Authorities in Hoi An Town are investigating an incident in which two tourists were threatened by a local woman.

On October 22, a video was uploaded onto the internet in which a local woman was in dispute with two tourists. Several tourists rented bicycles to travel around Hoi An. When they arrived at Le Loi Street, they parked their bicycles near a street vendor to visit a clothes shop and the town's centre.

However, when they returned, their bicycles were locked by the street vendor nearby. A woman, who is the street vendor, came and pretended to hit them. The woman then unlocked their bikes but threatened to hit them with the lock, forcing the tourists to take a step back. The woman then pushed their bikes and made them fall onto the road.

Many people criticised the woman's behaviour.

On October 23, Nguyen Van Lanh, head of Hoi An Department of Culture and Information, said they were investigating the case and had identified the woman in the clip. Lanh said they will have suitable punishment.

Police employees jailed for stealing evidence

 

A view of the trial.

 

Two former police employees have been jailed for 20 years each for stealing evidence that was to be used in court cases.

Sơn La People’s Court on Wednesday also sentenced a third person to 18 years for the daring theft.

The trio hatched a plan to steal 11kg of drugs and a mobile phone from a storage unit to pay off their debts.

But after realising the amount of heroin they took was worth a lot of money, they got scared and handed themselves to the police.

Nguyễn Văn Thường, from the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc, Nguyễn Tùng Lâm, from the northern mountainous province of Sơn La, have both been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Thường and Lâm both worked in for Sơn La Police so knew where the evidence, which was to be used in five upcoming court cases, was being stored.

Four receive administrative fine for exploiting natural resources

 

A soil mine in Đắk Nông Province. — Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn

 

The Tây Nguyên (Central Highland) province of Đắk Nông People’s Committee on Wednesday declared that it had fined four people a total of VNĐ180 million (US$7,800) for illegally exploiting natural resources.

They are Vũ Thị Hiền and Hà Thị Diện, from Đắk Wer Commune, Đắk R’lấp District, Bùi Văn Minh and Vương Đình Trường, from Nhân Cơ Commune, Đắk R’lấp District.

Each of them was fined VNĐ45 million ($1,900).

The four people exploited more than 50cu.m of bazan soil in Nhân Cơ Commune and used it as construction material without asking for permission from relevant State organisations.

They are forced to recover the damaged scene from now until the end of this year.

Hanoi needs to give more attention to water security: City Party chief

 

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai talks with local media.

 

Hanoi will work out a set of technological standards of water plant for suppliers to comply with.

Hanoi needs to give more attention to water security, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Hoang Trung Hai said on October 22 during the talk with local media about Styrene-contaminated tap water.

Hanoi’s authorities and local departments must draw experience in water source management, work out protocols to handle situation of crisis and to closely control and supervise the water source so as for waterworks in the city to apply, Hai said.

He added that water supply is a basic service. If water suppliers fail to handle crisis and ensure water quality, the city’s authorities would terminate their contracts.

Referring specifically to the latest tap water contamination with oil, Hai said the water supplier needs to take responsiblities for the incident and the authorities are determining the seriousness of the case.

The municipal secretary stressed that Hanoi will work out a set of technological standards of water plant for suppliers to comply with.

Earlier, tap water in some Hanoi’s districts that was contaminated in October 8 when a 2.5-ton tanker dumped used oil into a creek which is five kilometers from the lake leading to Vinaconex Water Supply JSC (Viwasupco)’s waterworks – the supplier of tap water for several districts in the western part of Hanoi.

Two days later, Hanoi residents detected an unpleasant and pungent odor in their tap water. Tests of the smelly water by authorities later found that the level of Styrene, an organic compound that is potentially carcinogenic, was 1.3-3.6 times higher than normal.

Two suspects allegedly responsible for contaminating the source of Hanoi’s tap water were arrested on October 18, while a third suspect turned himself in on October 20.

The three men were purportedly hired to dispose of waste from a ceramics and tiles factory in the northern province of Phu Tho.

The police have launched criminal proceedings into the case.

Xuan Cuong shines at Carom Billiard 3-Cushion World Cup in Veghel

Talented Vietnamese cueist Ma Xuan Cuong has progressed to the fourth qualifying round of the ongoing Carom Billiard 3-Cushion World Cup, which is taking place in Veghel, the Netherlands.

Cuong made it into the fourth qualifying round after successfully beating two German opponents in the form of Cengiz Karaca and Ronny Lindemann with scores of 30/26 and 30/14, respectively.

As a result of Cuong’s victory, Vietnam will have a total of five representatives in the next round. They include Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Ngo Dinh Nai, Nguyen Duc Anh Chien, Do Nguyen Trung Hau, and Ma Xuan Cuong.

