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Aftermath of floods overwhelms local leaders
Phu Yen (VNA) — Three weeks of flooding has caused huge economic losses and chaos in coastal villages in south central Phu Yen province leaving local leaders at a loss as to how to deal with the sheer scale of the disaster, the like of which has never been seen before.
"Prolonged heavy rains and sea tides have raised the level of underground water, turning the lower ground into massive water containers," said deputy chairman of Hoa Hiep Bac Commune People's Committee Tran Minh Tien.
"Water from underground veins has risen, flooding houses, roads and crops," he added.
About 700 houses built on sandy areas in Hoa Hiep Bac, Hoa Hiep Trung and Hoa Hiep Nam communes and part of Tuy Hoa City have been affected.
Tien said local leaders didn't know how to cope with the natural disaster, hoping the flooding would subside naturally, while healthcare centres remained alert for the potential outbreak of diseases.
Meanwhile, the local husbandry industry has been hit hard.
"The province's leading commune in husbandry, Hoa Hiep Bac, has lost about 15,000 birds in the floods," said Tien.
Half of the 4,000 quails raised by farmer Le Thi Thuong in Phuoc Lam Village drowned in the rising water and her entire house has been 1m deep in water for weeks.
"I had to borrow 10 million VND (500 USD) from the bank and from relatives to invest in this flock of birds. How can I pay off the debt now? Life is so miserable!" she said.
Local residents are also living in fear of accidents that might happen due to the prolonged flooding. Wooden houses soaked in water for days are in danger of collapsing and live power cables are hanging dangerously close to the water level in many areas.
"My children were evacuated to a friend's house two weeks ago but my wife and I are still here in the water. I have to wade in and out every day between the interlacing power cables. It's scary but I have no choice," said Dang Binh whose house in Phu Thach Ward, Tuy Hoa City is also more than 1m deep in water.
Pollution is also becoming a major issue for local residents.
The water has swept rubbish from a dump near Dong Tac Market down to a residential area in Phu Thach Ward.
"The water is filthy and we have to live in rubbish and pollution. We worry that we might die of diseases as a result of all this," said Nguyen Van Thoi. -Enditem
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Online newspaper hacking case sets off alarm bells
Hanoi (VNA) — Internet security experts have warned news websites to stay alert for hackers after one of the top Vietnamese news sites was paralysed by hackers on Nov. 22 – for the second time in a month.
The online newspaper VietnamNet was disrupted from 3am on Nov. 22. Visitors to the site only saw the messages: "Server is too busy," "Service unavailable," or "Hacked by Team Mosta Algerian Hacker" whenever trying to access the site.
Bui Binh Minh, the assistant to the newspaper's editor-in-chief, said the hacker managed to break into the site because of a software security error and then cleared all data off the host computer.
"However, about 80 percent of the site's content was later recovered," he said.
The newspaper is now working with the Vietnamese Internet Security Company to try and find the hacker. One of the security officials investigating, Nguyen Minh Duc, said he could think of several reasons for a hacker to attack a news website, including making the site lose credibility and prestige – and using the newspaper to control information.
"This is not the first time a news website has been hacked. News website managers should pay more attention to internet security," he said.
A survey by the security company showed that more than 1,000 Vietnamese websites were hacked in 2009 and an estimated 800 so far this year.
Duc warned that many websites in Vietnam did not have general security protection, making it easy for hackers to attack.
"For example, if a reporter or editor of an online newspaper uses an unsafe password, hackers can easily discover it and attack the whole system," he said.
"It is essential to regularly check to discover strange files in host computers to prevent hackers."
General secretary of the Vietnam Information Safety Association Vu Quoc Thanh said hackers could easily attack 50 percent of websites in Vietnam because most of them lacked solutions to stop hackers.
"Hackers are more interested in online newspapers or bank websites which store much important information," Duc said.
The hacker into VietnamNet used the old method of taking control of the host computer then changed and cleared all data.
"We expected to find out his or her identity in one or two days," he said.
Two months ago, well-known security software company BitDefender ranked Vietnam among 10 countries in the world with a high risk of security leaks. — Enditem
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Fest spotlights heritage cultural heritage
Hanoi (VNA) — The sixth Vietnam Heritage Day festival has begun at the Vietnam Exhibition Centre for Culture and Arts on Hoa Lu Street in Hanoi.
"The festival is being held with the aim to celebrate the country's rich past, respect the contribution of young people towards preserving cultural traditions and raising their awareness and responsibility to developing the national heritage," said Hanoi Association of Literature and Arts president Do Thi Hao.
