Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc orders faster introduction of automated toll collections on BOT highways

 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 25 called for the faster installation of automated non-stop toll booths on build-operate-transfer (BOT) highways, with a deadline of December 31.

The direction was made when Phuc chaired a meeting of permanent government members to discuss ways to remove bottlenecks in BOT highway projects, including matters relating to non-stop toll collections.

He said the automated non-stop toll booths will ensure that toll collections are transparent and well-managed, while urging the Ministry of Transport to hasten the installation of these booths nationwide.

He thanked several investors for demonstrating their determination to fulfil the project by working “day and night” to keep up with the schedule.

BOT highway operators must coordinate with automated toll collection service providers to facilitate the faster installation, he continued. For highways that don’t meet the December 31 deadline, the Ministry of Transport has the right to suspend toll collections, in line with regulations.

The PM also tasked the ministry with accelerating communications campaigns to raise awareness about automated toll booths among the public, especially car owners.

He noted that the ministry must cooperate with the Ministry of Public Security and local authorities to ensure security and order and strictly handle those violating security at toll booths.

The number of cars in Vietnam is estimated to be in excess of 3.8 million and is rising by half a million each year.

Concert to raise funds for flood victims in central region

Vietnamese-American pop star Thu Phương and dozens of singers, musicians and composers will take part in a charity concert called Gánh Nhau Trong Đời (Sharing) to raise funds for people living in the flood-hit provinces of Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên Huế and Quảng Nam. The two-hour event will begin on Friday, November 27. Photo courtesy of the producer

 

Vietnamese-American pop stars Thu Phương and Quang Lê will perform in a concert in HCM City today to raise funds to support  flood victims in the central provinces of Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên Huế and Quảng Nam.

The singers will be featured with saxophonists Trần Mạnh Tuấn and An Trần. 

Meritorious Artist and zither player Hải Phượng, who has 30 years in đàn tranh (16-chord zither), will also be included. She has performed in Japan, South Korea, the US and Germany, and is a lecturer at the HCM City Music Conservatory.

Phượng will play with singers Phương Anh and Ngọc Mai. 

The artists will perform contemporary folk songs in praise of life, love and peace. 

“All of the concert’s artists will perform for free. They hope their art will encourage flood victims, particularly children and students who have faced challenges to continue their study after floods,” said the concert’s art director Vũ Thành Vinh. 

“People are encouraged to send their donations to the organisers during the concert.”

More than 1,000 tickets worth VNĐ300 million (US$12,000) were sold, according to Vinh. 

Severe storms and floods in the central region destroyed infrastructure in many localities and left a great number of households in extreme poverty and poor health. 

There are 1.9 million people in 500,000 poor households who are unable to work and lift themselves out of poverty nationwide. 

Many people nationwide have offered support to flood victims. Their hearts have been touched by the plight of thousands of their compatriots.

The two-hour concert, Gánh Nhau Trong Đời (Sharing), will begin at 8pm at the Adora Centre on 431 Hoàng Văn Thụ Street in Tân Bình District today. 

Ten imported cases of COVID-19 reported on November 26

Ten new cases of COVID-19 were detected among those who returned from other countries and are being quarantined in Ho Chi Minh City, on November 26, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The new imported cases brought the national count to 1,331 as of 6pm on November 26.

All the newly-detected patients are Vietnamese citizens. Eight of them returned from Russia on flight VN5062 which landed in Cam Ranh airport (Khanh Hoa province) on November 11. They were found positive for SARS-CoV-2 after their second test in quarantine.

The other two patients returned from France on flight VN5010 which landed in Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh City) also on November 11.

The same day, 13 COVID-19 patients were given the all-clear, raising the total number of recovered patients to 1,166. The number of fatalities remains at 35.

Among patients still under treatment, eight have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 13 twice and 13 thrice.

Meanwhile, 16,210 people are under health monitoring, with 202 at hospitals, 15,051 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 957 at home or their accommodations./.

AICHR convenes second Special Meeting this year

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened its second Special Meeting via video conference from November 23 to 25, the last official meeting chaired by Vietnam in its capacity as AICHR Chair 2020.

The meeting brought together representatives of the AICHR from ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat to review cooperation between stakeholders and results in 2020, while also discussing plans for 2021 and preparations for a meeting between the AICHIR and partners.

The meeting reviewed eight concept papers on activities being implemented in the 2019-2021 period, 19 priority activities for 2014-2020, and seven AICHR regional studies. Member states greatly appreciate the AICHR’s concerted efforts during COVID-19 to maintain cooperation and implement priorities to further promote and protect human rights in the region and effectively respond to the complex and multidimensional impacts of the pandemic.

Representatives exchanged views and agreed on the content of the Guidelines on the AICHR’s External Relations, which is fundamental to fostering consultation and cooperation between the commission and its partners and guarantees the principles of consensus and ASEAN’s centrality in such matters.

In her remarks as Chair of AICHR 2020, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thai Yen Huong underscored the importance of the implementation of agendas and cooperation on the promotion and protection of human rights within ASEAN.

She welcomed active coordination between member states in drafting and adopting the AICHR Five Year Work Plan 2021-2025, AICHR Priority Programmes and Activities 2021, and Guidelines on the AICHR’s External Relations.

Vietnam, as Chair of AICHR and ASEAN at large this year, has coordinated with other member states to strengthen the region’s cohesiveness and responsiveness to the impact of COVID-19 and accelerate progress of the AICHR’s regional cooperation in human rights, contributing to the ASEAN Community’s joint efforts, Huong said.

Representatives from ASEAN member states also spoke highly of Vietnam’s role as ASEAN Chair 2020 in leading the AICHR during a time of hardship. They pledged to further step up the AICHR’s cooperation with regional and international human rights mechanisms.

They moved on to highlight the relevance of this year’s ASEAN Chairmanship theme of “Cohesive and Responsive”, which was dedicated to maintaining the grouping’s solidarity, unity, and partnership and effectively responding to the impacts of COVID-19 in the areas of economy, and social welfare and human rights, particularly of vulnerable groups, like women, children and people with disabilities.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the AICHR held online meetings with representatives from the UN, the EU, Switzerland, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, to exchange experience in issues of mutual interest, such as humanitarian assistance, the promotion of gender equality, the protection of the rights of women, children, migrant workers and vulnerable groups, and the incorporation of human rights and the environment, particularly in disasters and pandemics.

The meeting saw Vietnam officially hand over the AICHR Chairmanship to Brunei for 2021./.

Vietnamese Ambassador congratulates Laos on 45th National Day

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Ba Hung on November 26 visited the offices of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations and the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pass on his congratulations on the 45th National Day of Laos (December 2, 1975 - 2020).

Hung said the birth of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is historically significant to not only the people of Laos but also those of Vietnam.

Under the LPRP’s leadership, the country has seen remarkable and comprehensive achievements, with improved living standards and an increasingly heightened position on the regional and global stage over the last 45 years, he said.

The ambassador also expressed his delight at the strong development of relations between the two Parties, States, and people of Vietnam and Laos over recent years despite the challenges, even the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he is confident that the LPRP’s upcoming 11th National Congress will be a great success for the party to continue guiding the Lao people towards greater future achievements.

Vietnam will do its utmost to constantly strengthen the special relationship between the two countries, making it even stronger and more effective in the future, Hung stressed.

Head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, Sounthone Sayachak, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumsay Kommasith thanked Hung for his gesture, saying the achievements of the Party and the people of Laos could not have been made without the help of Vietnam.