In addition to these five players, Vietnam’s highest ranked billiards player, Tran Quyet Chien, is also set to compete in Group G’s fifth qualifying round, alongside Jeremy Bury of France.

30 local investors want to join North-South Expressway

30 local investors have submitted files to bid for the building of the Eastern Cluster of the North-South Expressway so far.

According to Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The, the ministry will appraise the design and estimate the construction costs of the eastern section of the project.

“We expect it to draw bids from 50-60 local investors registering to develop this component of the North-South Expressway project,” The said.

According to the Law on Investment, before the investor is chosen, the authorities cannot build the technical design or complete procedures to start construction. Thus, according to the plan, the construction is expected to kick off in August 2020 after picking the investors.

Previously, many foreign investors have expressed interest in developing the Eastern Cluster of the North-South Expressway, however, about one month ago, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) announced cancelling the international bidding for eight public-private partnership (PPP) sections of the VND118.7 trillion ($5.16 billion) component.

This deicision has disappointed groups such as Daewoo, Lotte, and Hyundai whose engineering and constructions arms had declared strong interest in the project to boost their presence in Vietnam. They were among the domestic, international, and joint venture investors, mainly from China, South Korea, France, and the Philippines, to file 60 prequalification dossiers for the eight PPP sections.

The Eastern Cluster of the North-South Expressway is of national priority for investment in 2017-2020 includes 11 sub-projects with the total length of 654 kilometres running through 13 provinces and cities, three of which will be financed from the state budget and eight will be conducted under the public private partnership (PPP) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) models.

The 11 projects are estimated to cost a total of VND118 trillion ($5.13 billion), including VND55 trillion ($2.39 billion) in state capital to be pumped into three public investment projects, and counterpart funds for the other eight projects.

Bicycle tourism service launched in Hue city

A public bicycle service has been piloted in Hue imperial city in Thua Thien – Hue propvince, making it the first locality in Vietnam to offer this tourism service.

The project is being deployed at 44 tourist sites and attractions inside the Complex of Hue Monuments with around 2,000 bicycles in use.

The project is scheduled to be completed before the Hue Festival 2020 in April, which is one of the biggest tourism events in the country.

Users need to install an app on their smartphone, then scan the QR code to unlock the bikes.

The project aims to reduce carbon emissions and environmental pollution, promoting Hue as a green and smart tourism city while providing visitors with more options to explore the city. Along with public transport means such as electric cars and buses, visitors can now ride bikes on Hue’s downtown streets.

Thua Thien - Hue province welcomed around 3.7 million vacationers in the first nine months of this year, including over 1.5 million foreigners, up 5.9% and 9.4%, respectively, against the same period last year. Meanwhile, the province’s tourism revenue is estimated at VND3.7 trillion (US$159 million).

The province targets to serve 4.5 million tourists in 2019, with 40% of them being foreigners; and earn around VND4.7 trillion (US$202 million) in tourism revenue.

Ministry proposes to pour more money in railway to attract passengers

In its project, the Ministry of Transport came up with a lot of solutions to improve railway including a proposal to pour more investment in railway sector to attract passengers.

The project aims at railway infrastructure and service quality which are keys for improved passenger satisfaction.

According to the Ministry, a traveler usually spends 25 percent on transportation of the trip cost; however, total railway sale accounts for 0.53 percent of the tourist sector.

Accordingly, the Ministry proposed the government to supplement VND500 - VND1 trillion (US$21.6 million - $43.3 million) a year for railway maintenance. Moreover, VND7 trillion will be used for upgrade of Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City railway to increase train fleets from 17 to 25.

Additionally, an amount of VND 2,600 billion will be used for improvement of Yen Vien- Lao Cai route.

Last but not least, the Ministry proposed the Vietnam Railway to combine social contributions and state budget to restore the track from Da Lat City to Trai Mat Station as well as gradually convert railway stations into commercial centers and tourist agents.

Furthermore, around VND1 trillion will be used for buying more carriages to meet demand.

The Transport Ministry also proposed other ministries to give opinions to complete projects to attain the goal of 300,000 – 450,000 passengers a year by 2025.

HCMC puts 14 social housing projects into operation

Ho Chi Minh City has built and put into use 14 social housing projects including 10,255 apartments in the area of 15.8 hectare from 2016 to June, 2019.

The city tried to complete six left projects including 3,810 apartments in the last six months of the year and another three projects with 3,879 apartments in the next year.

Reported about the use of land for building social houses, the municipal Department of Construction said that 20 percent of the land fund of new estates or apartment complexes having the total area of over 10 hectares must be set aside for social use but some investors have been sluggish in compensation, site clearance and infrastructure construction; therefore, social houses have not been built according to the plan.

