching ceremony of the Australian kitchen training room and the opening of the second hot kitchen class at the southern office of the Ministry of Education and Training in the city.

Deputy head of the Association’s International Cooperation Department and CEO of DSS Education Daisy Nguyen said the establishment of the Australian kitchen training room will be an essential start to improve the quality of the vocational training programme.

Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, this will not only be a place for students to practise and improve skills but also help them get used to the professional environment when transitioning to Australia, she said.

Through the vocational training programme, MD College and DSS Education want Vietnamese students and workers to improve their skills and access job opportunities and long-term settlement opportunities in Australia.

In addition, with the training of a skilled workforce, the programme will contribute to solving the serious labour shortage in Australia.

Throughout its 25-year journey of development, DSS Education Group specialise in providing full services for migrant workers in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

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