Sayachak, for her part, highlighted Vietnam-Laos relations over the last 45 years, saying the two countries have stood side-by-side to support each other’s development and response to COVID-19.

The two officials took this occasion to thank the Vietnamese Party and people for their valuable, timely, effective and wholehearted support and assistance over the past 45 years./.

HCMC to restrict new housing projects in city center

HCMC will limit the construction of new high-rise apartment building projects in districts 1 and 3 in the city center until 2025 to allow for the city to map out plans for the development of technical and social infrastructure, which have become overloaded, according to the municipal Department of Construction.

In its report on a project called “Building a program for housing development in HCMC in the 2021-2030 period” sent to the HCMC government, the department stated that technical infrastructure facilities in many parts of the city have yet to be upgraded, leading to an overloaded system.

Meanwhile, the number of houses built by residents is large, resulting in an increasing demand for the use of infrastructure. As such, the city will restrict the development of new housing projects in downtown HCMC and encourage firms to develop housing projects in sync with the technical and social infrastructure.

In the next five years, districts 4, 5, 6, 11 and Phu Nhuan, which have seen a declining population over the past 10 years, will limit new housing and high-rise apartment building projects until the technical and social infrastructure are developed.

Meanwhile, new housing and multistory condo projects will be prioritized in districts 2, 7, 9, 12, Thu Duc and Binh Tan, especially along public transport routes, such as the city’s first metro line.

As for five outlying districts—Cu Chi, Hoc Moc, Binh Chanh, Nha Be and Can Gio—the city will prioritize developing housing projects in towns, rural areas and residential areas connecting with major roads. In addition, tourist sites, resorts, new urban areas and satellite urban areas will be facilitated for development.

Many residents had earlier thrown their support behind the plan as it is expected to help the city ease traffic jams and address the floods mainly caused by overloaded infrastructure.

11 schools in Vietnam rank best facilities in QS Asia University Rankings 2021

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a well-known UK-based education organization, yesterday announced that eleven Vietnamese schools have made it into the global ranking of top 634 universities in the QS Asia University Rankings 2021.

Last year, eight Vietnamese schools were ranked in the QS Asia University Rankings. This year, three more schools were listed including Hanoi Pedagogy University, the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City and the University of Economy in HCMC.

Originally published in 2012, the QS Top 50 Under 50 allows some of the world's top young universities to shine and since 2015 has tripled its range to include the Next 100 Under 50.

The Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), the Vietnam National University - Hanoi, Ton Duc Thang University in HCMC, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Duy Tan University in Da Nang City, Hue University in Thua Thien – Hue Province in the Central region, Da Nang University, Can Tho University, Hanoi Pedagogy University, the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City and the University of Economy in HCMC are included in the "QS Top 500 2021" ranking.
Universities are ranked based on four indicators including Academic Reputation ( 30 percent), Employer Reputation (20 percent), Faculty/student ratio (10 percent), International research network (10 percent), Staff with a PhD ( 5 percent), Citations per paper (10 percent) and papers per faculty (5 percent), Proportion of international faculty (2.5 percent) and proportion of international students (2.5 percent), Proportion of inbound exchange students (2.5 percent) and proportion of outbound exchange students (2.5 percent). this year QS analyzed 22 million scientific publications and 200 million citations to give data for the rankings.

UN Security Council’s E10 – I5 Dialogue wraps up

The dialogue of the ten current non-permanent members (E10) and the five newly-elected non-permanent members (I5) of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), presided by Vietnam, successfully wrapped up on November 26.

The meeting, held both in-person and online, is the first international event chaired by the Southeast Asian country within the framework of the UNSC since its first stint in 2008-2009. Norway and South Africa co-organised the event together with Vietnam.

Themed “Joining Efforts for an Effective UNSC: Best Practices and Experiences for Elected Members”, the event focused on trends and challenges at the UNSC, and working method of the UNSC to promote experience sharing towards tighter cooperation between the E10 countries in the future.

Scholars, experts and the E10 and I5 countries said the UNSC is facing formidable non-traditional security challenges like climate change and terrorism, which have critical impacts on the global peace and security. Meanwhile, strategic competition among powerful nations has intensified, affecting the council’s consensus on several issues.

In this context, the E10 countries play a more important role in reducing difference within the UNSC, particularly the five permanent members of China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.

At the event, the I5 countries shared their initiatives and priorities when they enter new UNSC new tenure in 2021.

Participants also shared assessments and views on international situation, forecast complicated issues and potential emerging hotspots, and recommended measures to improve operation efficiency of the UNSC and the role of the E10 nations./.

Vietnam determined to stop overuse, misuse of antibiotics

Coming together for the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, the Ministry of Health , the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with the World Health Organization in Vietnam and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations today organized a meeting themed “Appropriate use of existing and future antibiotics for our future”. 

The culprits of antibiotic-resistance are that sales of drug without doctors’ supervision and rampant overuse. Worse, anyone can buy medicine including antibiotics from pharmacies easily for self-medication without physicians’ prescription.

Within the past few years, the number of antibiotics sold in the community in Vietnam has doubled; 80 percent of that was sold to city dwellers in big cities while the rate in rural districts up to 90 percent.
Rampant misuse of antibiotics are also sên in farms and agriculture contributing to crisis of antibiotics overuse to human.

Therefore, Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan said that the health sector and related state agencies should work closely and determinedly to stop misuse of antibiotics at hospitals, farms and households.

The Ministry will soon issue guidelines on management of antibiotics as well as re-check the number of antibiotic-resistant infections and consumption of the drug to adopt policies to tackle antimicrobial resistance, he said.

Engaging men in preventing violence against women, children

The White Ribbon Breakfast was held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 24 to encourage the participation of men and the community as a whole in preventing violence and sexual harassment against women and children, particularly in the context of COVID-19.

The breakfast was co-organised by the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Tourism of HCM City, UN Women, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in response to the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign and Vietnam’s action month for gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee of HCM City’s District 1 Mai Thi Hong Hoa called for greater engagement on the part of men to carry out measures ending gender-based violence, and affirmed that ensuring the safety of women and girls is important in building an equal and civilised society.

She said that images of doctors, armed forces, flight crews, volunteers, and service providers on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 are valuable for communications campaigns, since they show both men and women providing a safe and friendly city for women and children.

Meanwhile, Elisa Fernandez Saenz, Country Representative of UN Women in Vietnam, stressed that men are the important agent for ending violence against women and girls.

She suggested communications campaigns focus on changing deep-rooted gender prejudice by encouraging men to help women with the housework and child care and to develop a respectful and non-violent relationship with women.

Similarly, Nguyen Nguyet Minh, Officer-in-Charge at UNODC, also emphasised the role of men, particularly those working in law enforcement and judicial agencies, in ensuring safety and justice for victims of violence.

She said that UNODC stands ready to support HCM City in developing solutions and initiatives to end violence against women and girls.

According to a national survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the General Statistics Office, and the UN Population Fund, 63 percent of married Vietnamese women have experienced one or more forms of physical, sexual, emotional, or economic violence and controlling behaviour by their husbands.

UN Women said that violence against women and girls in the world has spiked by 30-300 percent since the outbreak of COVID-19.

