The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on September 1 released more than 1 million fish fry to Hau River to regenerate aquatic resources in the region.

The 11.2 tonnes of fish fry of different kinds, had a total value of over 660 million VND (27,403 USD) mobilised from local businesses and donors.

Nguyen Quang Hung, Director of the Fisheries Surveillance Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the activity was part of efforts to regenerate and enrich aquatic resources in some river basins and coastal areas of the Mekong Delta.

In order to protect and manage the released fish, Hung asked regional localities to coordinate with each other in popularising legal regulations on aquatic resources preservation among the community, and strengthen examination and patrol to detect and handle violations.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People's Committee Nguyen Ngoc He said that the move is expected to raise public awareness of the responsibility in protecting, regenerating and developing aquatic resources in line with the preservation of the ecological system.

A survey conducted by Can Tho University showed that the Mekong Delta region is home to 322 fish species, including 120 in Can Tho.

Last year, the region harvested 1.5 million tonnes of tra fish from 5,700 hectares of farms, earning an export revenue of more than 2 billion USD, it said.

Ministry to give specific directions to each locality on IUU combat: Official

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will give specific instructions to each coastal locality on the prevention and combat of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing instead of general directions for all 28 coastal cities and provinces, according to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.

The effort is aimed at ensuring the close management of fishing vessels' operation, especially their installation of vessel monitoring system (VMS), the official said while chairing a meeting of the ministry's working group on IUU prevention and control on August 31.

Localities must also know the locations of out-of-service vessels, and strictly handle vessels with violations of VMS installation regulations, he stressed.

Deputy Minister Tien underlined the need to closely control movements of fishing vessels at ports as well as the origin of caught seafood.

To make sure fishing vessels will not violate foreign waters, the officials called for stronger engagement of the Ministry of National Defence and more efficient cooperation between the ministry and the MARD.

He also called on seafood processing and exporting firms not to buy seafood caught by IUU activities.

The official also pointed to the need to complete the amendment and supplementation of relevant legal documents regarding the implementation of the Fisheries Law and regulations on handling violations in fisheries activities by October before the EC inspection team arrives in Vietnam.

Earlier, at a conference to seek measures to promote IUU prevention and control, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang assigned the MARD to build a plan detailing necessary tasks to be conducted to persuade the EC to remove the "yellow card" against Vietnam's seafood export.

Vietnam, Egypt share fruitful six-decade ties: Ambassador

The relations between Vietnam and Egypt have made continuous great strides over the past 60 years, affirmed Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Nguyen Huy Dung.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (September 1, 1963-2023), the diplomat said that the bilateral relationship has been built on the foundation of a common desire for national independence and freedom, and reinforced by generations of leaders and people of the two countries.

Over the past six decades, the two sides have regularly exchanged high-level delegations, while coordinating with and supporting each other at regional and international forums such as the United Nations (UN), the Non-Aligned Movement, the  Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the African Union (AU), Ambassador Dung said.

Egypt is currently the leading trade partner of Vietnam in North Africa, he noted, underlining that bilateral cooperation in culture and education has also been fruitful, with many Vietnamese students and officials receiving Arabic training in Egypt.

In recent years, senior leaders of the two countries have made mutual visits, during which many cooperation agreements were signed among ministries, sectors and localities of the two sides, he said.

The long-standing sound political relations and warm sentiments towards each other have paved the way for the growth of bilateral ties in the future, while the expanding economic, trade and investment partnership will help facilitate the political-diplomatic relations and people-to-people exchange between the two sides, he affirmed.

The ambassador said cooperation between the two countries will contribute to promoting peace, stability and development in the region, and help to respond to traditional and non-traditional challenges.

In terms of economy, Ambassador Dung held that Vietnam and Egypt, as two large markets with over 100 million people each, can supplement each other. With their strategic positions, the two countries can help each other to enter larger markets in their respective regions.

He said that Vietnam and Egypt signed their first trade deal in 1994, and the first meeting of the Joint Committee was held in 1997. Since then, the two sides have maintained cooperation through the Joint Committee mechanism. The sixth meeting of the committee will be organised in the near future.

Regarding activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Vietnam-Egypt diplomatic relations, the diplomat said that the activities have been held in parallel in both countries with their close coordination, with a ceremony marking the special occasion held in Hanoi on July 22 and a similar event in Cairo on July 26.

