Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong left Hanoi on October 30 morning on an official visit to China which will run through November 1, 2022.

The visit is made at the invitation by Xi Jinpin, Party General Secretary and President of China.

The leader was seen off at the airport by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and other Party and State leading officials.

Prominent among his entourage are Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member and Permanent member of the Secretariat; Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Organisation Commission; General To Lam, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security; General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member and Minister of National Defence; and Le Minh Khai, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister.

HCM City launches information system for handling administrative procedures

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City launched an information system for handling administrative procedures on October 29.

This system, at https://dichvucong.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/, was formed basing on the combination of the online public service portal and the electronic single-window system.

Lam Dinh Thang, Director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, said the people and enterprise-centred system is connected with the National Public Service Portal, the electronic authentication and identification systems, as well as information systems and databases of ministries and central agencies, to create favourable conditions for individuals and organisations to handle administrative procedures in a swift and accurate manner.

Huynh Quang Liem, General Director of the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), said the VNPT-built information system of HCM City is capable of handling 17 million dossiers each year.

As about 13 million people in the city, including the local population of nearly 10 million and people from other localities, have the demand for administrative procedures to be processed, it will be hard for civil servants to complete handling papers on schedule if they use traditional methods. Therefore, applying an information system for handling administrative procedures is an urgent need, he added.

Plans for Lunar New Year holiday submitted to PM for approval

Options for the amount of days at the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival have been submitted to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for approval, said the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

The options were reached after consideration and taking opinions from 14 ministries and sectors.

Under the two options, workers can be absent from work to enjoy the holidays for either seven or nine days depending on the decision.

Eleven out of 14 ministries and sectors, including the MoLISA, chose the first option, absent for seven days. Two others chose being absent for nine days.

One other department proposed an eight-day holidays.

In the first option, workers will be absent from January 20, 2023 to January 26, 2023. The MoLISA believes that the holiday should be not too long, but workers still have enough time to travel and prepare for Tet.

In the second option, workers will be absent from January 21, 2023 to January 29, 2023. The MoLISA assessed that the holidays can create pressure on the transport system as January 21 falls on the last day of the lunar year.

As for workers at non-State sector, the MoLISA proposed enterprise leaders to consider the holidays based on their real situation, and inform their employees at least 30 days before the holidays.

As for the New Year Eve’s holiday at the beginning of 2023, workers will have Saturday (December 31), Sunday (January 1) and Monday (January 2) off, said the MoLISA.

Traffic Police Department introduces traffic de-congestion plan in Hanoi, HCMC

The Traffic Police Department has just introduced the traffic de-congestion plan in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to ensure traffic order and safety.

The implementation plan is carried out from October 25, 2022, to January 25, 2023. In particular, from October 25 to October 31, traffic police officers focused on propagating and reminding traffic participants to obey the regulations on ensuring traffic safety.

Accordingly, traffic policemen will use professional equipment to film and record traffic violations that are the main cause of traffic jams as a basis for throwing a book on violators.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Traffic Police Department, in coordination with the city Traffic Police and their peers in neighboring localities will conduct a study on traffic order and safety in roads and areas, complex locations, and traffic jams-vulnerable paths.

Moreover, they will use road traffic accident data for high-risk locations (hotspots) identification as well as analyze and evaluate the volume of vehicles on roads for proactive implementation of appropriate solutions to prevent and deal with traffic jams.

When congestion occurs, traffic wardens will control traffic and appropriately route the traffic. If congestion takes place on a large scale, it will be announced on the traffic channels of the Voice of Vietnam and the Voice of the People's Radio of Ho Chi Minh City.

Traffic policemen will drive special motorbikes to maneuver in locations at risk of traffic accidents leading to traffic jams.

NA Standing Committee reviews feedback on two draft laws

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee looked into feedback on two draft laws at a meeting in Hanoi on October 29.

The draft Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (revised) and the draft Inspection Law (revised) were tabled for discussion at the ongoing fourth session of the 15th National Assembly.

The committee members and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam agreed on the need to continue to review, adjust and collect feedback from NA deputies on the draft Law on Medical Examination and Treatment, especially the contents regarding financial autonomy and management at health facilities.

