Qantas remains confident in Jetstar Pacific

The Qantas leader said on January 14 that the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CCAV) defined problems in JPA’s management system and flying quality, which had been solved by the carrier. 
Joyce affirmed that Qantas has supported regular and independent examinations on JPA’s maintenance work. The conclusions show no worry about flying safety of the airline, he added. 
JPA currently operates around 40 domestic flights a day on seven major routes, including Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi and from the nation’s two major cities to Da Nang , Hue , Vinh and Hai Phong.-Enditem

PM requests tougher fight against corruption

Hanoi (VNA) – The fight against corruption must be strengthened, with the participation of the entire society, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Jan. 14. 

Chairing the 12 th session of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control, PM Dung said that, despite good results achieved in 2009, the work still sees shortcomings and corruption remains complicated and serious, causing public concerns. 

PM Dung, who is also head of the committee, requested to increase the dissemination of information about corruption fight in combination with the campaign of “Study and follow Ho Chi Minh’s moral example” in 2010. 

Improving the efficiency of inspection activities to early discover and deal with violations, and speeding up administrative reforms, especially in such sectors as tax, customs, land management and infrastructure construction, are also the focal tasks of this year, he said. 

The government leader also urged the committee to accelerate the settlement of people’s complaints and denouncements, as well as carefully oversee the investigation and trial of major corruption cases.

PM: Emulation should address on public concerns

Hanoi (VNA) – Emulation movements should focus on handling public concerns and each locality needs to choose its practical matters for the movements in different periods, said the government leader. 

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung delivered this remark at the 32 nd meeting of the Central Council for Emulation and Reward, which was held in Hanoi on Jan. 14. 

PM Dung, who is also chairman of the council, said emulation movements saw progress in 2009, contributing to the country’s overall achievements. 

Sectors, agencies, cities and provinces nationwide launched a wide range of emulation movements, including national campaigns to celebrate the millennium anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and to practise thrift, combat waste and fight corruption, he elaborated. 

The PM noted that 2010 is the final year of the five-year plan and the year of various big events, so the emulation should be step up in a more practical and effective manner to help the whole nation fulfill its tasks. 

He also ordered the early promulgation of a decree regarding amendments and supplements to the Emulation and Reward Law and better the reward of outstanding individuals, farmers and workers.

ASEAN ministerial meetings wrap up in Da Nang

Da Nang (VNA) – Three ASEAN ministerial meetings, including the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat, the third ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting and the Special ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting, concluded in the central city of Da Nang on January 14. 

These were the first ministerial meetings of ASEAN presided by Vietnam as the ASEAN Chairman in 2010. 
The third APSC Council meeting reviewed latest developments in the council’s sectoral bodies in efforts to build a political-security pillar and agreed on the need to further enhance information sharing and coordination among the APSC sectoral bodies and stakeholders. 
The Special ACC Meeting adopted the draft Terms of Reference on the High-level Task Force on ASEAN Connectivity and agreed that the Task Force would start their work in late January or early February this year. 

At the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, the Ministers exchanged views on directions for ASEAN cooperation in 2010 with two major clusters of issues: ASEAN Community Building and ASEAN’s External Relations. 

They stressed the need to give priority to ASEAN connectivity in a wide range of areas from infrastructure, telecommunications, information technology, mobility of people, to facilitation of trade, thus further enhancing linkages with external partners, especially in East Asia , as appropriate. 

The Ministers discussed measures to boost ASEAN’s partnerships with dialogue partners, including the holding of various ASEAN summits with dialogue partners such as the regular Summits with China , Japan , the Republic of Korea , India , and the Second Summit between ASEAN and Russia , Second Summit between ASEAN and the US . 

They agreed on the accreditation to ASEAN from a number of countries, namely Germany , Slovakia , Hungary , Switzerland , Pakistan and Morroco. 

During the meeting, the Ministers heard of the ASEAN Secretary-General’s report on efforts to help Myanmar overcome the consequences of storm Nargis. They agreed on the need for ASEAN to continue cooperation in coping with climate change, following the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. 