A series of activities will also be held until the end of this year, including the introduction of Vietnamese cuisine and the promotion of economic, trade and tourism in Cairo and other Egyptian localities, he said.

In order to further promote the bilateral ties, the ambassador noted that in their recent meetings, leaders of the two countries had affirmed their high political determination to lift up the bilateral relations to a new height in all fields.

Ambassador Dung said that in the future, the two countries will focus on cooperating in economy, trade, investment, and tourism, optimising their economies' strengths, increasing people-to-people exchange, promoting parliamentary collaboration and partnership among political parties, and sharing development experience.

Project helps enhance access to clean water, energy, food in Lower Mekong Basin

A Vietnamese delegation attended the second regional consultative forum on the “Triangular Cooperation on Sustainable Development in the Lower Mekong Basin based on the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus” in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 31.

The event also brought together representatives from the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the Mekong River Commission (MRC), and the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea (RoK), and others from Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.

Also known as the “RoK- UNOSSC Facility Phase 3” or P-LINK, the project, launched in September 2021, aims to strengthen access to water, food and energy for vulnerable communities living in the Lower Mekong Basin (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam).

Through integrative and multi-sectoral approaches in the application of technologies for water, energy and food, the livelihoods of the people based on South-South and triangular cooperation (SS & TrC) modalities are expected to be improved at the end of the project.

Following the first consultative forum in Bangkok on June 28, the second reviewed the project’s outcomes in 2022, and looked into action plans set for this year.

UNOSSC Director Dima Al-Khatib told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s correspondents in Bangkok that through the project, UNOSSC wishes to provide communities with scientific and technological solutions, as well as suitable changes to improve their livelihoods, especially through better access to clean water, energy and food.

UNOSSC also hopes that pilot solutions will bring about good results so that they can be rolled out on a larger scale, she added.

Representatives from the Lower Mekong Basin countries discussed the selection of locations to pilot the project, as well as challenges to the work and potential solutions.
 
The five-year project costs 4 million USD funded by the Korean ministry. UNOSSC plays a leading role in implementing the project, along with other partners, including the MRC Secretariat, and the Mekong Institute, and the Science and Technology Policy Institute of the RoK.

Hanoi's second metro line ready for testing

All eight elevated stations on the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line, the second of its kind in the capital, completes 99.5% of work, enabling the line to be ready for trial operation, according to the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB).

Deputy Head of MRB Le Trung Hieu said an elevated station is 22.5 meters high, 24 meters wide and 8 meters above the road surface, adding that all elements for the elevated section of the 8.5-kilometer Nhon-Hanoi station line have been built.

The elevated sections are expected to be commercially operational in 2023 and the metro line could be open to traffic by the end of 2027.

The eight stations are named after the geographical locations through which the metro line passes, including Nhon, Minh Khai, Phu Dien, Cau Dien, Le Duc Tho, National University, Chua Ha, and Cau Giay. Each elevated station is also designed with iconic images of the capital city to promote Hanoi's culture and values.

"In the coming period, we will test the line's reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety. In the next phase, MRB will continue to complete the remaining items to ensure that the operation of the system meets international standards. This is also an architectural highlight in the western part of the city," Hieu told The Hanoi Times.

He added that the metro line test will go through five scenarios, including a total power outage on the line, a partial power outage on the line, a secondary power source outage, the detection of a fire in the station, and the operation of emergency vehicles.

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line, funded by the French government through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), has a total length of 12.5 kilometers and passes through eight elevated stations (from Nhon to Cau Giay) and four underground stations (from Cau Giay to Hanoi Railway Station).

The project was launched in September 2010 at an estimated cost of EUR783 million (US$820.3 million), which was subsequently revised to EUR1.1 billion (US$1.15 billion) in 2014, with the overrun being mainly covered by official development assistance (ODA) funding from France. 

The second metro line is expected to help reduce Hanoi's vehicle emissions by 20,000 tons per year. The city's first metro line, Cat Linh-Ha Dong, also the country's first, began operating in November last year.

Viet Nam seek highest possible result at Asian championship

VN are aiming for the highest possible result at the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship which will be held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

They have joined 13 other teams at the venue which is a large province on the northeastern plateau around 259km from Bangkok. They will vie for top honours and accumulate points for FIVB World Rankings.