For the draft Inspection Law (revised), the full-time legislators looked into regulations on the establishment of inspection agencies, operational financing and the issuance of inspection conclusions.

Noi Bai Airport launches liquid check on travelers to Australia

Noi Bai International Airport will tighten controls on liquids passengers carry on board when flying from Hanoi to Australia.

According to the Noi Bai International Airport, the move aims to comply with Australian powder, liquid, aerosol, and gel restrictions.

The airport will work with Bamboo Airways and Vietnam Airlines to screen carry-on luggage to ensure the volume of liquids stays within the limit.

The intense liquid screening will be applied for flight QH82 of Bamboo Airways and flight VN787 of the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

Passengers must measure the quantity of liquid with monitoring devices installed at each boarding gate. Liquid measurement must be finished 90 minutes before the departure time.

Each passenger is allowed to carry a maximum of 1,000 milliliters of liquid on board. The volume of each container is a maximum of 100 milliliters, and all containers must be sealed in full.

If the liquid is purchased at the lounge, the passenger can take it on board with the unlimited volume, on condition that the bottle is contained in a sealed plastic bag with detailed information about the date and place of purchase, flight number, passenger's name and volume.

Noi Bai International Airport spokesman said the control of carry-on liquids is subject to Article 71 of Circular 13/2019/TT-BGTVT issued by the Ministry of Transport.

Over two million passengers travel through Noi Bai International Airport

The number of flights and passengers throughput at Noi Bai International Airport has increased enormously since all international routes officially resumed on February 15.

According to the Hanoi Customs Department, as of October 15, the number of flights to and from the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi soared 454.4% year-on-year to more than 15,300 flights. The number of flights managed by the airport between October 1 and 15 was almost 2,800, almost seven times the data recorded in the same period in 2021.

After ten months, the Hanoi Customs Department performed customs clearance for more than 2.27 million passengers at the airport. The figure was up 1,340% year on year

Sai Gon-Dong Nai River polluted due to urbanisation

Water quality in the Sài Gòn-Đồng Nai River, the main supplier for water factories in HCM City, has declined due to urbanisation.

The river receives a huge volume of wastewater from residential areas, manufacturing plants, industrial parks and export processing zones located along the river. Wastewater along with rainwater runs through the sewer system, causing serious pollution. The river is also impacted by salinity in the dry season.

According to the water monitoring report conducted by the city Department of Natural Resources and Environment in the first six months of this year, surface water quality of canals with dredging and urban renovation works such as Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal, Tàu Hủ-Bến Nghé Canal is relatively good. But the inter-provincial canals such as Thầy Cai-Cần Giuộc Canal, Nước Lên Canal-Chợ Đệm River are still heavily polluted.

HCM City now has three wastewater treatment factories. With the capacity of more than 130,000cu.m per day of each factory, only 13 per cent of wastewater released every day in the whole city is treated.

According to the city’s Department of Construction, by 2025, about 80 per cent of wastewater in HCM City or nearly 2.6 million cu.m per day will be collected and treated following standards before being discharged into environment.

To realise this target, the city will call for investment of 12 urban wastewater treatment factories and finish the Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè area’s cleanup project (second phase) by 2024. Water factories in the city will receive water from other supplies such as Dầu Tiếng and Trị An lakes.

About 8,000 Vietnamese women to receive free breast cancer screening

About 8,000 free breast scans will be provided for Vietnamese women from now to the end of this year, with the support of GE Healthcare and its partner TD Medical collaborated with Vinmec Healthcare System.

A community outreach program will offer scans at 26 on-site screening centers across Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Ha Long, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc.

According to the World Health Organization, 2.3 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, with 685,000 dying from the disease. Breast cancer is also the most common cancer among women in almost all countries within Asia, with Vietnam alone reporting 21,500 new cases and 9,000 deaths in the same year.

Hanoi plans to build more tunnels to ease traffic congestion
 
Tunnels along a ring road will both ease congestion and smooth traffic flow from outside to the capital city.

Hanoi’s authorities have been urged to build a number of tunnels along its Ring Road No.3, the roadway connecting the city and nearby regions.

