Border crossings laos vietnam

Border guard officers in the northern Vietnamese province of Lao Cai on Thursday broke up a ring that assisted people to illicitly cross border to China.

The border guard command at the Lao Cai international border gate has decided to start criminal proceedings against Di Hoi Seng, 29, Ly Seo Phin, 29, and Po Chai Thang, 28, in Muong Khuong District for organizing illegal entry from Vietnam to China.

Seng, Phin, and Thang are people of three different ethnic minorities.

They grew up and are living near the Vietnam – China border in Muong Khuong, thereby knowing the terrain there well like the back of their hand.

They used social media networking apps like Zalo and WeChat to keep in touch with their Chinese connections without attracting Vietnamese authorities’ attention.

The group admitted to the Vietnamese functional forces that they had taken advantage of dark nights and the rough terrain to successfully help a total of 19 people walk three kilometers across the forest for more than three hours to illegally enter China since September 2020.

They charged each person they had assisted 700 yuan (US$106) after each trip.

By the time of their arrest in the most recent affair, the trio claimed that each of them had received 2,500 yuan ($381) in total from the border jumpers.

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Willingness to stay in jungles

Colonel Ho Quyet Thang, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Nghe An Province’s Border Guard, said that 212 officers and soldiers submitted a request to be on duty in jungle instead of returning home for the 2021 Tet (lunar New Year) holiday.

Nghe An, located in the key North-Central region, has Vietnam’s longest land border of 468.281 km. The geography is complicated and diverse with different entrances and trails. Being aware of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Border Guard quickly carried out dual duty – protect border security and national sovereignty on one hand and effectively prevent the pandemic on the other hand.

The Provincial Border Guard set up one front command division, 56 fixed units, and 11 patrol units with 545 officers and soldiers. They are the “human” fence along the border.

Captain Ngo Quang Hieu, Commissar, and Deputy Chief of Border Post at Nam Can international border checkpoint, said that six posts were set up, each with five people always available at border crossing points. Among those, two drivers and two military healthcare workers have not been home since the start of covid-19 pandemic.

Soldiers are always responsible and stay on alert even in cold and rainy nights in the mountainous terrain of the border area with Laos.

“However difficult it is in the jungle, we are determined to be ready to cope with any risk to protect the border,” said captain Hieu.

One night, at the border area with Laos, it was rainy, windy, and cold; captain Hieu led us to visit the officers and soldiers guarding at the post number 4. According to the post head, captain Nguyen Canh Thao, the weather changes unpredictably while the mountainous terrain causes a lot of troubles for patrolling and controlling.

All solders were unwavering to “fight the pandemic as an enemy”, thus having raised their responsibilities and combat readiness. Since March 2020, Capital Thao has visited home only twice to see his wife and new born baby. “My wife often calls to encourage me to perform my assigned works well,” said Thao.

Political commissar has Tet far from home

“Due to the complicated development of the pandemic, all officers and soldiers continue to stay on duty for 24/7. To timely monitor, motivate, and push up the force, I decided to stay,” said Colonel Nguyen Xuan Toan (first from left).

In Quang Tri province where the river runs 70 km out of 180 km boundary with Laos, during the dry season, the people can cross the river on foot, notwithstanding other trails and open passages to Vietnam.

Colonel Nguyen Xuan Toan, the Political Commissar of the Quang Tri Provincial Border Guard, shared that since late November 2020, there have been more Vietnamese people returning home. Many people have not legally entered via border checking points to avoid quarantine.

Quang Tri Border Guard deployed 85 fixed posts with 268 officers and soldiers and 15 patrol units to control and prevent illegal border crossings. There are 467 people on duty 24/7.

Nevertheless, many individuals continue to contact brokers and make the most of their relationship with local people to organize illegal border crossings into the country.

From November 2020, the Provincial Border Guard has arrested and tackled nearly 250 illegal border crossings from Laos. In November, the Border Guard set up the peak season plan to tackle pre, during, and after Tet crimes.

“We have strengthened the mobilization of anti-drug trafficking task force and special force and coordinated with police, custom, market management, etc to further control border crossing points, trails, and passages at every moment. Due to the complication of the pandemic, officers and soldiers at border posts continue to stay on duty for 24/7. To timely monitor, motivate, and push up the force, and under my responsibility, I decide to stay and go to each post to encourage them to be on duty to ensure security during Tet,” said the Hanoian Political Commissar about his Tet away from home.

Warmhearted civil-military relations

Each person becomes a border officer, soldier, and special force to strictly protect the national sovereignty and border security.

In the last days of the lunar year, Huong Lap border post (Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri) appealed to organizations, companies, and individuals to fund and assist the poor during Tet. The households of ethnic minorities in two communes of Huong Viet and Huong Lap were gifted with 150 packages with the value of 350,000 dong each. Furthermore, the border post coordinated with Love Connection Group to hand over 250 national flags for the two communes. “By conducting activities to assist the people’s social security, the cordial civil – military relationship has been increased, hence strengthening the people’s front and the public security in the boundary area,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Cong Trinh, the Chief of Staff.

Mr. Ha Sy Dong – the Standing Vice Chairman of Quang Tri People’s Committee and Head of Border Steering Committee – said that the border force has implemented flexible, practical, and effective plans directly related to the people to raise their awareness about crime prevention and to create trust among people for border security.

“There are tremendous challenges in the national sovereignty protection, crime prevention, anti-illegal border crossings, and cross-border trade frauds in land border and sea border regions. Thanks to the border post’s efficient work at grass-root level, they have been assisted by local people. Each person became an officer, a soldier, and a force to strictly protect the national sovereignty and border security.”

Mr. Ha Sy Dong (White shirt), Standing Vice Chairman of Quang Tri People’s Committee and Head of Border Steering Committee, during his visit to border soldiers as Tet approached.

For the soldiers, Tet celebration in the border region is a cozy moment in civil-military relationship. Whenever Tet comes, local mothers and sisters carry vegetables, squashes, leaves… to offer the soldiers. These images remain deep in the heart of Border Guard officers and soldiers, easing their homesickness.

Tet, for the Border Guard officers and soldiers, is the chance for spring celebration with their peers and the ethnic people while staying alert to any potential risks. The command from their hearts is: “Stay awake for the people’s sleep. Protect the people’s spring celebrations.”

Thai An – Quoc Huy – Hien Anh

227.5 kilos of drugs are found in a car in Quynh Thien Commune, Hoang Mai Town on April 3

Four people have just been detained for their involvement in a large-scale transnational drug trafficking ring.

Police and border military officers in the central province of Nghe An also seized nearly 350 kilos of drugs of different kinds from the ring.

According to police reports, at 1 am on April 3, a man was caught red-handed while transporting 227.5 kilos of drugs in a car in Quynh Thien Commune, Hoang Mai Town.

Earlier on January 21 and March 20, three other men were detained while carrying 115 kilos of meth.

The four have been found to be in the same drug trafficking ring.

Initial investigations showed that the drugs were brought into Vietnam from Laos and were to be taken to China for sale.

Vietnam reports 11 new imported cases COVID-19 on April 6 afternoon

Eleven new COVID-19 cases, all imported, were recorded in Vietnam in the 12 hours to 6pm on April 6, the Ministry of Health said.

Among the new patients, there are nine males and two females. They are one Indian man, and 10 Vietnamese.

They have been quarantined upon their arrival in the country.

So far, Vietnam has reported 2,648 cases of COVID-19. Of the 1,603 domestic infections, 910 cases have been detected since January 27, when the latest outbreak began.

On April 6, six patients were discharged from hospital, raising the number of recoveries to 2,422, while the fatalities are still kept at 35.

Seventeen of those still undergoing treatment have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once, nine others twice, and 16 thrice, according to the ministry’s Department of Medical Service Administration.

There are 36,701 people having close contact with confirmed cases or entering Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at present.

PM gives green light to 1-billion-tree growing project

The Prime Minister has issued a decision approving a project on growing 1 billion trees in Vietnam during the 2021 – 2025 period.

According to the project, of the 1 billion trees to be planted by the end of 2025, 690 million will be grown in urban and rural areas, and 310 million planted in protected, special, and production forests.

The project aims to protect the ecosystem, improve the scenery, respond to climate change, boost socio-economic development, improve the quality of people’s life and foster the sustainable growth of the country.

As per the project, the target for 2021 is 182 million trees, with an average of 204.5 million trees to be planted each year in the 2022-2025 period.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been tasked to be in charge of the work and cooperate with the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment, and authorities of centrally-run provinces and cities to build related annual and five-year plans./.

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh relieved from position of State Vice President

The National Assembly (NA) cast secret ballots to relieve Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh from the position of State Vice President in the 2016 – 2021 tenure on April 6 morning as part of its 11th session in Hanoi.

After the voting results were announced, 451 out of the 452 deputies present at the sitting, equivalent to 93.96 percent of the total number of legislators, approved a resolution on relieving Thinh from the position.

Later, the NA heard State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc presenting a nomination list for the legislature to elect the State Vice President.

Participating deputies then discussed in groups the candidacy for the post of State Vice President./.

Red maple trees to be removed from Hanoi streets

Authorities in Hanoi are going to replace dying red maple trees on some local streets.

Vice chairman of the municipal people’s committee, Duong Duc Tuan has just agreed with the proposal from the Department of Construction to replace the red maple trees which have been planted on Nguyen Chi Thanh and Tran Duy Hung streets.

According to a report from the Construction Department, the pilot plantation of over 260 red maple trees which were donated by a local firm were carried out in 2018. 119 trees were planted on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street and 143 others on Tran Duy Hung Street.

“The trees have not grown well over the past two years due to unsuitable climate,” the report said. “45 trees have died.”

The department has suggested replacing the maple trees with the Ivory Coast almond trees on these two streets, which can be carried out this month.

Construction on Phan Thiet Airport begins

A ceremony to kick-start a project to build Phan Thiet Airport in the south central coastal province of Binh Thuan was held on April 5.

In accordance with the aviation transport development plan until 2020, with a view to 2030, Phan Thiet will be an aerodrome with a reference code 4E, which will be used for military and civil purposes.

It will receive international flights with a runway and a terminal having a design capacity of 2 million passengers per year, along with serving military and national defence purposes, contributing to the socio-economic development of the province and the region at large.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieu. Gen Tran Don asked the Air Defence – Air Force to ensure progress and quality of the construction and devise measures to implement tasks synchronously, firstly in unexploded ordnance disposal and land clearance.

Agencies under the Ministry of Defence are responsible for steering the Air Defence – Air Force in the implementation of the project./.

National insurance database to be launched on June 1

The Government has recently issued Decree No.43/2021 regulating the national insurance database which will be launched on June 1.

The database covers social, health, unemployment insurance as well as medical and social security information to ensure citizens’ rights and interests.

It is available for individuals and organisations nationwide to access the latest and correct insurance information, thus meeting requirements for socio-economic development.

It also stores basic information about individuals, households and employers.

The Vietnam Social Security (VSS) is responsible for building, updating, maintaining, tapping and managing the database. It will also work with ministries and agencies to collect and update information in the database.

The connection and sharing of information with the database must ensure State, family and personal confidentiality./.

President Putin congratulates newly-elected President Nguyen Xuan Phuc

Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 5 sent a message of congratulation to Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as State President of Vietnam at the ongoing National Assembly session in Hanoi.

He highlighted the positive development of the traditional longstanding friendship and cooperative relations between Russia and Vietnam on the basis of mutual respect.

“I believe that, through joint efforts, we will ensure the continued development of our strategic bilateral relationship as well as mutually beneficial cooperation in many different fields. This will obviously satisfy the basic interests of the Russian and Vietnamese people, while enhancing stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region,” President Putin wrote in a telegram.

He wished President Phuc good health, happiness and numerous achievements in his new position as Head of state.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc was elected President of Vietnam by the National Assembly at its ongoing session in Hanoi on April 5.

Writing contest about Poland launched in Vietnam

The Polish Embassy in Vietnam has launched a writing contest for this year, aiming to encourage Vietnamese people to learn more about the cultures of Poland as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia in the Group 4 (Visegrad).

Each piece of writing must be at least 1,000 words long and it can also include photos or videos.

Winners of the contest are scheduled to be announced in late June this year. The winner of the contest’s first prize will receive a cash prize of US$2,000, followed by second and third prizes of US$1,500 and US$1,000, respectively.

In addition, a further five consolation prizes of US$100 each will also be delivered.

The Wikipedia contest was originally launched in 2019, attracting roughly 2,000 entries, and the winner was given a free seven-day tour of Poland.

Last year witnessed the contest draw twice the number of entrants compared to the previous year.

Repatriation flights from South Korea to Vietnam resumed

Repatriation flights for Vietnamese workers in South Korea will be resumed from April 22.

According to the Centre of Overseas Labour, Vietnamese people in South Korea including workers with expired contracts can go to the websites of the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea to register for a repatriation flight on April 21, 2020. However, some people submitted their registration forms too many times and caused some difficulties in the calculation and flight arrangement process.

As a result, the embassy has provided a new link for registration which will be used for flights that operate from April 22.

The embassy also warns that each person should only submit one registration form. If they submit too many registration forms, the embassy will use the forms with the latest date which may put them behind the queue.

If someone wants to change mobile phone numbers or e-mail address, they can use the code provided on the online form.

Users must take all responsibility for their information. Guest workers that are under the Employment Permit System must clearly declare other information.

Trial of ex-minister Vu Huy Hoang to re-open on April 22

The Hanoi People’s Court will reopen a trial for ex-minister of industry and trade Vu Huy Hoang and nine accomplices on April 22 for violations at the ministry and in Ho Chi Minh City that caused losses of over 2.7 trillion VND (112.5 million USD).

The first-instance trial was first held on January 7. However, it was delayed due to the absence of three defendants and many other people whose rights and obligations are associated with the case. The trial was held again on January 18 but suspended again for the same reason.

Hoang, born in 1953, and Phan Chi Dung, born in 1957 and the former Director of the Light Industry Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), were charged of “violating regulations on the management and use of State assets, causing losses and wastefulness”.

The eight other defendants, who are former HCM City officials, including former Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Huu Tin, were accused of “violating regulations on land management”.

The trial is scheduled to last until April 29.

According to the indictment from the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the Saigon Beer – Alcohol – Beverage JSC (Sabeco), which is under the MoIT’s management, was given more than 6,000 sq.m in downtown HCM City for production and business purposes.

However, Hoang, former Deputy Minister Ho Thi Kim Thoa, and Dung directed subordinates at the ministry and Sabeco to carry out procedures for using land use rights and Sabeco’s money as capital contributions to set up Sabeco Pearl, a joint venture between the firm and a number of private enterprises, to implement a project building a hotel, a trade and convention centre, and office space for lease on the land.

After Sabeco completed legal procedures for the joint venture’s investment and proposed the HCM City People’s Committee approve the addition of officetel and housing functions to this project, the MoIT ordered the company to transfer all of Sabeco’s stake in this project to the private enterprises in the joint venture.

This was illegal and resulted in a loss some 112.5 million USD to the State, according to the indictment.

Another of the accused, Ho Thi Kim Thoa, has fled, and the investigation police agency has put her on the wanted list./.

No COVID-19 infections logged on April 6 morning

Vietnam documented no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours as of 6:00 am on April 6, making the nation’s tally unchanged at 2,637, according to the Ministry of Health.

Of the total infections, 1,603 were domestically-transmitted cases, including 910 recorded since the latest outbreak hit the northern province of Hai Duong on January 27.

A total 27,478 people who came in close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide, including 498 at hospitals, 18,870 at other quarantine sites, and 8,110 at home.

Among patients under treatment, 17 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 9 twice, and 16 thrice.

The Treatment Sub-committee under the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control reported that Vietnam has seen 2,416 recoveries so far.

The health ministry said that additional 455 Vietnamese got COVID-19 vaccine shots on April 5. As of 4:00 pm on the day, 52,868 frontline workers in 19 provinces and cities nationwide were vaccinated.