Việt Nam will play Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei and South Korea in Pool C.

World No 35 South Korea are the strongest team in the group, having finished runners-up seven times.

Taipei and Uzbekisan are No 50 and No 64, respectively, lower than Việt Nam in the ranking. The trio met each other at the recent AVC Challenge Cup where Việt Nam took the trophy home with a winning streak.

All four teams will seek their unprecedented Asian title at the 5,000-seater Chartchai Hall and The Mall Korat’s MCC Hall.

Hosts and world No 15 Thailand, which captured the Asian title twice in 2009 and 2013, are in Pool A together with Mongolia, which finished 11th in their last appearance at the 2015 edition in China, and world No 51 Australia.

Pool B consists of world No 8 Japan, defending and consecutive two-time Asian champions, world No 63 India and Iran, current world No 61.

Mainland China, world No 6, former 13-time Asian champions, are in Pool D, with Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and the Philippines.

Participating teams will compete in the round-robin preliminaries, with only top two teams from each pool advancing to the last eight, split into Pool E and Pool F.

In the last eight, teams will be pitted in the round-robin competition once again, with top two teams from each pool contesting the cross semi-finals. The two winning teams will next face off in the final showdown on September 6, while the losers will fight it out in the third-place playoff clash for bronze medal.

HCM City enhances international cooperation in preventive medicine

The Ho Chi Minh City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC) signed a cooperation agreement on preventive medicine with the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) on August 31, aiming to make strides toward improving the disease control capability at the centre.

Accordingly, both sides will share knowledge, techniques, and scientific information in the field, including testing, disease screening, data analysis and management, and scientific research over a period of five years.

The OUCRU will assist the HCDC in training diagnostic techniques for infectious diseases, such as isolating and detecting disease agents using molecular biological methods and decoding genes. They will also step up research topics related to emerging infectious diseases and evaluate community intervention measures.

OUCRU Director in Ho Chi Minh City Guy Thwaites said over the course of more than 30 years in Vietnam, the unit has conducted numerous studies on infectious diseases that could affect the health and lives of Vietnamese citizens as well as those in Southeast Asian countries in general.

With this collaboration, Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department Nguyen Van Vinh Chau hoped for more community health studies and assessments of the effectiveness of disease control policies. This, in turn, could pave the way for new directions in research cooperation in preventive medicine.

He also asked the HCDC to strengthen its internal strength and enhance its capacity to engage in effective studies, which is also one of the key components of a relevant project launched by the municipal People's Committee early this year.

National Day marked in Japan, France, Sri Lanka

Vietnamese representative missions in Japan, France and Sri Lanka held ceremonies on recent days to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the National Day of Vietnam.

At an event held in Osaka, Japan on August 31, Vietnamese Consul General to Osaka Ngo Trinh Ha highlighted achievements of Vietnam in socio-economic development and foreign affairs.

He stressed that among Vietnam's diplomatic relations with 193 countries, the relationship with Japan is one of the most important strategic ties for Vietnam.

The diplomat noted that the bilateral relations have developed fruitfully over the last five decades across fields from politics, economics, security to regional and international issues, which is also true for the cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the Kansai region.

For his part, Watanabe Shigeki, Deputy Governor of Osaka Prefecture read a letter from Osaka Governor Yoshimura Hirofumi congratulating Vietnam on its National Day and expressing his wish to further develop close relations with Vietnam in many fields.

In his congratulatory speech, Himeno Tsutomu, representative of the Government of Japan and Ambassador in charge of Kansai region affirmed that the Japan-Vietnam relationship is a particularly important relationship.

The same day, the Embassy of Vietnam in France held an incense offering ceremony in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh in Paris on the occasion of the National Day of Vietnam.

After the incense offering ceremony, a delegation led by Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang laid a wreath at President Ho Chi Minh’s Monument and visited the Ho Chi Minh Space at the Museum of Living History at Montreau park.

In a similar ceremony organised in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 29, Vietnamese Ambassador Ho Thi Thanh Truc briefed the guests on Vietnam's development process over the past 78 years.

She expressed her pleasure to see the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Sri Lanka being increasingly strengthened for the benefit of the two peoples.

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera affirmed that economic and trade cooperation is one of the pillars in the two countries' relationship, contributing to growth and prosperity of both nations.

