Business matching programme 2021

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (centre) and other participants press the button to launch the programme on April 11 (Photo: VNA)

The programme is a joint effort of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Central Committee, and the Vietnam Red Cross Society, with an agreement signed the same day.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that in many areas across the country, children are facing poor living and studying conditions.

He hoped that the community will join hands to take care of children, stressing that the programme is expected to have the engagement of Party organisations, administrations in localities, organisations and businesses, thus providing poor students with nutritious meals and stable schools with playgrounds and hygienic toilets.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Ngo Thi Minh asked the education and training sectors in localities to advise local administrations on exploring the demands of students and teachers to update the requests to the national humanity portal, while coordinating with relevant agencies to organise effective volunteer activities.

Donors can respond to the programme through the national humanity portal at http://inhandao.vn/Điều ước cho em.

Currently, nearly 2,000 schools in 39 cities and provinces have registered to receive support in the portal, while 5,000 schools have given their specific needs.

Many domestic and foreign businesses have committed to supporting the building of schools and toilets, and provide lunch to 30,000 students as well as scholarships to poor students with total value of 127 billion VND (5.51 million USD)./

The projections were made in the World Economic Outlook report released at the Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.

According to the IMF, Vietnam can achieve a growth rate of 6.5% this year thanks to its solid foundation as well as the government’s aggressive economic and healthcare measures.

Vietnam’s unemployment rate is projected to fall from 3.3% in 2020 to 2.7% in 2021 and down to 2.4% in 2022.

The Fund recommended that Vietnam should continue its current macroeconomic policies to ensure a sustainable and comprehensive recovery.

In Southeast Asia, average growth of the five countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam is expected to reach 4.9% in 2021 and 6.1% in 2022.

The global growth forecast has also been revised up to 6% from the 5.5% projection made in January.

Tan Cang – Cat Lai Port in Thu Duc City. (Photo: SGGP)

A vessel docks at Sai Gon – Hiep Phuoc Port in Nha Be District. (Photo: SGGP)

Which direction for development?

According to the project of developing the logistics industry in HCMC to 2025, with a vision to 2030, the total capital needed for the development of the logistics industry in the 2020-2030 period in HCMC is about VND95.8 trillion. Mr. Ha Ngoc Son said that the project would solve many problems not only for the city but also for the region if we developed a feasible implementation plan.

Regarding the development orientation, according to Mr. Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, digital transformation and information technology application should be considered as an inevitable and priority trend of the logistics industry in the 2021-2025 period, with two strategic tasks: to focus on developing logistics for the e-commerce industry and providing a service chain for import and export goods to Asian markets and transshipment to Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port to Europe and America.

Assessing the current situation of the city’s logistics industry, Mr. Le Kim Cuong, Deputy Director of Tan Cang Logistics Service Center, said that it is necessary to consider transforming the functions, turning Cat Lai Industrial Park into the logistics center of the city. It is difficult to find new land banks to develop logistics centers, but there are a few places that the city can consider the conversion. For example, there are no logistics services behind Cat Lai Port, so the city can consider the Cat Lai Industrial Park nearby. Is it possible to relocate enterprises in the industrial park to other areas to transform its functions into a logistics service center?

There was also an opinion said that HCMC should use its meager land fund to build research centers and train human resources for logistics to develop sustainably. This human resource will provide for not only HCMC but also the entire southern region. At that time, when referring to HCMC’s contribution to logistics, it will be brainpower, technology, and high-quality human resources.

With the project of developing the logistics industry in the area of HCMC, the State just builds the overall project, determines the location and the policies, while the implementation and operation are done by businesses. The centers will be built and developed completely by major infrastructure investors, and they only use a part of the centers. In each subdivision, there will be component investors who sublet to divide for partners. Therefore, to attract capital from enterprises to concentrate investment in developing the logistics industry as expected, it is necessary to have outstanding support from the State on mechanisms and policies, as well as perfecting the connection in traffic infrastructure. It is essential to work closely with provinces to form a hub in the logistics service sector, connecting regions across the country, in the context that many of the city’s key export industries tend to gradually shift to other provinces.

Unloading goods at Vege Port in District 7. (Photo: SGGP)

Dr. Tran Du Lich, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Group, said that if a leading ecosystem in the logistics sector was not established in HCMC, which locality would be able to do this? Therefore, the implementation needs to be considered carefully and get opinions from many dimensions so that we have a quick, successful, and correct plan.