For commercial projects in the land of below 10 hectares, most of investors paid an amount equal to 20 percent of the land use fee.

To develop social houses to meet increased demand, the Department petitioned to use public land according to the government’s Decree 167/2017.

Regarding capital, the city proposed to use land use fee paid by commercial housing investors and new urban area investors to build social housing projects to meet demand of these people in the social welfare bracket.

Simultaneously, the city authorities will re-consider the city budget to compensate investors who build social houses according to the Housing Law and the Social Police Bank’s decision.

Moreover, bidding will be conducted to select investors of social housing projects in the public lands and reforms in administrative procedures for social housing construction must be accelerated.

Smart city building needing synchronous link to urban common system

The Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) People’s Committee yesterday held a working session with Advanced International Joint Stock Company (AIC) and leaders from agencies to introduce guidance on technological solutions and investment implementation for smart city construction in district level.

AIC presented the 12 important parts to apply technological solutions, along with proper operation instructions, so that all districts in HCMC are able to prepare investment plans, adapt these methods locally.

The company also suggested the HCMC People’s Committee to select one specific district to pilot the new smart city model.

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen requested that all districts quickly adjust the proposed solutions to their own needs while preparing sufficient investment for the 12 parts to form a smart city above no later than October 31.

Even though many agencies in HCMC have achieved impressive results in implementing technology in administration, there is a need for these applications to become more synchronous so that they are truly an effective tool for urban management.

In addition, the local investment and implementation of any technological solution should be in accordance with the common smart city frame of HCMC.

All plans must be finished and submitted on October 31 at the latest, which is the deadline for public project planning.

Labor union presents 35,500 coach, airline tickets to needy workers

The Ho Chi Minh City Labor Union yesterday implemented a plan to present 35,500 coach and airline tickets to penniless workers so that they can return their hometowns to celebrate Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year).

The program “Tam ve nghia tinh” (Ticket with love) is a part of activities to take care of laborers in the upcoming Tet holiday.

The program organizer encouraged employers to pay 70 percent of a ticket and the union will cover the remaining of 30 percent to give to impoverished laborers.

This year, all workers including those suffer labor accidents, those from disaster-hit areas, those whose spouses suffer incurable diseases and unemployed workers of bankrupted companies will receive support from the union on the occasion of the Tet holiday.

In addition, members of cyclo driver unions, waste collector unions and laborers in sanitation service companies will also receive care of the city labor union.

Most of all, 500 airline tickets will be presented to exemplary laborers who have not returned their hometowns to celebrate the Tet holiday for five years. The city union will organize a gathering to present gifts to 300 destitute members of unions.

Labor unions and benefactors will sponsor ticket price for workers in enterprises, which are in arrears of workers' salaries and bonuses or unemployed workers of dissolved or bankrupt companies or company owners fleeing away.

Schools asked to organize ceremony to remember traffic accident victims

The Ministry of Education and Training asked schools to organize remembrance ceremony to remember those killed in traffic accidents.

In the remembrance ceremony, students and teachers of preschools, junior and senior high schools and continuous learning centers must stand solemnly to mark the one-minute silence and pay tributes to those killed in accidents in the flag-salute ceremony on November 11.

Higher education institutions must disseminate message of the remembrance day for traffic accident victims over the loudspeaker in the begin of classes and after class in one week from November 11 to 16.

The Ministry of Education and Training proposed schools to raise students’ awareness of traffic regulations and the goal of the remembrance ceremony as well as pain and losses of victims’ relatives.

Moreover, schools should exercise caution against bad consequences and prevention of traffic accidents as well as raise students’ road safety awareness.

In the first nine months of the year, the country had 12,675 traffic accidents killing 5,659 people and injuring 9,619 others.

Traders in HCMC asked to dispose waste appropriately

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Party Committee Vo Thi Dung yesterday investigated Thu Duc Wholesale Market over the implementation of the campaign 'Encouraging Citizens in HCMC not to Dispose Garbage onto Streets and Canals for a Cleaner City’.

Having the merchandise flow of around 3,516 tons per day, Thu Duc Wholesale Market Trading Joint Stock Co. is actively propagandizing the harmful effects of plastic waste to all traders and employees in the market. It also encourages the sorting and recycling of garbage, the use of environmentally friendly products, the disproval of littering, the initial processing of produce before selling.

After a year, the waste volume in the market reduce by 30 percent from 80 tons per day to 55 tons now. However, the most troublesome state at the moment is the dangerous habit of using plastic bags in trading.