Most victims of domestic violence do not report it to authorities, since they believe help will not be forthcoming.
Based on a vision that “All women live in safety free from all forms of men’s violence”, the White Ribbon Campaign originated in Australia in 2003 as part of UNIFEM (now UN Women). Since then, the campaign has positively engaged men as part of the policy advocacy process to end violence against women and girls. The campaign starts from the International Day of the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25) and finishes on Human Rights Day (December 10)./.

More support for localities hit by storms, floods

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to provide additional 670 billion VND (29 million USD) from the central budget reserves for nine central and Central Highlands provinces to address consequences of recent storms and floods.

Accordingly, Quang Ngai province will receive 150 billion VND, Quang Nam 130 billion VND, Binh Dinh and Quang Tri 70 billion VND each, and Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue and Kon Tum 50 billion VND each.

The money will be used to assist search and rescue missions; families which report their members dead or missing or their houses damaged; evacuate locals; support agricultural production; and repair infrastructure.

The Vietnam Red Cross Society Central Committee announced on November 25 that it had received 100,000 USD from Lee’s Sandwiches, a US-based chain of fast-food restaurants selling Vietnamese food, to support disaster-affected people in the central region.

On the day, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) – Hanoi chapter also received over 13 billion USD from 21 units, offices, businesses and individuals.

Since October 13, it has received a total of 109.3 billion VND in support for localities hit by storms and floods.

Meanwhile, as of November 25, the VFF – Tien Giang raised a total of 14.3 billion VND.

More railway tickets available for Tet

Saigon Railway Station released additional tickets for the Lunar New Year holiday period on November 25.

Vietnam Railways started selling up to 30,000 tickets for the Tet holiday on all channels for trains that run from February 3 to 10 and from February 15 to 21. Additional tickets will be offered for trains on HCM City-Hanoi and HCM City-Vinh routes. However, not many people went to the station to buy tickets. The waiting area is nearly empty.

Quang Huy, an office employee in District 3 said he went to buy a ticket to Vinh during lunch.

"I didn't know more Tet tickets had been released for sale. I just thought that I'll buy the tickets as early as possible to avoid overcrowding and potentially missing out. People can buy tickets online now so they don't have to queue at the station anymore," he said.

Vietnam Railways report they still have 82,000 tickets for Tet left.

The first round of selling Tet tickets on October 1 also didn't see many passengers at the station.

The HCM City Railway Transport Branch said they would lower ticket prices for many routes including HCM City-Quang Ngai, HCM City-Quy Nhon, HCM City-Nha Trang, and HCM City-Phan Thiet, especially for group buyers.

A group of 5-10 members will be given a discount of 7%, a group of 11-42 members will be given a 9% discount and a group of over 101 members will be given 15% discount.

Saigon Railway Transport JSC announced that they will give a 5% discount for return tickets on several destinations.

Online channels proved useful in resolving local complaints

Interactive channels on the internet are showing their advantages for having a wide reach and short processing time which have helped localities deal with complaints from citizens more efficiently. 

Many districts in Ho Chi Minh City in recent years have created official pages on social media and built online applications to better interact with the people.

A woman at Ward 8, Phu Nhuan District expressed satisfaction when her photographic report of an illegal garbage dumping site was resolved after just two hours of her posting about it on the ward’s local app.

Previously in District 9, a construction project owner barricaded an entrance to a residential area due to security concerns, forcing people to take the long way around. After citizens filed complaints to the district’s official Zalo account, local officials promptly reached an agreement with the owners and have the path opened up again.

Meanwhile, the District 12 official fanpage currently has more than 32,000 followers, 520,000 visitors, and 60,000 interactions per month. The district through this channel resolved 1,502 out of 1,583 reports from people within the first 10 months of 2020.

The Chairman of District 12 People’s Committee said they took advantage of existing platforms that people already frequent instead of building independent apps, hence their initial success in resolving complaints.

Reality has shown that most public disturbance reported throughout the year have not been resolved in a satisfactory manner, especially ones related to pollution or land ownership. “There is nothing that people want more than being heard carefully”, he said.

Nguyen Thi Huong Hiep, Secretary of the Party Committee in Phu Huu Ward, District 9 said that she personally manages the ward’s social media account to achieve timely response and resolution to people’s complaints.

Previously, hospital goers wanting to voice their gripe had to contact a call center or fill in a complaint form. Now, they only need to push buttons at customer feedback kiosks in the hallway.

Their comments are then immediately sent to the hospital’s board of directors or responsible departments, and recorded at the Department of Health.

The kiosk system after more than 3 years of implementation has helped hospitals improve service quality immensely. Many major hospitals since then have built their own apps to receive patient records and speed up the waiting list.

Experts stated that online channels benefit greatly in terms of encouraging interactions thanks to transmission through images. They also prompt local officials to attempt to resolve complaints in a timelier fashion.

In addition to online channels and electronic devices, many localities still hold face-to-face meetings to gather people’s opinions.

Coastal erosion prevention an urgent task: NA Chairwoman

National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on November 25 emphasised the urgent need to prevent and control riverbank and coastal erosion with the joint involvement of ministries, sectors, local authorities, organisations, businesses and people.

During her trip to the southernmost province of Ca Mau to inspect the coastal erosion situation in the area of alluvial embankment in Ngoc Hien district’s Dat Mui commune, the top legislator said landslides have resulted in the loss of critical protection forests due to adverse impacts from waves and high tide.

She underlined the importance of raising public awareness on the work, as well as promptly building relevant database and tightening the management of activities in riverside and coastal areas that increase the risk of landslides.

NA Chairwoman Ngan asked local authorities to modernise the monitoring work, continue to build projects to prevent and overcome consequences of landslides, and promote the application of science and technology in the erosion prevention work.

On the same day afternoon, the leader visited several economic establishments in the locality, asked local authorities to create favourable conditions for farmers and businesses to promote their aquaculture activities and aquatic product processing. The NA will consider adjusting the legal provisions to suit the local practical situation, she affirmed./.

Ho Chi Minh City to intensify truck load inspection

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport (DOT) assigned its Inspectors to work with the road, railway traffic police forces and relevant units to intensify inspection over truck load at weigh stations and use of portable vehicle weigh pads to strictly handle violations. 

In particular, the functional forces focus on inspection and handling of violations of vehicle load, truck body size at inland waterway ports, yards, parking stations and warehouses.

Besides, the ministry required the Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Board to strengthen propaganda campaign and popularize the regulations about vehicle load, damage caused by overloaded vehicles and administrative penalties on drivers and vehicle owners who break regulations on vehicle load.

Embassy in Japan assists Vietnamese citizens amid COVID-19

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam has affirmed that his embassy will work to offer repatriation chances for people with high risks of COVID-19 infection as well as those living in difficult circumstances.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Nam said that the pandemic has had huge impact on the Vietnamese community in Japan as most of them are working in Japan’s small- and medium-sized enterprises which are forced to scale down or even be disrupted.

The situation has led to a surge in the number of Vietnamese citizens wanting to come back home, he noted.

The embassy, therefore, has carried out a lot of measures to support them, he stated, adding that the top priority has been given to ensuring people’s health and encouraging them to strictly obey disease prevention and control measures.

According to him, to date about 10,000 out of 30,000 citizens who had registered to return home have been repatriated.

The embassy is working hard to assist people who are unemployed and have no accommodations by coordinating with charitable organisations in arranging free accommodations for them.

It will try to repatriate all unemployed workers by the lunar New Year, affirmed Nam.

