Chief of the Ministry of Public Security’s Office, Lieut. Gen. To An Xo provided more information about the progress of investigations on curruption cases, during the Government’s regular press conference in Hanoi on October 1.

Following the directions of the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption, the Ministry of Public Security is focusing on conducting investigations on schedule in the principle of respecting the law and not missing out criminals, he said.

In the Viet A company COVID-19 test kit case, 28 defendants have been banned from going abroad. Legal proceedings have been launched against 21 defendants in the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department relating to conducting flights to bring Vietnamese in foreign countries back in the pandemic, and more.

The ministry will expand investigations in the coming time, Xo said, adding that the importance has been attached to minimising loss to the State budget and individuals.

Cuban PM wraps up visit to Vietnam

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz left Ho Chi Minh City on October 2 afternoon, concluding his official visit to Vietnam since September 28.

During his stay in Vietnam, the leader held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh, paid a courtesy call to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and separately met President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

He was bestowed with Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Order and attended a Vietnam-Cuba business forum. He also had a meeting with HCM City leaders and witnessed the signing of multiple agreements between the two countries.

In his reception for the Cuban leader, Party General Secretary Trong said his Vietnam visit will deepen the special friendship and cooperation between the two countries and Parties long nurtured by generations of Vietnamese and Cuban leaders, and affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people forever treasure Cuba’s support to Vietnam's national struggle for independence and reconstruction.

Meeting President Phuc, the Cuban PM said his coutry wishes to further beef up the long-standing friendship and comprehensive partnership with Vietnam, adding Cuba hopes to learn from Vietnam’s experience in policy making and enforcement in socio-economic development, international integration and response to global economic challenges.

Amidst global uncertainties, Vietnam always keeps its solidarity with and backs its brother Cuba, Phuc said.

In his bilateral meeting, NA Chairman Hue told the Cuban leader that the Vietnamese NA will continue to coordinate closely with its Cuban counterpart at regional and international parliamentary forums and exchange experience in law making and supervision.

Holding talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Chinh, both sides expressed their delight at the progress the two countries have achieved in cooperation in agriculture, investment and health care as well as the effectiveness of the bilateral cooperation mechanism.

The two PMs agreed to maintain dialogues and high-level delegation exchanges and to enhance partnership via the two Parties’ theoretical conferences and meetings of the inter-governmental committees on economic and science-technology cooperation.

The two sides discussed ways to practically and effectively intensify cooperation in politics and diplomacy, national defence and security, trade and investment, health care, education and training, pharmaceuticals and others.

PM Chinh stated that Vietnam is ready to share experience with Cuba in making agriculture a key economic pillar.

The two leaders plan to create all possible conditions for investors of each other in the areas of tourism and industrial-park infrastructure development, manufacturing of construction materials and consumer goods, and renewable energy while seeking opportunities for partnership in other potential fields.

The two sides agreed to continue consulting and supporting each other at international and multilateral forums and backed one another’s stance on settling disputes through peaceful solutions based on international law and UN Charter.

PM Chinh later announced Vietnam will donate 5,000 tonnes of rice to help Cuba address current socio-economic challenges.

It was the first visit to a non-Latin American country since the Cuban leader took office in December 2019 and also the first by a Cuban high-level leader to Vietnam since 2018./.

Helicopter brings injured fisherman ashore for treatment

A man severely injured in an accident on board a fishing ship was brought ashore for treatment from Truong Sa township, the island district of Truong Sa off the coast of south-central Khanh Hoa province, on October 2.

The 31-year-old fisherman was transported by a helicopter to Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City, according to Naval Region 4 High Command.

The man, from neighbouring Ninh Thuan province, suffered serious intra-abdominal bleeding and hepatic rupture following a fall when the ship he was working on was in the waters near Truong Sa island.

He was immediately taken to the island where military health workers provided him with first aid and mobilised local soldiers to donate him a total of 700ml of blood.

Vietnam, Laos eye boosting tourism cooperation along shared border

Representatives of 20 provinces along the shared border between Vietnam and Laos gathered in a conference promoting cooperation for tourism development in the two countries’ border region in Dien Bien Phu City, the capital of the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien, on October 2.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the shared borderline of more than 2,300km with eight international border gates and nine border-gate economic zones between the two countries is of great development potential and holds a strategic position on the East - West economic corridor.