In a bid to live safely with the pandemic, people should strictly follow the Ministry of Health’s 5K message: khau trang (facemask), khu khuan (disinfection), khoang cach (distance), khong tu tap (no gathering), and khai bao y te (health declaration)./.

Party chief holds phone talks with Russian President

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held phone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 5, during which the leaders informed each other about recent major affairs and achievements of the two nations.

Trong told Putin about the outcomes of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)’s 13th National Congress, Vietnam’s progress after 35 years of national reform, as well as the country’s visions, targets and orientations for future development, among others.

Expressing his gratitude toward Russia’s support for Vietnam, the Party leader stated the Vietnamese Party and State always value the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia. He hoped the bilateral ties to grow fruitfully for the sake of the two countries’ people in contribution to regional and global peace and development.

For his part, Putin congratulated Trong on his re-election as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee for the 13th tenure and Nguyen Xuan Phuc on his election as State President of Vietnam.

Both leaders stressed that the Vietnam – Russia relations have been thriving in almost all fields and that the sides will continue taking specific measures to foster their cooperation in security, defence, energy, oil & gas, economy, trade, education and training, and tourism.

They laid special emphasis on further collaboration in COVID-19 prevention and control via mutual support regarding vaccine research and production.

The leaders shared a common stance on the need of building healthy international relationships of mutual respect, friendship, equality, mutually beneficial cooperation; and settling disagreements through dialogues and peaceful measures in the current international context.

The Vietnamese Party chief took the occasion to invite Putin to officially visit Vietnam this year and attend the closing ceremony of the Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam. The Russian President accepted the invitation with pleasure.

Hanoi police bust cigar smuggling ring

The police in Hanoi has worked with related agencies to bust a cigar smuggling ring in which a flight attendant was arrested carrying over 100kg of cigars into Hanoi.

Police in late March were informed that flight attendant Nguyen Hai Son had smuggled a large number of cigars via Tan Son Nhat Airport. Son also bought the cigars from Nguyen The Nam from Thu Duc District to sell in Hanoi.

The police quickly carried out a search and found 71,315kg of cigars worth VND2bn in Hanoi. Most of the cigars were hidden at Son’s relatives in Hanoi. Son was detained for smuggling. After four months of investigation, they were able to identify Son as the ring leader of a cigar smuggling ring. Son was unable to provide any legal papers and invoices during the raid.

The investigation was expanded and Nam was detained. 1,745 cigars were also found at Nam’s house.

The authorities have started to prosecute Son and continue to expand the case.

All fishing ships in Binh Dinh must obtain food safety certificates by end of June

All fishing ships in Bình Định must obtain food safety certificates by the end of June as part of efforts to enhance the quality of fishery products caught by the south-central province’s fishing fleet, according to a local agricultural official.

The province has been accelerating a campaign to raise local fishermen’s awareness about their responsibility to abide by the Law on Fishery and persuade shipowners into signing a commitment to not encroach on foreign waters, said Trần Văn Phúc, Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

These moves are intended to implement the European Commission (EC)’s recommendations to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practice to have the EC’s “yellow card” on Việt Nam’s seafood lifted, Phúc said.

In the first quarter of 2021, the provincial Fisheries Department granted more than 160 food safety certificates to fishing vessels with a length of 15 metres or more that have been licensed to operate offshore. So far, more than 2,800 out of 3,200 offshore fishing vessels in the province have received the certificate.

The department has streamlined procedures to cut time to get the food safety certificates in accordance with current regulations. Now it only takes a day for a food safety certificate to be issued, instead of three days as before, deputy director of the department Nguyễn Công Bình said.

There are nearly 400 boats of 15 metres or more in length without a food safety certificate in Bình Định, most of which fish offshore and dock to sell their catches in ports outside the province.

The sub-department plans to send officials to neighbouring coastal provinces to check the status of these ships and request them to obtain food safety certificates.

Tragic accident inspires young woman to set up blood donation club

A blood donation club launched by a teenager has been joined by many young people eager to save lives in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

Nguyễn Thị Thảo Nguyên, 19, head of the club, from Kon Tum City, has donated blood many times and wants more people to join the club to save more lives.

Her mother died after being given 23 units of blood in a terrible accident many years ago.

“The sad memory was in my mind. Since then, I have wanted to donate my blood to help others like others did to try and save my mother,” said Nguyên.

“I first got involved in blood donation when I saw a call from my friends on a social network. I am very afraid of needles. I tried to overcome my fear and rushed to the hospital to help people in urgent need,” she said.

After the first successful blood donation, she has kept going to the hospital to donate blood.

At first, Nguyên and three other friends set up a group to be ready to give blood whenever a local hospital needs it.

She also started encouraging more young people in Kon Tum Province to donate blood to save lives.

In July 2019, she and 14 other members established a blood donation club of volunteers.

Her club has more than 1,000 members, aged 18-60, participating in blood donation with the motto ‘Donate blood for passion – Give blood when you can’.

Nguyễn Quốc Huy, a club’s member, said they often joked that Nguyên was addicted to donating blood.

“The members of the club respect and love her very much and are ready to join hands to create practical activities for society,” said Huy.

Lê Thị Kim Linh, head of Department of Hematology – Blood Transfusion, General Hospital of Kon Tum Province, said there were always unexpected cases with a need for urgent blood transfusion and the blood donors of the club had saved many lives.

The blood donation club has donated more than 1,500 units of blood in two years of operation.

Many patients have recovered from critical situations and returned to their families thanks to the donors.

Eight people who received blood from Nguyên even joined the club after recovering.

In addition to blood donation, the club also organises other activities like helping children in difficult circumstances, supporting people affected by floods and storms and planting trees in landslide-hit areas.

Recently, the club started building a new house for a poor family that lost their house in a fire, at a cost of VNĐ110 million.

The club members have also helped a lot of people in need of blood in the three provinces of Gia Lai, Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi, encouraging more people to work together for the community.

Nguyên said the club would continue to carry out many other meaningful activities to contribute to the local community.

Tonnes of fish found dead at HCM City lakes

A large number of fish have been found dead in HCM City lakes and canals over the recent days.

According to the HCM City Department of Fisheries, by midday of Sunday, around 14 tonnes of dead fish in Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal were collected.

Meanwhile, roughly two tonnes of dead fish were also gathered at a lake at Ehome 3 residential area in Binh Tan District’s An Lac Ward.

The heavy rain on April 2-4 is seen as among the causes of the fish deaths, HCM City Department of Fisheries said. The department explained that the rainwater swept litter from drains into the lakes.

The rainwater has also stirred the mud layer in the lakes, worsening the pollution.

The break of a dyke in the middle of the lake linked to a nearby drain has been partially attributed to the worst pollution which has killed the fish.

The majority of the fish at the lake in Ehome 3 residential area were released by local residents.

The dead fish have created a bad odour for surrounding areas.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to provide support for struggling fishermen

Despite many advances in the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu fisheries sector in recent years like increased vessel capacity, reduction in near-shore fishing and general compliance with fishing regulations, high fuel prices and labour shortages remain a problem for fishermen.

In Xuyên Mộc District, for example, there are more than 500 boats and nearly 2,000 workers, but this year only 80 per cent of the boats has headed for the open sea.

Phạm Văn Ba, the owner of two vessels with a capacity of 600CV at Incomap fishing port (Vũng Tàu City), said that the number of fishes and shrimps in his first trip to head for the open sea increased by several tonnes compared to the same period last year. However, he makes little profit due to the high fuel prices.

Beside an increase of 15 to 20 per cent for fuel and food prices this year, Phạm Song, a fisherman, has to pay his employees their wages to boost their motivation for the next trips.

Hence, he hopes the State will add more policies to support for fishermen, Song, the owner of two fishing boats with a capacity of more than 400CV at Phước Tỉnh fishing port (Long Điền district), said.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu is speeding up the process of compiling documents for offshore fishing boats. The department will seek the approval of Provincial People’s Committee to maintain supporting fishing activities.

In addition to building a centre to support fishing activities, the province will rebuild policies to change inshore and destructive fishing to create jobs in line with fishermen’s customs and experiences.

In 2020, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu People’s Committee has provided local fishermen of 400 fishing boats with more than VNĐ60 billion (US$2.6 million) to support their offshore fishing activities.

Members of national men’s football team receive COVID-19 vaccinations

Head coach Park Hang-seo receives COVID-19 vaccination on April 5

In addition to national teams set to compete at international tournaments to secure berths at the Tokyo Olympics, the men’s football squad was also inoculated in preparation for upcoming matches in Group G of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

The games will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Vietnam will play Indonesia on June 7, Malaysia four days later, and then wrap up the qualifiers with a game against the hosts UAE on June 15.

The vaccination drive for the footballers will be held in five phases, with the last being on April 17.

The men’s football squad is set to gather in mid-May, with 34 players.

Vietnam currently tops Group G with 11 points, followed by Malaysia with nine and Thailand with eight. The UAE has six points, while Indonesia is yet to pick up any.

The Vietnam Sports Administration recently announced that more than 300 athletes will receive COVID-19 vaccine shots this month./.

Gia Lai Province fights back against illegal forest destruction

Forests in Chư Pưh District in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai are facing a high risk of illegal forest destruction.

To minimise deforestation, local authorities have assigned new forestland to local people under contracts signed between the Forest Protection Department and households.

Phạm Văn Đạo, head of Chư Pưh District’s Forest Protection Department, said mostly ethnic minorities households in the district had registered to protect the forest.

Local people are also encouraged to detect and prevent forest protection violations.

“The allocation of forests like this is very practical because the forest areas have been strictly protected by local people,” Đạo said.

“All destruction of forests is promptly detected and prevented by the local people and authorities are promptly notified for timely handling.”

A total of 43 households in the district’s Ia Phang Commune registered to protect nearly 500ha of forests last year, according to the department.

Chư Pưh District’s Forest Protection Department has worked closely with local authorities to patrol to prevent logging and timber transportation.

Rah Lan Phu, Head of Forest Protection Team of Ia Ke Village, Ia Phang Commune, said households were excited to help protect the forest.

“Through forest protection contracts signed with authorities, local people have more income and enjoy practical benefits from the forest,” he said.

Ia Phang Commune is one locality performing well in growing and protecting forests through advocacy.

Chairman of Ia Phang Commune People’s Committee, Trần Hoàng, said communal forest rangers regularly run patrols with community teams to prevent damage to the forest.

The commune holds meetings every week in villages to encourage people not to fell trees for cultivation and to plant new trees on deforested lands.

Chư Pưh District currently has more than 21,000ha of forest in six communes, of which the natural forest is nearly 12,000ha, the plantation forest is more than 1,600ha, mainly rubber, acacia and eucalyptus trees, and the rest is protective forest.

The forest area is not concentrated due to the complex topography, so managing and protecting the forest can be tough.

To deal with this situation, the district Forest Protection Department has sent eight forest rangers to six communes to assist local authorities in building community teams responsible for forest management and preventing forest fires.

Thirteen grassroots forest fire prevention teams and nine community groups for patrolling the forest have attracted 900 members.

The number of forest violations in the district has been significantly reduced.

In 2020, Chư Pưh District authorities saw 40 cases of forest law violations, down by eight cases compared to 2019.

The province’s Forest Protection Sub-department has petitioned the Government to increase the fees paid to ethnic minority households for forest protection.

Gia Lai wants to increase its forest coverage rate to 47.5 per cent by 2025.

VN National University Ho Chi Minh City researchers make COVID-19 prevention, control products

Students and scientists at the Việt Nam National University – Hồ Chí Minh City (VNUHCM) have carried out extensive research and developed products that help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Out of 2,000 projects from 79 countries, one on producing protein from Ecoli bacteria in laboratories by a student team from the University of Science won sponsorship from the Agence Universitaire de La Francophonie – a society of universities offering training in the French language.

Firstly, they collaborated with a company in the bio-technology industry to carry out the project under Dr. Nguyễn Thuỵ Vy, head of the genetics department at the university’s biology and bio-technology faculty. The research was prompted by the fact that asymptomatic COVID patients and those with mild symptoms were believed to be a hurdle to control the pandemic in the community.

To detect infection, many countries use antibody tests. The advantages of this method are that it is fast, easy to deploy on a large scale and has great accuracy. However, Việt Nam does not have suppliers of SARS‐CoV‐2 viral protein antigens, making it difficult for companies to seek for manufacturing antibody testing kits. Dr Vy said: “We use a technology to produce protein from Ecoli bacteria at low cost. Around the world, most proteins are produced from animal tissue.” Vy and two students, Lê Trần Đăng Khôi and Võ Hồ Mỹ Phúc began the research in early June with sponsorship from AUF and they created products within three months.

“The project does not only contribute to COVID-19 prevention but also inspires other students to take up research. The product is useful for COVID-19 tests with fast, accurate results and affordable prices.”

The VNUHCM’s National Key Laboratory of Digital Control and System Engineering’s scientists also made an automatic chamber for disinfection and obtaining samples from patients without making contact.

The chamber disinfects automatically before the next person enters for giving samples. Though ultraviolet disinfection technology is used, the UV rays do not directly touch peoples’ bodies and so are not harmful to health officials or patients. Moreover, the high-efficiency particulate air filter technology combines with UV to completely kill viruses and bacteria remaining in the air after being sucked out of the chamber.

Another VNUHCM’s member university, the University of Technology, has innovated dozens of useful and convenient products to serve the community in terms of COVID-19 prevention and containment.

Scientists at the Bách Khoa Research Centre for Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Technology have also made a mobile disinfection system with air filters to ensure clean air is discharged in the environment. The technology has been transferred to companies for commercialisation and mass production.

A research team at the University of Technology’s material technology faculty has made masks that could be used by healthcare workers for continuous hours.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huỳnh Đại Phú, the faculty dean, said when COVID-19 broke out, one urgent issue was a shortage of medical equipment. Healthcare workers faced a high risk of infection because of working for many hours in an environment without negative pressure chamber. It was very important for them to use preventive clothes, goggles and masks to prevent the risk of contracting the virus, and his team made these masks with a bacteria and air filter membrane to avoid infection, Phú said.

The medical workers at Trưng Vương Hospital are using them.

One of VNUHCM’s strategies is to continue focusing on scientific and technological development and innovation to help implement national and southern region development strategies and to raise its international profile.

As of October 2020, it had filed 527 applications for patents and 566 technology transfer contracts and scientific services that fetched revenues of VNĐ104.2 billion (US$4,5 million).

Doctors in HCM City remove rare, life-threatening heart tumour

Doctors at Gia Định People’s Hospital in HCM City have successfully removed a rare, life-threatening heart tumour in a 40-year-old patient.

The patient on March 31 was hospitalised at Gò Vấp District Hospital due to shortness of breath and chest pain. An echocardiography showed a tumour in his heart, which caused heart failure and severe anaemia.

The hospital sent the patient to Gia Định People’s Hospital for urgent surgery. Doctors said the large tumour in both the left atrium and left ventricle was at risk of being stuck in the heart’s valves.

The spread of the tumour had also caused mitral regurgitation, which the doctors treated.

Dr Bùi Minh Thành, head of cardiac surgery department at the Gia Định People’s Hospital, said that most heart tumours cause no symptoms and are not located at the two valves. The patient’s tumour was special, causing a sudden blockage of blood flow in the heart, which could lead to acute heart failure and, if not treated in time, death.

The patient is in stable condition.

Ninh Binh works to ensure safety for opening of National Tourism Year 2021

The organising board for the National Tourism Year 2021 of Ninh Binh province convened a meeting on April 5 to decide on the final plan and discuss related preparations for the opening ceremony slated for late April.

As hear at the meeting, the opening ceremony will take place at the national special heritage site of Hoa Lu ancient capital in Hoa Lu district’s Truong Yen commune, on the evening of April 20. About 2,600 guests have been invited to attend the ceremony.