Seven logistics centers

Regarding technical infrastructure, based on the demand for production, circulation of goods in the region, and import and export, based on the existing land fund, the Department of Industry and Trade proposed to the People’s Committee of HCMC to build seven logistics centers.

They include Long Binh Logistics Centers, Cat Lai, Linh Trung, High-tech Park in Thu Duc City; Tan Kien Logistics Center in Binh Chanh District; Cu Chi Logistics Center in Cu Chi District; Hiep Phuoc Logistics Center in Nha Be District. It is expected that the total area of these centers is 623 hectares.

According to Mr. Ha Ngoc Son, Head of the Import-Export Management Department under the Department of Industry and Trade of HCMC, if this proposal is approved, Linh Trung Logistics Center and Cat Lai Logistics Center will be built in 2023. Linh Trung Logistics Center is adjacent to the cargo flow of Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. These warehouses can be considered as a funnel to pour goods to Ho Chi Minh City, passing through Linh Trung’s area is the shortest way for goods to HCMC.

Mr. Ha Ngoc Son added that the Ho Chi Minh Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority and Linh Trung Industrial Park Management Board also requested the Department of Industry and Trade to advise the municipal People’s Committee to allow their participation in the center, then this area will be expanded and solve the problem of domestic logistics.

By Thuy Hai – Translated by Thuy Doan

Two gray-shanked douc langurs (pygathrix cinerea) – the world’s largest troop living in the central region of Việt Nam — are found living in the national Kon Ka Kinh Park in Gia Lai Province. The province has sent a dossier for the World Biosphere Reserve recognition of Kon Hà Nừng Highlands in the province. Photo courtesy of Frankfurt Zoological Society

GIA LAI – The central highlands Gia Lai province, in co-operation with Man and the Biosphere Programme, an intergovernmental scientific programme of UNESCO, has completed a dossier for the World Biosphere Reserve recognition of Kon Hà Nừng Highlands.

A total area of 413,511ha of Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Kon Chư Răng natural reserve is discussed in the dossier.

The central provincial sub-department of forest protection confirmed to Việt Nam News the preparatory works, which had been built in 2018-20, was sent to UNESCO last September for approval.

It said the UNESCO recognition of the reserve would help protect and preserve the rich biodiversity of the unique site, boosting eco-tourism and community livelihoods as well as attract international scientific research.

The world reserve will include two core zones of Kon Ka Kinh National Park and Kon Chư Răng natural reserve on 57,493ha, and a 152,693ha buffer zone covering districts and communes of Đắk Đoa, Mang Yang, K’Bang, Chư Păh, Đắk Pơ and An Khê township of the province.

Dr. Hà Thăng Long, head of the representative office of the Frankfurt Zoological Society in Việt Nam said the site will be a key centre of natural scenery protection helping critically endangered species and precious gene conservation.

Ethnic Ba Na group preserve their culture and lifestyle in connection with the protection of forests in Gia Lai Province. Photo courtesy Lê Văn Cảnh

He said Kon Ka Kinh National Park had been a safe haven for about 250 gray-shanked douc langurs ( pygathrix cinerea ) – the world’s largest troop living in the central region of Việt Nam.

These animals are among the world’s 25 critically endangered primates according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) Red List.

“The park is also home to three kinds of monkey ( Macaca leonia , Macaca artoides and Macara mulatta ), two species of loris ( Nycticebus bengalensis and Nycticebus pygmaeus ) and gibbons ( Nomascus leucogienys leucogienys ), he said.

Conservationists also found and recorded the existence of chestnut-eared laughing thrush ( Garrulax konkakinhensis ), a rare species of bird, in the park.

Some endangered species were recorded in the area including agarwood ( Aquilaria crassna ); Giant Muntjac ( Megamuntiacus vuquangensis ), Trường Sơn Muntjac ( Muntiacus trươngsonensis ), Northern buffered-cheeked gibbon ( Nomascus annamensis ), Austen’s brown hornbill ( Anorrhinus austeni ); Crested argus ( Rheinardia ocellata ), Silver Pheasant ( Lophura nycthemera )

Dr Hà Thăng Long (left) gives a lecture to a group of students during a field study trip in the jungle of the central highlands region. VNS Photo Công Thành

Kon Ka Kinh, which was one of five national parks in Việt Nam, and one of 27 national parks being recognised as ASEAN Heritage Park in 2003, plays an important role in the protection of the area upstream the Ba River and the Dak Pne River, which supply water for crops in Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces.

