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National governance, public administration improve: PAPI report

April 14, 2021 by en.qdnd.vn

Since 2018, PAPI has been co-funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of Australia, the Embassy of Ireland and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam.

The report, which assessed citizen experiences with national and local government performance in governance, public administration, and public service delivery, showed that the Control of Corruption in the Public Sector dimension has improved significantly each year since 2016.

The dimension on Vertical Accountability Towards Citizens also steadily improved during the 2016-2021 term, mainly because an increasing number of citizens have contacted local officials, in particular village heads and People’s Council delegates.

Dimensions posting declines included Participation at Local Levels and Public Administrative Procedures.

“New features of the 2020 PAPI Report include insightful findings on the performance of local governments across two terms (2011-2016 and 2016-2021); experience of internal migrants with accessing services in receiving provinces; and voter perception of women in leadership roles,” UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen said in her opening remark at the report launch.

“As the Government embarks on a new term, PAPI provides rich and deep datasets on citizens’ perception of local government achievement in each of the 63 provinces and important metrics to review and further improve their performance across eight key dimensions of governance,” she noted.

Analysis in the 2020 PAPI Report shows that citizen engagement and anti-corruption efforts have a positive correlation with Vietnam’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie, acknowledged an improvement in provincial governance and public administration performance, which may have contributed to Vietnam’s successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings from the 2020 PAPI Report show that there is a correlation between good governance and effective pandemic responses, she added.

Nguyen Huu Dung, Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front said he hope that PAPI will continue to serve as a reliable policy monitoring tool that helps promote government accountability and reforms, thereby furthering modern governance.

Over 14,700 citizens were interviewed for the 2020 PAPI Report. This is the largest number of citizens to participate since the survey was first conducted nationwide in 2011. For the first time, the survey also gathered responses from citizens with temporary residence registration status. Nearly 300 migrants were surveyed in six centrally governed municipalities and provinces (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Da Nang, Dong Nai and Binh Duong).

Source: VNA

Vietnam’s shrimp exports expected to face fierce competition in next 3-5 years

April 14, 2021 by english.thesaigontimes.vn

Vietnam’s shrimp exports expected to face fierce competition in next 3-5 years

By Trung Chanh

Workers process shrimp for export. Vietnam could face tough competition over shrimp exports from rivals such as Ecuador, India and Indonesia in the next three to five years – PHOTO: VNA

CAN THO – Vietnam will face tough competition over shrimp exports from rivals such as Ecuador, India and Indonesia in the next three to five years if the shrimp farming and processing technology is not improved.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the VietShrimp Aquaculture International Fair on April 14 in Can Tho City, Le Van Quang, chairman of Minh Phu Seafood Corporation, often referred to as “the shrimp king”, said that over the past few years, despite modern technology applied to shrimp farming, the prices of Vietnamese shrimp had remained uncompetitive compared with those in Ecuador, India and Indonesia. The export price of Vietnam’s shrimp is 30% higher than that of the three countries.

Quang said that though Vietnam’s shrimp price was higher than that of these countries, Vietnam’s shrimp exports could compete with them, driven by modern shrimp processing technology.

However, the advantage of the technology might gradually fade as Ecuador, India and Indonesia are also improving their technology and can produce value-added products and instant food just like Vietnam.

As such, in the next three to five years, these countries will catch up with Vietnam in terms of the shrimp industry.

Besides, the salary of workers active in the shrimp sector in India is one third of that in Vietnam, resulting in the lower price of its shrimp.

If Vietnam does not improve its technology and adopt new solutions and access methods, the country’s shrimp sector will face fierce competition in the next few years, said Quang.

Nguyen Viet Thang, chairman of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, said that shrimp was the main export product among Vietnam’s seafood, with export revenue reaching US$3.8 billion last year. The shrimp sector has significantly contributed to the growth of Vietnam’s agriculture industry and created jobs for millions of workers in Vietnam, mainly in the Mekong Delta region.

In 2021, the shrimp sector targets to farm shrimp on an area of 740,000 hectares, obtain a shrimp yield of 930,000 tons and fetch a revenue of US$4 billion from shrimp exports, Thang said at the fair, which is set to wrap up on April 16.

