Ministries and ministerial-level agencies are tasked to reduce at least 20 percent of internal administrative procedures and 20 percent of administrative procedure compliance costs from now to January 1, 2025.

This is part of the Government's latest plan to review and simplify internal administrative procedures among state administrative agencies during 2022-2025 period.

Prior to April 1, 2023, all of the internal administrative procedures under the authority of ministries, agencies and localities will be announced (for the first time) while all of the internal administrative procedures within State administrative agencies will be publicized on the National Database on Administrative Procedures.

Meanwhile, ministries, agencies and localities are obligated to adopt plans on simplification of 100 percent of administrative procedures before January 1, 2025.

In 2021, Viet Nam reduced and simplified 1,101 business regulations, approved the plan to reduce and simplify 924 regulations, and amended and supplemented 166 legal documents.

CLMV Action Plan for 2023-2024 period adopted

Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV) adopted the CLMV Action Plan for the 2023-2024 period at the 14th CLMV Economic Ministers' Meeting (CLMV-EMM 14), which took place within the framework of the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting (AEM-54) in Siem Reap, Cambodia on September 16. 

Initiated by Viet Nam in 2010, CLMV-EMM mechanism aims to strengthen economic and trade relations among CLMV countries and coordinate more closely in activities of sub-regional, regional and international forums.

In addition, it targets to narrow the development gap between the four countries and other ASEAN member states and accelerate the implementation of agreements reached at CLMV summits.

In 2021, the trade value between CLMV and the world hit nearly US$750 billion, up nearly 20 percent against 2020 and accounted for 22.4 percent of the total trade value between ASEAN and the globe.

Addressing the event, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, head of the Vietnamese delegation, welcomed the inclusion of digital economy cooperation in the action plan, which helps CLMV enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized ones, transform business models, reduce expenditure and improve effectiveness.

Viet Nam will continue to facilitate the participation of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar at international fairs and exhibitions hosted by the nation and maintain its scholarship programs for students from these countries, Nguyen noted.

The four countries need to support each other to effectively launch free trade agreements (FTAs) they have joined, contributing to consolidation of supply chains and development of the business community, he suggested.

Hanoi to start Ring Road No. 4 project in June, 2023

Hanoi will start Ring Road No. 4 project in June, 2023 under a plan approved recently by Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh.

The plan aims to basically complete the road in 2026 and put it into use in 2027.

To reach the target, at least 70% of the construction site must be handed over the investor by June 2023 and the site clearance work must be finished by December 2023.

The investment project to build Ring Road No 4 in the capital city is an important project contributing to the expansion of development space for the capital. It will reduce population density and traffic congestion in the inner city and gradually change the economic structure of the area along the road and the suburbs. It was promulgated in Directive 16-CT/TU signed by Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung.

The road will also strengthen connectivity and create motivation and breakthroughs in the socio-economic development of Hanoi and neighbouring areas.

The Ring Road No. 4 project is 58.2km long, passing through the seven districts of Soc Son, Me Linh, Dan Phuong, Hoai Duc, Ha Dong, Thanh Oai and Thuong Tin.

The workload related to site clearance and land acquisition for project construction is very large.

On June 16, 2022, the National Assembly issued Resolution No 56/2022/QH15 on the project's policy to build Ring Road No 4 in Hanoi. Accordingly, the project will be completed in 2026 and implemented in 2027.

On July 5, 2022, the Hanoi Party Committee issued Decision No 2915-QD/TU on the establishment of a steering committee for the implementation of the Ring Road No 4 project headed by Dinh Tien Dung, Member of the Politburo and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee.

The Hanoi People's Committee also issued Decision No 2447/QD-UBND dated July 13, 2022, assigning the task of implementing the project and Decision No 2747/QD-UBND dated August 5, 2022, assigning the task of implementing compensation and site clearance.

Top legislator stresses importance of macro-economic stability at socio-economic forum

National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue stressed the importance of maintaining macro-economic stability to strengthen the resilience of the economy while delivering a closing remark at the 2022 Socio-Economic Forum in Hanoi on September 18.

This is also the message that the first socio-economic forum wants to spread, he said.

Attention should be paid to credit structure and quality, Hue noted, adding that it is necessary to continue addressing bad debt, restructuring the banking system, handling banks with poor performances, and seeking measures to increase capital for commercial banks, particularly State-own banks and those with State capital.

Markets such as stock, financial market, monetary, real estate market, goods and service markets are the "blood vessels" of the economy. Therefore, it is essential to take measures for them to circulate and develop healthily and sustainably, he emphasised.