In the working session after the investigation, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Thu Duc District Le Minh Chien shared that thanks to the thorough implementation of the campaign, his district was able to erase 36 out of 55 hot spots of environmental pollution, 8 of which have become beautiful flower gardens and public parks for children.

Thu Duc District is now developing an online application to receive the public’s feedbacks on environmental issues and urban security. The current system processed 291 feedbacks from residents and fined many law breakers.

Deputy Secretary Vo Thi Dung asked that Thu Duc District be stricter in the future in carrying out Instruction No.19-CT/TU of the Standing Board of the city Party Committee about the campaign since Thu Duc Wholesale Market is quite crowded. The proper awareness of each resident as well as trader here about appropriate waste disposal and restriction on plastic packaging use can have great positive effect in the long term.

Farmers enjoy bumper pumpkin harvest but low price

This year, thanks to favorable weather, farmers in Tan Duc Hamlet, Binh Chau Commune in Binh Son District of Quang Ngai Province have been enjoying a bumper crop of pumpkins but the price of pumpkins has dropped drastically to merely VND4,000-VND5,000 per kilogram.

At the present, several farmers have entered pumpkin peak harvest. According to Mr. Pham Bien, chairman of the Association of Farmers of Binh Chau Commune, there are more than 100 households growing pumpkins on hillsides with total area of around 3 hectares. This year, productivity reached 1 tons per 500 square meters. Farmers have had a good crop but the price of pumpkin is extremely low, merely at VND4,000-VND5,000 per kilogram.

From the afternoon to the evening, farmers go to the hill behind the village to collect pumpkins. Mr. Do Luu, a local farmer, said that favorable weather without much rains had helped pumpkins to develop strongly, each pumpkin weighed from five to six kilogram. He grew pumpkins on an area of 1,250 square meters and collected nearly 2 tons of pumpkins.

Similarly, Mr. Vo Van Anh also planted pumpkins on an area of 2,500 square meters and harvested 4 tons of pumpkins. He said that local farmers have grown pumpkins for a long time. When harvesting, farmers can sell shoots, flowers, leaves and fruits of pumpkin so they sell pumpkins at both local markets and to traders. He said that the price of pumpkin were merely VND5,000 per kilogram last year but thanks to farm produce rescuing program farmers were able to sell pumpkins at VND6,000 per kilogram. This year, the price is currently unstable so farmers hope to sell all their pumpkins to finish this crop. As long as the price will not decline further, they will break even.

According to Mr. Anh, the highest price of pumpkin was VND7,000-VND8,000 per kilogram or even VND10,000 per kilogram. However, the price is low this year, making farmers concern. Some farmers agreed to sell by the number of fruits, each pumpkin costs around VND10,000, depending on its weight. On average, farmers earn around VND6-7 million per 500 square meters when selling all parts of pumpkin vines, including fruits, shoots, flowers and leaves.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Sy who planted 1,000 square meters of pumpkins and harvested 2 tons of pumpkins, also said that this year farmers have had a bumper harvest but the price is still low compared to previous years.

Farmers in Mekong delta earn more thanks to agricultural restructuring

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development yesterday announced farmers in the Mekong delta have earned more thanks to agricultural restructuring.

According to the Ministry, in 2019, farmers in the Mekong delta have switched 77,885 hectares of low yield rice area into growing other crops with high yield.

The restructuring of agricultural production in the region has achieved positive result because farmers earned higher income of VND17,718 billion ($764.7 million) including profits of VND10,672 billion.

In addition, after switching to grow another crop in ineffective rice fields, farmers have saved irrigation water and cost of pumping, equipment and labor.

Specifically, of 77,885 hectares, around 64,523 hectares are for growing vegetables, approximately 12,593 hectares for growing orchard and 768 hectares for breeding aquatic species.

For instance, jackfruits are grown in 4,728 hectares, mango in 1,470 hectares, special orange in 1,470 hectares, and dragon fruit in 1,234 hectares. Fruits bring a turnover of over VND607 million per hectare while rice brings VND386 million per hectare.

Because of the low price of rice and the risk of saltwater intrusion in the Mekong delta in the upcoming time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development advised farmers to continue switching land for growing rice, in case of low yields, into growing other crops with high yield or breeding aquatic species in order to raise farmers’ income and adapt to climate change.

Developing Vietnamese culinary tourism

 

International visitors experience in making Vietnam’s Banh Chung (square glutinous rice cake).

 

Recently, at the 26th World Travel Awards 2019 for Asia and Oceania, Vietnam was honoured for the first time in the category of Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination.

The event is evidence confirming that the attractions of Vietnam's tourism is increasingly spreading on the world tourism map, meanwhile it is also an opportunity to promote Vietnam's image to the international tourism community. It is also considered as a rich treasure for "smokeless industry" to exploit and create unique tourism products with Vietnamese identity.