During the festival, visitors are enjoying calligraphy demonstrations and folk games, music and dances, plus an exhibition displaying 500 items dating from the Dong Son Culture (700-100BC) to the Nguyen dynasty (19th-20th century), as well as artefacts from the Thang Long Royal Citadel ruins and photos of the 82 stone doctoral steles at the Temple of Literature).
The cuisine and craft villages of Hanoi are also being highlighted, including such crafts as embroidery, wood carvings, copper statues and rattan furniture. Artisans from the craft villages are performing rituals to pay tribute to their ancestors who established their village trades.
Researchers also participated in a workshop on Nov. 23 to discuss the preservation of Hanoi's tangible and intangible heritage, such as Duong Lam Village, Thang Long Royal Citadel, Thang Long folk dances, and traditional beliefs and festivals.
"To preseve the vestiges of these cultures, we need to improve the knowledge and techniques of the preservationists," said the director of the Thang Long - Hanoi Citadel Preservation Centre, Nguyen Van Son. "Those who join in preservation must have professional skills, technique and responsibility for what they do."
The festival, which ends on Nov. 25, was co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Hanoi People's Committee, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association. — Enditem
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South Korea exhibition presents traditional art
Hanoi (VNA) — An exhibition of arts and crafts is on display at the Korean Cultural Centre in Hanoi, featuring 60 objects made of diverse material.
The exhibits were made by a group of 21 artisans set up in 2008 in the Republic of Korea to introduce Korean traditional handicrafts.
The artists, led by Han Hyang-lim, are in Vietnam for the exhibition, which will run until December 4.
Sixty fine arts and crafts items made of ceramic, porcelain, fabric, wood, paper, stone and metal depict things in daily life, such as apples, card holders, necklaces and lamps.
They were made in the traditions of folk art passed down through generations in the Republic of Korea, said Hyung Keum-gi, director of the centre. They represented very sophisticated, skilful and fine RoK craftsmanship in traditional materials.
The works are particularly interesting for Vietnamese people who share many similarities in culture, said artist Park Mi-hwa.
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Miner seeks coal price hike
Hanoi (VNA) — The Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) has submitted a proposal to the Government to increase coal prices for the country's four largest coal consumers as of early next year.
In the wake of an instruction from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance, coal prices sold to power, cement, fertiliser and paper producers will increase to gradually match market price levels.
Under the proposal, producers of cement, fertiliser and paper will have to pay prices that are only 10 percent lower than the export prices.
Meanwhile, the plan to raise coal prices for power producers will be implemented in two phases. In early 2011, prices will be raised to levels equal to the production costs in 2010.
Then, from the fourth quarter of 2011, Vinacomin recommended that the coal prices for power plants be equal to the sale prices applied to other big consumers.
The company currently offers a large discount to the four sectors to meet previous Government instruction designed to stabilise the local market.
Vinacomin deputy general director Vu Manh Hung estimated that the price currently offered to cement, paper and fertiliser producers was only roughly 1.1-1.5 million VND (56.4-76.9 USD) per tonne against the 2 million VND (102.6 USD) export price.
The sale price for the power industry is equal to only 35-40 percent of its export price and equal to roughly 54-59 percent of other big consumers, or 27-33 percent less than its production costs.
In light of the coal provision for the power industry last year, Vinacomin said it had to offset a loss of roughly 3 trillion VND (153.8 million USD).
Meanwhile, Hung said production costs for a tonne of coal currently reached 803,000 VND (41.2 USD), surging up to 111.2 percent over last year.
Vinacomin said the price adjustment was crucial to creating capital for reinvestment aside from encouraging coal consumers to conserve the mineral.
According to the group, investment capital for coal production has kept rising. For example, in order to increase the output by 1 million tonnes of coal, it is necessary to invest 120-150 USD million.
As such, in order to increase the output by 20 million tonnes to meet the country's coal demand of roughly 60-65 million tonnes by 2015, Vinacomin must invest 3 billion USD.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has so far said that the coal price hike would partly contribute to ensuring national power security in the coming years. They explained that if they did not adjust the price now, the country would have to import coal at a higher price than the domestic one, causing input costs of many industries to jump.
Vinacomin calculated that by 2015, the production cost for coal will be 1.25-1.4 million VND per tonne. The current import price is 2.24 million VND. This means that the production cost in Vietnam by 2015 will be equal to 62-65 percent of the current import price.
However, the plan to raise the coal price has made power, cement, fertiliser and paper producers worried.
Nguyen Gia Tuong, deputy general director of the Vietnam Chemicals Group (Vinachem), said his company had proposed that Vinacomin not raise the coal prices applied to fertiliser plants in 2011.