Regarding long-term goals, the top legislator highlighted the need to maintain economic restructuring, amending, supplementing and perfecting institutions, particularly the Land Law; and exert efforts to turn Vietnam into a developing country with modern industry and upper middle income by 2030, and a developed and high-income country by 2045, as set in the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution.

At the forum, participants agreed that the world’s quick digital transformation and green energy transition have created many opportunities, but also posed a lot of challenges and difficulties for Vietnam. However, in the context of many countries facing high inflation and low growth, Vietnam has managed to maintain low inflation and achieve high growth.

At a conservative estimate of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam may achieve a growth rate of over 7% and keep inflation below 4% this year. The country can also reach 750 billion USD in import-export turnover, doubling the GDP scale.

They also raised concerns over negative impacts of climate change and extreme weather. In Vietnam, in just eight months of 2022, climate change and extreme weather caused losses of 6 trillion VND (253.3 million USD), 6.7 times higher than that of the same period last year.

A strategy needed to attract international visitors to Vietnam

Vietnam won multiple prizes at the award ceremony of the World Travel Awards 2022 - Region: Asia & Oceania, which took place in Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of September 7.

Accordingly, Vietnam was named the Leading Destination in the Asian region, Leading Nature Destination while Vietnam National Administration of Tourism won the title of Asia’s Leading Tourist Board.

Many Vietnamese localities, hotels, resorts, airlines and travel businesses were also honoured in various categories of the World Travel Awards 2022.

According to experts, this is a valuable opportunity for the tourism industry to further promote Vietnam as a beautiful, friendly, safe and hospitable country, thus luring more international tourists.

Statistics from the General Statistics Office showed that international arrivals to Vietnam reached 486,400 in August, increasing 38% from July and 52-fold year on year.

In the first eight months of 2022, Vietnam welcomed more than 1.44 million international arrivals, a 13.7-fold rise from last year, but still down 87.3% compared to the figure of 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

Vietnam among 10 most ideal destinations during Diwali festival

Travel + Leisure magazine of the United States has put forward a list of 10 of the most ideal destinations for Indian tourists to visit during the upcoming five-day Diwali festival, with Vietnam featured among the locations.

At present there are several direct flight routes from major Indian cities to Vietnam, with a flight from New Delhi to Hanoi taking Indian tourists roughly five hours.

Along with the convenient flight routes on offer, Indian tourists can enjoy a diverse range travel experiences when visiting Vietnam.

The piece also recommended Vietnam due the array of cheap street food on offer for travelers.

Other global destinations to feature in the list include Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Oman, Thailand, Seychelles, and the Maldives.

Diwali is the Indian festival of light and is one of the South Asian country’s major festivals. This year will see the festival start from October 24 and last for five days.

300 outstanding farmers honored in Hanoi

A ceremony honoring 300 farmers for their significant achievements in the 2017-2022 period was held in Hanoi last week by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association.

The awardees have been successful in implementing agricultural production and trading; applying advanced models of agricultural development and thinking of useful inventions for farming; creating thousands of jobs and helping poor households escape from poverty.

HCMC to increase technology apps in organizing high school graduation exams

Ho Chi Minh City will increase technology application in organizing high school graduation exams in 2023, said Mr. Vo Thien Cang, Head of the Testing and Accreditation for Education Bureau under the Department of Education and Training in HCMC.

At the conference to summarize the 2021-2022 school year and implementation of key tasks in the 2022-2023 school year for educational testing and accreditation, Mr. Cang said that in this school year, the city Department of Education and Training will develop and implement a plan to organize the high school graduation exam from now on to 2025.

Especially, the high school graduation exam in 2023 maintains the same as in 2022; however, the application of information technology for the preparation and organization of the exam will be promoted to ensure a good connection of information and reports during the examination.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, educational institutions are currently preparing information about principals, teachers, students, and resource conditions to participate in the survey of national assessment programs.

At the same time, schools have a plan to cope with the impact of the epidemic during the teaching and learning process. It is expected that in December 2022 and April 2023, the education and training sector in the southern metropolis will synthesize and collect data of students in the final grades including grades 5, 9, and 12 to prepare for enrollment at the beginning of the school year 2023-2024.

Man who robbed bank at gun point in southern province prosecuted

Police in the southern province Đồng Nai started criminal proceedings on Wednesday against a 34-year-old man who robbed a bank in broad daylight robbery last week.