Photos depict cultural diversity of Vietnam

The exhibition of the Vietnam Photo Expression 2020 is underway at the TOONG co-working space in Hanoi

 

The awards ceremony and exhibition of the Vietnam Photo Expression 2020 were held in Hanoi on November 25, with 28 photos showing the cultural diversity across Vietnam on display.

Pham Thi Thanh Huong, chief of the culture unit at the UNESCO Hanoi Office, said after three months since the contest was launched, organisers have received more than 2,000 photos from 256 applicants in six countries.

Most of the entries have very high quality, reflecting the beauty of heritage and cultural landscapes, people-to-people connectivity, as well as the harmony between human and the nature, she said, noting that the contest aims to raise public awareness of cultural diversity which should be considered a type of resource for sustainable development.

The entries will help create a rich photo archive for UNESCO to introduce the values and beauty of the Vietnamese culture to international friends, she added.

German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner said the contest, themed “Showing we care, Sharing our vision on culture diversity”, is part of a Vietnamese cultural preservation project implemented by UNESCO, and it offers his country a chance to engage more in the preservation of cultural heritage in Vietnam.

He said the contest exceeded organisers’ expectation and that the more than 2,000 entries created a “kaleidoscope” of the cultural beauty and creativity in Vietnam.

At the event, the top three prizes were awarded to “Ban nghe” (Workmates) by Dinh Cong Tam, “Buc hoa ven bien” (Seaside picture) by Ngo Thi Thu Ba, and “Du lich sinh thai rung dua ngap man Bay Mau” (Bay Mau coconut forest) by Phan Vu Trong.

The 25 photos winning the consolation prize and advancing to the final round were also honoured at the event.

The exhibition of the Vietnam Photo Expression 2020 will last through December 2 at the TOONG co-working space at No 5 Dien Bien Phu street in Hanoi.

Most wards in HCMC exceed permissible limits on population

In its report about arrangement of administrative units at commune and district levels in the 2019-2021 period and establishment of Thu Duc District, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee said that most wards in the city do not meet the standards on natural area according to the National Assembly Standing Committee’s resolution 1211/2016 as they are thickly populated. 

In the report, city authorities pointed out typical factors that no more administrative units can be merged into nine wards after arrangement. Six of the nine wards have not met half of the standard on natural area while two of them are so heavily populated; therefore, they fail the population standard.

For instance, ward 13 of District 4 has just been merged from ward 12 and ward 13 but it has just met 15.4 percent of the standard whereas its population density is 123.5 percent. The two wards locate in the corridor of Saigon Port, share the same border and part of their area being planned for the city's 930 hectare downtown area. This will facilitate urban management and development as well as local dwellers’ activities.

The municipal People’s Committee also reported that that the establishment of Thu Duc City has satisfied 4 out of 5 criteria as per regulations.

Presently, the city's authorities is speeding up general planning to adjust the city’s design with the vision to 2030 and 2050. The design will be carried out simultaneously with the planning of eastern innovative city ( Thu Duc City) and the design of Thu Duc City will be part of the city’s general planning.

Ministry reviews implementation of global integration strategy on labour

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) held a workshop on November 24 to review the five-year implementation of a global integration strategy on labour and social affairs to 2020 with a vision until 2030.

In her remarks, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha underlined that the ministry has actively joined international conventions on labour, employment, people with disabilities, and women and children.

Vietnam is also party to multilateral trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and has bolstered its cooperation with traditional and possible future partners, strengthening friendship, understanding, and mutual trust and creating momentum for ongoing cooperation.

In the recent past, measures to support vulnerable groups have come in the form of knowledge and technology transfer, providing technical support in policy-making and in creating legal documents on the issue.

Amid new challenges in the modern era, Ha asked agencies of the labour, invalids and social affairs sector to continue to review, supplement, and adjust upcoming plans, for the smooth operations of international cooperation activities and integration.

The strategy focuses on completing institutions in labour, invalids, and social affairs; global integration in labour and employment, vocational training, and social welfare; and ASEAN integration in labour, invalids, and social affairs.

In the five-year period, the revised Labour Code was approved and fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), most notably Convention No 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining, were ratified./.

Winners of first Smart City Awards 2020 revealed

54 Smart City Awards 2020 were given to businesses, organisations and units in a ceremony in Hanoi on November 24. 

The award, organised for the first time by the IT Software and Services Association (VINASA), aming at encouraging businesses, organisations and units that have technological creativities associated with innovations of mechanism and policy helping cities develop sustainably and making cities smarter, more liveable, branded, and competitive as well as contribute to accelerating the digital transformation process.

The award ceremony is one of the activities of the 4th Smart City Summit 2020 opened in Hanoi on November 24. Attending the Summit were more than 1,000 delegates participating directly and online nationwide.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Nguyen Huy Dung said that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in June approved the National Digital Transformation Programme by 2025, with orientations toward 2030; and the sustainable smart city development plan for the 2018-2025 period and beyond towards 2030 with a view to improving the lives of city residents in August.

The national digital transformation program has a dual purpose of both developing digital government, digital economy, digital society and establishing Vietnamese digital businesses with global capacity.

Thais to get first COVID-19 vaccination shots by mid-2021

Thai people will get their first jabs of COVID-19 vaccine developed by the UK’s AstraZeneca and University of Oxford by mid-2021 at the earliest, said Nakhon Premsri, Director of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) of Thailand.

The Thai government is working with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford to jointly produce the vaccine at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant of Siam Bioscience Group near Bangkok. Siam Bioscience Group was selected by the UK-based pharmaceutical firm as its regional partner to produce the vaccine for the Southeast Asian region.

The plant can produce 15 million doses per month at full capacity.

Nakhon said he was confident that AstraZeneca will get vaccine approval soon from the UK’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as it has a high efficacy rate of 70 percent that is higher than the WHO's requirement of 50 percent.

With the raw materials directly shipped from the company, the vaccine will be produced made-to-order by the Thai Department of Disease Control (DDC).

The department said that it requires two million doses per month from the plant./

Seminar spotlights Vietnam - Cuba friendship, solidarity

A seminar highlighting Vietnam-Cuba relations was held in Hanoi on November 25 to mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (December 2, 1960 - 2020).

In his opening remarks, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) Duong Trung Y said the seminar will review outcomes and successes in cooperation between the two Parties, Governments, and peoples in politics, economy, and national defence.

The friendship and solidarity between the two sides have been developed by leaders and the peoples, in particular President Ho Chi Minh and Prime Minister Fidel Castro, he noted.

The Vietnam-Cuba traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation have been strengthened in all regards, the official added, noting that the countries have bolstered the exchange of delegations over recent years.

For her part, Cuban Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera said that Cuba and Vietnam, with a special relationship built on mutual trust, have maintained regular experience sharing on the “doi moi” (renewal) process and updates on socio-economic models.

She spoke highly of the HCMA for nurturing the country’s leaders and playing a significant role in promoting socio-economic growth and the creative application of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology that built upon Marxism-Leninism.

The academy has also hosted a number of symposiums regarding the impact of the US Government’s policies on economy, trade, and finance for Cuba, the diplomat noted.

Cuba will continue enhancing its cooperation with the HCMA, she added, voicing her hope that Cuban scholars will be able to attend training programmes at the academy in the near future.

Essays on the Vietnam-Cuba friendship were delivered at the seminar, including those on the special friendship between the two Parties and countries and Cuba’s historic achievements over the course of the last 60 years.