The coal price increase would be a shock to fertiliser producers, he said, adding that the latest coal price increases early last year reduced the profit of Bac Giang Nitrogenous and Chemicals Plant by 260 billion VND.
Chairman of the Vietnam Cement Association Nguyen Van Thien said his organisation had also recommended maintaining the current coal price next year. — Enditem
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Nation joins world's top 10 seafood exporters
Hanoi (VNA) — Vietnam's seafood products were shipped to over 160 countries worldwide this year, helping the country become one of the world's top 10 seafood exporters, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam.
However, the development of the seafood processing industry had not gone exactly according to plan, resulting in a number of practical difficulties such as an imbalance of supply and demand and an unstable market.
The industry needed to carry out research to assess the market and make predictions for the future in a move to ensure sustainable development, he said.
The fishing industry aimed to increase production by 8-10 percent per year and to export 6.5-7 million tonnes of seafood worth 8-9 billion USD by 2020, following a development strategy approved recently by the Prime Minister.
Under the plan, which would require an estimated 57.4 trillion VND (2.9 billion USD), the industry would be industrialised and developed to increase output, improve quality, and enhance its competitiveness.
Top priority would be given to developing the cultivation of freshwater fish, molluscs, sea fish, shrimp and crab sectors in the Hong (Red) River Delta and improving the tra fish and shrimp sectors in the East Sea and the country's southern region so that the products were congruent with Global GAP standards.
Plants would also be built in central Vietnam to produce feed that would be sold domestically and throughout ASEAN.
Vietnam expects to earn 4.5 billion USD from seafood exports this year. The country earned 3.98 billion USD from seafood exports during the first 10 months of the year, up 14.46 percent compared to 2009. — Enditem
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Anti-corruption dialogue focuses on in land administration
Hanoi (VNA) – “Corruption in land administration and use in Vietnam ” will be the main topic for discussion at the 8th Anti-Corruption Dialogue, which will be held in Hanoi on Nov. 25.
The Anti-Corruption Dialogue takes place twice a year and is co organised by the Embassy of Sweden on behalf of Vietnam ’s development partners, the Government Inspectorate and the Office of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption on behalf of the Vietnamese Government.
While addressing a press conference on Nov. 24, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Staffan Herrstrom stressed that the key factors of success in the fight against corruption everywhere, not least in land management, are openness, transparency, access to information, accountability, a vibrant media and protected whistleblowers.
“I am joining this process in an optimistic spirit. The problems are solvable. We are here as partners to help, support, facilitate and advise Vietnam . These issues are difficult in all countries. If we join hands we certainly can succeed,” he said.
According to the ambassador, the theme of the 8 th dialogue was initiated by the Government of Vietnam and fully supported by the development partners because corruption in general and corruption in land administration and use in particular create distrust, affect every one, especially the poor, and hamper development in Vietnam.
“Corruption in land administration in all societies makes the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, at the same time governments lose tax revenue,” Herrstrom emphasised.
To have better inputs to the discussion during the Anti-Corruption Dialogue, the Embassy of Sweden hosted two roundtable workshops. The most recent workshop was held on Nov. 18 under the theme “Improving transparency in land administration in Vietnam ” with support from Towards Transparency - Transparency International (TI) National Contact in Vietnam , the Embassy of Denmark, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank (WB).
The results and issues discussed at the 8 th Anti-Corruption Dialogue will be submitted to the Consultative Group (CG) meeting, scheduled to take place in Hanoi from Dec. 7-8.
According to a survey recently conducted by the Embassy of Sweden, the Embassy of Denmark and the WB, corruption in land management and use in Vietnam is worsening, as 85 percent of the surveyed households said there is corruption in this field and 30 percent of the targeted businesses said they have to give bribes in order to get certificates of land use.
The survey, which was carried out in five cities and provinces – Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Binh Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City and Tien Giang – shows that corruption mainly occurs in exclusive agencies, bodies with low accountability and decision makers.-Enditem
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Germany shares ideas on disabled employment
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam wishes to learn from German experience in generating employment for the disabled, said a labour ministry official at a workshop on inclusion of people with disability in the labour market, opened in Hanoi on Nov. 24.
Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Bui Hong Linh said Vietnam has 6.7 million disabled people, making up 7.8 percent of the population. However, the process of providing social welfare, vocational training and generating jobs for disabled people still contains many inadequacies.
The Law on Disabled People, which was passed by the National Assembly in June 2010 and will take effect from January 2011, will be an important legal corridor, creating opportunities for the disabled to integrate into the community and more easily find jobs.