The Frankfurt Zoological Society’s Việt Nam Primate Conservation Programme have pursued a long-term conservation, protection and education programme on the gray-shanked douc langur in the park since 2006.

Việt Nam has eight world biosphere reserves, but no natural forest in the central highlands region has been awarded the world recognition by UNESCO. — VNS

An asparagus field of the Tuấn Tú General Service Co-operative in Ninh Phước District’s An Hải Commune. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thành

NINH THUẬN – Agriculture co-operatives in the south-central province of Ninh Thuận have linked up with companies to increase product value and guarantee outlets, the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has said.

Up to 24 of the province’s 63 agriculture co-operatives have linkages with companies to develop value chains for their products like rice, corn, grapes, asparagus and organic cashew nuts.

The 24 co-operatives produce agricultural products on large-scale fields that use advanced farming techniques.

Many products of the co-operatives have been granted international standard certificates from the EU and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP).

The Tuấn Tú General Service Co-operative in Ninh Phước District’s An Hải Commune grows asparagus on a large-scale field to VietGAP standards and has a farm contract with Tiên Tiến Organic Agriculture Farm to guarantee outlets for its members.

Hùng Ky, director of Tuấn Tú, said: “The co-operative supplies loans and fertilisers to its members to grow asparagus and teaches them techniques to produce safe, quality products.”

The agriculture co-operatives’ products have been included in the country’s “one commune – one product” (OCOP) programme in the province.

OCOP products are commercial products and services such as food and beverages, handicrafts and rural tourism services. They are classified at five levels, with a five – star being the highest level.

Đặng Kim Cương, director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and deputy chairman of the appraisal board for the province’s OCOP programme, said that seven co-operatives participated in the province’s OCOP programme last year.

The co-operative’s products like red onion, fresh jujube, dried jujube and asparagus are rated three or four-star OCOP products.

The province is promoting OCOP products in combination with tourism services via co-operatives, companies and households.

The Thái An General Agriculture Service Co-operative in Ninh Hải District’s Vĩnh Hải Commune had its NH01 – 152 grape recognised as a four-star OCOP product last year, and its NH01 – 152 grape growing area has become a tourism destination.

Nguyễn Khắc Phòng, director of Thái An, said the province had assigned the co-operative to expand the cultivation of its NH01 – 152 grape to serve tourism services.

Besides its NH01 – 152 grape, Thái An has other seven products, including dried jujube, dried grape, and fresh red grape and grape wine, granted as three-star OCOP products.

“The co-operative’s OCOP products have created motivation for the co-operative to promote production and expand its market,” he said.

With their effective operation, the provinces’ agriculture co-operatives had an average revenue of VNĐ2.1 billion (US$90,000) and average profit of VNĐ250 million ($10,800) last year, up 9.4 per cent and 13.6 per cent, respectively, against 2019, according to the province’s Co-operative Alliance.

Collective economy

Ninh Thuận targets that its collective economy will contribute 8.8 – 9 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) this year, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The province aims to establish 10 – 12 new co-operatives and 10 – 15 new co-operative groups, with a total of 200 – 300 members, this year.

Its goal is to have an average revenue of VNĐ 2.2 – 2.25 billion ($95,000 – 97,200) this year for co-operatives and an average revenue of VNĐ260 – 270 million for co-operative groups.

It also plans to have 50 – 60 per cent of co-operatives operating effectively by 2025, and for the collective economy to contribute 10 – 11 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2025.

The province will encourage the development of co-operatives in agriculture, small industry, commerce and services, and promote effective new-style co-operatives, and co-operatives that link up with companies to produce agricultural products on large-scale fields with value chains.

Trần Quốc Nam, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said: “The province will help co-operatives to access the central and local governments’ preferential policies on land, loans, infrastructure, human resource training, and advanced techniques for production.”

It will also arrange trade promotions at home and abroad to expand markets for products of co-operatives.

Ninh Thuận, which has the least rainfall in the country, has developed 12 specifically identified products, including grape, jujube, asparagus, sheep, goat, Cà Ná fish sauce, Mỹ Nghiệp brocade products and Bàu Trúc pottery products. – VNS