In the growing trend of diversifying tourism demands, the cuisine not only plays a role in serving tourists' food, but is also identified as one of the main goals of the trips.

According to the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)’s Global Report on Food Tourism, the average traveler spends about one-third of their vacation budget on cuisine.

At the same time, more than 80% of the surveyed tourism agencies identified culinary tourism as a strategic factor for the destination, an important driving force for tourism development. In addition to enjoying, bringing a different taste experience, cuisine also helps visitors feel the unique indigenous culture of each region and locality, thereby enhancing the attraction of the destination.

For countries with diverse and attractive cuisines, it can be said ignoring taking advantage of food means ignoring "gold mines" to develop tourism.

Food tourism is a great opportunity to promote the local and national economy, create conditions to increase the value chain in agriculture, food production and processing, while preserve and promote the national culture to the world.

Over the years, the culinary heritage formed over thousands of years of Vietnam has captivated many foreign tourists when visiting Vietnam. Dozens of famous dishes of Vietnam such as Pho (noodle served with beef and chicken), Bun cha (rice noodle served with grilled pork), bread and Nem (spring roll) have been honored by international organisations, prestigious culinary magazines and international media channels.

Not only diverse, harmonious, delicate, easy to enjoy, Vietnamese cuisine also contains high artistry, showing ingenuity, sophistication and humanity in processing. This shows that Vietnam has all the conditions and strengths to develop sustainably a national tourism brand through cuisine.

In order to take the culinary advantage in tourism development, recently, a number of domestic tourism companies have started to develop culinary discovery tours for tourists, such as bringing the experience of going to markets with chefs to choose foods, participating in the processing; or organising cooking classes with the guidance of famous chefs; or bringing the experience of enjoying dishes at large hotels.

However, according to Nguyen Thuong Quan, Chairman of Vietnam Chef Association under the Vietnam Tourism Association, food tourism has just begun to be promoted in some key destinations such as Hanoi, Hoi An (Quang Nam province), Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

The other localities with rich potential are still confused and have difficulty in developing culinary tourism. Meanwhile, many people in the travel sector are limited in cuisine knowledge, so it is difficult to build truly attractive products. For this type of tourism, it requires from the tour builder to the guides, the guides must be knowledgeable about cuisine and culinary culture to be able to bring valuable experiences to visitors.

Culinary tourism is not simply helping visitors to delicious and unique food and drinks, but also providing experiences and discoveries about the cultural identity and community activities of the destination associated with each dish and drink.

According to experts, in building culinary tourism products, it is necessary to link models from the farm to the dining table that aims to bring vivid real-life experiences. It is necessary to not only stop at providing delicious food and experiences but also be interested in sharing with guests about eating spaces, or the cultural behaviors while eating according to the traditions of Vietnamese people, from there, elevating the journey of culinary tourism to a new leveland promoting the beauty of Vietnamese culinary culture.

One of the biggest barriers to developing culinary tourism today is the issue of ensuring food hygiene and safety, especially when Vietnam is famous for its street food culture; as well as the majority of visitors coming to Vietnam want to explore the culture. No matter how attractive the product is, which causes food hygiene problems, all efforts are futile. Therefore, ensuring hygiene and safety in selecting, processing and supplying food is the leading factor to develop culinary tourism. In order to accomplish the requires, it is necessary to have the coordination of many relevant levels and branches.

Besides, it is impossible to forget the role of promoting culinary tourism. On the basis of reviewing and systematizing typical dishes of regions which are capable of integrating and putting into construction of tourism products, the tourism industry needs to have a widely publicized campaign on Vietnamese cuisine to the world through international events held in the country and abroad, especially in countries that are Vietnam's key tourism markets and areas with a large Vietnamese community living.

Son La, Laos’ Oudomxay province exchange experience in veteran affairs

Representatives from the Veterans’ Associations of the northwestern province of Son La and Lao province of Oudomxay met at a conference in Son La on October 22 to exchange experience inveteran affairs.

The two sides discussed issues related to veterans’ engagement in Party and Government building and the maintaining of political stability in each locality, as well as movements of mutual support among veterans in poverty reduction.

They also exchanged experience in implementing socio-economic development programme in their localities.

The two associations agreed to intensify collaboration in the future. Accordingly, both sides will continue working closely in popularizing the traditional solidarity, special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples as well as the two provinces.

They will share experience in household economic development, especially in promoting hi-tech agriculture, while increasing the exchange of information in seeking remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in Oudomxay.

The two associations will also join hands in protecting security and order in each locality.