The Deputy Minister said the workshop, occasioned by the International Day of People with Disability (Dec. 3), aims at raising people’s awareness on disabled people as well as providing policy makers and State management agencies with more information to build programmes, plans and solutions for the disabled to integrate into the labour market.
At the workshop, which will run until Nov. 25, Vietnamese and German experts in employment will exchange experiences in legal policies, vocational training programmes and job placement models for disabled people.
According to the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), among 6.7 million disabled people, most are unemployed and living on their families and social allowances.
Disabled people earn a living mainly through farming, and a few of them get jobs in services, small industry and administrative works. In addition, disabled people have not yet received priority in getting suitable jobs.
The workshop, jointly held by MoLISA and the German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ), was under the framework of the celebrations of the 35 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Germany .
During the workshop, a ceremony will be held to present prizes of a contest on creating art works and films on the theme of the disabled and employment.-Enditem
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Mexican enterprises discuss business in VN
Mexico City (VNA)- A seminar on experiences in doing business with Vietnam opened on Nov. 23 in Mexico, with the participation of representatives of enterprises from both countries.
The seminar was held by the trade office of the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico and the American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT), in collaboration with the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE).
Sergio Ley, President of the Asia-Pacific Directorate under COMCE said at the opening ceremony that the event aimed to raise mutual understanding between the two countries’ enterprises and people.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Pham Van Que also pledged to create every favourable condition for Mexican investors doing business in Vietnam.
Following the opening ceremony, representatives of MIT, the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico and Vietnamese businesses answered many relevant questions on investment mechanisms and policies, import and export, customs procedures, information access and the market, traditions, customs and cultures of Vietnam.
In 2009, two-way trade between Vietnam and Mexico reached over 650 million USD, the highest level of trade between Vietnam and a Latin American nation, and this figure is expected to surpass one billion USD in coming years.-Enditem
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Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand presents credentials
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Ngo Duc Thang on November 23 presented his credentials to King Bhumibol Adulyadej through Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
After the presentation ceremony, Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn handed over a letter from King Bhumibol Adulyadej to the Vietnamese ambassador, in which the king spoke highly of Vietnam’s assessment of the two countries’ ties.
In his letter, the king also expressed his belief that the two countries’ cooperation in different areas, at both bilateral and regional levels –especially in the ASEAN framework based on friendliness and mutual understanding – would play a key role in boosting the current relationship.
The cooperation would bring stability, happiness and peace not only for the two countries but also for other nations in the region and the international community, the king said.
Two-way trade turnover reached 6.2 billion USD in 2009 and is expected to reach 10 billion USD in the next years. In terms of investment, Thailand has entered into 216 projects in Vietnam with total registered capital of nearly 5.7 billion USD.
The ambassador conveyed his desire to receive more support from King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Thai government and people in the future and that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries would prosper for mutual benefit, peace, stability and regional cooperation.-Enditem
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Romania seeks oil and gas cooperation with VN
Hanoi (VNA)- Romania wants to cooperate with Vietnam in oil and gas and the petrochemical industry in the near future, a representative from its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment said.
Valentin Brebenel, who is also Coordinator for Asia, said at a business conference on Nov. 24 in Hanoi that Romania welcomes all suggestions, from drilling, constructing oil refineries to exploring for oil and gas in a third country.
In addition to these fields, Romanian businesses also want to cooperate with Vietnam in manufacturing ball bearings and pharmaceuticals, and especially in building fishing ports, he said.
Speaking highly of Vietnam’s role as ASEAN chair in 2010, the official affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner of Romania in ASEAN and Vietnam would become a gateway for Romania in the region to develop cooperation with Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh also called for the business communities of the two countries to promote cooperation for the mutual benefit.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2009, two-way trade between Vietnam and Romania grew to about 100 million USD and reached 70 million USD in the first nine months of this year.-Enditem
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UAE seeks greater cooperation with Vietnam
Hanoi (VNA) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) wants to further boost its multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, especially in trade and investment.
UAE Minister of Economics Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri affirmed this stance at a press briefing in Hanoi on November 24 on the threshold of the first session of the Vietnam-UAE Joint Committee scheduled for November 25.
According to the minister, besides strengthening trade and investment cooperation, the UAE also wants to discuss measures to expand cooperation in seaports, aviation, oil, gas and petrochemicals.
The UAE and Vietnam have cooperated in building the Saigon Premier Centre Terminal in Ho Chi Minh City, he added.
In addition, the UAE wishes to strengthen agricultural cooperation with Vietnam as food security is a very important issue for the desert country.