Addressing the meeting, Tong Quang Thin, Vice Chairman of the Ninh Binh People’s Committee and deputy head of the organising board, asked for close coordination among sectors and localities involved and stepping up the communications work.

He also urged the relevant sectors to ensure security and social order, COVID-19 prevention and control, and food safety during the event.

Ninh Binh planned to organise 11 major and 27 others activities in the National Tourism Year 2021, themed “Hoa Lu – Thousand-year-old Capital”.

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and 27 localities nationwide were set to hold two major and 103 events in response to the National Tourism Year 2021. However, many of these activities have been canceled, postponed, or scaled down due to complex developments of COVID-19.

Located in the southern reaches of the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh is known for its wondrous natural scenery, with a labyrinth of waterways, mountains, and plains as well as cross-cultural influences from the north to the south and from the mountains to the plains and coastal areas. It is home to 1,821 relic areas, including 81 national relic sites and a world cultural and natural heritage site./.

Supporting youth in start-up movement

Young people have many start-up ideas but lack the capital and business experience to turn them into reality. In recent years, the Provincial Youth Union and the Youth Union of Nam Dinh province have implemented a range of flexible and innovative measures to help union members and young people establish a career and create jobs for local people.

In 2017, thanks to support from the Youth Union of Nam Dinh province, he borrowed nearly 100 million VND from the National Fund to expand production and create a variety of products.

He now posts profits in the billions of VND each year, creating regular jobs for 40 local people and planning to further expand in the future.

The Youth Union of Nam Dinh province recently coordinated with bank branches in the area to set up groups to support young people in borrowing capital to develop their production.

As of the end of 2020, there were over 5,500 union members, and young people in Nam Dinh were allowed to borrow capital for production and business, with a total of over 175 billion VND made available./.

Addicts in Dien Bien get better access to methadone treatment

Opioid addicts will be able to pick up several days supply of methadone for use at home after an event that was held yesterday in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên.

The event was held by the Việt Nam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health (MoH), the World Health Organization (WHO) in Việt Nam and the provincial Department of Health.

The MoH said methadone has been used to treat opioid addicts in Việt Nam since 2008.

Currently, more than 52,000 people receiving methadone treatment in 330 treatment facilities in all 63 provinces and cities.

The coverage of the programme has reached 28 per cent of the total number of addicts, with the six-month period for medicine adherence rate at 83 per cent, above the world average of is 80 per cent.

Điện Biên Province has recorded more than 9,000 drug addicts and currently, more than 2,400 are undergoing methadone treatment at the province’s 35 methadone dispensing facilities.

Hoàng Đình Cảnh, deputy director of the VAAC, said after more than 12 years of implementation, the treatment of opioid addiction with methadone has revealed a number of limitations.

They included low access to treatment and very different regional adherence to treatment. The rate of treatment dropout accounts for more than 50 per cent, mostly in mountainous provinces.

One of the main reasons leading to discontinuation of treatment is patients having to receive treatment at a medical facility.

To tackle the problem, different countries around the world have allowed some patients to bring methadone to use at home.

Providing patients with methadone for many days will reduce travel time, travel-related costs and create favourable conditions for patients to access, maintain and comply with treatment.

This helps to improve treatment for patients, improve quality of life and increase patient and family satisfaction with methadone treatment facilities.

Cảnh said Điện Biên was one of three localities, along with Lai Châu and Hải Phòng City, to run the pilot programme, because Điện Biên was a mountainous province which is difficult to travel in.

Many patients have to travel tens of kilometres to get to treatment facilities for their daily medicine. Methadone dispensing points have been deployed in some commune health stations but still cannot meet the needs of patients because the villages are too far away and the roads to medical facilities and dispensers are very high in mountainous areas.

This is also a very active locality that has achieved good results in methadone treatment in recent years.

The successful pilot implementation of this programme in the three localities would serve as the basis for a nationwide expansion, he said.

Egyptian media highly evaluates Vietnam’s new leadership

A number of Egyptian newspapers on April 5 ran articles on Vietnam’s new leadership which, they said, will contribute to consolidating the relations between the two countries.

An article published on Eldyar e-newspaper said former Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has been elected State President of Vietnam, while Politburo member of the 13th tenure and head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Pham Minh Chinh was elected PM.

Sayed Badry and Mohamed Al-Saeed, co-authors of the article, lauded Vietnam’s success in completing the dual goals of containing the COVID-19 pandemic and promoting socio-economic development last year.

They believed that the bilateral relations will be further enhanced in the time ahead, with two-way trade expected to double last year’s figure to 1 billion USD soon.

The same day, Events Magazine News e-newspaper said President Phuc made imprints while serving as PM during the 2016-2020 period.

Author Ahmed Hassan highlighted Vietnam’s achievements last year, saying it is the only country among the six biggest economies in Southeast Asia to post a positive growth rate of 2.19 percent.

Its gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded 340 billion USD, ranking fourth in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and 37th worldwide, the article said.

The article applauded the Government’s role in streamlining administrative procedures and creating optimal business conditions to tap resources for socio-economic development.

Hassan also expressed his belief that newly-elected PM Chinh will lead the Vietnamese Government to overcome difficulties and challenges so as to outstandingly complete strategic targets set for the next five years.

Vietnam’s senior leaders have demonstrated their solidarity in efforts to create breakthrough reforms, creating a foundation for the country to make miracle steps in national development in the next decades, according to the article./.

E-health declaration compulsory for all air passengers: CAAV

All airlines must ensure that their passengers complete electronic health declarations before boarding at all airports nationwide, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

This is part of the efforts to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to its documents recently sent to competent authorities, the CAAV said that without e-health declaration, passengers will be denied to fly, while airlines which fail to follow the regulation will have to bear legal responsibility.

In a document recently sent to competent authorities, the CAAV required airlines to instruct their passengers fulfill the health declaration at https://tokhaiyte.vn or through the Vietnam Health Declaration application.

Besides, airlines should arrange staff at check-in kiosks at terminals to support passengers in the e-health declaration procedure.

They should join hands with airports nationwide to inform passengers of the mandatory declaration through passenger information systems, posters and panels at easy-to-see places in airports.

Earlier, many passengers failed to make e-health declaration before coming to the security screening checkpoints at Noi Bai International Airport.

On March 30, 1,447 passengers did not fulfill e-health declaration, while the number recorded on March 31 was 712. About 80 percent of them completed check-in procedures via website and at kiosks./.

Singapore think tank highly evaluates Vietnam’s new leadership

The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) has recently published an article delving into what freshly elected Vietnamese leaders are going to contribute to the nation’s future development.

In his article, the author Yang Razali Kassim – a senior fellow at the RSIS – said the new leadership marks a combination of experience and freshness, a suitable formula for Vietnam’s planned transition towards a socialist-oriented developed status by 2045.

He assumed that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will continue to oversee the strengthening of the Party building work and the fight against corruption where his success has been proven. Meanwhile, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc will leverage on his experience as prime minister to expand and strengthen Vietnam’s relations with other countries.

According to the article, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, whose decisiveness is seen as a quality needed for a head of the Government. He will have the unenviable task of steering the country towards the dual goal of rolling back and containing the pandemic while maintaining and promoting economic growth.

The author also talked about Vietnam’s foreign policy under the new team, noting the likeliness of the strategy of “openness, multilateralisation and diversification”. International economic integration will continue with more free trade agreements (FTAs) being signed, thereby creating new impetus for the nation’s economic recovery.

He stated Vietnam’s diplomatic foray will continue to deepen following its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020 while its entry into the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for one year has raised its voice on the global stage.

By the end of the NA elections on April 8, the new Vietnamese core leadership will be ready to take over and will steer Vietnam towards a more prominent regional role, said the article./.

Congratulations on 25th anniversary of Vietnam-Ireland diplomatic relations

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has cabled a congratulatory message to Irish President Michael Daniel Higgins on the occasion of the 25th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Ireland diplomatic ties (April 5, 1996 – 2021).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his congratulations to his Irish counterpart Micheál Martin.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh also cabled a congratulatory message to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland Simon Coveney./.

Vietnam records six new imported COVID-19 cases, 33 recoveries

Vietnam recorded six new imported COVID-19 cases, including five Vietnamese citizens and an Indian expert, in the past 12 hours to 6pm on April 5, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said.

The new patients brought the total number of infections detected in the country to 2,637, including 1,603 domestically-transmitted cases.

According to the MoH’s Medical Service Administration, an additional 33 patients have been given the all-clear from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raising the total number of recoveries to 2,416, while the death toll related to the disease remained at 35.

Among active patients undergoing treatment at medical establishments across the country, 17 tested negative to the virus once, nine twice and 16 others thrice.

As many as 27,478 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or entered Vietnam from pandemic-hit regions are currently quarantined nationwide, including 498 in hospitals, 18,870 in state-designated establishments and 8,110 others at their residences.

To live safely with the pandemic, the Ministry of Health advised people to remain proactive in pandemic prevention and control by continuing to wear face masks when going out, disinfecting frequently, maintaining a safe distance, refraining from mass gatherings, and making medical declarations./.

Schoolboy overcomes hardship to excel academically

Phạm Văn Thông was born in a uniquely challenged family, as his father suffers an intellectual disability and his mother has a history of epilepsy.

Living in a downgraded house in a small village in northern Hưng Yên Province, Thông and his little sister usually faced a shortage of food due to his parents’ illness.

Difficulties never hindered the boy from his eagerness to study. In 2020, Thông passed the entrance exam to the province’s gifted school. He is now one of the members of the school team entering the national excellent student exam in maths for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“I still want to be born in this family”

Hoàng Thị Quy suffers from epilepsy and Phạm Văn Hinh has an intellectual disability. They were in the same village in Dị Chế Commune in Tiên Lữ District and decided to live together to share their burdens in life.

Quy gave birth to two children. During their childhood, the two children played together and Thông took care of his sister when he grew older. The whole family depended on the 2,500 square-metre rice and vegetable field and some additional income from making bamboo curtains.

“Our children didn’t have milk like others. They only lived on powder and rice water,” she told the online newspaper vietnamnet.vn.

When Thông turned six, Quy sent Thông to school. The boy immediately loved to study and would get up early to prepare breakfast and lunch for the whole family before going to school.

In secondary school, Thông stayed up until midnight to complete his homework. He spent most of the day helping his parents in the rice fields so that they could earn enough money for food.

Quy said she wished many times that Thông could have been born to a better family.

“But he replied ‘I still want to be born in this family’”, she said.

Quy said she initially didn’t want to let Thông register for the gifted school as it took him an hour to ride his bike to the school.

But the boy insisted as studying at the gifted school was his dream.

“My first time entering the Hưng Yên Gifted School was when I joined the district level excellent student exam two years ago. This was the most memorable exam as I could sit in the classroom of my all-time favourite school,” he said.

Thông has had 10 years of excellent performance at school and excels at maths.

Thông said he received a lot of support from teachers and friends. The monthly allowance of VNĐ700,000 (US$28) would be a gift for him to focus on his study.

“I used to be afraid that my studies would become a burden for my parents, but now I’ve realised it would be a chance for me to make my dream come true,” he said.

“I’ll do my best to get the best result in the next national excellent student exam. I plan to become a doctor as I can help save patients and bring a better life for my parents. I do understand the feeling of those whose relatives have illness,” he said.

Nine charged with allegedly beating up, burying alive young man

The police of Nghe An Province’s Vinh City have filed charges against nine people for allegedly capturing, beating up and burying alive a 17-year-old boy.

The nine, aged from 17 to 31, comprise Nguyen Trong Duong, Ho Trong Khanh, Le Nguyen Hung, Nguyen Tien Nam, Tran Manh Tai, Vo Quang Hung, Hoang Quang Thanh, Phung Duy Ngoc Anh and Nguyen Dinh Huy, the local media reported.

Five other younger boys were also found to be involved in the case and the police are investigating their violations.

According to initial results of the police investigation, N.Q.V., a resident in Xuan An Town, Nghi Xuan Town, Ha Tinh Province, hired Duong’s motorbike but did not return it. Therefore, Duong asked his henchmen to look for V.

On March 24, they found V. in Vinh City, so they captured and beat him and took off his clothes. The group later took V. to a nearby wasteland in Nghi Xuan District and continued beating him.

They dug a pit, covered V.’s head with a bag, tied his hands, pushed him into the pit and covered him with soil despite his pleading. A short period later, V. was pulled out of the pit and taken to a nearby river to bathe.

A video on the case, which was posted on social networks on March 26, has sparked public outrage.

Just three hours after the video was posted on social media, police detained 13 people and summoned the victim. The police later arrested Duong when he was hiding in Hanoi.

Many eateries in HCMC fined for food safety violations

The competent forces in HCMC have fined multiple restaurants and eateries for using food materials without a clear origin, violating safety conditions and operating without food safety certificates.

On April 5, the Food Safety Management Board of HCMC said that in March, the board discovered and fined 15 dirty food trading and manufacturing facilities, including eateries and restaurants.

Specifically, Duc Vinh Development and Investment Company in Thu Duc City’s Long Thanh My Ward was found producing and processing food in a polluted environment, while their food was also stored in unhygienic conditions after being processed.

Due to its unsanitary operations, the firm was slapped with a fine of VND29 million, Motthegioi news site reported.

Besides, the competent forces found the walls, ceilings and floors of the production areas and warehouses owned by Vinh Thuan Trading Facility in Binh Tan District moldy and the facility using excessive food additives, so it was fined VND37 million and forced to demolish all food and food additives.

Similarly, Nguyen Nhu Binh Company in HCMC’s outlying district of Binh Chanh received a fine of VND60 million for running its business without a food safety certificate. Further, the firm processed and produced food in an unhygienic environment, given the moldy walls, ceiling and floor of its trading and processing area and warehouse.

Apart from this, the competent forces also fined several others for food safety violations, including Bakar Company in Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1, Hai Di Lao Vietnam Holdings in Thu Duc City, Green Saigon Pure Drinking Water Company in Nha Be District and Bau Sen Trading Service Company in District 5.

Vietnam DX Day 2021 formally kicked off

Vietnam DX Day 2021, themed ‘National Digital Transformation: Sharing and Linking’, is expected to welcome 3,000 delegates nationwide from May 26-27 in Hanoi.

The program has four main parts of updating the latest trends in digital transformation, introducing effective digital transformation solutions, sharing experience of successful cases, and connecting partners in the digital transformation process.

Vietnam DX Day 2021 has 8 seminars especially for 8 key fields in the National Digital Transformation Program: finance-banking, healthcare, education, agriculture, transport-logistics, energy, natural resources-environment, and manufacturing-industry.

In addition, there will be 2 specially meetings focusing on digital transformation for small- and medium-scaled enterprises, promotion of digital startups in Vietnam.

Other activities held simultaneously include an exhibition for Vietnamese Digital Solution Platforms 2020, a program for supply-demand connection (Business-to-Business and Business-to-Government), an online conference to introduce Vietnamese digital solutions and platforms.

General Secretary of VINASA Nguyen Thi Thu Giang shared that the four major missions of her organization in the period from 2021-2025 are forming a technological ecosystem, developing platforms, focusing more on AI strategies, and building strong IT human resources.

When fulfilled, these missions can greatly contribute to speeding up the national digital transformation process. Vietnam DX Day 2021 is considered an essential annual activity to help achieve these goals.

Hotels and restaurants join in “No Smoking” campaign in Hanoi

Restaurants and hotels will build an image of a professional, civilized, and fresh environment for tourists.

The campaign, jointly launched by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Vietnam, aims to encourage restaurants and hotels to build up a smoke-free environment in the capital city.

Addressing the event held in Hanoi on April 3, WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park said every year, eight million people died from cigarette smoking around the world.

In Vietnam, 15 million adults smoke while the number of people exposed to second-hand smoke is 75 million.

Cigarette smoking is responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people each year in the country while around 6,000 people died from secondhand smoke, the WHO official said, urging an end to “the deaths of these blameless victims” of passive smoking.