Former DongA Bank chief faces life sentence, huge compensation payment

The prosecution suggested at the court today, November 24, that Tran Phuong Binh, former general director and vice chairman of DongA Commercial Bank, be sentenced to life in prison for his abuse of power to misappropriate assets and his irregularities in handling the bank’s operations and pay a compensation of over VND75.6 billion.

Among 11 other defendants who violated regulations on banking operations and other related activities, leading to losses worth VND8.83 trillion for the HCMC-based bank, Phung Ngoc Khanh, former general director of M&C Joint Stock Company, is facing 18 to 20 years behind bars.

Meanwhile, the other defendants, who were former officials at the bank, would likely be given noncustodial sentences of two years to custodial ones of eight years for breaking lending regulations, the local media reported.

The prosecution stated that Binh, aged 61, was the mastermind behind the case, instructing other defendants to perform unlawful acts, leaving the bank facing serious financial damages. Their violations include establishing many companies, faking collateral and inflating the values of assets.

He was held accountable for giving out loans to four groups of major clients—M&C, Hiep Phu Gia, Tan Van Hung and Dong Tien—which caused losses of over VND3.9 trillion, VND3.1 trillion, VND1.2 trillion and VND393 billion, respectively. Besides, he was found to have embezzled more than VND75.6 billion from the bank.

Apart from the suggestion on Binh’s compensation, the prosecution also suggested the former M&C boss, Phung Ngoc Khanh, pay compensation of over VND3.9 trillion for DongA Bank.

In addition, Tran Quang Khai, legal representative of Dong Tien Company, would likely reimburse more than VND227 billion for seven illegal unsecured loans, while Bui Van Doi, director of TBT, was asked to reimburse VND165 billion for three illegal unsecured loans.

As for the loan from Tan Van Hung, the prosecution suggested Vu Thi Lien reimburse some VND1.1 trillion.

Over 6,000 killed in traffic accidents in 11 months

The scene of a road traffic accident in Danang City on November 23. Some 13,000 traffic accidents occurred in Vietnam between December 15, 2019, and November 14, 2020, claiming over 6,000 lives – PHOTO: TNO

Some 13,000 traffic accidents occurred in Vietnam between December 15, 2019, and November 14, 2020, claiming over 6,000 lives, according to the National Committee for Road Safety.

From October 15 to November 14, the country recorded over 1,330 traffic accidents, leaving 592 people dead and over 1,000 injured. The number of traffic accidents dropped by 18.5%, the death toll declined by 9.9% and the number of people injured fell by 19.6%, year-on-year.

In the 11-month period, over 6,000 people were killed in the traffic accidents, while more than 9,650 others were injured, down 13.3% and 20.5%, year-on-year, respectively.

Road traffic accidents accounted for over 7,340 cases, killing 5,930 people and injuring some 3,920, down 10.3%, 13% and 13.6% year-on-year, respectively, while the country saw 79 railway traffic accidents occur and kill 63, dipping by 44% and 46%, respectively.

Some 59 waterway traffic accidents were recorded during the 11-month period, the local media reported.

Ly Hoang Nam shines at VTF Masters 500

The nation’s leading tennis player Ly Hoang Nam of Hai Dang club enjoyed an easy win during the opening day of the The National Men’s - Women's Tennis Championship (VTF Masters 500-2) – Lach Tray Cup, which was held on November 25 in Hai Phong.

The first round of the men's single event saw the No.1 seed successfully beat his rival Nguyen Quang Vinh of Hung Thinh club in just two games with a score of 6-0 and 6-1.

Moving forward, Nam is due to take on Truong Minh Thanh of Becamex Binh Duong club for a place in the quarter-finals on November 26. On the same day, Nam is scheduled to join with Le Quoc Khanh to play against local pair Ngoc Nhut and Tuan Minh in the men’s doubles event.

This year’s event has attracted the participation of 128 players from 15 clubs and localities nationwide.

It marks the second consecutive year that Hai Phong has hosted a tournament of national prestige that brings together the country’s top players. Those participating include top local player Ly Hoang Nam of Hai Dang club, along with Trinh Linh Giang of Hai Dang club, Tran Thuy Thanh Truc of Hung Thinh - Ho Chi Minh City, Dao Minh Trang of Hung Thinh - Ho Chi Minh City, and Si Boi Ngoc of the Military Team.

Furthermore, there are bonus points and trophies on offer for players who record outstanding achievements, with the winners also set to receive a high bonus, with a total value of up to VND500 million. Indeed, the men's singles champion will receive VND70 million, the women's singles champion will win VND60 million, the men's doubles champions will claim VND35 million, with the women's doubles champions winning VND30 million.

The event also aims to select a number of outstanding local tennis players who can compete at the SEA Games 31.

Vietnam contributes to strengthening ASEAN-UN cooperation: official

The UN General Assembly’s recent adoption of a resolution on ASEAN-UN cooperation has demonstrated the UN’s acknowledgement of the grouping’s position and capacity, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung has said.

The resolution was approved during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly on November 23, with the backing of 110 countries, the highest number of co-sponsors for the document since it was introduced for the first time in 2002.

As the ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam represented the grouping in drafting and negotiating for the resolution.

In an interview granted to the press, Trung attributed the adoption to Vietnam’s significant contributions as well as coordination between ASEAN member countries.

He recalled a working session on ASEAN’s role in the region and its coordination with the UN, held by Vietnam in January when the country began to assume the UNSC’s non-permanent membership.

As the ASEAN Chair 2020, Vietnam has coordinated and maintained the operation of the bloc in various spheres in the context of global changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, Trung said.

Many proposals raised by the country have received support from other ASEAN member countries and partners, he stressed, adding that ASEAN’s successes in the year have contributed to improving its position, role and contributions to international issues./.

Coastal areas face severe erosion after storms

Gio Hai Beach

 

A vast area of beaches in several central provinces have been seriously eroded as trees have fallen and embankments destroyed after the recent storms.

Over 6 kilometres of Gio Hai Beach in Quang Tri Province was eroded with the sea encroaching 20-40 metres into the land. Storm Vamco destroyed the embankment and 15 coastal restaurants at the location.

62-year-old Phan Ngoc Tung said, "We've never suffered such huge damage. Restoring the restaurant business is really difficult."

According to Nguyen Viet Nam, chairman of Gio Hai Commune, there had been small-scale erosion every year during the storm season. However, many people have expressed concerns as the damage has been so severe this time.

In Trung Giang Commune, the eroded area was over 7.5 kilometres long and over 10 kilometres deep. In addition 30-70% of 140 ha of forest lands in VInh Linh District was destroyed.

Thua Thien-Hue Province also lost 14 kilometres of beach to erosion. Provincial Road 21 was damaged as well as many homes and protective forest. Ho Van Hung, head of An Duong 1 Village, said the erosion badly affected their daily lives.

Hoang Van Su, chairman of Phong Hai Commune People's Committee, said, "We had never had erosion before. But Storm Molave and Storm Vamco eroded our beach. The eroded area is 3 kilometres long and 5-10 metres deep."

The provincial authorities in Thua Thien-Hue reinforced over 4 kilometres of key embankment sections and are proceeding to reinforce another 3 kilometres of embankment to cope with climate change.

Vo Van Hung, chairman of Quang Tri Province People's Committee has also ordered Gio Linh District authorities to carry out necessary measures to protect the residents, clean up and repair the damaged constructions. Hung said they would report the damage to responsible ministries and agencies for financial support.