Int’l artists to perform at Italy-Vietnam concert

March 14, 2018 by www.vir.com.vn

Guitar duo Robert Guzik and Adam Woch (Poland) will perform at the concert celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Italy-Vietnam friendship.

The show is being organised within the framework of celebrations for the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Young, talented musicians from Italy and other countries, who have been awarded the prestigious IBLA Grand Prize, will perform a selection of iconic pieces from Italian and European classical composers, such as Rossini, Cimarosa, Schubert, Brahms, Liszt and many others.

Piano, flute, guitar and accordion will guide us along an original journey through the beauty of music in order to celebrate the Italian – Vietnamese friendship.

The artists include guitar duo Robert Guzik and Adam Woch (Poland), pianist Kai Han (the US), pianist Tamara Licheli (Georgia), accordionist Ghenadie Rotari (Moldova) and pianist Valentina Vargiu (Italy).

Ibla is the name of an ancient baroque enclave, in the hilltop UNESCO World Heritage site that sits below the more modern centre of Ragusa.

The IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition is an annual music competition open to all instruments, vocalists and composers with a focus on classical music.

The competition aims to nourish the career of the winners by offering a large international performance experience.

This competition is different from most other music competitions in a way that there are no rounds or prizes such as a first and second prize, and competitors are judged against the international standard of high quality performances rather than competing against each other. From that perspective, there could be one, or many winners, depending on the performance quality level expressed by contestants.

Free tickets can be collected at the Hanoi Youth Theatre, 10 Ngo Thi Nham street from today.

VNA

VN rice exporters gear up to penetrate EU arena

October 8, 2020 by vietnamnet.vn

Vietnamese companies have been stepping up investment to boost rice exports to Europe – however, it remains a challenging task penetrate the market efficiently.

Rice exporters gear up to penetrate EU arena

On September 22, Loc Troi Group JSC exported the first batch of 126 tonnes of fragrant rice to the EU. To reach this, LocTroi upped its planting methods and quality control for the EU market in 2018. So far, the company has exported over 10,000 tonnes of rice to the EU market.

Backed by the tariff exemptions under the new EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), LocTroi chairman Huynh Van Thon said that the group aims to become one of the major rice exporters to the EU. The company will mobilise all its resources to satisfy the EU’s strict quality requirements, expanding its growing area and export volume and diversifying varieties.

Meanwhile, at the end of August Trung An Hi-Tech Farming JSC also exported its first batch of fragrant rice in line with EVFTA commitments. Pham Thai Binh, the company’s general director, said that the shipment is part of the company’s current contract to export 3,000 tonnes of rice to Europe.

Binh said the company made early preparations during the EVFTA negotiation process to increase its rice exports. Among them, food safety standardss were Binh’s focus as the bloc refuses products exceeding pesticide residue limits. Therefore, Trung An focused on international standards for planting, harvesting, preserving, and processing.

Elsewhere in 2019, Vinaseed also exported over 2,000 tonnes of rice to the EU with turnover of $2 million. The group inaugurated the Centre of Seed and Agricultural Product Processing Industry in Dong Thap province last year. Covering five hectares, the centre has capacity to process and preserve 100,000 tonnes of rice and 50,000 tonnes of seeds per year.

Nguyen Quang Truong, general director of Vinaseed said, “With modern lines and technology from Japan, the new centre can help us to produce rice meeting the EU’s rigorous inspection procedures, while preserving its natural taste.”

In addition, Vinaseed has also purchased an 800ha forest in Kien Giang’s Hon Dat district. The company will spend 3-4 years on preparing the land for agricultural use.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam’s rice exports to the EU reached over $1.2 million in August, up 93.5 per cent against July and 35.6 per cent on-year. Currently, many Vietnamese rice producers are negotiating new contracts with European partners.

While these efforts show the hard work of domestic companies in trying to raise their exports to the EU, it will remains tough to conquer the market for some time.

Quach The Phong, co-chair of the Food, Agri, and Aqua Business Sector Committee under EuroCham, said that rice and products thereof are a sensitive category in the EVFTA. The agreed export quota from Vietnam to the EU is set at 80,000 tonnes per year, including all types of rice. For comparison, in 2018 Vietnam exported only around 20,000 tonnes to the EU.

The EVFTA only helps with a fraction of the Vietnam’s total export volume, which is expected to reach 7 million tonnes this year. In the short-term, it is expected that there will be a positive price impact for the country’s rice exports. However, over the medium and long term, benefits include many aspects for improving technology transfer and trusts for a larger quota.

In addition to consumption rates, Vietnamese rice is facing tough competition from Thailand and Cambodia. Between September 2019 and March, the EU imported 30 per cent of its rice from Thailand and 27 per cent from Cambodia as well as 16 per cent from Pakistan, 15 per cent from India, and only 6 per cent from Vietnam, according to a report by the European Commission in April.

“Even though Vietnamese rice has advantages in terms of pricing, it is still difficult to change the consumption habits of European customers, which is likely to pose obstacles for local producers to fully take advantage of the EVFTA,” Binh said.

On the same note, Phong added that some firms able to export to the EU will have opportunities to strengthen their production locally as well as to understand and further adapt to EU standards as both the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are closely observing and regulating the export process to follow commitments.

“With the help of government bodies here, this can become a reality to improve the entire rice export industry. This initiative is also important since the MARD has identified that a value-based export direction for rice will be the future for Vietnam, rather than a volume-based one,” Phong stated. VIR

Thanh Van

COVID-19 prevention prioritised at Hung Kings Temple Festival

April 14, 2021 by en.vietnamplus.vn

A palanquin procession at a previous Hung Kings Temple festival (Source: VNA)

Phu Tho (VNA) – For the Hung Kings Temple Festival to take place safely and efficiently this year, authorities of the northern province of Phu Tho has directed relevant units to build detailed plans ensuring conditions to thoroughly implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

The Hung Kings are commemorated each year on the 10th day of the third lunar month, which falls on April 21 this year, as an occasion for the nation to express gratitude to the ancestors.

As directed, the Phu Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will be in charge of completing the overall plan and guiding communications work.

The management board of the Hung Kings Temple relic site in Viet Tri city – the venue of the event – will build the contents for related ritual ceremonies. It will also join the provincial Health Department in disinfecting the site before and during the festival and in conducting communications campaigns to raise public awareness on pandemic prevention.

In addition to ritual ceremonies, a few folk cultural activities, including a bonze drum beating event and banh chung (square, glutinous rice cake) and banh giay (round, glutinous rice cake) making contest, will be held at the upcoming festival due to COVID-19.

Among the traditional rites, incense and flower offering ceremonies are scheduled to take place on April 17 and 21 (the 6th and 10th days of the third lunar month).

Normally including myriad festive activities, the festival was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. It welcomed over 7 million visitors in 2019.

Legend has it that the eldest son of Lac Long Quan (son of Kinh Duong Vuong) and Au Co (the fairy daughter of De Lai) was made king. He named the country Van Lang and set up the capital in Phong Chau (modern-day Viet Tri city), beginning 18 dynasties of the Hung Kings.

The kings chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to the rice and sun deities to pray for healthy crops.

To honour their substantial contributions, a complex of temples dedicated to the kings was built on Nghia Linh Mountain, and the tenth day of the third lunar month serves as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings.

The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings was recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012./.

VNA

Binh Dinh coconut rice paper to be exported to Asian countries

April 14, 2021 by sggpnews.org.vn

Accordingly, this is the first stepping stone on the six-month agreement between Sachi Nguyen and its Taiwanese partner through the online trading platform Alibaba.

Thenceforth, Sachi Nguyen will monthly export a batch of over 200 boxes of the traditional rice paper to the market.

Sachi Nguyen produces rice paper based on traditional formula combined with modern machinery technology. Its products meet the hygiene requirements certified ISO 22000:2018.

Especially, the specialty was in a list of products with certification of four-star standard and model products of the province.

Earlier, Sachi Nguyen had signed two exclusive cooperation agreements with Singapore and the Republic of Korea on April 1 to export the traditional rice paper to the two Asian countries.

By Ngoc Oai – Translated by Huyen Huong