“WHO called upon you to begin this with implementing smoke-free restaurants and hotels, which include simple acts such as placing “No Smoking” signs at visible areas of hotels and restaurants,” the WHO representative told restaurant and hotel owners.

He also suggested that inspections from law enforcement units should be conducted more frequently to achieve better compliance.

For his part, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department under the Ministry of Health and director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund fund stressed that building a smoke-free tourism environment is an effective way to ensure the rights of non-smokers to breathe fresh air.

It also helps reduce the risks of illnesses caused by exposure to tobacco smoke for the tourism sector’s personnel and tourists, reduce direct and indirect medical costs for examinations and treatment of diseases related to smoking, Khue added.

“According to a 2020 study conducted by the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund, the rate of secondhand smoking in these establishments remains high, with 80% of customers exposed to smoking in restaurants, and 65% in hotels,” said the health official.

In her speech, Do Hong Xoan, deputy head of the Vietnam Tourism Association and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Hotel Association, highlighted the significance of this campaign for not only restaurants and hotels, but also for the community.

Xoan added that smoke-free environments, including restaurants and hotels, will build an image of a professional, civilized, and fresh environment for tourists and beneficial for the health of hospitality staff and customers. Such environment will surely attract more domestic and international tourists.

Joining the campaign is an effective way to enforce the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, Xoan affirmed.

After the launch, “No Smoking” signs were hung at the Hilton Hanoi Opera at 1 Le Thanh Tong street and San Fu Lou-Cantonese Kitchen at 6 Phan Chu Trinh street.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

In the first two months of this year, the total import turnover for animal feed and materials reached $650 million, signifying an increase of 26.2 per cent on-year, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

While Vietnam’s agricultural production and livestock sectors have been growing from strength to strength, it has been largely ignoring securing local material sources to produce animal feed. Thus, about 70-80 per cent of materials are imported from overseas. The import turnover of these goods ranked first among the import goods in the agricultural sector.

The reasons for this are the lack of supply sources and the higher price of domestic materials compared to import goods.

In 2020, Vietnam’s total import turnover of these goods was $3.84 billion, up 3.75 per cent on-year, while export turnover was only $800 million.

The two main import markets of Vietnam are Brazil and Argentina with sweet corn ($584 million)in 2020 and animal feed ($391 million).

The lack of proactivity in meeting the demand for these materials opens the industry up to potential price fluctuations.

In general, animal feed makes up 70 per cent of the production cost of livestock, thus an increase in material prices will push the price of domestic livestock products over imported products.

Statistics published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that Vietnam currently has 265 animal feed manufacturing factories, 85 of which are invested by foreign enterprises.

PM hosts Vietnam-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Development Association delegation

Representatives from the Vietnam-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Development Association (VASEAN) have asked for stronger support from the Government and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for the business community to overcome difficulties brought about by COVID-19 pandemic and recover and expand production, during a meeting with the PM in Hanoi on March 18.

They lauded the Government’s efforts in controlling COVID-19, which has helped maintain production and business activities, while showing hope for more favourable conditions in terms of mechanism and policies related to land use and credit, as well as smoother business and investment environment.

Formed in 2008 under the initial name of Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Economic Cooperation Development Association, the VASEAN groups Vietnamese businesses, scientists, individuals and organisations operating in areas related to economic, investment, trade and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and ASEAN member countries as well as other partners including Japan, China, the RoK and India.

Over the years, the association has helped its members explore ASEAN market, while contributing opinions to the State’s policy-making.

Speaking at the meeting, PM Phuc said that Vietnam has managed to overcome difficulties in all fields, especially those brought by COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, thus successfully implementing the twin target, posting high growth and integrating deeply into the world.

He noted that Vietnam has signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), opening up a massive space for cooperation. Meanwhile, the country has ensured stable macroeconomic situation and the people’s living conditions, he said, adding that the country’s higher position, stable socio-economic situation and people’s solidarity are good conditions for businesses.

Lauding the achievements of the business community, he underscored that the Party and State have given optimal conditions for people and enterprises to develop, while protecting their legitimate rights.

The PM stressed the significance of promoting ties with ASEAN countries, especially in economy, asserting that this greatly depends on the dynamism of businesses. Last year, Vietnam successfully hosted the ASEAN Summit, he said, adding that cooperation chances with the association remain abundant.

He suggested that Vietnamese businesses carefully explore these markets to design sustainable business strategy.

The PM also showed his hope that VASEAN members will help connect Vietnam and partners in ASEAN region and the rest of the world./.

Adjusted planning of Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone approved

The Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh is set to become a key border gate economic zone of Vietnam under a recently amended overall planning scheme on its development until 2040.

According to the planning scheme, with revisions approved by the Prime Minister on March 16, the zone covers 17 communes and wards of Mong Cai city and Quang Ha town, along with Quang Minh, Quang Thanh, Cai Chien, and Quang Phong communes of Hai Ha district.

It will be built into a national key border gate economic zone as well as an important economic development centre of the northern region, the northern coastal economic belt, and the Kunming (China) – Hanoi – Hai Phong – Mong Cai – Fangcheng (China) economic corridor.

The planning scheme looks to turn this zone into a centre of cross-border trade, industry, seaport, logistics, and general services of Quang Ninh province and the northern key economic region; a national tourism site; a modern and sustainable coastal city; and a zone holding special importance in terms of national defence and security.

By 2030, the Mong Cai Border Gate Economic Zone is expected to have a population of about 310,000 – 320,000 and attract 5 – 6 million tourist arrivals annually. The respective figures are set to reach 460,000 – 470,000 and 8 – 9 million by 2040./.

HCM City to focus on reviving tourism sector

One of HCM City’s top priorities in 2021 will be support for the hard-hit tourism sector, according to Deputy Chairwoman of the city People’s Committee Phan Thị Thắng.

At a recent meeting with the Department of Tourism and travel agencies, Thắng said the sector should develop new signature tourism products this year.

Nguyễn Ánh Hoa, director of the Department of Tourism, said that tourism promotions are encouraging local residents to buy tours at prestigious service providers to avoid low-quality products.

She pointed out that the health of local tourism businesses in the first three months of the year was “very weak”.

Hoa proposed that the Government continue tax payment extensions and tax reductions for value-added tax and corporate income tax. It also said that businesses should try to access preferential loans and restructure their repayment periods.

About 90 per cent of small and medium-sized tourism businesses and inbound travel agencies in the city have temporarily stopped operation because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the department said.

Only 40-50 per cent of local tour guides and 10 per cent of foreign tour guides now have jobs. All of them are official staff of the remaining travel agencies, while freelance tour guides have switched to other jobs.

Lại Minh Duy, vice chairman of the HCM City Tourism Association, said he was worried about the small number of tourism agencies in the city.

“Tourists from the central and northern regions have paid a lot of attention to new destinations. So the city should promote attractive destinations in city districts, especially in Thủ Đức City and Cần Giờ District,” he said.

Duy added that the Department of Tourism should also work with the Department of Industry and Trade to launch more shopping promotions linked to destinations.

Nguyễn Đông Hòa, deputy general director of Saigontourist, said the company has conducted a field trip to Thiềng Liềng Island in Cần Giờ District, a new potential tourism site, but has faced difficulties in developing new products.

He asked for financial support from the city while the company waits for Government support.

Thắng said that the city had conducted many field trips to local heritage sites, but noted that they were not set up to serve tourists.

“It’s necessary to do research and develop signature products as a way to help businesses lure more tourists,” she said.

Thắng asked the department to arrange tourism and cultural events during a safe period. “If the tourism sector organises activities well, other fields will be better as well.”

The total number of international visitors to the city in 2020 was 1.3 million, down 84.8 per cent year on year, while the number of domestic travelers was 15.8 million, a decrease of 48.45 per cent year on year.

Total tourism revenue was estimated at VNĐ84.5 trillion (US$3.66 billion), down 39.66 per cent compared to 2019.

The city targets having 33 million tourists this year.

Covid-19 wipes out nearly VND1 trillion in Halong Bay’s entrance fee revenue

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the revenue earned from entrance fees to visit Halong Bay in Quang Ninh Province in 2020 plunged nearly VND1 trillion against that of 2019 to reach only some VND230 billion.

The bay is suffering from the worst revenue on record in the past 20 years, as it saw its revenue reaching a mere VND1.8 billion since the beginning of the year to date, reported Thanh Nien newspaper.

Though the pandemic remains complicated, the management board of the bay has been tasked with earning VND600 billion in revenue from entrance fees this year, said Pham Dinh Huynh, deputy head of the management board.

After Quang Ninh allowed tourism activities to resume from March 2, several days later, Halong Bay still failed to welcome tourists as locals were worried about the coronavirus. On March 8, visitors were offered free entry to the bay and it was also the busiest day so far when it served nearly 100 guests, he said.

Meanwhile, this world heritage site would see up to VND6 billion in daily revenue from entrance fees on peak days before Covid-19, with around 30,000 visitors per day.

To attract more tourists to Halong Bay and other tourist hotspots in Quang Ninh when the coronavirus outbreak in this northern province has been brought under control, the province has introduced many tourism stimulus programs, targetting visitors from the Central, Central Highlands and Southern regions.

VNR plans new railway stations to increase connectivity

State-owned railway giant Vietnam Railways is planning to build new railway stations, warehouses, and logistics areas to increase connectivity with industrial parks and other means of transport.

The Nghe An provincial People’s Committee last week worked with the working group of Vietnam Railways (VNR) led by chairman Vu Anh Minh to discover possibilities of increasing connectivity of railways with key production areas, import-export areas, and other means of transport.

The North-South railway network runs through 52 wards in Hoang Mai, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Hung Nguyen, and Vinh city of Nghe An with a total length of 95.5km long.

At present, the rail has 1m gauge which means its capacity is limited, while the stations and the tracks were built decades ago. Worse still, railway stations do not have a goods yard or big warehouses to meet the growing demand for transportation, unloading and loading, and storage.

Specifically, in Vinh city, there are no railway stations featuring large enough goods yards for container loading and unloading. Meanwhile, based on statistics from Nghe An province, in 2020, 99,654 tonnes of cargo and 116,994 passengers were transported via railway in the province, with revenue of VND48.171 billion($2.1 million), equal to 51.1 per cent of the figure from 2019.

In order to improve the situation, VNR and Nghe An authorities studied the areas where goods yards, warehouses, and logistics areas could be constructed so as to increase connectivity with local industrial parks and economic hubs, as well as with other transport infrastructure like roads and ports.

The two sides made fact-finding trips to Sy, My Ly, and Vinh railway stations, as well as Nam Cam Industrial Park. They also visited the areas that were put forth to build Do Dao and Nghi Long railway stations under the project on upgrading the Hanoi-Vinh railway line.

After the meeting, VNR will work with Nghe An People’s Committee on completing the procedures related to the scheme on the management and operation of state-funded railway infrastructure before submitting it to the prime minister for approval.

SMEs supported in accelerating digital transformation

The Digital Transformation Alliance for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (DTS) and the MCV Group signed a cooperation agreement on March 16 on supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote digital transformation.

A digital transformation department to support SMEs in the fields of communications and TV has now been established.

DTS and the MCV Group also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) to begin a chain of activities this year.

The first cooperation programme will be a reality TV show to promote online business and e-commerce, which will be consulted on by DTS and VECOM and produced by the MCV Group. It is scheduled to debut at the end of the second quarter.

Chairman of the MCV Group Pham Tu Liem said cooperation to support digital transformation in SMEs is an important step for all parties in their upcoming operational strategies.

Based on building a sustainable relationship, the three sides will jointly coordinate to promote the development of a diverse range of solutions in the field of complete digital transformation for the TV industry and SMEs in Vietnam, he said.

According to DTS Chairman Leon Truong, the internet and social networks are thriving and TV digitalisation is key for businesses operating in the field.

DTS therefore wants to promote its strengths as a collector of digital transformation ecosystems to support Vietnamese businesses, helping them improve their competitiveness in domestic and international markets.

VECOM Vice Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Dung said the cooperation between VECOM, DTS, and MCV will complement each other’s strengths.

DTS will provide technology platforms, VECOM will provide supply chains and online-offline support ecosystems, while the MCV Group, with its digital TV, will create visual images, thus improving consumer confidence in products and promoting purchasing decisions, he added./.

Covid-19 leaves business suffering at HCMC’s busiest backpacker street

Bui Vien walking street, the most popular hub of entertainment for foreign backpackers in District 1 HCMC, is still largely deserted despite the pandemic being relatively contained within the region, leaving local business owners and small traders on the verge of bankruptcy.

Bui Vien walking street, or “Westerner street” as the locals call it, at its best used to see some 2,000-5,000 visitors each night. Now there are at most 7 people on the side of the street on a regular weekend.

Having mostly provided services to foreign visitors, restaurant and hotel owners at Bui Vien were left hanging by a thread as the epidemic limited travel across the world.

Talking to Vo Quoc Thanh, the owner of 3 bars and restaurants in the area, SGGP reporters learned that many establishments like his tried to switch professions, offering breakfast and lunch and other street food that might be more appealing to regular folks.

“It’s not been really effective though; this area has been associated with foreigners and tourists that are willing to spend, so people assume our current prices are also inflated”, Thanh remarked.

Phuong, the owner of a nearby pub, lamented: “Before 2020 we usually had to take up one-third of the street just to set up tables, and still there were not enough seats. Now all of our stuff is stacked in a corner collecting dust”.

Of the establishments to go out of business, the most surprising one according to the locals is Cong Coffee, a regular on must-visit lists across domestic social media which have also succumbed to profit loss as Covid-19 raged on.

On the other hand, most business owners at Bui Vien said they had to shut down mostly because of high rent. Monthly rents could reach US$5,000 per unit, and though there are landlords who lowered the fee by 20% to 50% a month, not everyone can afford to keep their place open.

Not only the street-facing buildings, establishments across 600 meters of small alleys along Bui Vien street itself were major contributors to the area’s economics and have also taken a tumble. They offer everything from affordable street food and performance to body massage and homestay experiences.

Ha, who sells grilled ribs and chicken at the entrance to one of the alleys, told of the days she earned around VND 1.5-1.7 million every night (US$65-$73.6), enough to feed herself and her 4 children. “Now I make at most VND300,000 ($12.9) on an extremely good day”, she sighed.

There are 40 out of the 90 restaurants at Bui Vien currently out of commission due to mandatory lockdowns aimed at non-essential services, of which 10 have posted leasing ads at the time of this article. According to District 1 People’s Committee, of the 20 newly established businesses in the area, 8 shut down within the same year.

Vietnam trade ministry to select outstanding exporters in 2020

The move is aimed at creating favorable conditions for foreign traders to form partnership with their Vietnamese peers.

Given the significant contribution of Vietnamese exporters to a successful year of Vietnam trade in 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) along with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and other business associations have launched the annual selection process for “Credible exporters in 2020”.

The move is aimed at creating favorable conditions for foreign traders to form partnership with their Vietnamese peers.

The list of candidates for the title of Credible exporters in 2020 should be submitted to the MoIT for evaluation on April 20, 2021 at the latest.

Applicants having issue with tax authorities or violate environmental laws are not eligible for the selection.

Enterprises violating local laws and regulations, currently operating at a loss, in the dissolution process, or receiving warning from import countries would be excluded from the list of “Credible exporters” and ruled out for next year’s selection process.

Despite severe economic consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam continued to post positive trading performance in 2020 with a trade turnover of over US$500 billion for a second consecutive year. Of the figure, Vietnam exports rose by 6.5% year-on-year to US$281.5 billion, and was among economies with the highest export growth during the pandemic.

Vietnam granted permission to export edible insects to EU

Vietnam has become the fifth country in the world to be given permission by competent authorities of the EU to export insect-based food to the lucrative but demanding market, according to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Vietnamese Trade Office in the EU, Belgium, and Luxembourg, said that following a long period during which many documents were submitted to the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), the country now meets the EU market access requirements and is allowed to export edible insects to the bloc.

