Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam speaks at a high-level discussion during the 78th annual meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on Monday in Bangkok, Thailand. VNA/VNS Photos Ngọc Quang BANGKOK — Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam on Monday highlighted a number of focus areas for cooperation between Asia and the Pacific. He was attending a high-level discussion during the 78th annual meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting takes place during May 23-25, with 700 senior leaders and representatives of 51 member countries and territories of ESCAP. President of the United Nations General Assembly Abdulla Shahid and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were also present. The theme of this year’s session is “A common agenda to advance sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”. Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Đam … [Read more...] about People should be the centre of regional development: Deputy PM
Developed resources define
VN determinedly stops slow public investment projects
Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (first on the left) is investigating the construction site of Provincial Road No.910 in Can Tho City. (Photo: SGGP) The Transport Ministry reported that the land compensation step in the first stage of the mega North-South Expressway project has finished. However, some technical infrastructure has not been fully moved. The total expense for construction until now has reached VND20,087 billion ($867 million), accounting for 35.4 percent of the contract value, and 0.7 percent later than the planned one. The disbursement volume for the four projects to be completed this year is 53.4 percent of the contract value, which is 2.6 percent later than expected. In the Southern region, the 21-kilometer coastal road project from Rach Gia City to Hon Dat District of Kien Giang Province has the total investment of VND600 billion ($26 million), and is planned to complete two years after its commencement date of January 2020. Since the construction work is … [Read more...] about VN determinedly stops slow public investment projects
More favourable rule system urged for healthcare PPPs
Speakers at last week’s conference noted that dozens upon dozens of multinationals are interested in the healthcare PPP model in Vietnam. Photo: Chi Cuong At last week’s conference on the issue, hosted by VIR , Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said that Vietnam’s healthcare sector is facing a number of big issues, including rising infectious and non-communicable disease figures, hospital overload, and an ageing population. The pandemic has also revealed some weaknesses in the sector. “To further improve healthcare service quality and meet demand, mobilising financial resources for new development of infrastructure and medical equipment is a key requirement,” he noted. For the past five years, the government has looked to strengthen the implementation of a model for public-private partnerships (PPPs) for the public sector, including in healthcare services. However, according to VIR’s editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh, the picture of such investment in … [Read more...] about More favourable rule system urged for healthcare PPPs
Deputy PM busy on threshold of WEF meeting
At his meeting with British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma, Khai said that Vietnam has been implementing many overall and comprehensive measures in the field of energy transition and growth model transformation towards a green and circular direction to realise commitments made at COP26. The official underlined that ensuring energy security for growth and reducing emissions at the same time is a very complicated problem that requires the support of the international community in terms of resources, technology, and governance capacity. Therefore, he said that Vietnam hopes that the UK, the European Union (EU) and other member states of the Group of Seven (G7) will soon make specific commitments to supporting Vietnam in this area. For his part, Sharma held that Vietnam has made a proper decision to announce the net-zero emission commitment at the COP26, lauding Vietnam’s efforts to realise the commitments, … [Read more...] about Deputy PM busy on threshold of WEF meeting
Deputy PM busy with meetings on threshold of WEF summit
Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái meets WEF President Borge Brende on the sidelines of the 52nd World Economic Forum. —VNA/VNS Photo GENEVA — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái on May 22 held several bilateral meetings with leaders of international organisations and businesses during his trip to Geneva to attend the 52nd World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting. At his meeting with British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma, Khái said that Việt Nam had been implementing many overall and comprehensive measures in the field of energy transition and growth model transformation towards a green and circular direction to realise commitments made at COP26. The official underlined that ensuring energy security for growth and reducing emissions at the same time was a very complicated problem that would require the support of the international community in terms of resources, technology, and governance capacity. … [Read more...] about Deputy PM busy with meetings on threshold of WEF summit
Deputy PM addresses 78th session of ESCAP
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam (second from left) attends the session. (Photo: VNA) Guided by the theme “A common agenda to advance sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific”, the annual session brought together leaders, senior government officials and about 700 representatives of 51 countries and territories which are ESCAP members, and President of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. In his speech, Deputy PM Dam underlined the special meaning of this year’s session which marks the 75th founding anniversary of ESCAP, and upheld the Commission’s contributions to socio-economic development of the region which have lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and seen the development of some of the world’s large and most dynamic economies. At the 78th session of ESCAP (Photo: VNA) He expressed a concern that countries, particularly developing ones, are struggling with the huge multi-faceted impacts of the Covid-19 … [Read more...] about Deputy PM addresses 78th session of ESCAP