Lê Huy Dũng, originally from the central province of Thanh Hoá, currently residing in Long Thành District of Đồng Nai Province, is currently detained on robbery charges.

Dũng had used a rubber bullet revolver to hold up a Vietcombank branch and steal more than VNĐ900 million (US$38,100) on the afternoon of September 8, 2022, according to reports. The branch is located on Long Đức 3 St., Tam Phước Ward.

The man wore all black, with a mask covering his face and a helmet on his head. There were around 20 staff and customers in the bank when he entered.

After sitting for a while, he approached the counter, revealing a gun which he shot in the air. He then pointed it at a bank employee and forced him to take money from the safe.

Hearing the gunshot, many customers and employees panicked and ran. A security guard entered the room but was forced back at gunpoint by the suspect.

The robber took bundles of notes and stuffed them into a black plastic bag before running out of the bank, crossing Highway 51 and leaving on a motorbike in the direction of Long Thành District.

By 0:25 am on September 11, Đồng Nai Province Police and units from the Ministry of Public Security apprehended Dũng. They seized the black gun used in the robbery and a motorbike, among other evidence.

Dũng confessed to the police that he was in severe debt and resorted to bank robbery. To date, the police have recovered over VNĐ700 million from the robber.

Applied fine art works on display

Over 200 modern and traditional designs of applied fine art works by 138 authors throughout the country are on display at the 5th National Fine Arts Exhibition.

The works are finalists selected from 538 entries to a competition launched more than four months ago which saw the participation of 183 authors from 25 localities in the country.

The organisers awarded two sets of prizes including 22 prizes to the most distinguished works of two categories, namely creative design and applicable products.

The creative design prizes include a first prize, two second prizes, three third prizes. The first prize of VNĐ30 million (US$1,269) in cash went to the group of Lê Thị Thu Thảo, Bùi Hạnh Lưu and Trần Thị Lệ Quyên (from Hà Nội FPT University) for the work titled “Unzipped – Support Teenagers on Genders and Prevent Sexual Abuse”.

In the applicable product category, there was no first prize awarded while two second, four third and five encouragement prizes were given.

Two second prizes, each worth VNĐ20 million were given to Lê Duy Đức (from the northern province of Sơn La) with a work titled Cổ Tự Môn (Gate of Old Pagoda) and Nguyễn Văn Tĩnh (from Hà Nội) with a work titled Bình Hoa Đan Tre (Flower Vase made by Bamboo Knitting).

The exhibition will run until September 27 at the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology in Nguyễn Văn Huyên Road, Cầu Giấy District, Hà Nội.

Writing contest for authors of all ages launched

The Việt Nam Writers’ Association and weekly newspaper Văn Nghệ (Literature & Arts) have launched a writing contest for professional and amateur authors this week.

The 2022 Short Stories Writing Contest seeks works by Vietnamese writers of all ages in the country and overseas with themes about life, love and people.

The lives of young women and their challenges and dreams in a globalised world are included. Young girls and children living in remote areas are also encouraged to submit works.

Famous authors and poets will be part of the jury.

One first prize, two second and three third prizes worth VNĐ70 million (US$3,200) in cash will be presented.

Participants in the Short Stories Writing Contest must submit their work on paper and send to the weekly newspaper Văn Nghệ at 17 Trần Quốc Toản Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hà Nội.

Entries should be postmarked by September 6, 2024.

Vehicle ban proposal to open street food in HCM City rejected

The HCM City Department of Transport has turned down authorities of Phu Nhuan District’s proposal to ban vehicles on a section of Truong Sa Street to open a food street.

Phu Nhuan District recommended prohibiting vehicles on the section which runs through Rach Mieu Sports Club.

According to HCM City, Truong Sa and Hoang Sa streets which travel along Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal are key roads linking the districts of Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan and Tan Binh and districts 1 and 3. The two help to ease traffic pressure on other local roads.

A vehicle ban would interrupt links for the city’s main roads but Phu Nhuan District authorities have suggested a solution to replace the banned section on Truong Sa Street.

The plan to open Phan Xich Long food street submitted to the department earlier did not mention Truong Sa Street. It only included an area stretching from Phan Xich Long Street to Rach Mieu residential areas, running through Nguyen Cong Hoang and Cu Lao streets.

Long Thanh airport to be put into service in Q3 2025

The Ministry of Transport has urged the relevant parties to speed up work on the under-construction Long Thanh International Airport, so that the first phase of the project can be put into operation to celebrate National Day on September 2, 2025.