In the afternoon, the delegates visited a number of economic development models of members of the Son La Veterans’ Association./.

Gia Lai begins latest search for martyrs’ remains in Cambodia

 

Gia Lai officials shake hands with officers and soldiers taking part in the search and repatriation campaign at the ceremony on October 22

 

The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on October 22 launched a search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts in Cambodia for the 2019 – 2020 dry season.

This is the 20th such campaign launched so far by the province’s steering board for search, repatriation and identification of martyrs’ remains.

The campaign for the 2019 – 2020 dry season features the engagement of 67 officers and soldiers who will be divided into three groups to carry out the work in Preah Vihear, Stung Treng and Ratanakiri provinces of Cambodia.

Information about the sites they are set to focus on was provided by Cambodian people.

Vice Chairwoman of the Gia Lai People’s Committee Huynh Nu Thu Ha, who is also head of the province’s steering board, said the search for and repatriation of martyrs’ remains are becoming increasingly difficult due to terrain changes and the decomposition of remains as time goes by.

Therefore, the search and repatriation team needs to have high resolve and sense of responsibility while optimising the wholehearted support residents and authorities in the Cambodian localities to perform the task.

Since its search and repatriation efforts began in 2001, Gia Lai has brought home remains of 1,412 martyrs from Cambodia./.

Norway helps Vietnam improve marine forecast capacity

 

Tidal surges flood Mau Than street in Ninh Kieu district, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho

 

A workshop on ways to improve Vietnam’s marine warning and forecast capacity is taking place in Hanoi from October 22-25 as part of activities in the cooperation framework between the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (VMHA) and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

Addressing the event, Vice General Director of the VMHA Hoang Duc Cuong, said the administration has cooperated with the Norwegian institute since 2013 to carry out cooperation activities to better capacity for its staff.

The Norwegian institute has directly supported forecasters from hydro-meteorological stations under the VMHA in coastal areas in using the Diana forecasting software and the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) and the Open source framework for ocean trajectory modelling – OpenDrift.

According to Cuong, the VMHA and meteorological and hydrological stations in coastal areas have applied technologies to forecast tidal surges caused by storms and monsoon, spread of pollutants and floating objects on the sea to prevent natural disasters and build plans and solutions to deal with incidents at sea.

Thanks to practical support by the Norwegian institute in human resources training and technology transfer, since 2018, Vietnam’s marine forecast has recorded effective development, he noted.

The quality of the weather forecast bulletins has been remarkably improved, he stressed.

Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen said the cooperation between the two agencies has supported not only the forecast of tidal surges but also the use and exploitation of results of weather forecast models and tools.

Participant to the workshop discussed topics on the forecast of waves and tidal surges, and evaluated the quality of wave forecasts by satellite data, and technologies for forecasting the spread of pollutants and floating waste on the sea./.

Tra Vinh expands organic peanut farms

 

Harvesting peanuts in Tra Vinh province’s Cau Ngang district.

 

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has encouraged more farmers to grow peanuts with organic fertiliser and less irrigation water to save labour costs and improve income.

The winter-spring 2016-17 crop planted by farmers of the Dong Tam Co-operative in Cau Ngang district’s Long Son commune had positive results.

Established in 2016, the group has 15 household members, including nine poor households and one near-poor household.

In the 2016-17 winter-spring crop, the co-operative members grew peanuts under the new model on a total area of 4ha.

They were supported by the Project for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Mekong Delta in Tra Vinh Province (AMD Tra Vinh).

The project paid for peanut seeds, fertiliser and automatic irrigation system, and helped them install automatic irrigation system and make organic fertiliser from agricultural by-products.

The cost of implementing the model was 457.3 million VND (19,800 USD), including 207.6 million VND from the AMD Tra Vinh and 249.7 million VND from the members.

An automatic irrigation system includes a pump, water pipes and sprinklers. It costs about 30-35 million VND to install an automatic irrigation system on one hectare and can be used for five to seven years.

The model saves labour costs as it requires only one labourer to irrigate one hectare of peanuts, while traditional farming methods need four people.

Tran Van Banh, head of the group, said peanuts planted under the model had a yield of 8-9 tonnes per hectare, up 1.5-2 times higher than traditional farming.

The members had a profit of 50 million VND (2,160 USD) per hectare a crop, two times higher than traditional farming.

Besides harvesting peanuts, the members also use peanut by-products to feed cows and improve income.

Tran Van Nong, one of the members, said he also had 2,000sq.m of peanuts that were provided with financial support for installing automatic irrigation system.

He has invested automatic irrigation system for an additional 1,000sq.m of peanuts with his own money, he said.

With the success of the model, 70 households in Long Son commune have applied the model for their peanut fields.