The tunnels become crucial for Ring Road No.3 as the road has a very large traffic volume formed by both domestic traffic flow and a transit traffic axis connecting many provinces and cities with the center of Hanoi.

Under the city’s transport planning approved by the prime minister in March 2016, Ring Road No.3 will gather some tunnels at different crossings while having some, including one connecting Hanoi and Haiphong. 

Vietnam emphasises consistent stance on Palestine issue

Vietnam reaffirmed its consistent stance on the Palestine issue while attending the UN Security Council’s open debate on the Middle East situation on October 28.

In his speech, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, voiced his concern about the escalating violence, especially in the West Bank.

He held that people of both Israel and Palestine need to be equally entitled to protection measures, calling on all the parties concerned, especially authorities of Israel, to exercise self-restraint to avoid inciting more violence.

Regarding solutions for the time ahead, he urged the parties concerned, particularly Israel, to seriously implement the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2334, halt the expansion and construction of resettlement areas, and stop the demolition of houses and the eviction of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Giang opined that the implementation of Resolution 2334 is beneficial to Israel’s security itself.

The diplomat also affirmed Vietnam’s support for parties to play an active role in the peace process, including diplomatic efforts by the Quartet, the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as any initiative by the international community that is beneficial to the region.

Vietnam welcomes the Israeli Prime Minister’s recent statement on supporting the two-state solution, and also welcomes Palestinian organisations reaching an agreement in Algeria which includes the organisation of elections in the future, he added.

The Vietnamese representative noted that while pending a comprehensive, durable, and equitable solution to the Palestine issue, it is necessary to continue paying due attention to humanitarian assistance to help Palestinians in the current trying times.

Vietnam calls for enhancing trust building at APPF’s 30th meeting

Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly's Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha suggested countries enhance trust building and respect for each other's sovereignty, political institutions and legitimate interests while addressing a session of the 30th meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) that concluded in Thailand on October 28.

He also proposed nations strengthen cooperation to ensure peace, stability and law respect at seas and oceans, saying the East Sea should be maintained as a sea of peace, cooperation, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight on the basis of respecting basic principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Ha called on the APPF member countries to carry forward their roles in building and ensuring the enforcement of international commitments and laws relating to peace, security and development in the region, while urging governments to work to improve the efficiency of cooperation in containing the COVID-19 pandemic, and preventing and addressing traditional and non-traditional security issues.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Ha, head of the Vietnamese delegation, met with President of the Thai National Assembly Chuan Leekpai, and paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Lao National Assembly Saysomphone Phomvihane. He also had bilateral meetings with delegations from Canada, Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand.

HCM City's Can Gio district to become high-quality ecotourism destination

The Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued a resolution on development orientations for Can Gio by 2030 that aims to turn this coastal district into a high-quality resort and ecotourism city comparable with regional rivals.

In the resolution, HCM City targets the district’s annual growth of 20.7% in production value during the 2021 – 2030 period. The service industry will make up about 74.7% of the production value while annual per capita income will reach 182 million VND (over 7,300 USD), and all public transport vehicles are to be fueled by clean energy by 2030.

The local economy will be developed by tapping into advantages of Can Gio as a coastal district. In particular, focus will be put on promoting sea-related sectors, including maritime tourism, navigation, aquaculture, and seafood exploitation and processing. Policies will also be promulgated to strongly attract resources for economic development. Priority will be given to major investors with advanced technology and management levels in ecotourism, high-tech agriculture, and urban development.

The resolution underlined the need to diversify products and destinations in Can Gio, which is hoped to welcome 49 million tourist arrivals between 2021 and 2030, up 12.5% annually.

HCM City celebrates Indian festival Diwali after 2 years of Covid

More than 1,000 Indians, other expats and Vietnamese attended the Indian Diwali Fest Gala 2022 to celebrate the ‘Festival of Lights’ in HCM City on October 28.

Organised by the Indian Business Chamber in Việt Nam (Incham) at the Sheraton Hotel in District 1, it featured Indian food, a concert by Hindi movie playback singer - host of Indian Idol - Aditya Narayan, and Indian movie and traditional Vietnamese dances.