VNAT Deputy Director-General Ha Van Sieu said bilateral tourism cooperation has seen progress in recent years given the good long-standing friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive partnership between the two countries. Many tourism promotion and cooperation activities have been jointly organised, attracting authorities, industry associations and tourism enterprises from both sides, he noted.

Vietnamese tourist arrivals in Laos reached nearly 924,900 in 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic while Vietnam welcomed more than 98,000 visitor arrivals from Laos.

As Vietnam and Laos removed COVID-19-triggered border closure earlier this year, travel between the two countries has begun recovering, with some 46,500 Lao arrivals in Vietnam and 49,200 Vietnamese visiting Laos in the first half of this year.

During the event, tourism administrators and border localities put forward various recommendations to boost tourism linkages and cooperation along the shared borderline.

Over 3,000 seniors join largest Qi Gong, Yoga demonstration in Vietnam

More than 3,000 senior Yogis gathered at a Qi Gong and Yoga mass demonstration on Le Loi Street in District 1, downtown Ho Chi Minh City, on October 2 morning.

They are members of Qi Gong exercise clubs for seniors from across the southern city.

The event was part of a series of events in response to this ongoing Action Month for the Elderly.

The event was recognised by the Vietnam Records Organisation (VietKings) as the largest Qi Gong and Yoga mass performance ever held in Vietnam on the occasion.

490 new COVID-19 cases recorded on October 2

The national COVID-19 caseload rose to 11,480,518 with 490 new cases recorded on October 2, according to the Ministry of Health.

With 319 patients given the all clear during the day, the number of recoveries rose to 10,592,911. Meanwhile, there are 65 patients needing breathing support.

No death from COVID-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities was still 43,149.

FTU wins many prizes at Social Business Creation competition

Vietnam’s Foreign Trade University (FTU) has won the Emerging Change Agent award for the second consecutive year at the Social Business Creation (SBC) competition.

The SBC is an annual global event for business projects with positive social impact, co-organised by HEC Montreal Canada and Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel prize winner, to look to fulfill 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In the final round held in Canada on September 30, the FTU also grabbed many prizes and awards for individuals, collectives, and projects.

Held for the first time in 2016, the competition has so far drawn 477 projects and over 1,500 competitors from over 100 universities in 26 countries worldwide. The SBC now has nine hubs in Canada, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, India, Bangladesh, Bolivia, and Vietnam.

Eight Chinese vessel crewmen airlifted to mainland hospital

A helicopter from the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation on October 2 took eight crewmen aboard China’s Wu Zhou 8 ship from Con Dao island district to Vung Tau hospital in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau for further treatment, as suggested by the Chinese Embassy.

Earlier on September 30, 13 crew members of the ship were confirmed dead on suspicion of food poisoning.

The same day, the bodies of the victims were also transferred to the Chinese side.  

The ship was en route from Thailand to China on September 30 and when it was 63 nautical miles from Con Dao, the captain discovered that its 21 crew members showed signs of food poisoning and then asked the Ba Ria – Vung Tau emergency services for help.

Over 1,500 join Ha Noi Moi Newspaper Run for Peace

More than 1,500 athletes competed in different categories for both professional and amateur runners from both Vietnam and abroad in the 47th Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) Newspaper Run for Peace held around Hoan Kiem Lake in the heart of the city on October 2.

Tran Van Dang of the host city and Nguyen Thi Oanh from Bac Giang province finished first in the in the men's elite 8.75km category and women's elite 5.25km event, respectively.

Benjamin Bruno Orellano from the Embassy of Argentina won the men's race for foreigners and Tracy Ramberg from UNIS school championed the women's class.

They participants ran in the 1.75km (one lap around the lake), 3.5km (two laps), and 5.25km (three laps) categories for both amateur men and women; and women's 5.25km and men's 8.75km (five laps) for pros.

Organisers presented awards for the top five runners in each pool and the three best teams.

The Run for Peace was cancelled for two years in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hanoi takes steps to handle traffic violations

Authorities in Hanoi are taking action to stop pedestrians crossing streets without using overpasses.

The municipal Department of Transport recently asked its Inspectorate Department to work with units of the Department of Public Security and local authorities in disseminating and encouraging people to abide by the Law on Road Traffic, and strictly punish any violators.

The city currently has 70 pedestrian bridges, mainly at intersections and areas near schools and hospitals with heavy traffic. After opening, they have helped pedestrians to cross the road smoothly and safely.

Hanoi’s bus passenger traffic grows 25%

Buses in Hanoi served 212.7 million passengers in the first nine months of 2022, rising by over 25% from a year earlier, statistics show.