He also highly valued cultural cooperation and people-to-people diplomacy between the two countries.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese Embassy in Sri Lanka in coordination with the Sri Lanka - Vietnam Solidarity Association organised a flower offering ceremony at President Ho Chi Minh's Monument in the Colombo Public Library and a meeting with representatives from political parties friendly to Vietnam as well as many friends who love the country.

Vallet scholarships granted to 220 students in Thua Thien - Hue

The scientific and educational organisation "Meeting Vietnam"  presented 220 Vallet scholarships worth over 4 billion VND (166,078 USD) in total to outstanding students at high schools and universities in the central province of Thua Thien - Hue at a ceremony on September 1.

Excellent students at high schools received scholarships worth 14 million VND each, while each scholarship for university students was valued at 28 million VND.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh congratulated the students who were honored to receive the scholarships. He urged the scholarship winners to continue to strive and improve themselves, thus contributing to the locality’s development.

Established in 2001, the organisation’s Vallet Scholarship Fund has been sponsored by Professor Odon Vallet from France’s Sorbonne University. It has so far granted more than 400 billion VND worth of scholarships to Vietnamese students.

In Thua Thien - Hue, nearly 5,000 Vallet scholarships have been granted to local students so far.

Vietnam an increasingly important partner of int’l community: diplomats

On the occasion of the 78th National Day of Vietnam, foreign ambassadors and chief representatives of international organisations have offered congratulations on its achievements, affirming that Vietnam has been establishing itself as an increasingly important partner of the international community in settling global common challenges.

Sending his best wishes to the leaders and people of Vietnam on the National Day (September 2), Singaporean Ambassador Jaya Ratnam said the country is highly valued by the world for its strong principles and a high sense of international responsibility. It has won the trust and recognition of the international community.

Vietnam’s global stature is reflected through its positions and roles it has been holding at regional and international forums, especially the United Nations.

All of these demonstrate the trust in and respect for Vietnam from other countries, he noted, expressing his belief that it will continue obtaining more successes in leadership positions in the region and the world.

Speaking highly of Vietnam’s unceasingly growing role in the international arena, Canadian Ambassador Shawn Steil held that a contribution to this is the country’s economic growth, which is among the fastest in the region and maybe in the world.

The diplomat said Vietnam will soon become not only a base of manufacturing but also one of innovations, and that consumers will not only buy made-in-Vietnam products but also invented-in-Vietnam ones.

The future of Vietnam is bright, and it is increasingly showing its leadership role in the region and the world. To a partner like Canada, what Vietnam can do is unlimited, according to Steil.

Meanwhile, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Tamesis affirmed the UN believes that to Vietnam, challenges can turn into opportunities to shift to a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient socio-economic development model in which no one is left behind.

Appreciating the Vietnamese Government’s commitments and actions to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam Ramla Khalidi said the country has made commitments towards sustainable development.

Such factors as the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, and some other crises have increased challenges to the realisation of the SDGs, yet Vietnam has made impressive progress towards many goals.

It has ranked 51st among 165 countries in terms of the SDG Index. Substantial strides have also been made in five of the 17 SDGs, including education, poverty reduction, and access to clean water, she elaborated.

Khalidi considered Vietnam as a model of poverty reduction carried out in a particularly short period of time, adding she thinks that many countries will look at Vietnam to learn those lessons.

She offered congratulations and voiced her hope that the UNDP will keep working with the Vietnamese Government in resolving the remaining challenges of the SDGs and new challenges in the 21st century.

Vietnamese team claim four medals at Int’l Informatics Olympiad

All four local contestants who participated in the 35th International Olympiad in Informatics in 2023 (IOI 2023) held in Szeged, Hungary, picked up medals, the Ministry of Education and Training said on September 2.

Nguyen Ngoc Dang Khoa, a 11th grader at the HUS High School for Gifted Students, Vietnam National University, claimed a gold medal at the competition.

Elsewhere, Tran Xuan Bach and Nguyen Quang Minh, both of whom are 12th grade students from HUS High School for Gifted Students, Vietnam National University, bagged silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The remaining silver medalist was Nguyen Duc Thang, a 11th grade student from the northern province of Phu Tho’s Hung Vuong High School for Gifted Students.

This year has seen IOI 2023 attract the participation of 351 contestants from 89 countries and territories globally, with the competition presenting 30 gold, 58 silver, and 90 bronze medals.