He went on to say that more erosion would occur due to climate change. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development were asked to research a preventive plan for the problem.

Nearly 100 travel agencies survey popular locations in Da Nang

Nearly 100 travel agencies started their survey trips to popular locations in Da Nang City on November 24.

During their survey trips, the travel agencies visited Sunworld Ba Na Hill tourist complex, the Nui Than Tai Hot Spring Park, the Ariyana International Convention Centre, and the Hoiana Integrated Resort.

They also attended a business cooperation seminar held by Sun Group and witnessed the signing ceremony of a cooperative agreement between Sun Group and Da Nang City’s Tourism Association, UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, and representatives of domestic travel agencies.

The trips were jointly held by the Da Nang City’s tourism promotion centre and the city’s tourism association within the forum on promoting tourism connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and the key economic zone in central region, including the four provinces of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh.

The forum, to be hosted by the central province of Quang Nam from November 27 to 28, aims to restart tourist activities in the localities and boost coordination among travel businesses.

Da Nang is expected to receive 2.7 million tourists this year, down 68.6% year-on-year due to the impacts of COVID-19, according to the city's tourism department. Last year, the city received 3.5 million foreign visitors, up 22.5% against 2018.

Programme connects tourism between Vietnam-ROK

A programme titled ‘Korea Night – 2020’ was organised by the Korean Tourism Organisation (KTO) in Vietnam in Hanoi on November 24 as a part of a series of activities to reconnect tourist exchanges between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The event featured the participation of representatives from 70 Vietnamese travel companies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In recent years, Vietnam has consistantly been a key market for the ROK’s tourism. According to KTO's statistics, in 2018, the number of Vietnamese tourists to the ROK reached more than 457,000, an increase of more than 40% compared to 2017. By 2019, this number has reached more than 553,000, up 20% more than in 2018. The numbers confirmed the importance of the Vietnamese market for the ROK’s tourism. Simultaneously, the ROK has also become the second largest market for Vietnamese tourism.

The programme "Korea Night - 2020" aims to introduce prominent MICE tourism spaces (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) in the ROK, new destinations of the ROK’s tourism, and especially the KTO’s promotion activities in the market recovery phase.

According to Park Jong Sun - Chief Representative of KTO in Vietnam, 2020 has been a difficult year for the global tourism industry; tourism agencies are all severely affected. Therefore, events promoting MICE tourism are expected to be activities to promote and help revive the tourism market in the current period. In the coming time, the KTO will promote tourism promotional activities in Vietnam to re-promote the market and accompany travel agencies right after opening international tourism.

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic seriously affecting global tourism in general and the ROK’s tourism in particular, the KTO's tourism exchange and promotion activities have gradually shifted to online platforms and using digital technology. Therefore, in order to promote MICE tourism between Vietnam and the ROK, the KTO organised the fair "Korea Mice Expo 2020" (KME 2020) from November 24 to 27.

The expo is the biggest MICE travel fair of the year with many activities such as introducing MICE tourism in the ROK and connecting trade between tourism agencies of the two countries. The event attracts the participation of more than 200 the ROK’s agencies and MICE travel agencies, along with 23 major Vietnamese travel companies, is expected to be a meaningful activity to promote tourism activities and discover new prospects in cooperation between the two countries.

Japan’s JDS scholarships for Vietnamese officials in 2020 launched

The Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) programme for the academic year 2020-2024, provided by the Japanese Government through non-refundable aid, has been officially launched.

The initiative offers Vietnamese Government officials the chance to take two-year English-language Master's degree courses in Japan.

The scholarships are designed for young Government officials, aged from 24- 39, as of April 1, 2021, with the potential to make contributions to the country after graduation.

JDS is a full scholarship covering tuition, airfare, monthly living allowance and other grants. The scholarship program was first employed in Vietnam in 2000 and has since provided 691 scholarships for Vietnamese officials.

The JDS programme 2020 plans to receive a maximum of 60 top applicants for the master's course in the 2018-2021 period and three applicants for the PhD student course of term 2021-2024.

The JDS 2020 will provide two-year master’s degrees in various areas, including economics, transport, urban development, energy, agriculture, the environment, law, and public administration for Vietnamese candidates in the 2021-2023 period.

The deadline for paper applications and online applications is 17:00 on December 25, 2020.

Meanwhile, JDS PhD Scholarship is available for candidates who have graduated from the JDS master’s program and are currently working at state agencies of Vietnam, providing access to study a PhD program taught in English for 03 years at universities in Japan for the following majors:

Strengthening the market economy system (Public Economics, Public Administration), Transport / Urban Development, Energy, Agriculture and Rural Development , Environment, Responding to Climate Change and Environmental Disasters, Strengthening the Legal System, and Enhancing Public Administration Capacity.

The training programme will equip cadres with modern analytical and management skills to be able to perform well in the task of state management in their chosen fields.

The candidates cannot over 45 years old as of April 1, 2021.

The deadline for paper applications and online applications is 17:00 on January 18, 2021.

Final round of ‘Innovation in Hi-tech Agriculture 2020’ kicked off
 
The Center for Business Incubation of Agricultural High Technology (AHBI) this morning hosted the annual event ‘Implementing High Technologies for Innovation in Agriculture 2020’ in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). This event included the final round of the contest ‘Innovation in Hi-tech Agriculture’.

Since the first time in 2017, the event ‘Implementing High Technologies for Innovation in Agriculture’ has been held each year by AHBI and the HCMC Department of Science and Technology to seek novel ideas, especially among startups, in applying advanced technologies in agricultural activities.

All participants in this year’s contest aim at addressing social, economic, environmental issues at the moment in HCMC in order to boost the development of smart agriculture in the city, as well as promoting the startup spirit among the young here.

The contest also hopes to find potential products for commercialization, to form promising hi-tech agricultural startups, and to increase connections among social resources for hi-tech agriculture.

After 5 months, over 70 papers were collected, and 25 most outstanding ones were chosen to enter the semi-final round, where contestants needed to present the feasibility and economic value of their projects.

The 10 best projects were then allowed to enter the final round, where they would present their detailed business plan and answer questions from the judge board.

This contest has the first prize of VND30 million (approx. US$1,300), the second prize of VND20 million ($867), 2 third prizes of VND10 million each ($433), and 3 consolidation prizes of VND5 million each ($217).

Winning projects will also have a chance to take part in either AHBI’s incubation program or the supporting program for innovative startups of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology.

HCMC’s architectural works receive historic, cultural relic certificates

The Department of Culture and Sport of HCMC on November 23 organized a ceremony receiving certificate of recognizing national historical and cultural relics of the People’s Committee Building of HCMC and Linh Dong God Temple in Thu Duc District. 

The event also aims at celebrating the 15th anniversary of Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day (November 23).

On this occasion, the municipal People’s Committee also presented certificates recognizing six architectural works as historic and cultural sites at the municipal level, including Thai Binh Temple in District 9, An Dien Memorial Area of Heroic Martyrs in Binh Chanh District, Sa Tan and An Hoi temples in Go Vap District, Tu Quang Pagoda in Hoc Mon District and Binh Dong temple in Binh Tan District.

Speaking at the event, Standing deputy chairman of HCMC People's Committee Le Thanh Liem asked the Department of Culture and Sports, local authorities of districts and relevant units to focus on managing, upgrading, protecting, preserving and restoring historic and cultural heritages as well as creating advantages for people to visit, especially student’s heritage education programs increasing their knowledge about the history of the country.

