Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty

Tran Duc Trung, former chairman of the Poverty Support Center under Vietnam Association of Agriculture Small and Medium Enterprises, and four accomplices established the "Vietnam Hearts" program in April 2015, calling for high-interest-rate deposits. The program collected around VND148 billion ($6.35 million) from more than 1,000 people in 16 cities and provinces by the end of that year, with the five pocketing more than VND49 billion. Trung alone made VND26.3 billion. His accomplices, also officials of the support center, were sentenced to between six and nine years in jail. The court said the group’s violation was "especially serious" as they turned a program that aimed to help poor people into a scam to appropriate money. More than 100 of the victims attended the trial. Many said they were required to deposit money into the program and have not received any support. … [Read more...] about Man receives life for scamming over 1,000 in poverty alleviation fund

The chairman said the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity for Vietnam to restructure the tourism industry, turning it into a spearhead economic sector, underlining the need to accelerate restructuring in terms of infrastructure and tourism products on the ground of renewing awareness about the industry. He said that tourism development should be associated with preserving cultural and historical values to educate the tradition while promoting national cultural identity. He noted that tourism development should be linked with the implementation of the national target programs on hunger eradication and poverty reduction as well as the development of mountainous ethnic minority areas and new-style rural building. Hue said that he expects localities to coordinate with the Government, ministries and agencies in accelerating the implementation of the socio-economic development recovery programs, including those supporting businesses and workers in the tourism sector. He hoped that … [Read more...] about N.A. Chairman meets members of economic, culture, tourism club

“Thanks to the effective pandemic response and guided by the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and its Implementation Plan, we have emerged safer, stronger, and more resilient as a community,” he said at the event, held by the ASEAN Secretariat at its headquarters in Jakarta to mark ASEAN’s 55th founding anniversary. ASEAN trade volumes have returned to pre-pandemic levels and the association’s economy is forecast to grow by 4.9% this year and 5.2% next year. “The entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) earlier this year demonstrates ASEAN’s pivotal role in contributing to regional peace and growth, bettering the life of our people, and providing opportunities for all.” According to the Secretary General, in spite of these achievements, ASEAN must remain vigilant against the ever present risks to its recovery, including disruptions to the supply of key commodities, rising costs in food and logistics, and the economic slowdown in … [Read more...] about 55th ASEAN Day Celebration solemnly held

At the Government’s monthly meeting held in Hanoi, the Ministry of Finance reported that nearly 186.85 trillion VND (7.98 billion USD) of investment capital sourced from the state budget had been disbursed as of July 31, equivalent to 34.47% of this year’s target, down slightly from the same period last year. Some central agencies and 11 provincial-level localities recorded a disbursement rate of over 50%. Meanwhile, 41 of the 51 ministries and central agencies, and 18 of the 63 localities, saw a rate below the nationwide average of 34.47%. PM Chinh said the disbursement of public investment is a difficult task, so it has been continually prioritized by the Government. Over the last five years, the seven-month disbursement rate often stood at around 35 - 40%. It was relatively high in 2020 and 2021. But this year, apart from medium-term investment capital, funding for the socio-economic recovery and development program also needs to be disbursed. Therefore, strong … [Read more...] about PM demands stronger action to disburse public funds

At the hybrid event, he also urged keeping a closer watch on the situation, intensifying preventive and grassroots health care and vaccination, and enhancing disciplines; adding that greater efforts are needed to step up production and business, and public investment disbursement. Unnecessary spendings must be cut and the administration done concertedly and smoothly, the leader emphasized. Chinh pointed out uncertainties in the first seven months of this year, including unprecedented ones, such as the conflict in Ukraine, soaring oil and gas prices, inflation in many countries, and epidemics. Meanwhile, the domestic economy has shown limited resilience to external shocks, he noted. Apart from achievements, problems still remain such as inflation pressure and risk, price fluctuations and low public investment disbursement, he said, adding that some socio-economic recovery and development targets have yet to meet expectations. The participants are scheduled to look into the … [Read more...] about Prime Minister chairs government meeting on socio-economic situation

As much of Europe bakes in a third heatwave since June, fears are growing that extreme drought driven by climate change in the continent's breadbasket nations will dent stable crop yields and deepen the cost-of-living crisis. The European Commission on Wednesday urged EU member states to re-use treated urban wastewater as irrigation on the continent's parched farms, after France and parts of England saw their driest July on record. In France, where an intense drought has hammered farmers and prompted widespread limits on freshwater use, there was just 9.7 millimetres (0.38 inches) of rain last month, Meteo-France said. That was 84 percent down on the average levels seen for July between 1991 and 2022, making it the driest month since March 1961, the agency added. The southwestern region of Gironde, already devastated by last month's wildfires, saw a maximum temperature of 39.6 degrees Celsius (103 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, with Meteo-France predicting a peak on … [Read more...] about Driest July in memory imperils Europe’s crops