With a 100% medal-winning rate, the Vietnamese national team ranked ninth in terms of the overall medal table, after China, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Israel.

Vietnam highlighted as an increasingly important partner of int’l community

On the occasion of the 78th National Day of Vietnam, foreign ambassadors and chief representatives of international organisations have extended their congratulations for the nation’s major achievements, affirming that the country has been establishing itself as an increasingly important partner of the international community when dealing with global common challenges.      

Offering his best wishes to the leaders and people of Vietnam on National Day on September 2, Singaporean Ambassador Jaya Ratnam said the nation is highly valued by the world for its strong principles and a high sense of international responsibility, winning the trust and recognition of the wider international community.

The country’s global stature is reflected through its numerous positions and roles it has been holding at regional and international forums, especially the UN.

All of these factors demonstrate the trust in and respect for Vietnam from other countries, he noted, expressing his belief that it will continue recording more successes in leadership positions in the region and throughout the world.  

Speaking highly of the nation’s unceasingly growing role within the international arena, Canadian Ambassador Shawn Steil stated that a contribution to this is the country’s economic growth, which is among the fastest in the region and among the most dynamic in the world.

The diplomat said the country will soon become not only a base of manufacturing, but also one of innovations, meaning that consumers will not only buy made-in-Vietnam products, but also invented-in-Vietnam ones too.

The future of is therefore bright and the nation is increasingly showing its leadership role in the region and the world. To a partner like Canada, what Vietnam can do is unlimited, according to Ambbassador Steil.

Meanwhile, Pauline Tamesis, resident coordinator of the UN in Vietnam, affirmed the UN believes that Vietnamese challenges can turn into opportunities as it shifts to a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient socio-economic development model in which no one is left behind.

Appreciating the Vietnamese Government’s commitments and actions to materialise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ramla Khalidi, resident representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, said the country has made commitments towards sustainable development.

Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine, and some other crises have increased challenges to the realisation of the SDGs, yet Vietnam has made impressive progress towards achieving many goals.

It ranks 51st among 165 countries in terms of the SDG Index. Substantial strides have also been made in five of the 17 SDGs, including education, poverty reduction, and access to clean water, she stated.

Khalidi views Vietnam as a model of poverty reduction, with policies carried out in a particularly short period of time, adding that she thinks that many countries will look towards Vietnam for future lessons.

She sent congratulations and expressed her hope that the UNDP will keep working with the Vietnamese Government in resolving the remaining challenges of the SDGs and new challenges in the 21st century.

President HCM memorial area a place to nurture traditional Vietnam - Laos friendship

The President Ho Chi Minh memorial area located in Xiengvang village of Noongbok district in Khammuane province is a co-operative project between the two Parties, States, and people of Vietnam and Laos to mark the activities of President Ho Chi Minh. 
      
Today, the memorial area serves not only as a symbol, but also a place to educate the tradition of solidarity and friendship that exists between both nations for future generations.  

Located next to the poetic and peaceful Mekong River, the President Ho Chi Minh memorial area is known as the place where Uncle Ho became involved in revolutionary activities more than 90 years ago.

According to the elders here, during the time President Ho Chi Minh was in Thailand in 1928, he took a boat across the Mekong River to Khammuane province of Laos many times to meet and talk with Vietnamese and Laotian people residing in Xiengvang village.

As a generation of Vietnamese people born and raised in Xiengvang village, Le Thi Ha said, grandparents and parents often remind the children and grandchildren in the family to preserve the cultural beauty, voice, and Vietnamese national identity.

Xiengvang village has 157 households with a population exceeding 900 people, including many generations of Lao-Vietnamese blood. Vietnamese people here live in harmony, solidarity, and have made many contributions to local development, ranging from building offices to schools and roads.

Outhon Thavinolachak, vice chairman of Noongbok district said, the memorial area has become a familiar place for Vietnamese and Laotians to regularly visit and express their gratitude towards Uncle Ho - a great friend of the country and people of Laos.

In order to express gratitude and acknowledge President Ho Chi Minh's great contributions, the Party, Government, and people of Vietnam and Laos have invested in building a memorial area for President Ho Chi Minh on an area covering over 1.5 hectares, including many items such as a house displaying documents and images of Uncle Ho, an ornamental garden, and a fish pond.