Several aspects of work have fallen behind schedule, including land handover, investment preparation and approval procedures, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan.

Capital allocation issues have hindered construction work in the first phase of the airport in the southern province of Dong Nai, the local media reported.

Tuan urged the relevant sides to work closely with the project’s investors, namely the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), heading to operate the airport’s first flight on National Day in 2025.

The Ministry of Transport has assigned CAAV with monitoring the project’s implementation and reporting on its progress monthly.

Two road projects leading to the airport are expected to get off the ground in December this year, according to ACV.

Hue launches solid waste classification program

Hue City, Thua Thien-Hue Province has launched the first phase of a program for domestic solid waste classification.

This is a joint effort of the Hue City government and World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Vietnam) to deal with the increasing amount of domestic waste that puts heavy pressure on the environment in the city.

Domestic solid waste will be classified into hazardous waste, recyclable waste, reused waste and others, according to the program.

WWF-Vietnam has provided Hue with 156 trash containers, with a holding capacity of 240 liters each, for domestic solid waste, and these containers will be located in public places. Meanwhile, the city will fund the procurement of another 148 garbage containers with a holding capacity of 120 liters, which will be placed at schools and agencies across 23 wards of the city.

In Thua Thien Hue Province, a waste-to-energy facility worth VND7,000-billion is being developed by EB Environmental Energy (Thua Thien Hue) Limited, with a daily processing capacity of 600 tons of waste. When it is put into operation in March next year, it will help reduce environmental pollution after many landfills close as they are full.

Kon Tum seeks nod for Mang Den airport

The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum is seeking the prime minister’s approval to develop an airport in Mang Den Town, a popular tourist destination, 1,200 meters above sea level, in the province’s Kon Plong District.

The provincial government today, September 14, said it has written to the prime minister proposing adding the Mang Den airport project to the national master plan on airport development in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050, the local media reported.

According to the proposal, the 350-hectare airport would be developed between 2023 and 2027, with an estimated cost of VND4 trillion and an annual capacity of 3-5 million passengers.

The province underlined the need to build the airport to satisfy the travel demand and contribute to national defense and security in the area.

2,100 tons of industrial waste found buried in salt factory

Authorities in the southern province of Binh Duong said on September 14 that they had discovered and fined a salt factory owner for illegally dumping over 2,100 tons of untreated industrial waste.

The dumping site covers a total area of over 900 square meters, including six aboveground and three underground dumping sites.

The total volume of industrial waste dumped at the sites was over 2,100 tons, including scrap leather, rags and EVA soles, among others.

The owner of the facility, Duong Thi Van, told the police that she had been burning dry industrial waste to produce salt since September 2020. She said she bought the industrial waste, if it was dry, from dump truck drivers of paper and leather manufacturers in the province. She charged them VND500,000 for each truck dumping wet waste at the site.

So far, Van has earned some VND36 million from trucks dumping industrial waste.

Functional forces have seized Van’s excavator, required her to stop the dumping activities and are carrying out a further investigation.

Conserving values of Thang Long Imperial Citadel

Archaeological excavations have been carried out at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel relic site since late 2002, and the precious complex has unearthed evidence from many millennia of Thang Long - Hanoi.

Excavations at the citadel between 2002 and 2004 discovered various exhibits and architectural traces of various dynasties, paving the way for further research and conservation work.

Associate Professor Tran Duc Cuong, Chairman of Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences, said: "Work will be sped up soon thanks to the attention paid by Hanoi authorities and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."

More effort is required in the research, conservation, and development of heritage values at the Thang Long - Hanoi Imperial Citadel.

Over the past two decades and the 10 years since the relic was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the values of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel have been upheld through various activities.

The Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a cultural, historical, and archaeological relic of Vietnam and a cultural heritage of the world that needs further effort in research, conservation, and development.

Vietnam-Hungary friendly gathering held

The Vietnam – Hungary Friendship Association held a friendly gathering in Hanoi on September 18 on the occasion of the two countries’ national days.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the Association Vu Hoang Linh said the association will further step up bilateral cooperation in science, education-training, culture, economy and trade. It will also renew operations and popularise the images of Vietnam to Hungary and the Vietnamese community living there.

Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam Baloghdi Tibor expressed his delight at growing bilateral ties in various areas, including in education. At present, over 800 Vietnamese are living and studying in the European country.

He wished that in the near future, the association would continue working closely with the Hungarian Embassy in Vietnam to hold practical activities contributing to bilateral friendship.

