Can Tho in dire need of international shipping routes A vessel heads for Tan Cang-Cai Cui Port in Can Tho City Although the Government has allowed Can Tho City to expand its logistics center to 242 hectares from the current 75 hectares, the center cannot develop without international shipping routes allowing the city to directly ship goods abroad, said Nguyen Minh Toai, director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade. At a seminar on development of Can Tho City’s logistics network by 2020, with a vision to 2030, in the city today, February 20, Toai said that Can Tho needs to launch shipping routes through Quan Chanh Bo Canal and Dinh An Estuary to develop a modern logistics center in the city. It costs US$10 to transport each container of goods from Can Tho to Cat Lai Port in HCMC or to Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, he said, and the cost is even higher if shipping containers are carried further away. If goods are directly shipped from the … [Read more...] about BUSINESS NEWS IN BRIEF 22/2
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State Audit to look into controversial Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway next year
State Audit to look into controversial Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway next yearThe Saigon Times Daily Cars travel on the VND34-trillion Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway, which is subject to the 2019 inspection of the State Audit of Vietnam – PHOTO: VNA HCMC – The State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) plans to audit 25 State-owned enterprises, financial organizations and various projects next year, including the VND34-trillion (US$1.4 billion) Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway, in which questions about the quality of its construction has been raised, despite being opened to traffic just last month. The SAV has sent its proposed audit report to the National Assembly. According to the report, the agency will reduce the number of audited enterprises against 2018 to improve the quality and effectiveness of its inspections. The agency plans to check the restructuring of the State budget, and the performance of financial and budgetary management solutions for 2018. It will also inspect key … [Read more...] about State Audit to look into controversial Danang-Quang Ngai Expressway next year
Plastic: a toxic love story
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — From its creation through its rise in the 1990’s, the world has embraced plastic as an affordable and versatile material. By the time its impact on the environment and marine ecosystems became clear, plastic has conquered the world marketplace. “A toxic love story” is how Tomy Tjitadjaja, Co-founder and CEO of Indonesia-based social enterprise company Greenhope, described people’s relationship with the material. Today we face a dilemma – we can’t live with plastic’s impact, but we can’t live without its convenience. Tjitadjaja’s company specialises in the development of sustainable production and consumption practices for plastic. He sat down with other panellists during the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2018 (WEF ASEAN) to discuss how ASEAN countries can turn the tide in the battle against plastic waste. The outcome could be decided here in Southeast Asia. ASEAN countries are among the … [Read more...] about Plastic: a toxic love story
Woman with polio shines a light for all with disabilities
Woman with polio shines a light for all with disabilities Born and raised in a poor family in the southern province of Đồng Nai, she contracted polio when she was two-and-a-half years old. In addition to her sickness, she was rejected from jobs solely because of her disability and experienced widespread discrimination from society at large. But she stood up from the dust, and with incredible will, determination and wholehearted love from her mother, she was able to qualify to attend two major universities in HCM City. She later won two full scholarships to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate in the US and Australia. She came back to Việt Nam and started a project to help other people with disabilities lead a better life. She is Võ Thị Hoàng Yến – founder of the organisation Disability Research and Capacity Development (DRD). She recently won the honourable Ramson Magsaysay Award, which honours transformative leaders across Asia. … [Read more...] about Woman with polio shines a light for all with disabilities
Making a pilgrimage tour to Quan Am Pagoda in Bac Lieu
On the way to the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, around 100 kilometers from the southernmost tip of Vietnam, pilgrims should stop by a Buddhist pagoda where there is an 11-meter-tall Bodhisattva statue facing the sea. It is a sacred place of worship for many people, in the belief that the Goddess has miraculous ability to safeguard fishermen and seafarers. Just eight kilometers from Bac Lieu City, Quan Am Phat Dai Pagoda in Nha Mat Ward has been known as one of the most-frequented pilgrim destinations in the Mekong Delta for nearly half a century. The peak season for the pilgrimage to the pagoda starts from the first days of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday and lasts until the end of the third lunar month. During this time, millions of pilgrims from across the country and local fishermen flock to the pagoda in droves to burn incense and pray for good luck and peace in front of the Bodhisattva statue, dubbed as Nam Hai’s Mother, who is believed to have supernatural power to … [Read more...] about Making a pilgrimage tour to Quan Am Pagoda in Bac Lieu