The passenger number has bounced back since the second quarter and gradually increased month on month.

This result is partly attributed to the opening of 11 new bus routes, including five connected with the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway and six using electric vehicles, raising the number of e-bus routes to nine.

Hanoi has also adjusted and expanded the itineraries of eight routes, extend the running time of 14 routes, and upgrade support infrastructure, helping improve services and ensure safety for both vehicles and passengers.

The capital currently has 154 bus routes, including 132 subsidised routes, eight non-subsidised ones, 12 connecting the city with neighbouring provinces, and two City Tour routes.

The network has covered all district-level localities and is being expanded to more universities, colleges, high schools, large industrial parks, residential areas, craft villages, and tourist sites.

Hanoi targets that public passenger transport will meet 30 - 35% of travel demand by 2025.

Vietnam attends world conference on cultural policies, sustainable development in Mexico

A delegation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism led by Minister Nguyen Van Hung joined more than 2,500 delegates from 161 countries and territories at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT) 2022 held in Mexico from September 28-30.

Meeting with UNESCO Chairperson of the Executive Board Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, Hung expressed his hope that UNESCO will continue to support Vietnam in heritage conservation and the revision of the Law on Cultural Heritage.

For her part, Siamashvili spoke highly of Vietnam’s responsible participation in and contributions to UNESCO.

The minister also met Mexican Secretary of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero to discuss measures to strengthen bilateral cultural cooperation, during which the sides affirmed the special role of culture for both countries, shared their priorities in the building and implementation of cultural policies and measures for socio-economic development and the realisation of sustainable development goals.

They agreed that culture and art exchange will serve as a driving force for the Vietnam-Mexico ties, and foster solidarity, friendship and mutual understanding between peoples of the countries.

The Mexican government and Secretariat of Culture wants to boost ties with Vietnam in culture-art and particular fields such as cinematography, exhibitions and archaeology, Frausto Guerrero stressed. 

The two ministers consented to sign a cooperation agreement as soon as possible in sectors of mutual concern, as the two countries are looking forward to bringing the relations to a comprehensive partnership in the coming time.

Meeting with the head of the culture and cinematography committee of Mexican Chamber of Deputies, Carlos Francisco Ortiz Tejeda, Hung proposed the Mexican side uphold cultural values of President Ho Chi Minh in Mexican localities where the late President's statues are placed, and increase cultural exchange through holding film weeks and annual exhibitions of Vietnam and Mexico.

He welcomed Mexican filmmakers to Vietnam for filming, and invited Mexico to send films to attend the sixth Hanoi International Film Festival slated for November.

Dien Bien province hosts Vietnam-Laos border cultural festival

The northwestern province of Dien Bien is hosting a Vietnam-Laos cultural, sport and tourism festival from October 1-3.

The festival, the third of its kind so far, has attracted the participation of ethnic artisans, artists and amateur athletes from 10 Vietnamese provinces bordering Laos, and 10 art troupes from Laos.

Activities during the event include demonstrations of festivals and ethic cultural practices, shows of ethnic costumes, displays of socio-economic achievements and cultural and tourism products of participating localities, folk art performances, and traditional sport competitions.

Field trips to survey tourism attractions in Dien Bien will also be held for delegations from Vietnamese and Lao localities.  

NA Chairman attends ceremony announcing establishment of new town in Binh Phuoc

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue attended a ceremony on October 1 in the southeastern province of Binh Phuoc to announce the establishment of Chon Thanh town in the province.

Under Resolution 570/NQ-UBTVQH15 dated August 11, 2022 of the NA Standing Committee, Chon Thanh town is formed comprising all 390.34 sq.km of natural area and a population of 121,083 of Chon Thanh district.

Chon Thanh district is home to several big industrial parks attracting many investors, such as Minh Hung-RoK, Minh Hung III, Chon Thanh I and II, and the Becamex Binh Phuoc industrial-urban complex.  

Vietnamese poems published in Canada

“Ngũ sắc ánh sáng”, known as “5 Sights of Light” in English, collection of poems compiled by a group of female translators from Hanoi was published by Ukiyoto publishing house in Canada in mid-September.

Print versions of the poem collection are now available for purchase on Amazon, costing US$10 each, whilst the e-book version is available on Google Play.