On the occasion, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Nguyen Phuong Nga presented the insignia “For Peace, Friendship among Nations” to the association’s members.

Vietnam, Germany looks to deepen strategic partnership

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany held a banquet on September 17 to mark Vietnam’s National Day (September 2),  the 47th anniversary of the Vietnam-Germany diplomatic ties (September 23) and the 32nd German Unity Day (October 3).

Addressing the event, Ambassador to Germany Vu Quang Minh thanked the German people for their feelings and support extended to Vietnam during its struggle for national liberation in the past as well as national development process at present

Vietnam will continue to do its best as a reliable and responsible partner, always attaching importance to its cooperation and friendship with Germany and promoting the strategic partnership between the two countries, he said.

Martin Thummel, Deputy Head of the Department of Asia-Pacific region under the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said during the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, the two countries have provided timely supported to each other with hundreds of thousands of masks given to Germany by Vietnam and 10,000 doses of vaccines donated to Vietnam by Germany. He emphasised that the vaccine donation programme to Vietnam is one of Germany's most successful programmes during the pandemic.

The German diplomat said many German businesses are expected to come to Vietnam to explore investment opportunities. 

Germany and Vietnam will continue to promote cooperation in all fields to further promote the strategic partnership between the two countries in the coming time, he said.

Son La holds ceremony to honour Xoe Thai as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The northern moutainous province of Son La on September 17 held a ceremony to honour the art of Xoe dance of the Thai ethnic people which has been listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Xoe Thai is a unique type of traditional dance that is associated with and plays a significant role in the daily life of Thai ethnic communities in the northwest of Vietnam, especially in the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai. It is performed in various community activities, from festivals to funeral rituals.

There are about 30 Xoe dances, which have been developed, protected and handed down through generations intact over hundreds of years, including xoe quat (xoe dance with a fan), xoe khan (xoe dance with a scarf), xoe non (xoe dance with a conical hat) and many others with contents reflecting community activities and expressing the Thai people’s emotion. With gentle and alluring rhythms, dancers usually form a circle around a festive fire and move to the sound of melodic traditional music.

HCM City faces high risk of measles outbreaks and vaccine shortage

There is a high risk of a measles outbreak in HCM City overlapping existing diseases, including dengue fever and COVID-19, according to the city's Department of Health.

The city is facing a shortage of measles and DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) vaccines.

According to Dr. Tăng Chí Thượng, director of the department, the city's monthly demand for measles and DPT vaccines is more than 8,000 doses for each type.

However, the metropolis has received zero additional supplies from the health ministry after making consecutive requests in June, August, and earlier this month due to procedure problems.

This shortage, combined with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has put the rate of measles vaccinations in the city lower than the national target of 95 percent of children under the age of one.

According to the city's Department of Health, as of August, only 75.3 percent of babies born in the city in 2020 and 83.6 percent of children born in 2019 had received two doses of measles vaccine, presenting a 19.7 and 11.4 percentage behind the target, respectively.

In addition, only 79.9 percent of children born in 2021 had been jabbed with the first dose of measles vaccine, marking a 15.1 percentage point behind target.

The city's department of Health has instructed ward and commune-level medical centers to make a list of children who are old enough but have not been vaccinated yet to give them the jab as soon as possible.

Communication project to enhance public awareness of human rights, reduce fake news

To enhance public awareness of human rights and give people a better insight into Việt Nam’s policies, Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh has approved a project that will strengthen communication on the issue between 2023 and 2028.

The project also looks to enhance Việt Nam’s reputation in the field of human rights in the national, regional, and global arenas.

The project will cover 63 provinces and cities across the country, countries with large Vietnamese communities, priority partners in external relations, and areas where international human rights organisations are based such as New York (the United States), Geneva (Switzerland), and Bangkok (Thailand).

Under the project, by 2028, 100 per cent of State administrative agencies will regularly provide human rights-related information to the press, while 100 per cent of State officials working in human rights, communications and information and external information duties as well as 70 per cent of officials holding key positions in socio-political organisations at central and provincial levels will be kept up to date with the human rights situation in Việt Nam and receive training on human rights communications.

A series of exhibitions on human rights in Việt Nam will be held in all 63 localities and a number of foreign localities, 1,000 book titles on human rights will be published and reprinted, and the forms of mass communication products will be diversified. The proportion of media products in ethnic minority and foreign languages as well as those on digital platforms will be raised to 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the total number human rights-related media products.

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