According to Incham, part of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to charity.

Diwali is the biggest Hindu festival, and it brings people together to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness or good over evil. Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that is also celebrated by non-Hindu communities and internationally.

Run for zero violence against women and girls in Vietnam

The running race “Run for Zero Violence against Women and Girls in Vietnam” will be held at Yen So Park, Hoang Mai district, Hanoi on 27 November to call for shared responsibilities to tackle domestic and gender-based violence against women and girls.

The running race is part of Vietnam’s National Action Month for Gender Equality and Gender-based violence prevention and response for the year 2022.

The race is also opened for people from all walks of life in Hanoi including the Government, the international community, and the UN system agencies. Participants should register before 15 November 2022.

Under the Government’s Resolution on the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2021-2030, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs is responsible for organizing the annual “Month of Action for Gender Equality, and Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence” from 15 November to 15 December.

Policy supporting people affected by COVID-19 reviewed

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has been tasked with coordinating with relevant ministries and agencies in collecting reports and recommendations of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI) related to evaluating the performance of the Government’s policy to support people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the MoPI’s report, the implementation of the support policy under Resolution No. 42/NQ-CP has basically met requirements and principles set by the Government and the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Most of the poor and near-poor households and other beneficiaries of social allowances, people affected by the pandemic, and those whose income has been sharply reduced have received support.

The policy was implemented without recording phenomenon of advantage taking, wrong spending and relevant violations.

The Government’s COVID-19 policy has created a basis for localities to proactively and flexibly issue their own support policies.

The implementation of the resolution has helped State management agencies gain experience to better the development and implementation of support policies in order to deal with similar urgent situations in the future more effectively.

Deaths rise as Hanoi faces dengue fever outbreak

According to the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the city has recorded 8,481 dengue fever cases, up 2,627 on-year, including 12 deaths this year. Recently, the city has witnessed around 1,000 dengue fever cases per week.  

The disease has spread to all 30 local districts with a focus in Dan Phuong, Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin and Thanh Tri. Dengue fever cases in Hanoi so far this year are higher than those of the same period between 2019 and 2021.

Hanoi is home to many construction sites, particularly in the wards of Vinh Hung, Hoang Liet, Hoang Van Thu and Yen So in Hoang Mai District. Environmental sanitation in many areas has not been paid sufficient attention and bad waste management in some areas also has created more difficulties in the city’s fight against dengue fever.

Hanoi has intensified activities to raise public awareness about disease prevention and control, improve environmental sanitation, and has sprayed chemicals to kill mosquito larvae.

People are advised to sleep under mosquito nets even during the daytime, wear long-sleeved clothes, and use mosquito sprays and mosquito repellent creams to kill mosquitoes and prevent bites. In particular, they should not attempt to self-treat dengue fever at home.

Charity walk raises VND4.7 billion for the poor

A charity walk which was held by the Administration of District 5 in HCMC this morning collected more than VND4.7 billion (US$189,000) to support needy people on the 2023 Lunar New Year holiday.

The event aims to respond to the city’s 2022 “For the poor” month, and celebrate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam National Unification Front and Traditional Day of Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930).

More than 2,500 people, including Vice Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Hieu, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in HCMC Tran Kim Yen, District 5’s leaders, cadres and civil servants, workers, students and people in the district join the charity walk.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of District 5 Le Tan Tai said that the district has organized many programs to care for poor and near-poor households, and disadvantaged people over the past years. The locality has spent an average cost of VND120 million per month to help 166 poor families and 229 near-poor households together with those who lack sufficient skills and have incurable diseases to work.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front of District 5 has called on State agencies, departments, organizations, businesses and people to support the district’s “For the poor” Fund to care for the needy during the lunar New Year.

At the event, District 5’s “For the poor” Fund received more than VND4.7 billion from sponsors and handed over the money to programs on repairing and building civil works and charity houses, offering scholarships to disadvantaged students and health insurance cards to the poor.

In addition, 14 wards in the district will continue to implement programs, such as releasing fish into Tau Hu and Hang Bang canals to protect the environment, planting trees and building more clean and green streets.

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