Huynh Quang Son, deputy head of the province’s Agriculture Extension Centre’s Plant Cultivation Division, said agricultural production plays a crucial role in the province’s economy as the province has 180,000ha of arable land, accounting for 78 percent of its total area.

Under the province’s policies of turning ineffective rice fields into growing areas for other crops to increase value and adapt to climate change, peanuts are suited to the province’s soil and weather, he said.

Farmers can use agricultural by-products to make organic fertiliser which improves yield and quality.

Tra Vinh has more than 17,00ha of coastal sand dunes, the largest in the delta. The coastal sand dunes normally face shortage of irrigation water in the dry season and are not suitable for rice cultivation.

Peanut vines are suited for growing in coastal sand dunes.

Pham Minh Truyen, deputy director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that peanut cultivation has faced a shortage of quality peanuts for seeding.

The province can produce only 20 percent of peanuts for seeding and has to buy 80 percent from other provinces.

It also lacks companies that invest in processing peanuts, so farmers face difficulties in finding stable peanut outlets, he said.

The province’s People’s Committee has decided to spend more than 12 billion VND (519,000 USD) to improve the value chain for peanut in the 2018-20 period.

The province, one of the delta’s largest peanut producers, has 4,420ha of peanuts, including 3,400ha in Cau Ngang district.

It has zoned a 500ha specialised farming area that will produce two crops of peanuts for seeding a year beginning next year.

It also plans to expand peanut cultivation area to 8,450ha with an annual output of 45,000 tonnes next year./.

Vietnam’s reform experience shared at high-level dialogue in Tanzania

 

Economist Le Dang Doanh (third from left) sits among speakers of the dialogue

 

Economist Le Dang Doanh, former head of Vietnam’s Central Institute for Economic Management, presented the Southeast Asian country’s reform policies and achievements over the past three decades at a recent high-level dialogue that focused on development measures for Tanzania.

Co-organised by the Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA) and the Dutch Embassy in Tanzania, the dialogue took place in Dar es Salaam on October 21, gathering local public officials, foreign experts, and representatives of diplomatic corps and international organisations.

In his presentation at the event, Doanh introduced Vietnam’s poverty alleviation efforts and policies to attract investment, improve the business climate and increase national competitiveness.

He also made recommendations on development policies for Tanzania and fielded questions from other participants.

Speakers suggested that nations with limited resources should prioritise strategic areas that offer key socio-economic services for compressive and balanced growth, rather than just focusing on boosting GDP and per capita income./.

Vietnamese association in Czech Republic marks 20th anniversary

 

Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong (front, right) presents the second-class Order of Labour to the Vietnamese association in the Czech Republic

 

The Vietnamese association in the Czech Republic celebrated its 20th anniversary and received a second-class Order of Labour at a ceremony in Prague on October 22.

The ceremony were attended by Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong, Deputy Foreign Minister and Head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Nguyen Quoc Cuong, and Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Phung Khanh Tai.

The event was also attended by Vojtěch Filip, Vice Chairman of the Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies and Chairman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia.

Over the past two decades, the association has maintained and promoted long-standing relations between Vietnamese and Czech people. It has organised many activities to strengthen friendship between the two peoples and support the homeland.

The Vietnamese association in the Czech Republic is operated by an executive committee of 101 members and includes ten provincial chapters.

On behalf of President and General Secretary of the Party Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, Vuong presented the second-class Order of Labour to the association and Chairman of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe Hoang Dinh Thang in recognition of their efforts to unite and support Vietnamese people living overseas.

Earlier the same day, the association held its 6th congress which elected 98 new members to its executive committee. Dr. Nguyen Duy Nhien was re-elected as the new chairman for 2019 – 2024./.

Biological farming keeps pigs alive amid epidemic

 

While many swineherds in Phong Thu commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien-Hue province have been stricken by African swine fever, Nguyen Van Lich still sleeps well at night thanks to biological husbandry.

Other herds in Thua Thien-Hue province have survived through the epidemic thanks to a strict breeding process which is closely monitored by an organic farming enterprise.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, bio-products enhance a pig’s immunity against diseases, including African swine fever.

Experts say that bio-farming is the best way to help the animals fight disease, especially given that an African swine fever vaccine is still under development./.

Vietnamese women’s beauty honoured in fine arts

The traditional beauty of Vietnamese women has long been an inspiration for artists through the generations.

Through the exhibition themed ‘Honouring Vietnamese beauty’, paintings of Vietnamese muses by renowned artists have been wowing art lovers across Hanoi since October 20.

The artworks on display feature the distinctive styles of each artist.

Besides paintings, embroidery featuring Vietnamese women is also on display.