In view of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, the Ministers expressed ASEAN’s sympathy and condolences to the Government and people of Haiti . Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, as the Chair of the ASEAN, sent a letter to his Haitian counterpart later in the day. 

Through the meetings, the ASEAN Ministers exchanged views on ASEAN’s priorities in 2010 and expressed a high consensus on the theme of ASEAN in 2010: “Towards an ASEAN Community: from Vision to Action”. 

Accordingly, ASEAN’s cooperation in 2010 will focus on boosting regional solidarity and connectivity, effectively implementing the Charter and Roadmap to build the ASEAN Community, broadening and deepening relations with partners, enhancing cooperation to cope with climate change, natural disasters and diseases as well as raising the position and role of the bloc.

Vietnam wishes to boost ties with Algeria

Hanoi (VNA) – The government and people of Vietnam wish and will try their best to bolster relations with Algeria in all fields, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. 

PM Dung made the statement while receiving newly-accredited Algerian Ambassador, Chikhi Cherif in Hanoi on January 14. 

PM Dung congratulated Chikhi Cherif over his appointment as Algeria’s new Ambassador to Vietnam, saying he believed the ambassador would actively contribute to friendship and cooperation between the two countries. 

PM spoke highly of socio-economic achievements the government and people of Algeria has attained and suggested that the two countries should bolster cooperation on economy for mutual benefits in line with their potentials. 

Vietnam will work closely with Algeria in preparation for a meeting of Vietnam-Algeria Joint Committee and international multilateral forums for peace, cooperation and development, he added. 

For his part, Algerian Ambassador praised Vietnam’s socio-economic performance, particularly in curbing influences of the global economic crisis. 

He pledged to spare no efforts to increase and expand projects in Vietnam, contributing to tightening the fine traditional relations between the two nations.

Vietnamese legislators visit Indonesia

Jakarta (VNA) - A delegation of the Vietnamese National Assembly, headed by Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Son, visited Indonesia from Jan. 13-14.

Son, who is also Head of the Organising Committee of the 31 st ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-31), paid a courtesy visit to the Indonesian House of Representatives Speaker, Marzuki Alie. 

He spoke highly of Indonesia ’s contributions to peace and development in the region and the world as well, noting that both Secretariats of the AIPA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are located in the Indonesia capital city of Jakarta . 

The legislator said he hoped that Vietnam and Indonesia will strengthen their friendship and cooperation for the sake of regional peace and prosperity and improving the bloc’s position internationally. 

Son called upon Indonesia , and other ASEAN member nations alike, to work closely with Vietnam to make the AIPA-31 successful. 

At the meeting, Son and Alie also exchanged views on the appointment of a new AIPA secretary-general. 

The Vietnamese lawmaker conveyed NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong’s invitation to Speaker Marzuki Alie to visit Vietnam when he attends the AIPA-3, which is scheduled to take place in late September. 

Speaker Alie applauded the Vietnamese legislature’s role and contributions to the AIPA as well as those made by Vietnam to the ASEAN. 

He expressed his wish to step up multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam , especially in the fields of economy, culture and social affairs. 

The speaker affirmed the Indonesian parliament’s support for its Vietnamese counterpart and his belief that Vietnam’s legislative body will successfully assume the AIPA-31 chair and its upcoming conferences. 

During the visit, the Vietnamese lawmakers had working sessions with the AIPA and ASEAN Secretariats to discuss coordinative measures as Vietnam chairs the AIPA-31 this year.

UN acknowledges Vietnam’s bird flu prevention efforts

Hanoi (VNA) – The UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, John Hendra, 
has acknowledged contributions and consistent efforts made by Vietnam in the fight against avian influenza. 

He made the acknowledgement at a meeting on the joint programme between the government and UN agencies on preventing avian influenza and flu among humans in Hanoi on January 14. 

Participants at the meeting, including representatives of national and international organisation such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organisaton (WHO), reported and assessed the implementation of the programme over the past year as well as putting forth suggestions and solutions for this year. 

Bisson Andrew, a representative from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), suggested an official mechanism for making plans among parties in order to avoid the overlap of components of the bird flu prevention programme. 

He emphasised the prevention work and pledged to join hands with the Vietnamese government in the fight against the disease. 

Many other issues such as culling fowls, restructuring the poultry sector and adjusting farmers’ behaviours in preventing bird flu were also tabled. 

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong reiterated the Vietnamese government’s commitment and determination to bird flu prevention. 

Vietnam will host an International conference on bird flu in April, he said.

Close to 300 laid-off employees get payments

Hanoi (VNA) – More than 3,500 workers across the country have submitted documents to register for unemployment payments, but only 300 of them are eligible to get paid, said an official. 

Director of the Employment Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Dai Dong told reporters on Jan. 14 that, the number of laid-off workers to receive unemployment insurance payment remains low because the policy has been enforced just a few days ago. 

Employers’ unwillingness to provide enough documents, including evidence on labour-contract termination, and workers’ poor awareness of the unemployment insurance policy were other reasons, Dong said. 

To tackle these problems, the department will revise and modify documents guiding the implementation of the policy along with increasing the dissemination of information as well as inspection of the enforcement of the policy, he added. 

The Unemployment Insurance Law took effect on January 1, 2009, but the Vietnam Social Insurance began to pay unemployment insurance benefits to laid-off workers on January 1, 2010. 

To be eligible to unemployment payments workers must have paid their premiums for at least 12 months and signed up with a local job centre for unemployment benefits seven days after losing their jobs. 

Under the policy, laid-off workers will also be supported to take free-of-charge vocational courses, recommended new jobs and enjoy health insurance benefits. 

Kieu Van Minh, an official from the Vietnam Social Insurance, revealed that a total of 5.4 million employees have participated in unemployment insurance. The unemployment insurance fund now has 3,066 billion VND, of which 1 percent is sourced from the State budget.

Algerian Speaker to visit Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Algeria People’s National Assembly led by Speaker Abdelaziz Ziari will pay an official visit to Vietnam from January 18-23. 

According to a press release issued by the National Assembly Committee for External Relations on Jan.14, the visit will be made at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong.

Da Nang remains first in PCI ranking

Hanoi (VNA) – Central Da Nang City has topped the 2009 Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) for the second consecutive year. 

It was followed by Binh Duong, Lao Cai, Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Vinh Phuc provinces, reported the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Hanoi on Jan. 14. 

According to the VCCI report, Dien Bien, Ca Mau and Long An provinces were the best performers in economic management area. 

The report also acknowledged a lot of progress in the country’s administrative reforms, particularly the shorter time for enforcement of with the State’s regulations and reduction of business registration procedures. 

It, however, pointed to several worrying challenges, including drops in sub-indexes on transparency, informal charges as well as dynamism and competence of provincial leaders. 

Suggested solutions for local authorities to increase transparency include publicising information on budget revenues and expenditures, socio-economic development, land use planning, and infrastructure development plans to facilitate investors. 

According to VCCI’s Chairman Vu Tien Loc, the independent and objective report aims to help local authorities recognise their advantages and disadvantages and help the central government create a more competitive business environment in the country. 

The release of the PCI report helps improve economic management in Vietnam, said the US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak. 

2009 is the fifth consecutive year that VCCI and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Vietnamese Competiveness Initiative have worked together to build and release the PCI to measure provincial economic management and the business environment for developing the private sector. The figures were compiled from information provided by nearly 10,000 private enterprises.

Vietnam, US bolster higher educational cooperation

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam looks forward to support from the US government and universities to help it establish standard universities to meet the demand for quality human resources. 

Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Minister of Education Nguyen Thien Nhan made the statement at a workshop on Vietnam-US higher education cooperation in Hanoi on January 14. 

At the event, Deputy PM Nhan underlined the significance of higher education and urged Vietnamese and US experts to discuss and exchange experiences on the issue. 

Michael W.Michalak, the US Ambassador to Vietnam pledged to increase educational cooperation with Vietnam to help the country build up higher educational programmes and provide modern training curriculums. 

Deputy Minister of Education Pham Vu Luan had a presentation focusing on the development and reform of higher education system in Vietnam during 2010-2012. 

The workshop was jointly held by Ministry of Education, Hanoi National University and the US Embassy on January 14-15.