Minister Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri recommended that Vietnam, which boasts a strong agricultural sector, should maintain and develop agriculture in order to join the world’s production line of high-value agricultural products.
The UAE wants to benefit from Vietnam’s agricultural development experiences to ensure food security and is ready to help Vietnam improve the position of its agricultural products, he said.
The minister said he is pleased with developments in economic and trade relations between the UAE and Vietnam in recent years with a two-way trade growth of over 40 percent per year, reaching around 500 million USD in 2009.
He expressed his hope that Vietnam would suggest areas that may be strengthened to raise two-way trade to 1 billion USD in the next 3-5 years.
The minister also spoke highly of Vietnam’s investment environment, especially after the two countries signed agreements on investment protection and double-taxation avoidance during Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the UAE last year.
Besides economic and trade cooperation, the UAE government and businesses have also paid special attention to humanitarian and social welfare sectors in Vietnam.-Enditem
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November CPI surges as food leads the way
Hanoi (VNA) – The consumer price index (CPI) in November experienced the highest increase within the past decade, said the General Statistics Office on Nov. 24.
The CPI surged by 1.86 percent over October and its increase in November, up by 11.9 percent year-on-year, pushed the CPI of the past 11 months up by 9.58 percent over December 2009 or 8.96 percent as compared with the average of the same period in 2009. Experts said with such high CPI increases, the possibility of keeping inflation at single-digit level in 2010 is slight.
Representing a proportion of nearly 40 percent of the total basket of commodities, foods and food-related services leaped 3.45 percent in November to become the main factor for the CPI increase.
Increases were seen at between 0.23-3.45 percent in ten out of eleven groups of commodities. Only prices of post and telecoms services continued to drop, by 0.03 percent.
Foods recorded an increase of 6.02 percent while foodstuffs went up by 3.27 percent. Following these groups, prices of housing and construction materials posted an increase of 1.74 percent, drink and tobacco 0.94 percent, garment and footwear 0.9 percent, household utensils and facilities 0.74 percent, and medicine and health care services 0.59 percent.
After two months of large increases, educational services lagged in November with the lowest rise of 0.23 percent.
GSO Pricing Department chief, Nguyen Duc Thang, blamed the dizzying rise of foods and food-related service prices on serious losses caused by natural disasters.
Thang said despite big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City carrying out measures to stabilize prices, the CPI in these cities still increased sharply due to high demand and low supply, 1.93 percent in Hanoi and 1.73 percent in HCM City, pulling up the country’s CPI.
In November, gold and USD prices on the black market saw many fluctuations. The gold price in November rose by 8.67 percent over October and 36.24 percent over the same month last year.
The USD price in November increased by 3 percent over October and 10.03 percent over the same period last year.
Experts warned of further CPI increases by year end as the resources of foods and foodstuff in many localities, especially central provinces where natural disasters have impacted, would not recover quickly. -Enditem
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Australia helps boost VN’s negotiating capacity
Hanoi (VNA)- An Australian government-hosted Trade Negotiation Capacity Building Workshop for Vietnamese officials opened in Hanoi on Nov. 24, the Australian embassy in Hanoi announced on the day.
Funded by Australia ’s Agency for International Development (AusAID) and coordinated by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the workshop will provide concrete and practical technical assistance to ministries that will be involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) negotiations, and assist Vietnam to take full advantage of trade and investment opportunities presented by TTP agreement negotiations.
According to the embassy, the two-day discussion will focus on topics relevant to modern, ambitious free trade agreements such as investment, government procurement, intellectual property and labour and environment issues.
TTP Parties, including Australia , Brunei , Chile , Malaysia , New Zealand , Peru , Singapore , New Zealand , the United States and Vietnam , aim to develop a high quality, comprehensive 21 st century free trade agreement that deepens regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia also welcomed Vietnam ’s recent announcement on the sidelines of the APEC leaders meeting in Yokohama that Vietnam would participate in the TPP negotiations as a full member.
The Government of New Zealand will also contribute to the workshop and hold a seminar on competition policy.-Enditem
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Vietnam learns from German reform experience
Berlin (VNA) – A delegation from the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s commissions has visited Germany to gather experience in administrative reform, human resource development and management.
While in Germany from Nov. 15-24, the delegation led by Nguyen Van Du, deputy head of the personnel training department under the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, participated in workshops and discussed issues relating to administrative reforms with German experts. All contacts were initiated by the Germany-Vietnam Economic Assistance Company and the International Economics Institute.