The group of female translators was established in 2020 in Hanoi and consists of five members, including writer and poet Kieu Bich Hau, poet Do Mai Hoa, writer and poet Khanh Phuong, poet Vo Thi Nhu Mai, along with writer and poet Pham Van Anh.

Its group members are able to compose poems in both Vietnamese and English.

The “5 Sights of Light” poem collection has been published in Canada with the aim of commemorating the group’s founding day.

The collection comprises of a total of 120 poems, with one fifth among them being created by the group members, the rest being from other Vietnamese poets and subsequently translated into English.

The Hanoi group’s poems were composed over a five-year period and feature the love for life and people, as well as the patriotism.

Readers can order the poem collection at the following link: https://www.ukiyoto.com/product-page/5-sights-of-light

Australia appoints new Ambassador to Vietnam

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong officially announced on September 30 the appointment of Andrew Goledzinowski as Australia's new Ambassador to Vietnam.

Ambassador Goledzinowski is a senior official of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Most recently, he took on the role of the First Assistant Minister for Southeast Asia. Previously, he served as Australia's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York in the United States, and Deputy Head of the Permanent Mission of the UN to Geneva in Switzerland.   

Sóc Trăng to host Southern Khmer fest in November

The Mekong Delta province of Sóc Trăng will host the eighth Southern Khmer Festival of Culture, Sports and Tourism in November.

The festival is co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Sóc Trăng Province People’s Committee.

According to Nguyễn Thị Hải Nhung, director of the ministry’s Department of Ethnic Culture, the festival aims to honour cultural values and preserve and promote the cultural traits of the ethnic Khmer people in the South, as well as foster solidarity, the arts and cultural exchanges among various ethnic groups in Việt Nam.

The event will feature many cultural activities including an exhibition on the traditions and culture of the Khmer communities, and performances of pinpeat orchestras, the Khmer traditional musical ensembles consisting of nine instruments, mainly wind and percussion.

There will be costume shows and traditional music and dance performances featuring artists, musicians, performers and many Khmer groups from Cần Thơ and HCM City, and the provinces of Tây Ninh, Bình Phước, Vĩnh Long, Trà Vinh, An Giang, Hậu Giang, Kiên Giang, Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, and Cà Mau.

The festival will organise a food festival to introduce signature dishes of the Khmer in the South.

It will also launch tours to historic heritage sites and beautiful landscapes in order to present the province’s tourism potential.

Several sports competitions including a traditional Khmer long boat race, tug of war, football and volleyball will also be part of the festival.

Every three years, the event features the sports, culture and tourism traditions of the Khmer communities and offers visitors an opportunity to take part in various activities.

The eighth event, which will take place from November 6-8, is expected to attract around 10,000 visitors.

HCM City to preserve 300-year-old damaged relic site

HCM City is working to save Hưng Lợi Pottery Kiln, which has been damaged greatly due to the urbanisation process.

Hưng Lợi Pottery Kiln, situated in District 8, was recognised as a national archaeological site in 1998 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The site is divided into three sectors with 836 square metres of core area being strictly protected around a 10.000sq.m second area. However, these two areas have been leveled by residents in the district to plant trees and build houses.

According to District 8's People’s Committee, after being recognised as a national archaeological site and barricaded for preservation purposes, land compensation issues arose for the people in the surrounding area.

Nguyễn Thị Hậu, general secretary of the HCM City Historical Science Association, said that the area around the pottery kiln is a rapidly urbanising area. Pottery scraps at the site are being taken by locals to build their houses.

Local authorities are the one that are at fault for not warning relevant authorities to this risk.

She also said that the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports should also plan a project to restore the site based on the 1988 excavation documents.

Cao Thanh Bình, head of Department of Culture of HCM City People’s Council, said that to save the site, ward authorities can send social workers to clean it up.

They can also work on attracting private investors to invest in the site and set up surveillance cameras to monitor the situation in the area.

Bình had requested that the departments responsible for preserving the site need to designate the restoration of the relic site as an urgent matter. 

Programme launched to promote digital consumption

The Ministry of Information and Communications held a press conference on September 29 to launch the ‘October - Digital consumption month’ programme in response to National Digital Transformation Day (October 10).

The programme aims to help people enjoy the benefits of digital transformation, while supporting businesses to introduce their digital products and services, thereby stimulating digital consumption and expanding digital economy in Vietnam.

Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Huy Dung said that the programme targets two groups of customers, those who have previously used digital services and new users, with a focus on encouraging new users to join digital channels, digital products and services with zero-fee access.

To date, the programme has attracted the participation of more than 50 businesses, who are providing digital products and services in 10 groups, such as telecommunications, digital payment, e-commerce, digital signature, cybersecurity, healthcare, and e-books.

In response to the programme, Sate-run agencies in coordination with the business community will provide preferential policies to encourage people use digital products and services, with prices discounted by as much as 50%.

HCMC-Tien Giang ferry service to be launched in Q3 next year

A sea ferry service connecting HCMC and the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang will be put into operation in the third quarter of next year, according to the HCMC Department of Transport.

The department has written to the municipal government, seeking approval for the ferry service linking HCMC’s outlying district of Can Gio and Go Cong Dong District in Tien Giang. The department also proposed the city’s government request Tien Giang to give its feedback on the project.

There will be at least two ferries plying the 12-kilometer route, with each capable of transporting 100 passengers or more, 50 motorcycles and 10 cars with four to 29 seats.

Each ferry trip will take about 30 minutes. The service will be offered from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

The authorities will call on private firms to invest in the project. Commenting on the ferry service, the HCMC Transport Department underlined the need to invest in and operate the Can Gio-Tien Giang ferry route to increase the waterway transport capability, contributing to the socioeconomic growth of the two localities.

The department explained that the waterway route between HCMC and Tien Giang has yet to receive an adequate investment like other ferry routes connecting the city with the neighboring provinces of Long An and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Vehicles currently operating on the route remain rudimentary.

Thousands of hectares of farmland in HCMC proposed for conversion

The HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment has written to the municipal People’s Council seeking to convert thousands of hectares of rice-growing land into residential land.

Eighteen residential development projects are in need of the conversion of the use purpose of fewer than 10 hectares each, while three others requires the conversion of over 10 hectares of agricultural land, according to the municipal department.

In District 7, the LuxStar high-rise apartment building project invested by Vien Dong Land Investment Corporation needs 0.86 hectare of farmland to be converted into residential land, while 1.77 hectares of rice-growing land needs converting for a high-rise apartment project by the Song Hong LandHouse Real Estate JSC.

The department also proposed converting farmland for multiple housing projects in Thu Duc City, including a social housing project in Long Phuoc Ward, the Dien Phuc Thanh housing project in An Khanh Ward and a high-rise housing complex in Truong Tho Ward.

The city’s outlying districts of Nha Be and Hoc Mon also need many hectares of farmland to be converted for several housing projects.

In addition, many households in the districts of 7, 12, Binh Tan, Nha Be, Hoc Mon, Can Gio, Cu Chi and Binh Chanh and Thu Duc City also need the conversion of the use purpose of a total of 1,060 hectares of rice-growing land.

According to the department, the total area of agricultural land in the city was 111,875 hectares in 2020. During the 2015-2020 period, the farmland area fell by 725 hectares a year on average, as it was converted into non-agricultural land for infrastructure and housing projects in the urbanization process.

Hoa Binh hydropower plant expansion delayed to 2025

The Hoa Binh hypdropower plant expansion project is expected to be completed in 2025, a year later than planned, due to last year’s landslides.

The 10-month hiatus of the incident has delayed the expansion project for one year, according to Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), the project’s investor.

In November 2021, EVN asked the contractors to suspend construction when heavy rainfall caused landslides at the construction site.

At that time, the main components of the work were completed.

Early this month, the project resumed construction following the approval of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. EVN urged the contractors to deploy personnel, materials and equipment to expedite the progress.

EVN proposed working closely with the mountainous province of Hoa Binh to resolve the remaining hurdles, including site clearance and waste disposal plans.

The corporation is committed to assisting the provincial government with its electricity grid infrastructure investment to fuel local socioeconomic development.

The Hoa Binh hydropower plant expansion project needs VND9,220 billion and raises the capacity to 480MW.

Work on the project began on January 10, 2021. Its average energy output will be some 479 million kWh per year.

Over 600 patients get cochlear implants at HCMC hospital

The Ear Nose Throat Hospital HCMC has since 1998 performed cochlear implant surgeries on 637 hearing-impaired patients, allowing them to receive and process sounds more efficiently.

Dr. Le Tran Quang Minh, director of the Ear Nose Throat Hospital HCMC, said that cochlear implantation for children was the hospital’s most remarkable medical achievement.

The effectiveness of cochlear implant surgery was evaluated based on the findings of a retrospective study on 637 cases at the hospital, added Minh.