Phaymany Phommasan, deputy chief of Office of Khammuane province and head of the Management Board of President Ho Chi Minh memorial area, said that the area also displays plenty of images showcasing documents, books and, newspapers written about President Ho Chi Minh, with these being alongside pictures of visits and working sessions of senior leaders of the two countries.

"The Management Board always tries to promote the role and value of the memorial area to become a widely known place. We regularly organize fact-finding tours for officials and students and domestic and foreign tourists to help them get a better understanding about the ideology, ethics and style of President Ho Chi Minh," Phommasan said.

Today, the memorial area is not only a vivid symbol of joint solidarity, but is also a way to propagate and educate descendants about the relationship, great friendship, special solidarity, and unwavering loyalty between the two peoples and two countries which were nurtured President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane, President Souphanouvong, and generations of leaders and people of the two countries.

Đồng Nai Province boosts 'Vietnamese use Vietnamese goods' movement

Over the years, Đồng Nai Province has carried out various activities to promote local products to boost the movement of "Vietnamese use Vietnamese goods".

The province is now implementing a photo contest titled "I believe in using Vietnamese goods" to spread the spirit of using Vietnamese goods in the community.

Active involvement in the "Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods" campaign is essential for businesses to develop the domestic market and win consumer trust.

Chairman of the provincial Standards and Consumers' Association Phạm Gia Hải said that in recent years, many communication activities about Vietnamese goods have been strongly implemented by local departments, associations and units, focusing on such topics as green consumption trends, consumer tastes in the digital age, to encourage and spread green and sustainable production models  in the province.

According to Ngô Thanh Long, a representative of Anna Dragon Fruit Wine Production Facility in Thống Nhất District, the establishment has regularly promoted product introduction on online platforms, social media and websites. Those activities contribute to bringing local products closer to consumers inside and outside the province.

In addition to the usual forms of promotion on the media, the the photo contest about Vietnamese goods has brought resonance by spreading images that bring Vietnamese goods closer to consumers, the provincial People Committee said.

Đồng Nai Trade Promotion Centre (under the Department of Industry and Trade) is also coordinating with relevant localities to open two more sales points under the name of "Proud Vietnamese Goods" in Long Khánh City and Nhơn Trạch District.

Deputy Director of Đồng Nai Trade Promotion Centre Nguyễn Văn Lĩnh affirmed that these sales points contributed to bringing Vietnamese goods closer to consumers, especially in remote areas in the province.

Up to now, the province has developed 34 "Proud Vietnamese Goods" sales points.

HCM City to boost public spending for rest of 2023

HCM City is taking proactive steps to speed up public spending in order to achieve its growth targets for the year, said a city official.

Speaking at a meeting on its socio-economic performance in the first eight months on Wednesday, Phan Văn Mãi, chairman of the People’s Committee, said the city aims to disburse 95 per cent of approved public investment capital by the end of 2023.

However it has only disbursed 28 per cent of the full-year target as of the end of August, resulting in delays in major infrastructure projects, he said.

To achieve its public spending, the city plans to enhance public services, streamline administrative reform, control inflation, and stabilise the macro-economy.

It will also address any obstacles related to investment procedures to attract more investment into the city.

The city will focus on developing high-quality human resources and promoting digital transformation to foster digital governance, a digital economy, and a smart city.

It will continue to create the most favourable conditions for business activities, according to M￣i.

It will also review and adjust its general planning, including land use plans until 2040, as well as land prices, housing development plans, and the development and management of social housing until 2030.

Experts have warned that the city is not immune to external factors and will continue to face challenges posed by the global economic slowdown throughout the remainder of the year.

"Despite the challenges, the city remains determined to achieve its growth target of 7.5 per cent for 2023," Mãi said.

The city is implementing a National Assembly resolution that will grant it increased autonomy, effective from August 1, aiming to empower the city to address the persistent challenges it faces, according to M￣i.

Speaking at the event, Lê Thi Huỳnh Mai, director of the Department of Planning and Investment, said in August, the industrial production index (IIP) rose by 6.6 per cent. The volume of public passenger transport increased by 12.1 per cent to around 34.7 million passengers.

There were 25,523 new businesses established in August, up 11.3 per cent. The city’s exports also rose by 7.3 per cent.