Hans-Joachim Knaupe, Director of the International Economics Institute, said he hoped that knowledge and experience gained during the visit would contribute to Vietnam ’s national construction and development.
During the visit, the delegation was received by Gregor Gysi, Chairman of the left wing party parliamentarians’ group, who shared his party experience in personnel organisation and structure.-Enditem
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Prime Minister gives answers to hot issues
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung provided lawmakers with explanations for a host of issues that have generated voters’ concern, as well as the moves the Government will take to handle them, at a live broadcast session on Nov. 24.
Dealing with rising consumer prices and inflation in the year-end months, PM Dung said the Government will focus on facilitating production and business activities by clearing difficulties and hindrances.
It will prioritise resources for flood-hit localities, to restore production as quickly as possible and ensure the immediate circulation and supply of commodities for local people, he said.
“The Government will stabilise the prices of input commodities and fundamental services of the national economy, like power, coal, cement, paper, and fertiliser,” PM Dung said in his report.
He said the Government will utilise tax tools, fees and the price stabilising fund to keep the petrol price at a reasonable level and use financial and monetary tools in a flexible manner in line with the market mechanism to meet producer and business needs for capital while ensuring the liquidity of the banking system and the entire national economy.
“The Government will concentrate on instructing the simultaneous employment of these solutions to control prices, especially during the traditional lunar New Year festival (Tet),” PM Dung said.
By the end of November, the consumer price index registered at 9.58 percent increase compared to December last year.
Touching on the country’s bauxite processing project, the PM said that the exploration, exploitation and processing of bauxite have been a consistent goal the Party has pursued from its IXth National Congress, since the country’s reserves of bauxite – from which aluminium is produced – are estimated at 11 billion tonnes, mostly in the Central Highlands.
He made clear that in their related policies and instructions, the Party Politburo and Central Committee and the National Assembly have all underscored that the bauxite exploitation and processing go along with developing the aluminum industry, aiming to serve the country’s economic growth and promote the Central Highlands’ socio-economic development.
Regarding the issue, the Government assigned the Coal and Mineral Industry Group to carry out on a trial basis two bauxite exploitation and processing projects in Tan Rai and Nhan Co in Lam Dong and Dak Nong provinces, PM Dung told the deputies, noting that the development, examination and approval of these projects had been conducted in line with the Party’s guidance and State law and had strong support from localities that will benefit from the projects.
The appraisal councils established by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment confirmed that, “These projects will bring about social and economical benefits and ensure safety in terms of the environment, security and defence,” he said.
Turning to the restructuring of the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Vinashin), which was hard hit by financial problems, PM Dung firstly mentioned its achievements in the 1996-2008 period, including an annual average growth rate of 35-40 percent. He cited independent auditing reports that put the group’s pre-tax profits at 126.5 billion VND in 2005, 503.3 billion VND in 2006, 858.8 billion VND in 2007 and 645.1 billion VND in 2008, and its contribution of over 3.3 trillion VND to the State budget by the end of 2009.
By early 2009, Vinashin received orders worth nearly 12 billion USD and it built and handed over 279 ships worth more than 1.8 billion USD, including 155 ships valued at 1.1 billion USD that were exported.
However, the shipbuilder made losses worth 1.6 trillion VND in 2009 after struggling with impacts of the global financial crisis and economic recession, and mainly the wrongdoings, dishonest reports and weaknesses in business administration, financial and investment management committed by its leadership, PM Dung said.
He also attributed the losses to a number of responsible Governmental agencies and their failure to perform their state management duties, as well as State ownership of the corporation.
Dealing with the situation, PM Dung said he requested that relevant ministries join in monitoring and helping Vinashin to maintain its production and business. He also requested Vinashin cut investments in ineffective projects.
PM Dung recalled that in July, 2009, he established an inter-branch working group to study a plan to restructure the group.
At present, the Government’s inspectors are completing reports on their overall examinations of Vinashin while independent auditors are auditing the group’s business outcomes in 2010 and the group’s leaders are screening the group’s financial capability and assets in order to provide updated statistics in those areas.
A steering committee for Vinashin restructuring was also set up headed by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung.
Most recently, on Nov. 18, the PM approved the Vinashin restructuring plan which aimed to help the group stabilise its production and business, strengthen its prestige and trademark, pay off its debts step by step, and grow to become the core of the shipbuilding industry and a spearhead in promoting the maritime economy and implementing the national sea strategy.
In his report, PM Dung also referred to the Government’s instructions and efforts made by the power sector in ensuring the supply of power for production and the people’s needs.