The exhibition is scheduled to run until October 28./.

Vietnam’s leading cueists to compete in Billiards Carom 3

 

Ma Xuan Cuong

 

Six Vietnam’s leading cueists will attend the Billiards Carom 3 Cushion World Cup Veghel 2019 at Veghel, the Netherlands, where is the homeland of the world’s leading cueist Dick Jaspers.

The players included Tran Quyet Chien, Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Ngo Dinh Nai, Do Nguyen Trung Hau, Nguyen Duc Anh Chien and Ma Xuan Cuong.

The participants had to complete four qualifying sessions.

Among them, player Tran Quyet Chien will not complete the qualifying sessions because he get high achievement in UMB World Ranking.

The fifth World Cup in Veghel, Netherlands will take place from 20 to 26 October with the maximum participation of 150 cueists from 17 countries and territories in the world.

Photography exhibition “Moment of Nature” open in Hanoi

Photographer Tran Lam yesterday opened a photography exhibition featuring natural beauty to raise funds for cancer patients.

Politburo Member, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Secretary of the Party Central Committee cum Head of the Central Propaganda and Training Commission Vo Van Thuong attended the exhibition.

Photographer Tran Lam was born in 1941 in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang who was formerly Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Kien Giang province, a member of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP).

The exhibition showcased 70 works and a photo book with 120 photos of red-headed crane and seagulls living in Kien Giang.

Most of his works expressed his loves of the homeland, where the photographer had ever lived through beautiful photos on different types of birds.

Accordingly, photographer Tran Lam donated all the photos and the photobook book “Moment of Nature” to the Association of Cancer Patients to raise funds for disadvantaged patients.

Hà Nội to honour excellent graduates of universities

 

The ceremony honouring excellent graduates last year. — Photo laodong.vn

 

The Hà Nội People’s Committee will honour 86 graduates from universities and academies with the highest marks next Monday.

A day earlier, their names will be listed in the committee’s Gold Book.

The ceremony will be organised at the Centre for Scientific and Cultural Activities of Văn Miếu-Quốc Tử Giám Temple of Literature.

Five of the 86 graduates are “double excellent graduates” because they came first in the university entrance exam, and now are also first in the graduation exam. They are Lê Thế Việt Hoàng from the University of Construction, Nguyễn Đức Hoàn from the National Economics University, Vũ Quỳnh Hoa from the University of Natural Resources and Environment, Bùi Mạnh Thắng from the University of Technology – Hà Nội National University and Phạm Hải Long from the Hà Nội Open University.

All of the graduates honoured have excellent results and are also enthusiastic in social activities.

This year is the 17th year that Hà Nội has honoured outstanding graduates. As many as 1,791 graduates have received certificates of merit from the Hà Nội People’s Committee.

Seminar seeks measures to promote women’s economic empowerment

The Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AusCham) organised a seminar on October 22 to seek measures to enhance economic empowerment of women and promote gender equality.

Australian Consul General Julianne Cowley said the empowerment of women and girls is the Australian Government’s top priority and the main focus of economic ties between Vietnam and Australia.

Gender equality is crucial to reinforce Vietnam’s economic dynamism and ensure its future prosperity, she said.

The Consul General pointed out that in Vietnam, women earn, on average, 3 million VND (129 USD) less than men each year, and the promotion rate among women is half of men’s.

Cowley cited a study by McKinsey Global Institute as saying that equality for women would add some 40 billion USD to Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) annually by 2025.

Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation, highlighted Vietnamese women’s legal status, saying gender equality has been ensured in legal regulations in the country.

Decision-makers from the private sector said businesses that provide equal career opportunities for men and women create a sustainable corporate culture, improve employee satisfaction and performance and attract and retain talent.

Ha Thu Thanh, Chairperson of Deloitte Vietnam, said women experience many obstacles in career development due to pregnancy and responsibility for childcare and chores in the house.

Women should be ambitious and motivated and get promoted to senior leadership positions, she said.

Gender equality at work reflects in the mindset of leaders of businesses where gender equality is an integral part of their strategies, she stressed.

At her company, the proportion of men holding management and leadership positions is 68 percent, while among staff who have worked for one to three years, women account for 68 percent, she said.

Businesses need to develop policies to improve gender equality at the workplace by enhancing leadership and talent among women staff, she said, adding flexible working policies for women should be adopted as part of efforts to improve gender equality.

Huynh Buu Quang, CEO of Maritime Bank, said with women workers accounting for 60 percent of employees, gender parity is crucial to the operation and development of the company.

The development and implementation of gender parity policies at the workplace increases competitiveness and creates good corporate culture and attracts and retains talent, he said./.