The EU decision took effect on February 15, 2021.

Alongside Vietnam, Canada, Switzerland, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand have been approved by the EU to ship their similar products to the bloc.

Many nutritionists have stated their belief that insects will become the food reserve of the future, adding that the EU giving approval to Vietnam will create a breakthrough within the European food industry.

Agriculture, aquaculture businesses focus on growing their own raw materials

More and more agriculture and aquaculture businesses are setting up their own farms rather than rely on imports for raw materials.

TH Group has for instance been building a hi-tech dairy cow farm and milk processing plant in An Giang Province since the end of February. When completed, it will be the largest closed-loop dairy cow farming project in the Mekong delta with around 10,000 cows.

Other dairy companies too have been investing in farms, boosting raw milk production by 12.9 per cent last year to 1.1 million tonnes.

TH is also developing a hi-tech co-operative model to work with dairy farming households in An Giang.

Fruit processing businesses are working with farmers to ensure regular supply and satisfy foreign markets’ requirements with respect to origin. Farmers have their fruits bought at high prices. Vina T&T, for instance, is buying star apples at VND40,000 (US$1.73) per kilogramme, doubling the market price.

Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture JSC is working with farmers in Kien Giang and Can Tho to grow 1,400 hectares of organic rice, guaranteeing them much higher prices than the market.

Pham Thai Binh, general director of the company, told Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourers) newspaper that the most important factor for successful co-operation is guaranteeing farmers’ incomes.

Pham Ngoc Hoang, general director of Hoang Ha Commerce and Production Company Ltd, said small farming households account for a large part of Viet Nam’s agriculture, but export markets demand consistent quality and absence of chemical residues.

Businesses need to work with farmers to buy raw materials, but there should be policies to ensure certain crops are not overly farmed, which will keep output under control and ensure businesses collaborate with farmers, he added.

The first two months of 2021 saw exports of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture products rise by 16.6 per cent year-on-year to US$6.17 billion.

Exports of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture last year were worth $41.2 billion, partly due to the development of specialised farming areas that allow large-scale production and traceability of origin.

HCM City industry-trade department to focus on revival of businesses in 2021

Helping businesses revive production and trading is one of the important tasks that HCM City’s industry and trade authorities will focus on in 2021.

According to the city Department of Industry and Trade, the city’s index of industrial production (IIP) grew by 6 per cent in the first two months of the year, despite a fall of 24.6 per cent in February as business establishments closed for the Lunar New Year.

The recovery in industrial production, retail sales and import-export activities has been due to the Government’s effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic and programmes to revive the economy, said Bui Ta Hoang Vu, the department’s director.

The department has also implemented programmes to support enterprises, stimulate consumption, connect producers and distributors, stabilise the market, and ensure consumer demand is fully met, he said.

To ensure the revival continues, the department will organise more trade promotion programmes, make efforts to connect suppliers and distributors of goods and enhance supply chain linkages in supporting industries.

It will continue a programme that connects businesses with banks and enables them to get preferential loans.

It will recommend measures to support firms involved in the city’s key industrial products in 2021-25 and those whose products have won the HCM City Gold Brand Awards.

Implementing the annual market stabilisation programme and trade promotions to help businesses expand their share of the domestic market is also in the department’s plans this year, as is working closely with business groups to promptly mitigate difficulties faced by their members.

This month the department organised a meeting between businesses and the city administration to discuss the former’s problems and solutions.

It is implementing a programme to promote rapid growth of the city’s key economic sectors that have high added-value, supporting industries and four key industrial sectors in 2021-25.

The programme also seeks to help develop the city into the country and region’s main shopping hub, and improve its services infrastructure to ensure it retains its position as the main centre for port operations, logistics and export services in the south.

It has urged the People’s Committee to help expand a centre for displaying the city’s major supporting industrial products so that small and medium-sized enterprises can introduce their products and production capacity to local and foreign partners.

It said the expansion of the centre would facilitate regular interaction between sellers and buyers of supporting industry products, making it easier for foreign investors to access the Vietnamese supply chain, helping promote the country’s supporting industries.

It also urged the People’s Committee to seek approval from the People’s Council and pass regulations on loan interest support for the investment stimulus programme.

Businesses are very keen to participate in the city’s investment stimulus programme, especially those in the supporting sectors, according to the department.

Tourism reform possible for Danang

The bartering away of hotels and tourism residences in the central city of Danang is still lingering, triggering the need for tourism residences to optimise efficiency.

“Since mid-2020, I have received many orders for hotels and condotels but there have not been any transactions finalised yet. Currently, investors show an appetite for land plots and apartments, but are not so keen on hotel investments,” Tien said.

Tran Thien Thanh, the owner of a small hotel in the city’s Son Tra district, shared that in 2017 he and his sister splashed out nearly VND90 billion ($3.9 million) into building the 50-room facility.

Booming tourism growth at that time had led to an investment fever resulting in the building of many tourism residences in the city. During 2017-2019, the city’s room occupancy often surpassed 90 per cent at peak times and exceeded 50 per cent during off-peak periods. The tourism sector’s revenue during the period could not only ensure stable hotel operations but also sufficiently cover bank interest and more.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, due to a sharp plunge in the number of visitors as well as revenue streams, Thanh is seeking a business partner to transfer his hotel.

“Previously, each day we received 20-25 visitors on average. From last year up to now, our hotel only has a few customers, so that we had to temporarily close the hotel and save costs. But the pressure to pay back loans is huge,” said Thanh, adding that long-term closures might result in a quick depreciation of the material base, making it even harder to find a buyer.

A new wave of selling out hotels and tourism accommodations commenced from mid-June in Danang when the health crisis broke out again in the country. On-sale residences were mostly hotels below the 3-star grade, concentrated along coastal ring roads like Ha Bong, Duong Dinh Nghe, Phan Ton, and An Thuong which were built during the 2017-2018 tourism boom in Danang.

According to Le Dung, business director at the privately-held Thien Thai Hotel and Tourism JSC, most hotels on sale were built amid the coastal real estate boom, resulting in inflated costs.

“The initial cost of hotels below the 3-star rating built during 2017-2018 was very high due to inflated land values at that time. Lost business efficiency due to the current health crisis has exacerbated investor difficulties,” said Dung.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy general director at Bac My An Resort JSC assumed that the pandemic, on one hand, has cast adverse impacts on market development. On the other hand, it brings the opportunity to restructure the scale of tourism residences, making them more professional and diversified.

Echoing this mindset, Cao Tri Dung, chairman of the Danang Tourism Association, said that now is the perfect time to screen and restructure the segment of tourism residences.

Dung recommends the owners of tourism accommodations to change the function of residences or transfer their property to new owners with financial wealth who have a specific customer base to diversify customer groups, as well as improve service quality and corporate governance.

“The government is striving to carry out vaccinations for all people in the forthcoming time. This is a good sign for the local tourism industry as a rebound of travel demand would facilitate hotel business revival,” Dung said.

According to a recent report by Danang People’s Committee, more than 250,000 visitor arrivals used tourism residences in the city in January 2021, down 65.6 per cent on-year.

Electronics fuelled Vietnam’s expanding exports

Over the past few years, deep international integration has enabled Vietnam to expand its exports, with electronics taking the lead in the structure of export goods, especially amid the health crisis.

Ho highly values the province’s geographical and traffic conditions in addition to an improved business climate. He said that Samsung will help Thanh Hoa attract further investment.

In last December, Ho also worked with authorities of the northeastern province of Quang Ninh towards the same purpose.

At present, Samsung is pouring its investments in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City, with total investment capital of over US$17.5 billion, employing more than 160,000 local workers. The group is also now constructing a US$230 million research and development centre in Hanoi.

Ho also visited the Dong Mai Industrial Park in Quang Ninh, which covers 168 hectares and currently boasts 18 investment projects registered at more than US$350 million.

It is expected that if Samsung expands investments in Vietnam, it will continue to increase its exports to foreign markets, further contributing to Vietnam’s export picture.

Last year, the total export turnover of Samsung Vietnam hit about $57 billion – or 20.2 per cent of Vietnam’s total export turnover. This was an important milestone for the company as one of its most important branches, Samsung Electronics, aims to become the largest chip manufacturer in the industry, targeting a value of around $400 billion in the global market.

Samsung Electronics, one of the largest conglomerates of South Korea, along with many other economic groups, has been raising its investment in Vietnam for many years, driven mostly by low taxes, cheap labour, and good land incentives.

With the contributions of Samsung, Vietnam’s export picture is now being dominated by foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) which accounts for 69 per cent of the country’s total export turnover, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

This has contributed to bringing Vietnam into the group of the few countries still achieving positive economic growth during the first year of the pandemic, as well as maintaining a trade surplus of nearly US$1.29 billion in the first two months of 2021.

Implementing the proactive policy about international economic integration of the Party and the state, Vietnam has expanded and deepened its relations with many nations step-by-step. It has also actively and responsibly partaken in international forums and organisations.

Notably, in recent years Vietnam has boosted the negotiations and inking of some free trade agreements (FTAs). To date, the country has joined 17 FTAs including seven inked as a member of ASEAN (CEPT/AFTA – which is the existing ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, and FTAs between ASEAN with China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand, and Hong Kong); eight FTAs signed bilaterally with Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan); the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); and two FTAs currently under negotiations including the FTA with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the Vietnam-Israel FTA.

These trade deals have and will greatly benefit Vietnam’s economy in general and exports in particular. For example, The EVFTA has a scale accounting for 30% of global GDP, while the RCEP is similar with 2.2 billion consumers, taking up more than 30% of global GDP.

Only accumulating these two regions, Vietnam has penetrated the economic sector with GDP accounting for 60% of global GDP with extensive and continuous tariff reductions with commitments to open markets for Vietnamese products, services and goods in the direction of transparency, openness and convenience with open commitments in all areas. Not to mention, the signing of FTAs also contains reforms of the economy.

According to updated figures from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) recently reported to the government, since 2011, Vietnam’s export turnover soared from US$93.6 billion in 2011 to US$263.5 billion in 2019.

Last year, despite massive difficulties caused by COVID-19 in the whole global market, the figure hit US$282.65 billion, in which Vietnamese firms earned US$78.2 billion – accounting for 27.8% of the economy’s total export turnover, with foreign-invested enterprises having raked in US$204.45 billion including crude oil exports – taking up 72.2% of the country’s total export value.

“Vietnam has been boosting its international economic integration in all levels, and gradually participating in the global production network and supply chains,” said an MPI report. “A rapid rise in export turnover has become an important driving force for the country’s economic growth over the past many years.”

In the entire 2011-2020 period, the export turnover has increased by 3.01 times, helping improve Vietnam’s export rank in the world’s export-import map. Specifically, the rank was 50th in 2007 before climbing to 27th in 2017.

According to experts, Vietnam’s exports have shifted from relying on crude oil to focusing on electronics. However, the fact that this sector lies mainly in the hands of FIEs has a large impact on the country’s export growth.

While in 2010, exports of phones and spare parts thereof only accounted for 3.2% of the total export turnover, by 2020, this sector ranked first among six commodity groups with a turnover of more than US$10 billion. The export value of this group in the first two months of this year was already estimated at around US$9.3 billion, accounting for 19.2% of the total export value, representing a 22.8% rise compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, Vietnam’s import turnover soared from US$105.8 billion in 2011 to US$253.5 billion in 2019 and US$262.7 billion in 2020, focusing on the commodities in service of production and exports, as well as investment projects in the sectors of energy and electronics. The MPI said that imports of this group of commodities always account for more than 90% of Vietnam’s total import turnover.

For example, in order to earn such a big export turnover of $57 billion last year, Samsung also spent dozens of billions of US dollars importing materials and equipment into Vietnam for its production.

These achievements have created an improvement in the trade balance, from a deficit of US$9.8 billion in 2011 to a big surplus of US$9.94 billion in 2019 and US$19.95 billion last year.

“Such a big trade surplus has enabled Vietnam to have a bigger foreign exchange reserve, facilitating the State Bank of Vietnam to perform it activities to stabilise the market, and making an important contribution to maintaining the stability of the economy’s macro-economic indexes,” the MPI report said.

In the first two months of this year, with many developed countries still struggling with the pandemic, Vietnam has maintained a trade surplus of close to US$1.29 billion, in which Vietnamese businesses suffered from a trade deficit of US$4.14 billion and FIEs earned a trade surplus of US$5.43 billion including crude oil exports.

Vietnam looks forward dynamic and effective collective economy

The Prime Minister has recently approved the Collective and Cooperative Economy Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period with the aim of promoting a dynamic, efficient and sustainable collective economy.

Vietnam strives to have approximately 140,000 cooperative groups with 2 million members, 45,000 cooperatives with 8 million members, and 340 cooperative unions with 1,700 member cooperatives by 2030.

Of which, 60-70% of the cooperatives are anticipated to operate effectively.

Vietnam will also promote the application of high technology in agriculture and try to have over 5,000 cooperatives and 500 cooperative groups applying high technology in the production and consumption of agricultural products.

About 50% of cooperatives are expected to link with businesses through value chains.

The Strategy also encourages the development of collective economy in all industries and areas with the association with main products of localities and One Commune One Product (OCOP) goods.

Expectations from “Dialogue 2045”

“Dialogue 2045” was officially initiated with the first conference chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Thong Nhat Conference Hall in Ho Chi Minh City on March 6. The event will be held annually for Party and State leaders to listen to the opinions of entrepreneurs and intellectuals regardingbuilding Vietnam into a developed and high-income country by 2045.

This year’s dialogue discussed major issues in the country, including people and technology, digital transformation, institutional reform, facilitation of production and business, human resource development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and others.

The discussions covered new issues arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as technology and digital transformation. The remaining issues were not new, but need to be handled in accordance with the new position of Vietnam, a country with a growing scale and enhanced role in the global arena.

Currently, the scale of Vietnam’s economy is about US$343 billion, ranking it in the top of 40 largest economies in the world and fourth in ASEAN while per capita income is just over US$3,500.

To become a developed and high-income country by 2045, Vietnam must continuously maintain high growth over the next 20 years with per capita income soon exceeding US$12,000 per year.

This is a challenging target because as income gets higher, it will be more difficult to attain additional growth. However, Vietnam has the resources and the basis to turn its aspirations into reality.

It is important that the business community, the pillar of the country, must be oriented for development at new heights while not merely seeking profit but creatingnew values ​​for society towards the sustainable development and common prosperity of the country. Enterprises and entrepreneurs must truly become a national resource.

Today, enterprises and business people have a special position, making significant contributions to national economic development.

The nation has more than 800,000 active enterprises. Ofthese, the private sector contributes about 42% of GDP and creates more than 50% of jobs in society.

Private enterprises not only invest in labour-intensiveindustries but they have also competed vigorously on the international market in industries that require large investment and resources such as software, aviation, and tourism. Vietnam also has business people listed in the world’s top dollar billionaires.

To realise the nation’s aspirations, it is necessary to further promote the role of the private economy, making it truly become a powerful driving force for development.

At the same time, it is necessary to adjust mechanisms and policies to improve production and business efficiency and promote large resources that State enterprises are holding. Only when enterprises are strong, will the nation become prosperous.

A quarter of a century is long enough for Vietnam to create tremendous growth and the miracle of becoming a developed country on the occasion of the100th anniversary of the National Day and “Dialogue 2045” is an important forum aimed at contributing to that miracle.

Vietnam posts US$1.64 billion in trade surplus in Jan-Feb

Vietnam reported a trade surplus of US$1.64 billion between January and February, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The country’s exports amounted to US$48.74 billion, while it spent US$47.1 billion on importing goods in the first two months of the year, the local media reported.

From February 16 to 28, Vietnam shipped goods worth some US$10.2 billion, up 2.9% against the first half of the month. The country’s key export products comprised phones and phone parts, steel, computers and electronic items.