The headquarters of the People’s Committee of HCMC, previously known as the HCM City Hall or “L'Hôtel de Ville” is one of the most ancient architectures in the city. It was built from 1898 until 1909 and designed by the French architect, Femand Gardès, simulating the bell tower style in Northern France. After 1975 until today, the building is the workplace of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

The construction has a tall protruding tower. Two sides of the building are two balanced attics, the left and right sides of the work are lower than the rest. The facade design is a mixture of Baroque, Rococo, and Art Nouveau architectural styles.

Health expert complains false knowledge about HIV/AIDS exposure in TV series

A leader of the Center for Disease Control in Hanoi complained false knowledge about HIV/AIDS exposure in Lua Am film which is being broadcast on national television channel VTV1. 

At the press brief yesterday organized by the Hanoi Party Committee, Deputy director of the Center for Disease Control La Thi Lan while reporting HIV/AIDS situation in the capital city pointed out that some recent episodes of TV drama ‘Lua Am” have delivered “seriously false knowledge” about HIV/AIDS exposure.

Even the episode can be offensive in some way. Ms. Lan shared she was sad at the episode that a firefighter officer was informed to be exposed to HIV after he took a victim of a traffic accident who is HIV person to a hospital. If people can be exposed to HIV easily like in the film, audience will dare not to assist traffic accident victims.

Ms. Lan said not all people who are exposed to HIV can catch the disease. Moreover, the film was untrue about how to treat people who are exposed to HIV.  In the film, people must be quarantined after HIV exposure.

She supposed that the information of Covid-19 covered all media and haunted people; in fact, people should take medicine to prevent HIV within 72 hours after a recent possible exposure to HIV.

The capital city has so far discovered 29,931 people with HIV/ AIDS as of October 31 and it is the second largest locality by HIV patients in the country, just after Ho Chi Minh City.

Newly discovered HIV cases in 2020 in Hanoi are mostly male accounting for 78.7 percent while the proportion of HIV people aged from 15-25 is 26.3 percent. Sexual transmission of HIV continued to rise from 22.5 percent in 2010 to 74.5 percent in 2019 and 72.6 percent by October, 2020.

AFC donates US$50,000 in cash to children in Central flood-hit provinces

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Standing Committee unanimously approved a financial aid of US$50,000 for children in the Central flood-hit provinces.  

The information was released at an online meeting about approved important decisions related to the Asian football activities in 2021 under the chair of AFC President Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa yesterday afternoon. 

Attending in the meeting were Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Permanent Vice President, a member of the AFC Standing Committee and Chairman of AFC Competitions Committee and members of the AFC Standing Committee. 

All those expressed deep concern over the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on AFC Champions League, 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification. 

Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards 2020 officially launched

The organization board of Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards 2020 held a press conference at REX hotel in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City this morning to introduce nomination categories, prize structure and sponsors of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards 2020. 

Attending in the press conference were Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Vice President Cao Van Chong, former Vice President of the Southeast Asian Football Federation and former Vice President of Vietnam Football Federation Duong Vu Lam, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City Journalists Association Nguyen Tan Phong, Head of Sports Management Division under the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports Nguyen Nam Nhan, Ms. Vo Thanh Thao who is a representative of My Thanh Advertisement and Entertainment Company- the organizer of Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards Gala 2020, singer-songwriter Ngoc Son, Quach Beem, MC Thanh Bach, actor Hieu Hien and football lovers. 

Deputy editor in chief of SGGP Newspaper, Head of the Organizing Board of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards Mr. Nguyen Nhat (C) speaks at the press conference of Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards 2020 

In the side of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper that is the organizer of Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards, there were Deputy editor in chief of SGGP Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Board of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards Mr. Nguyen Nhat, Deputy editor in chief of SGGP Newspaper and Deputy Head of the Organizing Board of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards Ms. Ly Viet Trung. 

Accordingly, the main sponsor of Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards 2020 is still Thai Son Nam Trading Company and other sponsors comprise Hung Thinh Incons Joint Stock Company, Fund for Investment and Development of Vietnam Football Talents, Rex Hotel Saigon, Vietnam Airlines, Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverage, Thu Duc Housing Development Joint Stock Company, etc. 

Vietnam Football Federation and Vietnam Professional Football Joint Stock Company are two companions to contribute to the success of the Vietnam Golden Ball Awards.  

At the press conference, representatives of the organizing board also sent thanks to Nutrition Food Joint Stock Company and MASU Vietnam Company for their donations. 

The Vietnamese Golden Ball Awards was launched in 1995 for the first time by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, aiming to honor and recognize contributions and achievements of Vietnamese football players during a year.

50 outstanding teachers honored with 23rd Vo Truong Toan Awards

Fifty HCMC’s teachers received Vo Truong Toan Awards in a ceremony held at the municipal Opera House on November 25 by the Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper in coordination with the Department of Education and Training of HCMC. 

Award winners are outstanding teachers, academic administrators and officers from kindergartens, primary schools, secondary and high schools, vocational schools and colleges in the city, who are honored with the title for their innovative teaching methods and great contributions to the education sector. Besides they have a minimum of 15 years teaching experience and gain the trust and respect of colleagues, students and students' parents.

Awardees who represent for more than 90,000 teachers throughout the city spent rounds of school, district and city levels.

The Vo Truong Toan Awards has recognized 764 typical classroom teachers from Kindergarten through 12th grade, vocational schools and colleges over the past 23 years.

On behalf of city’s leaders, Deputy Secretary of HCMC Party Committee cum Head of the Commission for Organization of HCMC Party Committee, Nguyen Ho Hai sent congratulations and best wishes to winners and all teachers of HCMC.

He affirmed that the education and training sector is a leading national policy of the Government. Investment in education and training is the investment for the future, creating motivation to the development. The municipal authorities and city’s education and training sector have been interested in launching satisfactory academic policies and creating advantages to take good care of teachers and give educators the better material and spiritual life.

Attending at the event were also Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in HCMC, To Thi Bich Chau; Head of the Propaganda Department of the City Party Committee, Phan Nguyen Nhu Khue; Director of the municipal Department of Education and Training, Le Hong Son; Deputy Editor-in-chief in charge of the Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, Nguyen Ngoc Anh.

Germany helps Vietnam advance internalization in higher education

German education expertise is expected to help Vietnamese universities position themselves in the international integration.

At a two-day workshop starting today [November 26] in central city of Danang, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Regional Office Hanoi will help Vietnamese universities address their challenges and find optimal solutions to the internationalization. 

In collaboration with Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), the workshop titled “Internationalization of Higher Education – Strategies and Practices in Germany and Vietnam” is aimed to discuss some important questions in this process. 

(1) Why do universities in Vietnam and Germany internationalize, what are their needs for internationalization?

(2) How to develop and implement an internationalization strategy?
(3) How can internationalization at home support the development of a university?
(4) What governance structure is needed to support the internationalization of a university?

Discussions and documents at the workshop are expected to help answer the above questions as most of German universities have their own internationalization strategy.

The assistance by DAAD, the world´s largest organization for academic exchange, and HUST, the largest and leading technical university in Vietnam, will largely enable Vietnamese universities to find their own ways in the most effective manner as international integration is seen as one of the driving forces and guiding principles in the higher education reform process.

For the fact internationalization should follow a strategic concept with clear objectives to enhance education and research of a university using all dimensions of internationalization, the organizers argued that internationalization is much more than international mobility and not limited to the exchange of students and staff. 