According to the PM, close to 98 percent of communes and 95.4 percent of rural households nationwide have so far had access to the national power grid, surpassing the goals set forth in the Party’s Xth Congress by 5.4 percent.
Talking about the fight against storms and floods, PM Dung underscored the urgent need for making action plans to deal with climate change, sea level rise and flooding, after recalling the heavy loss of life and property caused by torrential rains in the central region.
At present, ministries, sectors and localities are working on their own action plans for combating climate change, to prepare for the formulation of the national action plan in the field, PM Dung told the deputies.
The Government has signed an agreement with the Dutch government regarding the latter’s assistance in planning irrigation facilities in the Mekong and Hong ( Red river ) deltas to fight climate change and sea level rise.
Projects to strengthen sea and river dykes have been carried out after getting the PM’s approval, he said.
In his report, PM Dung affirmed that the Government continues to prioritise investments for the development of agriculture and rural areas by adopting an action programme to implement the seventh Party Central Committee resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, tasking ministries, branches and localities to carry out related programmes and projects, and encouraging enterprises from all economic sectors to invest in the fields.
In the 2004-2008 period before the seventh Party Central Committee resolution, the Government allocated more than 181 trillion VND, or 39.1 percent of the State budget’s development capital and Government bonds, for agriculture and rural areas.
For their part, localities have been proactive in making their own programmes to implement the resolution on agriculture and rural areas.-Enditem
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President hails VNA-Kyodo relationship
Hanoi (VNA)- State President Nguyen Minh Triet has described cooperation between Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Kyodo News as an important channel to reflect the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Japan .
The State leader also sought the Japanese newswire’s further assistance in the training of reporters, subeditors and technicians for VNA while receiving Kyodo President Satoshi Ishikawa, who is on a visit to Vietnam at the invitation of VNA, on November 24.
“Relations between VNA and Kyodo have helped strengthen mutual understanding between people of the two countries. The two news agencies should speed up the exchange of information and personnel training,” Triet said.
He called on Kyodo to uphold its role in promoting Vietnam ’s potential and strengths, especially in the areas of investment climate, tourism destinations and culture.
The State President took this opportunity to express thanks to Japan for great assistance to Vietnam as shown in its commitments to huge amounts of ODA.
“The funding (of ODA from Japan ) has been used effectively, contributing considerably to socio-economic development and poverty reduction in Vietnam ,” Triet said.
In reply, Kyodo President Satoshi Ishikawa echoed the Vietnamese State President’s view on the role of the two news agencies. He said they have a duty to increase public understanding of friendly relations and progress made in multifaceted cooperation, such as socio-economics, investment and culture, contributing to further development of the two countries’ strategic partnership.
“The Japanese people have closely followed and anticipated achievements made by Vietnam in its renewal cause while always wishing for closer friendship and stronger cooperation between the two countries,” said the Kyodo News chief.--Enditem
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NA question-and-answer session concludes
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung continued to affirm the responsibility and determinations of himself and the Government in front of the National Assembly for the interest of the country and people at the NA hearing on Nov. 24.
The government seriously admits its shortcomings in order to better fulfill its responsibilities and tasks, said the PM.
The PM wished to continue receiving the sharing, cooperation and assistance of the NA so that he and his cabinet members could fulfill their responsibilities for the country, the Party and people.
On the morning of Nov. 24, the PM explained and answered issues of concern to voters nationwide. After more than two hours of answering nine NA deputies’ questions, PM Dung took responsibility as the Government leader on a number of shortcomings and weaknesses in State management relating to the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group (Vinashin). He said he would strictly review his and other Cabinet members’ responsibility in accordance with the procedures and regulations of the Party and the State laws.
In his answer, the PM analysed objective and subjective reasons and solutions to issues of inflation and prices; the restructure of Vinashin; the supply of power for production and life; overcoming the aftermath of floods in central provinces; coping with climate change; and investment in agriculture.
Earlier, on Nov. 22 and 23, four Cabinet members, namely Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang, Minister of Public Health Nguyen Quoc Trieu, Minister of Finance Vu Van Ninh and Minister of Transport Ho Nghia Dung, took the floor at the NA question-and-answer sessions.
NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed that the three-day session had successfully concluded.
He said that the quality of the session was improved and NA deputies’ questions were sent to the secretariat early to be recorded in documents so Cabinet members had time to prepare for their answers.
This work needed to continue in the future, he said.
The questions of this session were concentrated on pressing issues of concern to the public, said the NA leader, adding that cabinet members gave in-depth and persuasive answers.
The hearing session has continued to clarify a number of important and pressing issues, analysed reasons and solutions and defined responsibilities so that responsible individuals and agencies will better understand the situation and voters’ petitions and desires, said Chairman Trong.