In the second half of February, the country’s imports totaled US$11.4 billion, up 23% from the first half of the month. The import of machines, equipment and tools rose by 22.9%, while the purchase of plastic materials soared by 61.7% against the figure seen in the first half of February.

In the January-February period, the country’s total import and export revenue grew by 24% year-on-year at US$95.85 billion. The foreign direct investment (FDI) sector remained the key player.

FDI enterprises shipped products worth US$37 billion, representing 75.9% of the country’s total export revenue. Meanwhile, they imported US$31.5 billion, accounting for some 67% of Vietnam’s total import turnover.

Binh Duong attracts nearly US$400 million in FDI in January-February

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Binh Duong Province still ranked among the top localities in the country in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in the first two months of the year, as it saw nearly US$400 million in FDI, reaching 28% of its yearly target, according to the provincial government.

The southern province attracted 15 newly registered FDI projects with a total capital of US$257 million, six projects with their capital revised up by US$15 million and 26 projects with capital contributions worth over US$124 million, reported Bnews.

Up to now, foreign investors have invested in 17 sectors, with the majority of capital being injected into the manufacturing and processing industries, said Mai Ba Truoc, director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment.

Although the pandemic has upended all aspects of socio-economic life, the provincial authorities have actively held online investment promotion events, enabling businesses to boost investment cooperation, Truoc added.

Also, through these events, the department collected feedback and suggestions from businesses, reviewed the land bank in the province and mapped out plans to attract investors for major projects as well as supported investors in facilitating investment procedures. Local competent agencies also made efforts to remove the obstacles facing investors.

To date, Binh Duong has attracted more than 3,900 FDI projects with total pledged capital of US$35.8 billion from 65 countries and territories. Of the total amount of capital, Japan took the lead with over US$5.7 billion in investment, accounting for 16%.

Vietnam’s exports of fishery products expected to soar by US$7 bn next decade

The local fishery sector is set to earn an additional US$7 billion in export revenue by 2030 compared to the figure of US$8.6 billion recorded in 2020, according to the sector’s strategic development plan until 2030 with a vision toward 2045.

Under the plan, which has just been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the country’s total output of fishery products is expected to reach 9.8 million tons during the period, including seven million tons of farming output and 2.8 million tons of fishing output.

Besides this, the sector is looking to offer jobs to over 3.5 million people as of 2030, with the average income of employees in fishery enterprises being on par with that of others nationwide.

Also, the fishery sector will be developed into one of the most important economic sectors in the country and in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner. Further, the sector is positioned to become a modern commercial economic sector and a fishery product deep processing center.

The Government also launched a program prioritizing the implementation of the plan. Specifically, during the 2021-2030 period, the infrastructure and logistics system for the sector will be upgraded.

At the same time, multiple national programs will be rolled out to preserve, protect and renew fishery resources, with an aim to restore fisheries with economic and research values.

Banks about to raise deposit interest rates

From the beginning of March this year, many commercial banks have started to raise their deposit interest rates, generally at 0.1-0.2 percentage points per annum. Of which, there are terms with an increase of up to 0.8 percentage points per annum.

Particularly, Techcombank increased by 0.2-0.5 percentage points of the interest rate at all terms from one to eight months. The interest rate of the 36-month term also soared sharply from 4.8 percent per annum to 5.2 percent per annum.

Similarly, the deposit interest rate of ACB for the two-month term inched up by 0.1 percentage point per annum. VPBank also uplifted the deposit interest rates for terms from two to five months by 0.2 percentage points for customers with savings from over VND300 million to below VND10 billion.

The deposit interest rates for savings from VND3 billion to below VND10 billion increased by 0.15 percent per annum for the two-month term and 0.1 percent per annum for the three to five-month terms. With the deposits of VND50 billion or more, the interest rates for the two to five-month terms also surged by 0.05-0.2 percent per annum, depending on each term.

However, the market record showed that this wave of the interest-rate hike has not spread widely because many lenders said that in the first few months of the year, credit demand is usually not high, and liquidity is still quite abundant, so many banks have not embarked in the race to increase interest rates to attract capital yet.

However, experts assessed that in the coming time, other commercial banks would also increase deposit interest rates to keep customers under the pressure of increasing interest rates of the market.

Along with that, in the context that the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, and the consumer price index in February rose sharply, the deposit interest rate will likely climb again shortly.

Prices of black pepper suddenly climb

In the past few weeks, the price of black pepper in the Southeast provinces had suddenly increased continuously and hit a record high.

Mr. Truong Dinh Ba, Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Lam San Commune in Cam My District of Dong Nai Province, said that the current price of black pepper purchased by traders at the plantation ranges from VND70,000 to VND71,000 per kilogram, up nearly VND20,000 per kilogram compared to that at the beginning of the harvest season more than one month ago and VND34,000 per kilogram compared to the same period last year.

Dong Nai Province currently has a relatively large growing area of black pepper with 12,000 hectares. This province has determined that in the coming time it would support black pepper growers to build chains from clean production to consumption under the VietGAP standards for export.

Meanwhile, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the price of black pepper surged to VND73,500 per kilogram. It is the locality with the highest black pepper price in the country. The price of black pepper climbed by VND20,000 per kilogram in comparison with a month ago and VND35,500 per kilogram year-on-year.

In Binh Phuoc Province, the price of black pepper was at VND72,500 per kilogram, up VND20,000 per kilogram over the previous month, and VND35,500 per kilogram over the same period last year.

The price of this agricultural product rose strongly because the supply of black pepper dropped sharply. After three consecutive years of selling prices below production cost, farmers simultaneously chopped down pepper plants, reducing the growing area of black pepper. In addition, this year, unusual weather caused crop failure, reducing yield. It is forecasted that with the current market situation, in the coming time, black pepper prices will possibly continue to rise.

IMF: VN Successfully Navigating The Pandemic

The pandemic hit Viet Nam’s economy hard, but the nation has taken decisive steps to limit both the health and economic fallout, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s latest annual assessment of Viet Nam’s economy.

Swift introduction of containment measures, combined with aggressive contact tracing, targeted testing, and isolation of suspected COVID-19 cases, helped keep recorded infections and death rates notably low on a per capita basis, the IMF highlighted.

Viet Nam entered the pandemic with solid economic fundamentals and policy buffers, although some structural challenges remain to be addressed, the IMF’s annual assessment referred, adding that he country made considerable progress in consolidating public finances prior to COVID-19. The build-up of these fiscal, external, and financial buffers prior to the pandemic made Viet Nam more resilient to the shock.

The IMF suggested macroeconomic policies need to remain supportive in 2021 to ensure a resilient and inclusive recovery and policies should aim at reducing labor informality by improving labor skills and lowering hiring/firing costs for formal workers, and encouraging firm formalization.

A sustained recovery also hinges on safeguarding financial stability, the annual assessment stressed, adding that continued strong supervision, together with timely efforts to address problem loans and strengthen regulatory and supervisory frameworks, will help address financial system risks.

More decisive reforms are needed to make the most of Viet Nam’s considerable growth potential, the IMF recommended.

Meanwhile, priority should be given to improving the business environment and ensuring a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises, with reforms geared towards reducing regulatory burden faced by firms, improving their access to resources, enhancing governance and access to technology and innovation, and reducing skills mismatches.

Listed firms allowed to change their exchange

The new agreement will help cut short processing time for listed firms and prevent disruption to trading activities.

Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD) and the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE) have agreed on procedures to change market from HOSE To HNX.

The move was revealed during an online meeting held on March 16 among the three stock exchange authorities in a bid to ease the overload issue on the HOSE.

Under the plan, all parties would set up a single procedure to process information, transfer data and optimize system operation, aiming to cut short of processing time and preventing any disruption to stocks transaction activities on the stock market.

On the same day, the HNX informed of receiving requests from public firms to leave HOSE, including Vietnam National Seed Group (HOSE: NSC), Bibica Corporation (HOSE: BBC) and Southern Seed Corporation (HOSE: SSC).

These three are the first to change their listings to the HNX under the instruction of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) and the country’s stock market watchdog, which aims to address the issue of surging orders on HOSE that forced the stock exchange to halt market trading.

The overload occurred multiple times on HOSE whenever liquidity in a trading session hit around VND14-17 trillion (US$608-738 million).

An option to move to the HNX would not apply for stocks under the VN30 Index, comprised of the 30 largest stocks on the HOSE.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes

Ivory is found in a cargo container in central Vietnam. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The report shows an important but not surprising fact that, of the people who had visited an ivory shop suggested to them, 59 per cent of the suggestions came from local tour guides.

The report ‘Beyond the Ivory Ban: Research on Chinese Travelers While Abroad,’ produced by WWF and the research firm GlobeScan, collected results by surveying Chinese travellers on their attitudes towards the ivory trade, as well as their purchasing behaviour while abroad sometime between 2017 and 2019.

More than 3,000 Chinese visitors who had travelled to Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, were interviewed. The study found that about one in ten Chinese travellers surveyed (11 per cent) had planned to purchase ivory prior to making their trip. During their trips, a significant percentage of surveyed travellers had somebody recommend visiting an ivory retailer, with almost a quarter of travellers having visited at least one shop that sold ivory.

Nguyen Dao Ngoc Van, Stop the Illegal Wildlife Trade Programme Manager for WWF-Vietnam, said: “The fact that ivory purchases are being facilitated by those working in the travel and tourism industry in destination countries is worrying, but also presents a good opportunity for targeted interventions. If we can change the behaviour of these tourism sector actors, we can greatly reduce the chances that travellers have to purchase ivory while abroad.”

The study also points out that the Lunar New Year and Chinese National Day Golden Week are peak times for tourists to travel abroad. Vietnam is ranked by tourists as one of the most attractive destinations to buy ivory products due to perceived availability, better quality of carving, likelihood of the ivory being real and cheaper price compared to other destinations. These products are purchased mainly as gifts for friends or family members, while some are purchased as gifts for a business relation.

Most tourists were aware that it is illegal to buy, sell or transport ivory products across borders. However, under the guidance of ivory sellers, many try (and succeed) in bringing small, easy to hide ivory products back to China. These easily concealed pieces are difficult to detect, and if they are confiscated, the financial and legal damage is minimal.

When assessing the authenticity of the ivory, nearly half of the tourists surveyed said they relied on verifications provided by sellers to determine whether the product was real.

More than 30 per cent of people who purchased ivory had the products sent by the seller to their address in China by post, while 22 per cent transported it home by land or by plane and 11 per cent by boat.

According to Van, these findings suggest that creative demand reduction efforts and interventions with the private sector are key if we want to keep Chinese travellers from trafficking ivory home.

“If we can discredit ‘real’ ivory credentials or get shipping companies to cooperate with our anti-ivory trade efforts, then we can disrupt the flow of ivory to China,” Van said.

The results from the report are an important basis for Vietnam to develop strategies to reduce demand for ivory and wildlife in tourism in general and among Chinese tourists in particular. The report also proposes ways to reduce the trafficking of ivory and rhino horn by travellers, including addressing the illegal cross-border transport of ivory; detecting and engaging with indirect advertising channels like online travel planning platforms; and continuing to focus demand reduction activities around Chinese Lunar New Year and Golden Week.

It is time for the tourism industry to step up and join conservation organisations in their effort to protect wild species from extinction by fighting tourism driven illegal trade. WWF is ready to provide technical assistance and support to transform the tourism sector into a wildlife-friendly sector that actively protects wildlife as a valuable asset in the development of future tourism and human development.

VNS

A contest for Vietnamese citizens all over the world to study current regulations on elections of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils will go online from 0:00 on April 1 to 24:00 on April 30.

The event, to be held by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the National Assembly Office, is part of the activities in response to the upcoming election slated for May 23.

Besides, it aims to raise public awareness of the significance of the elections, while promoting IT application into law popularisation and education.

The contest focuses on the Law on Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and Deputies to People’s Councils in 2015, several regulations under the 2013 Constitution, Law on Organisation of the National Assembly, and Law on the Organisation of Local Governments.

Contestants should access to https://thitimhieuphapluat.moj.gov.vn, the Ministry of Justice’s portal, the National Election Council’s portal, the Vietnam National Assembly Television’s website, Dai Bieu Nhan dan e-newspaper, and Vietnam law e-newspaper to answer 20 questions.

Each contestant is allowed to do the test three times to improve the results.

Excellent contestants will receive certificates and gifts from the organising board, with one first prize worth 6 million VND (261 USD), five second prizes each worth 3 million VND, 10 third prizes each worth 2 million VND, and 20 consolidation prizes each worth 1 million VND./.

Vietnam records three imported COVID-19 cases on March 22 evening

Vietnam saw three imported COVID-19 case in the past 12 hours to 6pm of March 22, raising the national count at 2,575, according to the Health Ministry.

Of the total patients, 1,601 were locally transmitted cases, including 908 since January 27.

Also on the same day, 36 more patients were given the all-clear, raising the total number of recoveries to date to 2,234.

Meanwhile, 37,754 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 490 at hospitals, 18,620 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 18,644 at their accommodations.

The Ministry of Health advised people, included those who have been injected with COVID-19 vaccine, to continue preventive measures, including the “5K message” (in Vietnamese) – Khau trang (facemask) – (Khu khuan) disinfection – (Khoang cach) distance – (Khong tu tap) no gathering – (Khai bao y te) health declaration./.

No new COVID-19 cases reported on March 22 morning

Vietnam saw no new COVID-19 case in the past 12 hours to 6am of March 22, keeping the national count at 2,572, including 2,198 recoveries, according to the Health Ministry.

So far, 10 localities have experienced at least 36 days without any new local infections, namely Hoa Binh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Binh Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Giang, Gia Lai, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh and HCM City.

Hanoi has also been through 33 days of no new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 infections, while Hai Duong, the largest hotspot in the latest wave of COVID-19, three days.

Among the patients still under treatment, 37 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 18 twice and 63 thrice. Death toll remains at 35.

Meanwhile, 37,174 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 490 at hospitals, 17,990 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 18,694 at their accommodations.

According to the National Expanded Programme on Immunization, as of 4pm of March 21, an additional 1,530 people had received COVID-19 vaccine, raising the total number of vaccinated people to 33,981.

The Ministry of Health advised people, included those who have been injected with COVID-19 vaccine, to continue preventive measures, including the “5K message” (in Vietnamese) – Khau trang (facemask)- (Khu khuan) disinfection- (Khoang cach) distance- (Khong tu tap) no gathering – (Khai bao y te) health declaration.

As the pandemic situation eases, as from 0:00 of March 22, the northern province of Quang Ninh had lifted all COVID-19 checkpoints and re-opened all business activities. As of March 21, the province has gone through 40 days without any new local COVID-19 infections./.

About 4,000 liters of diesel oil pumped out of sunken ship in Mui Ne

About 4,000 liters of diesel oil has been pumped out of the sunken ship carrying 1,500 metric tons of fly ash in the waters off Mui Ne in the South-Central Province of Binh Thuan.

A representative of Truong Tam Maritime Company today said that the company and related competent agencies made concerted efforts to pump nearly 4,000 liters of diesel oil mixed with water out of the wrecked ship safely. The operation was a race against time in 15 minutes.

As media released, the Bach Dang ship, with a capacity of 2,500 metric tons, with seven sailors aboard capsized and sank on its way to carry the fly ash from Vinh Tan 2 thermal power plant in the province to the Southern Province of Dong Nai.

Luckily, all of the sailors were rescued and 4,000 liters of diesel oil remained in the ship’s fuel tank when it capsized. The ship has since been lying upside down on the sea, with neither oil spill nor fly ash spreading.

Foreigner knocks down power poles causing massive blackout in Thu Duc City

The foreign man who knocked down four power poles causing a massive blackout in newly-established Thu Duc City’s Thao Dien Ward confessed that he fell asleep while driving.

The accident left hundreds of households in the ward without power.