In the first eight months, the IIP increased by 2.8 per cent year-on-year, with average growth of 6 per cent in key industries.

Total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue were up by 7.6 per cent. The city’s total tourism revenue increased by 44 per cent year-on-year.

However, exports decreased by 15.3 per cent, and the registered capital of newly established businesses decreased by 12.4 per cent.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction reached US$1.96 billion in the period, down 27 per cent year-on-year.

According to a report from the city’s General Statistics Office, food prices in the city have increased by 22 per cent, household appliances and equipment by 18 per cent, and educational materials by 25 per cent in the period.

Gasoline and oil prices have surged by 39 per cent, gemstones and metals by 53 per cent, and engine repair costs by 36 per cent, it said. 

Ninh Thuận Province goes full steam ahead with organic agriculture

Ninh Thuận Province is expanding organic farming of some key agricultural products and establishing linkages between various stakeholders to improve efficiency.

The south-central province will focus on rice, cashew, fruits, vegetables, sugarcane, asparagus, aloe vera, medicinal plants, goats, sheep, poultry, fish, shrimp, bivalve mollusks and seaweeds, according to its Agriculture and Rural Development.

Trương Khắc Trí, deputy director of the department, said the province is prioritising concentrated organic farming areas depending on weather and soil.

It would establish farming areas for indigenous products with the potential to obtain geographic indications and for organic farming, he said.

It plans to develop organic farming of crops on more than 5,000ha and aquatic species on 25ha by 2025, he added.

Lê Huyền, deputy director of the provincial People’s Committee, said advocacy would be strengthened to enhance public awareness of organic products and their importance.

Linkages would be developed among various stakeholders to create organic value chains, he added.

Ninh Thuận has used ineffective rice fields and orchards for growing plants and high-value fruits with the use of advanced farming techniques.

The country’s largest grape producer is expanding the cultivation of new and high-quality varieties such as NH01-152 pink grape, NH04-102 black finger grape and Mẫu Đơn.

Trần Thị Thu Hạnh was one of the first farmers in Ninh Sơn District’s Nhơn Sơn Commune to grow NH01-152 pink grape in a polygreen house to Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) standards.

Grapes planted in polygreen houses are safe from the impacts of rain, wind, dew, and diseases, she said.

It has an annual yield of 1.2-1.5 tonnes per 1,000 square metres, she said.

With its outstanding colour and quality, it fetches VNĐ120,000-140,000 (US$5-6) per kilogramme in the market, two or three times the price of traditional varieties, she said.

She is expanding the cultivation of NH01-152 and other new grape varieties, she added.

Farmers growing new grape varieties in polygreen houses to VietGAP standards earn VNĐ1-1.2 billion ($42,000-50,000) per hectare per year.

The province is expanding the cultivation of nine new table and wine grape varieties to diversify produce and compete with imported grapes.

To increase value, more and more farmers are switching to crops that suit local conditions and help save water and adapt to climate change.

In winter-spring 2022-23, nearly 405ha of lands where rice and other crops were grown were converted and other high-value crops were grown in their place.

It has encouraged farmers to increase the use of efficient irrigation to cope with drought and now has more than 1,770ha of plant growing areas equipped with such equipment.

The cultivation of other crops on erstwhile rice fields has reduced the use of water by 25-30 per cent, according to the department.

The income from growing jujube and grapes is 15.6 times and 16.8 times higher than growing two rice crops a year, while green bean, sesame and corn fetch 1.4-5.2 times the income, it said.

The province is developing linkages in agriculture by establishing co-operatives and co-operative groups and tie-ups between them and companies.

Participating farmers enjoy steady prices and demand and 15-20 per cent higher incomes.

It has 35 such models for rice, corn, asparagus, grape, and vegetable farming.

It has developed a similar number of large-scale rice fields with a total of 4,719ha by pooling small farmers’ lands.

Đặng Kim Cương, director of the department, said the province is restructuring farming to adapt it to climate change and increase added value, mobilising investment in agriculture, zoning concentrated growing areas, and developing linkages between various stakeholders.

The country’s driest province plans to restructure around 3,200ha of farmlands, including 1,525ha of rice, by 2025.

It will prioritise for drought-resistant plants with high economic value such as grape, jujube, asparagus, corn, green bean, grapefruit, banana, durian, and mango.

This year, it is spending VNĐ21 billion ($870,000) on the national new-style rural area programme, focusing on concentrated farming, high-quality agricultural produce and the use of VietGAP and organic standards.

It will create favourable conditions for investments in hi-tech agriculture and develop farm-based tourism.

It aims to develop at least four hi-tech agriculture areas spreading over 1,000ha by 2025.

New film features Southern history, culture

The post production of Đất Rừng Phương Nam (Song of the South), a film on southern history and culture by blockbuster director Nguyễn Quang Dũng, is scheduled to be completed this month.

Fans are waiting to see the film premiere in HCM City on October 20.

Đất Rừng Phương Nam features southerners, their history, culture and lifestyle.

It tells the adventures of a boy named An, who loses his family in a battle and lives in the southwestern region under French colonialism.

He learns new things with the help of poor farmers and children, and travels around the region and witnesses the suffering of peasants during the colonial era.

He joins the Việt Minh (the Independence for Việt Nam League) guerrillas to fight against the French.

The producer, HK Film, and its partners spent VNĐ40 billion (US$1.7 million) on production.

“I spent five years to prepare my biggest film project Đất Rừng Phương Nam,” said the film’s director Dũng, who has 25 years in the industry.

Dũng and his staff, including director of photography Diệp Thế Vinh and music producer Đức Trí, are working on the final steps in post-production.

The film Đất Rừng Phương Nam is based on the famous novel of the same name by author Đoàn Giỏi, winner of the State Awards for Literature and Arts in 2001. The book was released by the Kim Đồng Publishing House in Hà Nội in 1958.

The 255-page work is a song in praise of southern people, their history and culture. It provides readers, particularly children, with new ideas about the nature, animals, rivers, plants and people of the south.

The book has been printed in dozens of languages, such as English, Russian, Chinese, Spanish and Polish. Its chapter titled Sông Nước Cà Mau (Rivers of Cà Mau) has been used in textbooks for secondary students.

In 1997, the work was adapted into an 11-part TV series called Đất Phương Nam (The Southern Land) by director Nguyễn Vinh Sơn.

Sơn's work won the prize for the Year’s Best TV Series at the 1997 National Film Festival presented by the Việt Nam Cinematography Association (VCA).

It was subtitled in English and has been distributed in the US, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

“I hope my new version of Đất Rừng Phương Nam will meet the demands of moviegoers, especially author Giỏi’s readers, who are of all ages and backgrounds,” said Dũng in an interview with local media before filming.

Dũng chose movie star Hồng Ánh for the lead role, mother of An, to guarantee the film’s success.

In the film Đất Rừng Phương Nam, Ánh worked hard to make her role realistic.

Ánh began her movie career in 1995. She was trained at the Dance School of HCM City. She received a BA in screenplay writing at the University of Theatre and Cinematography.

She won several top prizes at Vietnamese and international film festivals, including the Golden Sky for Best Movie Actress by the VCA in 2000 and 2007, and Best Actress award at the fifth Dubai International Film Festival in 2008.

She represented Việt Nam at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, 2011 and 2013.

In 2017, she released her debut feature film as a director in The Way Station, a production about love adapted from Đỗ Phước Tiến’s story titled Đảo Của Dân Ngụ Cư (The Island of Aliens). The book was translated into French and English in 1992.

The Way Station won the Best Film, Best Actor and Best Director of Photography award at the ASEAN International Film Festival & Awards (AIFFA) 2017 held in Malaysia.

It also won the Best Story award at the 58th Asia Pacific Film Festival in Taipei in 2018. Actress Ngọc Thanh Tâm of HCM City, who plays the lead role in the film, brought home the Special Jury Award for Best Actress.

“I think a talent for acting, a love for the profession and a kind heart make an excellent actor,” said Ánh, who owns Blue Productions, a film studio targeting young directors, in HCM City.

Ánh was invited to be a juror at the 6th ASEAN International Films Festival (AIFFA) in Sarawak, Malaysia from August 2 to 4.

Others in the jury panel include Malaysians U-Wei Bin Haji Saari and Effendee Mazlan, Ihsan Nurullah Kabil of Turkey, and Indonesian Viva Westi.

AIFFA was established in 2013 for ASEAN directors, cinematographers, actors and fans to converge to celebrate excellent movies from the region. 

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