Roughly 93.1% of 637 patients achieved good recovery results after surgery.

First conducted in 1998, cochlear implant surgery was initially recommended solely for those with severe-to-profound bilateral hearing loss.

The pool of candidates for cochlear implant surgery has now been increased due to surgery advances and the cochlear implant technology development.

Some 59.3% of all patients are between the ages of two and five.

Cochlear implant surgery is seen to be the optimal option for people with severe bilateral hearing loss who struggles to hear even wearing hearing aids.

According to experts, hearing loss is one of the sensory impairments that has significant impact on the quality of life of patients, particularly children.

Some 1.7 out of every 1,000 newborns found to suffer hearing loss, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Đồng Nai seeks extension of Bến Thành - Suối Tiên metro railway

Đồng Nai Province Department of Transportation has requested the Bến Thành - Suối Tiên metro railway be extended to Biên Hòa 1 Industrial Park.

The department has asked the Đồng Nai People’s Committee to propose to the Prime Minister an extension of Bến Thành - Suối Tiên railway all the way to Biên Hòa 1 Industrial Park in Biên Hòa City's An Bình Ward.

The metro railway was originally set to run from Suối Tiên Water Park HCM City's Thủ Đức City to Sặt Market Junction in Biên Hoà City's Tân Biên Ward.

Department officials said that if the metro line is extended to Biên Hòa 1 Industrial Park, it would mean that the line would connect to Biên Hòa city centre, thus improving the province's connectivity with HCM City.

The change also fits into the land development plan of the province.

Biên Hòa 1 Industrial Park is in the process of changing its function from industrial land to urban - commercial - service land.

The 300 hectares of the park will be divided into two parts. One part is used to build the provincial administrative centre and the other is to develop an urban - commercial - service area. 

Creativity and design festivals to be held in November

The Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design (VFCD) 2022, and Creativity and Design Festival will take place in November.

Under the theme “CHANGE: The Creativity Challenge”, the VFCD that will be held in Hanoi and HCMC on November 7-10 creates new connections for creative individuals and organizations. The festival includes a series of activities, including seminars, discussions, exhibitions and workshops.

VFCD 2022 is organized by RMIT University Vietnam in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), COLAB Vietnam and other partners in the creative industries.
The Creativity and Design Festival will be organized in Hanoi on November 11-18, featuring around 30 activities of exhibitions, seminars, and art programs.

HCMC needs over VND970 trillion to develop transport infrastructure

HCMC needs a total investment capital of more than VND970 trillion (US$40.64 billion) for the synchronous development of transport infrastructure from now until 2030, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Transport, Bui Hoa An said in a forum on the role, infrastructure and human resource of the city’s logistics industry that was held by the HCMC People’s Committee on September 30.

Deputy Chairwoman of the HCMC People’s Committee, Phan Thi Thang said that with a population of more than 12 million, HCMC is a market of resumption as well as the largest distribution center in the country. The city has a competitive potential of road, air, and water transportation. It is convenient for connection and transportation of goods. However, the city is facing many problems hindering the development of the logistics industry, especially the transport infrastructure and human resource development.

The city’s transport infrastructure has not met the current requirements. The projects of ring roads linking provinces and cities have been slowly implemented and are not commensurate with the development potential.

Small and narrow roads, the limited carrying capacity of the road, bottlenecks and intersections that are the main causes of traffic congestion, a lack of bridges having sufficient capacity to support vehicles to transport goods and connecting with export processing and industrial zones are some of the problems. In addition, seaports also are at risk of overload, Deputy Chairman of the Logistics Association of HCMC, Huynh Van Cuong noted.

According to Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade Le Huynh Minh Tu, currently, nearly 30,000 logistics companies are operating in HCMC and 54 percent of the businesses are located in the city. Enterprises need about 8,400-10,000 employees per year. However, the training facilities have provided about 30 percent of the demand for human resources in the logistics industry.

Another problem that was mentioned at the forum is the lack of logistics centers in HCMC. The southern economic hub has planned seven logistics centers, but currently, only a logistics center located in the 6-hectare High Tech Park is calling for investment. The remaining facilities located in Hoc Mon, Cu Chi, Linh Trung, Long Binh, Cat Lai-Phu Huu, Hiep Phuoc and Tan Kien have just seen the planning.

In addition, digital technology has not developed synchronously, leading to unnecessary steps and an increase in logistics costs while the e-commerce market share is dominated by foreign enterprises.

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