Police yesterday announced to be investigating the crash, which could lead to charges for the driver.

He crashed and knocked down many electricity poles resulting in power blackout.

At the local police station, he promised to offer compensation. However, police officers said that in addition to compensation, the driver will face an administrative fine.

As Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper released yesterday, a 7-seater sedan ploughed into pedestrians on a pavement and then knocked down four power poles. Luckily, no injuries were reported but the vehicle was seriously damaged and 122 households experienced power cut.

Police quickly arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area as well as asked witnesses for their investigation.

Vietnamese citizens hit by pandemic in Cambodia receive support

Food transported to Vietnamese expats in Kandal province.

Vietnamese expatriates in Cambodia’s Kandal and Prey Veng, who are facing tough challenges during COVID-19 quarantine, received food assistance from the Vietnamese Embassy and Khmer-Vietnam Association in the host country on March 19 and 20.

According to the embassy, markets and essentials services have been available for locals since the first COVID-19 cases were detected in the two provinces.

Livelihoods of the Vietnamese under quarantine have been stabilised gradually, it said.

On March 20, the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Kandal province received and presented 500 gifts, including rice and noodles, to Vietnamese-Cambodian families in Luek Daek, Mukh Kamphool, Lvea Aem, Kien Svay and Ponhea Lueu districts. The gifts were donated by the Associations of Friendship Organisations in Dong Thap province and Tan Chau town in An Giang province, and several Vietnamese philanthropists.

One day earlier, the association in Prey Veng province distributed rice and noodle to 408 Vietnamese households in Prek Sai Kho commune, and presented gifts to 135 Khmer families affected by the pandemic through the local authorities./.

61 laborers illegally enter Vietnam to escape Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia

Sixty-one Vietnamese laborers illegally entered the country to escape the Covid-19 pandemic in Cambodia, said colonel Nguyen Thuong Le, Head of the border guard station in the Mekong Delta Province of An Giang on March 21.

Border guards in the international border gate Tinh Bien in An Giang Province discovered 61 illicit immigrants including eight children, quarantining them in centralized wards to prevent Covid-19 spread as per the present regulation.

According to police’s primary identification, all of these immigrants are Cham ethnic minority people  who are permanent residents in An Phu District in An Giang Province. They came to Cambodia for working in one year. However, due to complicated Covid-19 outbreaks in Cambodia lately, they tried to return to An Giang Province.

They will receive punishment for illegal immigration.

Nurturing Vietnam-Laos special solidarity

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee sent a letter of greetings to the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) on the occasion of the Lao Party’s 66th founding anniversary (March 22, 1955-2021).

In the message, the CPV Central Committee wrote the Vietnamese Party and people are delighted at great achievements gained by the Lao Party and people in the past struggle for national liberation and the current renewal, and national building and safeguarding.

Vietnam believes that under the leadership of the LPRP, Laos will gain new and greater achievements in its renewal process, successfully implement targets set out in its 11th National Party Committee’s Resolution, and successfully build a socialist-oriented State of peace, independence, democracy, unification and prosperity, wrote the letter.

The Vietnam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity and all-round cooperation, nurtured and developed by late Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and generations of the two countries’ leaders and peoples, have been continuously consolidated and deepened in all fields, thus contributing practically to each country’s renewal, and national building and safeguarding, it said.

The Vietnamese Party, State and people always treasure and bear in mind the great, valuable and effective support of the Lao Party, State and people, and will do their utmost to, together with the Lao side, maintain, protect and develop the bilateral special solidarity, for the interests of the two peoples, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, wrote the letter.

On this occasion, Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong sent flowers to Lao Party General Secretary and Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and the Vietnamese Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations sent a message to its Lao counterpart./.

Tien Giang focuses on administrative reform

The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is focusing all resources on speeding up the reform of administrative procedures and expanding the use of information technology (IT), which has effectively contributed to fostering local socio-economic development.

According to assessments from the provincial People’s Committee, administrative reform has been carried out effectively by all local departments and sectors.

The year 2020 was also the fourth year Tien Giang implemented a project on “Application of information technology in State offices”. All local offices have used software to receive and handle documents, and applied the province’s “single window” software to receive, handle, and return documents.

To better serve locals and businesses, the provincial People’s Committee has asked leaders of units and localities to continue stepping up administrative reform and IT application at State offices, which are considered important solutions to realize three breakthrough missions set out in the resolution of the 11th provincial Party Congress.

The resolution requires that the top leaders of offices and units must play the leading role in the work.

Besides, the province will continue revising legal documents and administrative procedures to ensure their legality and feasibility./.

Vietnam records no new COVID-19 in March 21 afternoon

Vietnam had no new COVID-19 cases to report in the past 12 hours to 6pm March 21, according to the Health Ministry.

This keeps the national count at 2,572, and the death toll remains at 35.

As of March 21, 2,198 patients have been given the all-clear. The death toll remains at 35.

Among the patients still under treatment, 37 have tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 once, 18 twice and 63 thrice.

Meanwhile, 37,174 people are being quarantined nationwide, with 490 at hospitals, 17,990 at concentrated quarantine facilities and 18,694 at their accommodations.

Metro Line No1 in HCM City likely to be completed after 2021

Metro Line No1 in HCM City likely to be completed after 2021. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The completion of Metro Line No1 project in Ho Chi Minh City linking Ben Thanh Market in District 1 with Suoi Tien Tourist Park in District 9 is likely to be delayed to after 2021, the municipal Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) has stated.

According to a recent report of the MAUR on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on urban railway projects in the city, NJPT Association, the general consultant for the project, has repeatedly informed the investor about the impact, which may delay the construction and installation packages from 4-6 months and the package of equipment from 6 – 8 months.

Only 82 percent of the construction work was completed in 2020 due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3 percent lower than the set plan. The reason behind the delay is that foreign experts could not arrive in Vietnam for working, the MAUR noted.

The 2.05- billion-USD Metro Line No 1 is the first of at least six to be built in the city and aims to ease traffic congestion in its north-eastern gateway.

Including four major bidding packages using official development assistance (ODA) and funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is designed to have 14 stations, three of them underground.

There will be 17 three-carriage trains plying the route, running at a maximum speed of 110 km/h above ground and 80 km/h below ground./.

Visitors book tours to southern resorts for upcoming holiday

Recent days has seen the representatives of many domestic travel agencies busy arranging a large number of tours to famous sites throughout the southern region, including Phu Quoc island ahead of the April 30 and May 1 holiday, a positive indicator for the recovery of the domestic tourism industry.

Tourists need only to spend between 36.9 – 65.2 USD, on staying one night at a luxury accommodation, meaning that they are fully booked these days.

Along with lodging establishments enjoying a boost in business, travel agencies have also seen an increasing number of tourists in recent times. Phu Quoc island, Con Dao, Quy Nhon, and Da Nang are among the most popular holiday destinations at present.

A combo deal including air tickets, hotels, and breakfast would serve to attract customers. Tourists often gather in groups of families and friends at weekends, with a tendency to travel to places which are far from city centres and have few guests, large green space./.

HCMC to stabilize tuition fee in non-public schools

The education sector in Ho Chi Minh City will recheck and stabilize tuition fee in non-public preschools and high schools in 2021.

The Department of Education and Training organized a meeting to review its planning – financing mission in 2020 and implementation of new tasks for 2021.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Head of the Division of Planning – Financing Mai Phuong Lien said that to attain the goal of 300 classrooms per 10,000 population in the age of three to 18 as per the resolution of the tenth Congress of the Communist Party of Ho Chi Minh City, local administrations in 21 districts and Thu Duc City must devise  their public investment plan for the 2016-2020 period with 832 projects to build 15,940 classrooms with a total cost of nearly VND70 trillion (over US$3 billion).

As of December, 2020, the city education sector has so far built 292 classrooms per 10,000 population in the school age , achieving 57.84 percent of the year’s plan.

In 2020 alone, the city had 90 projects to build 1,371 classrooms totaling VND4,575 billion. Specifically, the city has built additional 429 , 381, 357 and 116 classrooms for primary schools, preschools, junior high schools and senior high schools respectively.

According to the Department of Education and Training’s statistics, the spending for school construction in 2020 increased by 4.66 percent compared to 2019. As scheduled, total spending for repairing facilities and purchase of equipment in 2021 for schools will be nearly VND190 trillion.

The Department said that the private schools developed without strategy; as a result, school system in the city has ensure its plan.

When it comes to construction of public schools, the progress of upgrade and building of schools has fallen behind the plan and the proportion of national-level schools is still low.

This year, the city will issue decision on appropriate tuition fee and complete financing mechanism in a bid to build advanced schools to keep pace with other nations in the Asian region and in the world.

Quang Hai voted as best midfielder in AFC Cup history

As the nation’s star player in midfield, local footballer Quang Hai has received the most votes in a poll among fans to find the best midfielder in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup’s history.

The talented Vietnamese playmaker finds himself in first place for the best midfielder award after gaining 60.01% of the overall votes.

Coming in behind the Vietnamese midfield maestro, Hasan Abdel-Fattah of Jordan ranked in second place with 21.76% of the vote, followed by Safiq Rahim of Malaysia with 11.04%.

The poll was organised by the AFC and ran from March 12 to March 18.

“Nguyen Quang Hai has already left a significant mark on the AFC Cup, particularly in his exceptional 2019 campaign,” the AFC’s wrote on their website.

“The then 22-year-old was simply devastating throughout the tournament, setting up a hatful of goals in the group stage and scoring two screamers in the Inter-zone play-off semi-final against Altyn Asyr, with only an away goals defeat to 4.25 SC preventing Hanoi from becoming the first Vietnamese club to reach the final. Quang Hai is scheduled to return to the AFC Cup in 2021,” it added.

This year is set to see the return of Quang Hai to the competition due to his club side Hanoi FC qualifying for the 2021 version of the continental tournament.

Hanoi FC have been drawn in Group G alongside Boeung Ket Angkor FC of Cambodia, Bali United FC of Indonesia, and the winner of an upcoming play-off match.

HCM City: Pandemic-hit workers to receive free vocational training

Workers in Ho Chi Minh City who were laid off or had their hours cut as a result of COVID-19 will have the opportunity to attend free vocational training courses under a new programme initiative, according to Vice Chairman of the municipal Federation of Labour Pham Chi Tam.

Jointly launched by the city’s Federation of Labour and the Cao Thang Technical College, the programme aims to help affected workers make a career shift, improve their professional skills, and seek new employment.

Courses will be held from April 1 to June 30 on weekday evenings and weekends.

Tam said courses will be offered on 24 simple professions in seven industries: information technology, heat engineering and refrigeration technology, mechanics, electricity, electronics, transportation mechanical engineering, economics, and foreign languages.

Not only are the courses free, they will also enable trainees to practice on advanced equipment, he noted, adding that they will even be paid for apprenticeships at companies and receive certificates of completion.

Each person is allowed to attend a maximum of two courses./.

HCM City posts solid performance in Overseas Vietnamese affairs

The Ho Chi Minh City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV) Affairs must continue to perform well in implementing State management over OVs in the city, giving advice on caring for poor Vietnamese abroad and connecting city leaders and OVs, and strengthening communications on Party and State policies and laws among the community, a city leader has said.

Addressing a conference to kick-start the committee’s tasks in 2021, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc said the committee and the OV community made major contributions in 2020 to the city’s success in implementing the “twin targets” of combating COVID-19 and boosting economic development.

He noted that the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) grew 1.39 percent during the year, while exports hit 43.8 billion USD, up 3.1 percent year-on-year.

It granted licences to 950 foreign-invested projects worth 4.36 billion USD, he noted, adding that remittances last year reached 6.1 billion USD, a 15 percent increase against 2019.

He asked the committee to continue reforming operational content and methods, focusing on the city’s 2021 motto of building urban administration and improving the investment environment, while continuing to give advice to city leaders on the gathering of ideas from OVs regarding digital transformation, digital economy, and other programmes of the city.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Luong Thanh Nghi hailed the success of the city’s Committee for OV Affairs in 2020 and underlined the potential the OV community holds as well as their aspirations to contribute to national construction, defence, and development.

He said he hopes that the committee will continue to promote its achievements, supporting the Vietnamese community abroard in maintaining traditional cultural activities and strengthening their connectivity to help them make more contributions to the development of the city and the country as a whole in the current period.

In 2021, the committee aims to continue expanding activities for the community, including organising exchanges and get-together programmes as well as other events to gather their ideas on the city’s development.

On the occasion, the city’s committee presented Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Certificates of Merit to Vo Thanh Chat, Vice Chairman of the HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, and a number of collectives and individuals showing outstanding performance in people diplomacy./.

Forest God worship ritual recognised as intangible cultural heritage

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has officially recognised the Forest God worship ritual carried out by the Mong ethnic people of Si Ma Cai district in the northern province of Lao Cai as part of national intangible cultural heritage.

The tradition typically takes place in February and June each year in accordance with the lunar calendar.

Through the Forest God worship ritual, the Mong ethnic community prays for good weather, a good harvest for a new crop, wealth, and solidarity.

The ritual also helps to educate local people about the need for greater environmental protection and to love both nature and the motherland.

Thanks to the practice, many forests of the Mong ethnic people throughout Si Ma Cai district remain intact.

Hanoi vows to make SEA Games, ASEAN Para Games 2021 a success

The administration of Hanoi remains highly determined to successfully host the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games later this year.

This statement was made by Chu Xuan Dzung, vice chairman of the local administration, during a meeting held on March 18 in Hanoi with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

He noted that the hosting of such an important regional sporting event is an honour for the capital, adding that the city is establishing various sub-committees and devising organizational plans to ensure the event will be a great success.

Due to fears relating to the potential spread of COVID-19, detailed plans must be carefully prepared, including the organisation of both the opening and closing ceremonies, the arrival of participating teams, and the accommodation of foreign athletes, said Dzung.

Improvements to eight sporting venues which will host various events in the competition will also get underway across Hanoi, with work set to be completed before June ahead of the games, according to Tran Thi Van Anh, deputy director of Hanoi’s Department of Culture and Sports.

The 31st SEA Games is scheduled to be held between November 21 and December 2 and will feature 40 sports which will take place across Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities.

The 11th ASEAN Para Games will run from December 17 to December 23 with 11 sports being held in Hanoi.

Expert discusses Lee Nguyen’s slow start in V.League 1

Despite making a big splash with major signings including former US national team player Lee Nguyễn, HCM City FC have had a poor start to the V.League 1 season.

The team currently sit 10th in the table with three points in three matches and perhaps most concerning is star player Nguyễn’s struggles in his two matches.

“First, his stamina is not ensured and this is a critical issue,” football pundit Vũ Mạnh Hải told thethao247.vn.

“After quarantine, his training was not fully complete, so on the pitch, he could neither move much not nor show any skill.

“If the fitness is not there, it will lead to poor technical play and work rate. That’s why Lee Nguyễn has underperformed,” Hải said.

According to Hải, the development of the V.League 1 is also another reason why the 35 is facing difficulties.

“Although he used to play football in Việt Nam, that was a long time ago. When he returned, the Vietnamese players’ expertise has improved a lot so when being pressed, he will face many challenges.

“Overall, I think age has affected him a lot because Lee is already 35. He is not weak yet, but his physical ability has been decreasing. Without good preparation and training, along with lifestyle problems, it’s tough for him to perform his best.

“That’s why fans are very disappointed after watching the former MLS star’s performance at the beginning of the season,” He added.

City’s only victory was the match against Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh at home at Thống Nhất Stadium on January 24.

They face huge tests over the coming days, with the HCM City derby today against Sai Gon FC and a match with heavyweights Ha Noi FC on Tuesday.

The two blockbuster matches are a chance for Lee Nguyễn to show his quality and prove the early-season struggles are nothing to be concerned about, or they could mark an early end to HCM City’s title ambitions.