DAAD, since the establishment of its regional office in Hanoi in 2003, has supported the academic cooperation between Vietnam and Germany by funding scholarship programs, international university collaborations, exchange of scientists, study programs, or alumni activities.

Over the past years, more than EUR60 million (US$71.5 million) from the German federal government has been invested into the bilateral academic cooperation.

In addition, a few hundred Vietnamese students and scientists studied and did research in Germany with the support of the DAAD. More than 160 bilateral university programs and the increasing number of Vietnamese students studying at German universities has proved the successful support. Currently, more than 7.000 Vietnamese are studying in Germany, most of them with great success.

DAAD will also in the future foster the positive development of scientific collaboration between Vietnam and Germany with its funding programs and with offering support in the process of reforming the Vietnamese higher education system. 

HUST is the largest and leading technical university in Vietnam, with more than 32,000 full-time students. It’s placed in top 301–400 universities for engineering and technology subjects in the World University Rankings 2020.

HUST attracts high-quality students as 80% of HUST students are in the top 13% nationwide.

The university has various international academic programs partnered with high-quality corporate and academic institutions in Japan, France, New Zealand, the UK, and the US. HUST has multidisciplinary research institutes and centers.

Billions of dollars set to pour into Vietnam innovative startups

A network of Vietnamese talents around the world would help speed up the research and development of new technologies and applications in Vietnam, said a senior government official.

Vietnam’s National Innovation Center (NIC) would provide support for startups that have already received funding from venture capital funds, a move that is expected to pump billions of dollars into innovative startups, according to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.

Specifically, these startups would be entitled to preferential treatment under Decree No.94/NQ-CP, which stipulates preferential mechanism and policies for the NIC, stated Mr. Dung at the Vietnam Venture Summit 2020 themed “Going Digital” and held on November 25.

The event attracted leaders from major corporations from Vietnam and abroad, including VNG, Grab Vietnam, Momo, GoJek, Tiki, Sendo, Golden Gate Ventures, Softbank, Sequoia, ADB Venture, and the startup community.

Additionally, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is preparing the necessary manpower to take part in innovation process. To date, Vietnam’s innovation network has been expanded to Germany, Japan, Australia, and the next step is to set up innovation centers in the US and Canada.

Such a large network would help gather thousands of outstanding Vietnamese talents to join the process of research and development of new technologies and applications in Vietnam, Mr. Dung stressed.

Looking back on 2019, Mr. Dung said the country witnessed a strong rise of local tech startups with fund raising of a combined US$800 million. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed the startup landscape in 2020.

Additionally, the pandemic also expose shortcomings of innovative startups, including major ones. As such, Mr. Dung said startups seem to be more vulnerable to economic volatility.

It is worth mentioning that while some business models are struggling to overcome the current crisis, some have seen strong growth, such as those of online meeting, shopping, remote learning, among others.

The minister stressed quick adaptability and flexibility to survive in different conditions are key for startups to continue growing at the moment.

New phase of development for Vietnam innovative ecosystem

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s macro-economic environment continues to remain stable, mainly thanks to the government’s effective measures against the Covid-19 pandemic. This also a key factor that led to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s prediction that the country would be among the fastest growing economies in this year.

Next year, Vietnam would continue to pursue the dual target of both containing the pandemic and boosting economic recovery.

In the long term, the country is determined to push for administrative reform and restructure the economy towards greater productivity, efficiency and competitiveness, in which innovation and creativity are key for a rapid and sustainable economic development.

As the MPI is drafting Vietnam’s socio-economic development strategy for the 2021 – 2030 period, Mr. Dung said two pillars that would serve as driving forces for growth in the coming time are innovation and human resources. During this process, Vietnam would provide a sandbox for new business models under the digital economy, he noted.

With drastic measures from the government, Mr. Dung suggested this period would be the turning point for a new phase of development for Vietnam’s innovative ecosystem.

Therefore, Vietnam would focus its resources to boost innovation and take science, technology and innovation as key factors to ensure rapid and sustainable economic development, Mr. Dung stated.

Hanoi strictly handles illegal entries to prevent coronavirus intrusion

Vietnam has detected many illegal entries and Hanoi police have also caught 14 cases.

Hanoi will keep strictly handling illegal entries to prevent the risk of imported Covid-19 transmissions as the Covid-19 pandemic evolution remains tense around the world, Kinh te & Do thi quoted Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Ngo Van Quy as saying at a meeting on November 25.

Vietnam has detected many illegal entries while 14 cases have been detected in Hanoi, Mr. Quy said.

The vice chairman asked relevant units to strictly supervise those under paid quarantine at accommodation establishments and diplomatic entries.

Last week, Hanoi’s authorities also met with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to complete the protocol on isolating incoming people. The concerned agencies agreed to strictly monitor these cases because coronavirus-infected people are still boarding planes to Vietnam, Mr. Quy said.

He added that although the Ministry of Health has issued a number of guidelines for quarantine sites, the lack of vigilance has been reported at several establishments, especially hotels and other accommodation facilities.

The official added that the city’s agencies should keep disseminating the "5K" message of the Ministry of Health since the good observance of the 5K is a "steel shield" to protect people from the Covid-19 pandemic. 5K means "Khau trang" (face mask) - "Khu khuan" (disinfection) - "Khoang cach" (distance) - "Khong tu tap" (no gatherings) - "Khai bao y te" (health declaration).

He asked the competent forces to continue to strictly handle the cases flouting measures of pandemic prevention and control issued by the Hanoi People's Committee and the Ministry of Heath.

"Media outlets should timely report on the examplary people who observe the pandemic prevention protocols as well as those showing signs of carelessness so as for the authorities to handle," the vice chaiman suggested.

Although no new local cases have been recorded in the capital city for more than three months, Mr. Quy said a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic is latent, so staying vigilant is a must as cold and dry winter conditions favor the transmission of the virus.

The vice chairman stressed that people should regularly wash hands with soap or hand sanitizers, and keep safe distancing and avoid mass gatherings.

Vietnam has gone 84 straight days without locally acquired Covid-19 cases. However, people are advised to stay vigilant and anyone who has any symptoms needs to get tested and isolate themselves until having confirmatory results.

Hanoi seeks government guidance in public procurement

The procurement procedures for a number of public goods and services have not been completed, but these works are still being carried out to ensure social welfare and public security.

The Hanoi People’s Committee has recently submitted a document to the government seeking the latter’s guidance on pressing ahead with the public procurement procedures for goods and services, which would later be financed by the state budget.

Under the document, Hanoi is responsible for informing the central government of a list of public goods and products that would be purchased since January 1, 2020.

To date, local authorities have completed the procurement procedure for a number of public goods and services. However, there remain a few whose procurement procedures could not be completed before December 31, 2019 for the provision of these goods and services to start on January 1, 2020.

These included public transportation vehicles, works on environmental hygiene, water drainage, and irrigation services, among others. 

To ensure the continuity of provision of public services and goods and social welfare during the period from early 2020 until the completion of procurement procedure, public services providers continue to carry out their works with funds allocated from the regular spending of 2019.

However, under the current regulations, these works could not be paid if they are procured without tendering, causing difficulties for services providers in operation and paying salaries for their employees.

Therefore, the municipal People’s Committee suggests the government allow Hanoi to use its budget to finance the amount of works already done. In this case, the price would not be higher than the one paid for the same work last year.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR