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Police force patrol on Hanoi-Hai Phong Expressway. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive urging ministries and government agencies to ensure traffic safety during the national holidays marking Reunification Day and May Day (April 30-May1).

The directive was sent to the ministries of public securities, transport, information and communications, the National Committee for Traffic Safety, news agencies and provincial and municipal people’s committees.

Under the directive, the PM said efforts are needed to improve the capacity of public transport services to meet increasing demand for travel during the holidays.

Transport companies, stations, airports, railway stations, terminals and inland waterways were required to strictly comply with the traffic safety regulations; promote the application of electronic ticket sales; improve service quality; reduce traffic jams, delays and illegal price hikes and at the same time, strictly comply with regulations on prevention and control of the pandemic.

The PM asked the ministries and agencies to strengthen security and order at the major traffic routes, shopping centres, entertainment venues and major tourist and festival destinations. Illegal bus stations, vehicles that fail to meet technical safety standards and carry more than the prescribed number of people will be punished, the PM said.

Traffic infrastructure will be checked, including signals, warning signs and warning equipment in places that have a high risk of traffic accidents. Tollbooths will assign more workers to collect fees quickly to reduce traffic jams.

Drivers must ensure passenger safety by driving more carefully on steep roads and through level crossings, he added.

Increased inspections should be used to strictly punish traffic regulation violators, especially those who cause traffic accidents.

Public order disturbances, illegal racing and violations against public servants on duty should be strictly dealt with, at the same safety of COVID-19 prevention for enforcement forces and people need to be ensured.

Local departments of transport were also asked to remind people of the importance of wearing helmets and obeying regulations to minimise accidents and strictly comply with anti-virus protocols.

Hotlines to receive traffic complaints should be widely publicised, he added.

The PM also requested news agencies to regularly update traffic accidents, traffic jams, information to support travel guidance during the holidays and encourage citizens to strictly comply with traffic safety regulations.

Reports on these efforts will be sent to the National Committee for Traffic Safety before 3pm on May 3 to submit to the Prime Minister./.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue chaired a meeting with the NA Standing Committee’s working commission for deputies’ affairs in Hanoi on April 19.

At the session, the commission suggested policies are needed to recruit a specific number of experts as full-time deputies when building personnel options and conducting the process of nominating candidates for the election of deputies to the NA.

The NA Chairman highlighted a large number of works to be done in preparation for the upcoming elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021 – 2026 tenure.

He asked the commission to work with the office of the National Election Council (NEC) to direct and provide guidance on the works.

Underscoring the preparation for the elections as the foremost task, Hue requested the commission collect results of provincial-level third consultative conferences to soon make a report to the NEC.

After the elections, the commission will have to conduct a series of works, including preparation for the summarisation of the elections and developing a training programme for elected deputies, among others.

Hue also asked the body to begin building a project on enhancing deputies’ working capacity right from now./.

According to PNJ chairwoman Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, these targets mean a 20 and 15 per cent increase in revenue and net profit against last year.

At its annual general meeting of shareholders on April 17 in Ho Chi Minh City, Dung said that 2020 was a remarkable year for PNJ with stronger business recovery after a long time of being suppressed by COVID-19.

“While many companies are forced to reduce their business, PNJ is on a path of steady development and growth,” Dung said.

PNJ targets higher revenue and expanded to the international market this year

The digital transformation in manufacturing and marketing and promotion activities has helped PNJ maintain stable growth.

Dung said that many investors had shown doubts about PNJ’s targets, but the company’s management board confirmed that business prospects this year are much brighter as the pandemic is easing up and the economy has been recovered step by step.

“We have been carefully preparing for the next step of development in the next two years, then we do believe that we can reach that target,” Dung said.

In order to cope with the market turmoil, PNJ has actively restructured its retail outlets. In 2020, the company opened 29 new outlets but closed 36 ones in order to have better rental and locations. This year, PNJ plans to open 40-45 new outlets and invest more in production technologies and product design.

“When global logistics broke down, we have refreshed our entire network. When the first social distancing order from the government was sounded, we have right away implemented online and digital marketing and promotion. These timely reactions have helped maintain our business.”

At the meeting, shareholders also approved plans for 2021, including a private placement of 15 million shares – equivalent to 6.6 per cent of its outstanding shares, to raise its charter capital from VND2.276 trillion ($98.96 million) to VND2.426 trillion ($105.5 million) .

The funds raised will be used to strengthen jewellery production, improve production technologies and product designs, expand the retail network, and speed up digital transformation.

It also approved the issuance of more than 3.4 million shares at VND10,000 per share to employees who have made outstanding contributions.

Mercedes’ Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas holds an umbrella at the Mercedes area after the practice session was cancelled due to bad weather conditions at the Nuerburgring circuit in Nuerburg, western Germany, on October 9, 2020, ahead of the German Formula One Eifel Grand Prix.(WOLFGANG RATTAY / POOL / AFP)

Talking to reporters at the Eifel Grand Prix Wolff said both drivers were confined to their rooms after rain and fog forced the cancellation of opening practice.

“They are the most restricted of the whole group, of the whole team,” said Wolff, who confirmed that Mercedes had flown six replacement staff to Germany on Thursday after the team was re-tested, resulting in six team members going into isolation.

“It’s certainly not a great situation for them because you need almost to live like a hermit – and that is what they are doing.

“They are at home, they are not going out for dinners and they are not meeting other people. When we do de-briefs, by Zoom or Microsoft Teams, they are not sitting their engineers in the room.

“They are in their own rooms and we are all avoiding as much as possible any personal contact. It’s just literally stepping into the car and then driving the car and keeping distance.”

Wolff said he believed Mercedes had the outbreak under control.

“Every loss of an important member in the garage affects the race, but I think we’ve got it under control,” he said.

The team had announced on Thursday that one person from their travelling race team had record a positive test ahead of this weekend’s race at Nurburgring.

As a result, the team re-tested everyone at the circuit, an exercise that resulted in another positive test and one that was inconclusive.

Both of those team members were immediately put into isolation along with four others.

The team flew six reserve staff to Germany on Thursday, a decision that maintained the numbers at the track, but has thrown the champions’ race preparations into difficulty.

Six-time world champion Hamilton who is making a second attempt to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Grand Prix victories, described the events as “a concern”.

Speaking on Thursday, he said: “It’s sad to hear, for the guys that work so hard. We obviously had this week in between [races] and those guys work so hard to stay safe and be here on the weekends.”

Mercedes said they are following strictly all of the protocols laid down by the sport’s ruling body the International Motoring Federation (FIA), adding that they are not releasing any further information.