Bruno Cunha brace leads Hanoi to win over Thanh Hoa

Hà Nội FC made it two wins from their last two on Thursday night against Thanh Hóa, with a 3-2 win going some way to dispelling concerns about their early season struggles.

The country’s most successful team in recent years had started the season in January in an abysmal form with two losses, but the COVID-19 pandemic-imposed mid-season break seems to have done wonders for them with wins over Hải Phòng and now Thanh Hóa since football restarted earlier this month.

Bruno Cunha celebrates one of his goals against Thanh Hóa. — Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

Three minutes in Thanh Hóa goalkeeper Nguyễn Thanh Điệp spilled Nguyễn Văn Quyết’s tame shot straight into Ngân Văn Đại’s path, and the forward made no mistake from point-blank range for his second goal in two games.

A mere three minutes later the lead was doubled as Brazilian forward Bruno Caunha lashed in his first goal for Hà Nội when Đỗ Hùng Dũng laid the ball off after a goalmouth scramble.

Rather than let their heads drop Thanh Hóa dug deep and played some good football which was rewarded with a goal in the 35th minute, veteran striker and captain Hoàng Vũ Samson prodding home from a yard out after Hà Nội made of mess of defending a corner.

Curiously, Thanh Hóa coach Ljupko Petrovic substituted Gramoz Kurtaj at half-time, despite the midfielder putting in a composed performance.

Nevertheless, Petrovic’s men could have equalised in the 53rd minute when Nguyễn Văn Vinh got on the end of a free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box, but the defender’s header went just wide.

Hà Nội punished the away side’s profligacy 10 minutes later when Cunha netted his second by heading home Trần Văn Kiên’s deep cross from the right at the back post.

Thanh Hóa kept fighting right until the end and pulled another goal back in the 90th minute through Hoàng Đình Tùng, however it was too little too late and Hà Nội held on to secure all three points.

While the visitors and their vocal support will feel unlucky not to have come away with something from the game, Hà Nội showed part of why they’ve been so formidable in recent years, as despite failing to hit top gear they ground out three points.

In Thursday’s other match, Sông Lam Nghệ An defeated Quảng Ninh 1-0. On Friday evening, Bình Định take on SHB Đà Nẵng, Nam Định face champions Viettel and HCM City FC face local rivals Sài Gòn FC.

Bat Trang craft village centre nearly complete

The Centre for Quintessence of Vietnamese Craft Village in the Bat Trang Ceramic Village is being completed in Hanoi to showcase craft village products.

The centre has been built since 2018 and designed by architect Hoang Thuc Hao. The complex covers 3,700 square metres and cost VND150bn (USD6.5m). It is expected to be opened in June to showcase the products of Vietnamese craft villages and preserve the traditions of Bat Trang Ceramic Village.

Pham Thuy Duong, the centre’s CEO, said, “We want to build the centre to honour our ancestors, our crafts and hometowns. This will be like a common house of Bat Trang Village where the village’s quintessence is preserved and promoted to visitors.”

The building has a shape of seven swirly blocks resembling seven on-going works on the pottery wheels. The centre will work as both a museum and a commercial gallery.

The ground floor will exhibit general craft products and the higher floors will exhibit famous ceramic types of Bat Trang Village.

An Giang aims for sustainable poverty reduction

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang will spend more than VNĐ30.5 billion (US$1.3 million) this year to implement projects under the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction.

Poor households will receive support to pursue agricultural production or business, while poverty-reduction models will be expanded in border communes, according to the province’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Media campaigns raising public awareness about poverty reduction will also be launched, and officials will learn how to better evaluate poverty reduction efforts.

In An Giang, poor and near-poor households live mostly in mountainous or remote areas and in ethnic-minority dominated areas.

The province in recent years has implemented various measures to help poor households escape poverty. Its Fund for the Poor mobilised more than VNĐ948 billion ($40.8 million) from various sources over the past five years.

Last year, the province provided soft loans worth more than VNĐ900 billion ($38.8 million) to 2,400 poor households, 7,300 near-poor households, and 3,900 newly escaped poor households.

The province provided free health insurance cards for poor and near-poor households, and reduced and exempted school fees for children of poor and near-poor households last year.

It also invested in 75 infrastructure projects worth VNĐ26 billion ($1.1 million) in highly disadvantaged communes and border communes last year.

Last year it expanded five poverty-reduction models under the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for 120 poor and near-poor households in highly disadvantaged communes and border communes.

The province also helped poor and near-poor households diversify their livelihoods, and expanded another 17 poverty-reduction models not under the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction to 417 poor and near-poor households last year.

The poverty-reduction models include breeding animals, growing short term crops, and making handicraft products.

More than 80 per cent of households applying poverty-reduction models escaped poor or near-poor status over the past five years.

Around 4,000 poor households escaped poverty last year. The province now has 10,200 poor households, accounting for 1.9 per cent of the province’s total households.

Though the province has achieved positive results, some poor households have waited for assistance from the State and community even after receiving vocational training, jobs and soft loans for doing business, according to the province’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Châu Văn Ly, director of the department, said: “The province will strengthen communication with poor people to understand their wishes and have measures to help them do production or business to improve their income and life.”

It will also help more poor households access soft loans for doing production or business, provide vocational skills and jobs for the poor, and create favourable conditions for the poor to escape poverty on a sustainable basis.

The province will set up a criteria system to monitor and evaluate poverty-reduction work at all levels, especially in districts and communes.

Hai Phong beat Binh Duong to top V .League

Jeremy Lynch scored the only goal to help Hải Phòng beat Bình Dương 1-0 on Saturday and take them top of the V.league 1.

This was Bình Dương the second consecutive defeat in the national premier league, leaving coach Phan Thanh Hùng smarting.

“Hải Phòng actively waited for the opportunities to counterattack with the aim of playing for a draw. We controlled the ball well, but the performance of attackers like Nguyễn Tiến Linh, Victor Mansaray,  Pape Omar  or Tô Văn Vũ in this match wasn’t good. We couldn’t make the most of our chances and were beaten by Hải Phòng’s counterattack.”

Talking about the strength of Hải Phòng, coach Phan Thanh Hung added: “Hải Phòng have only lost one match from the beginning of the season. They won against defending champions Viettel at Hàng Đẫy Stadium. Hà Nội FC also struggled to defeat Hải Phòng. I think that from now on the remaining teams in the league will know the true strength of Hải Phòng.”

With this loss, Bình Dương dropped to 10th place with just six points after four matches.

In the other match, Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh tied with Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) 0-0.

“For the first time, I looked forward to the end of the match,” coach Phạm Minh Đức said after the match.

“Hà Tĩnh haven’t won for three matches. The 1-2 loss with Quảng Ninh Coal had a great influence on the next matches of the team. That is why the result of this match has a very special meaning,” Đức said.

As for coach Kiatisuk Senamuang of HAGL, he said that his team only aimed to earn one point and his team achieved that goal.

Yesterday, HAGL traveled to Hà Nội to prepare for the match against Viettel on March 24. This is expected to be a difficult match for HAGL because in fixture last year at Hàng Đẫy Stadium, HAGL lost to Viettel 1-4.

Two girls found dead at Topaz Home Apartment

Police of District 12 and functional forces of the city police this morning came to Topaz Home Apartment in Phan Van Hon Street, Tan Thoi Nhat Ward, District 12, Ho Chi Minh City where two girls had died in a suspicious falling-down.

According to the initial information, some security officers of Topaz Home Apartment found two girls with motionless nearby the apartment’s parking area.

After checking the site, the two girls were confirmed to die with a suspicious falling-down.

Currently, the police forces are at the site for investigation.

Literary works on border, sea and island displayed

A programme named ‘Homeland’s seas and islands Space’ opened at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism in the Dong Mo tourism area of Son Tay town, Hanoi, on March 20, showcasing over 50 literary works on Vietnam’s borders, seas and islands.

Under the framework of the event, ‘A Little Spring’ is taking place at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, the programme featuring the participation of young writers from the Vietnam Writers Association and the Youth Club for the Homeland’s seas and islands as part of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee.

‘The Homeland’s seas and islands Space’ introduces more than 50 literary works on the nation’s borders, seas and islands, across various genres – poems, school songs, short stories, novels, autographs, notes and dissertations, including many compositions from young writers and poets.

Of particular note, many works have received awards such as the Vietnam Book Award, the Literature and Arts Award of the Ministry of Defence as well as commendations from the Naval High Command and the Vietnam Writers’ Association from 1974 to the present day.

In addition, the programme also displays 33 national flags used in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago; 36 photos showing beautiful moments and images of soldiers’ trips to the Truong Sa archipelago, the lives of soldiers and people on the islands, the love between the soldiers and local people and the love of the mainland for the islands.

The artifacts and pictures vividly prove Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos; reflecting the life and work of the naval army. Many artifacts and images, meaningful gifts from journalists who used to work in Truong Sa, are featured.

On the opening day, the programme received significant attention from ethnic minorities, currently living and promoting their community’s identity at the Vietnam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism.

Exhibition introduces beauty of Vietnam’s old features

The Vietnam Fine Arts Association alongside the Hanoi Fine Arts Association, have opened an exhibition named ‘Net Xua’ (Old Features) at the Fine Arts Exhibition House, No. 16 Ngo Quyen, Hanoi, on March 19.

The exhibition displays nearly 50 works from authors who are members of the ‘Bui Coffee’ art group – an association that regularly organises exhibitions, connecting art lovers and artists.

Works made from a variety of materials such as lacquer, oil paint, silk, acrylic, rekindle viewers memories through beautiful images rich in traditional cultural value, such as communal roofs, banyan trees, water stations, temples, traditional festivals, old women and traditional markets.

The exhibition runs until March 28.

Hoi An restarts many interesting tourist events

Hoi An ancient city in Quang Nam province will host a wide range of tourist events and activities from March 20 to May 1 to welcome visitors back at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has basically been brought under control in the city.

Visitors to the city during this time will be invited to join a programme held on March 20 in response to the International Day of Happiness, a lantern night in the old quarter on March 26, a visual arts programme on March 28, and a music night on April 1 in commemoration of celebrated musician Trinh Cong Son.

Tourists will also be offered a 50% ticket discount when visiting the old quarter, Thanh Ha ceramic village and the Tra Que vegetable in the city.

In addition, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Vietnam and the Korean Cultural Centre will also coordinate with Hoi An city authorities to host an ‘ROK Cultural Days in Quang Nam’ event from April 9 to 11, featuring many exciting exchange events and arts performances.

On the occasion, the city’s hospitality sector will introduce several new tourist products, including a fashion show and a stage programme entitled ‘A Moony Night on Hoai River’, aiming to provide travellers with unforgettable memories during their stay in the city.

According to Truong Thi Ngoc Cam, Director of the city’s Centre for Culture, Sports, Radio and Television, the city always places as a top priority the safety of visitors and the prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to make Hoi An a safe and friendly tourist destination.

Over 300 residents in Binh Dinh poisoned including nine hospitalizations

Over 300 residents in the Central Province of Binh Dinh were poisoned including nine hospitalizations; therefore, authority in the province has jumped into investigation of the cause of the incident.

More than 300 residents in mountainous communes in Tay Son District; nine of them were brought to the local hospital for treatment. A leader of the local medical center in Tay Son District this morning confirmed that over 300 people in Binh Tuong and Vinh An communes have been experiencing abdominal pain, vomiting, and headache. Seriously, nine of them had to be taken to infirmaries for further treatment.

Presently, the medical center in Tay Son District reported the incident to the provincial Center for Disease Control and carried out probe into the case.

According to primary information, poisoned victims all used water from a water plant in the two communes; as a result, health authority said water contamination is highly likely to be the source of poisoning cases.

Ministry adds Korean in national high school exam in 2021

Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training has just decided to add Korean in the national high school examination so that candidates can sit for Korean test for graduation as well as applying for universities in 2021.

With the recent inclusion of Korean, there will be more foreign languages such as English, Chinese, German, Japanese, French, Russian, and Korean for candidates to choose for the national high school examination.

Moreover, to assist candidates to use their exam results and apply for universities in 2021, the Ministry of Education and Training required schools to review and add major code of Korean for admission to different majors as per the current admission regulations.

The national high school exam is expected to consist of Math, Literature, and Foreign Language. Noticeably, senior high schoolers must take natural science tests including Physics, Chemistry, and Biology and social science test including History, Geography, and lessons for citizenship education for candidates pursuing general education while History and Geography for candidates pursuing continuous education .

Four trains for first metro line to arrive in HCMC before July

The next four trains for the first metro line project in HCMC are expected to be transported from Japan to Vietnam between April and July this year if the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control, said Huynh Hong Thanh, deputy head of the Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) of HCMC.

During an inspection by a team led by HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong on March 16 into the construction site of the Ba Son underground station, part of the first metro line project, Thanh said two trains were scheduled arrive in Vietnam in April or May. Two months later, the next two trains would be handed over to Vietnam, news site VnExpress reported.

After arriving in HCMC, the four trains, together with the first one which was transported to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City in October last year, will be operated on a trial basis.

MAUR had earlier planned to run the trains on a trial basis in the last quarter of this year. They will run on an elevated section from Binh Thai Intersection to Long Binh Depot before the entire system is put into trial operation.

At the same time, other works serving the metro line’s operation will also be conducted, such as training laborers, transferring technology, checking and handing over the project.

The first metro line in HCMC was designed to have 17 three-carriage trains. Each train is capable of carrying 930 passengers and can move at a maximum speed of 110 kilometers an hour on elevated sections and 80 kilometers an hour on underground sections.

The average distance between every two stations is over one kilometer, so trains will run at a speed of some 40 kilometers per hour.

According to Thanh, the project is facing some obstacles. However, the progress of some packages has been ensured, such as the CP1b package to build an underground section from the Opera House station to the Ba Son station, which is expected to be 99% complete by the middle of this year.

He added that the project was still expected to be completed by the end of this year as planned. Due to the pandemic, MAUR will come up with another detailed plan on the project’s progress, assess the impact of Covid-19 on its execution and propose new solutions.

HCMC Chairman Phong said the city had directed MAUR to determine when the project would be put into commercial operation, which will be a foundation to work out difficulties.

The first metro line project requires an investment of VND43.7 trillion. It was designed to be nearly 20 kilometers long with three underground stations and 11 elevated stations.

The project is some 83% complete and is expected to be put into operation next year.

Vietnam works with foreign countries to adopt vaccine passports

As many countries are planning to roll out Covid-19 vaccine passports to rekindle commerce and travel with foreign markets, Vietnam is in the process of working with foreign countries to accept vaccine passports via QR codes.

Before getting Covid-19 vaccines, residents will have to download the e-Portfolio app and re-declare their information, making it easier for QR scanning, it was announced at a meeting held by the national steering committee for Covid-19 infection prevention and control on March 19.

After being injected with two shots of the Covid-19 vaccine, the system will be updated and the vaccinated will be verified. When travelling abroad, residents will have their vaccination passport QR codes scanned.

Besides, representatives of competent agencies and mobile carriers said that the technical infrastructure system of vaccine passports for foreigners is almost complete and will be ready for use in April.

The national steering committee said that the infrastructure system must be deployed after detailed policies on vaccine passports are adopted.

The Ministry of Health was told to continue working with foreign health agencies to join the international joint effort to reopen doors for commerce and travel.

In addition, State agencies’ preparation for technical infrastructure and vaccine passport policies, local transport operators, airlines and tour operators said they were ready for a vaccine passport pilot.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said that it was willing to team up with competent agencies to study and pilot a vaccine passport scheme to gradually reopen international air routes.

Anti-Covid-19 measures adopted by Vietnam Airlines were assessed to meet safety standards, even higher than those set by global airline alliance SkyTeam.

On March 18, Cao Thi Tuyet Lan, head of the department for market development and foreign relations at the HCMC Tourism Association, said that adopting vaccine passports would offer convenience for foreign and local travelers.

Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/VIR/SGT/Nhan Dan/Hanoitimes