He proposed that following the session Cabinet members should strictly and effectively implement NA programmes, plans and resolutions.
He also proposed enhanced supervision of the implementation of Cabinet members’ solutions and promises in front of the NA.-Enditem
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Vietnam, Cambodia cooperate to fight malaria
Kon Tum (VNA) – Health services of the Vietnamese central highland province of Kon Tum and its neighbouring Cambodian province of Rattanakiri have agreed to enhance cooperation in fighting malaria along the common border.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed at the first border malaria fighting conference in Kon Tum province on Nov. 24, the two sides agreed to increase anti-malaria measures for local people along the border, to reduce the rates of infection and fatality of the disease and prevent malaria outbreaks.
They will also increase quarantine at their border gates and build a set of regulations on malaria-related information exchange.
At the first conference, delegates discussed a plan on cooperation and experience sharing on fighting malaria.
Border districts needed to continue a close watch on the disease, increase education and train grassroots officials to detect and prevent outbreaks.
Sa Thay district in Kon Tum province has reported 202 malaria cases this year, up 10.38 percent over the same period last year.-Enditem
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Vietnam, Norway engage in political consultation
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Norway held their fourth political consultation at deputy ministerial level in Hanoi on Nov. 24.
At the meeting, co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son and Norwegian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Erik Lahnstein, the two sides spoke highly of bilateral friendship and multifaceted cooperation in the recent past, especially in trade, investment, development cooperation and education and training.
The Norwegian side highly valued Vietnam ’s socio-economic achievements, especially in hunger eradication and poverty reduction and fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule.
The country’s position in the world has been improved, particularly after it successfully took over the 2010 ASEAN chairmanship and non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 term, the Norwegian official said, adding that Norway was impressed by Vietnam ’s high economic growth in the context of the global economic crisis.
He also appreciated the reopening of the Vietnamese embassy in Oslo last December, laying a foundation for boosting bilateral cooperation in all fields.
The Vietnamese diplomat affirmed the effective use of Norway-funded ODA sources and thanked Norway for continued provision of ODA for Vietnam in the future with priorities to be given to climate change responses, forest protection and clean and renewable energy development.
The two sides agreed to collaborate to organise a programme to mark the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2011, which will include activities in business, culture and education, contributing to increasing friendship and mutual understanding between the two people.
They also agreed to intensify cooperation at multilateral and international forums, especially at the UN.
Vietnam affirmed its support for Norway in increasing cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The same day, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Erik Lahnstein was received by Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.
The Deputy PM said he hopes that the two countries will strengthen friendship and cooperation in the future, especially when Vietnam is developing its market economy and integrating into regional and international economies.
The Norwegian diplomat said Norway ’s businesses were ready to cooperate with Vietnamese partners, especially in renewable energy, liquefied gas and shipbuilding.-Enditem
DPRK fires artillery into waters of Korean peninsula
Seoul (VNA) – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on November 23 fired some 30 artillery shells into waters off the west coast of the Korean peninsula near a tense maritime border.
The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the RoK fired back in response, and the military is now put on a heightened alert, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the RoK Defence Ministry said that a DPRK artillery unit staged an illegal firing provocation at 2:34 p.m, local time (0534 GMT).
Apart from dozens of houses have been damaged, several residents and soldiers have also been injured, the RoK’s YTN television reported.-Enditem.
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Hanoi through French photo-journalist’s eyes
Hanoi (VNA) – Photos on Hanoi ’s land and people taken by French photo-journalist Nicolas Cornet are on display at an exhibition that opened in the French Culture Centre L’Espace in Hanoi on Nov. 23.
The exhibition, a kick off for the French Week, depicts not only daily changes of the capital city that Nicolas Cornet has devoted 23 years to experience but also popular sites such as One-Pillar Pagoda, Ngoc Son Temple, Long Bien bridge and Opera House.
Apart from the photo collection, the French photographer has written a book on Hanoi since 2007 with the aim of marking the 1,000 th anniversary of the capital city. The book is on shelf at Vietbook-64 Trang Tien.
The exhibition will go on till November 27.-Enditem
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Vietnam, Laos strengthen hydropower cooperation
Vientiane (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos and the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines (LMEM) jointly held a symposium themed “Vietnam-Laos hydropower cooperation: reality and prospects” in Vientiane on November 23.
Attending the event were Lao Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Thongmy Phommixay, LMEM Deputy Minister Xomboun Ratsasombath and Vietnamese Ambassador Ta Minh Chau.
The symposium assessed that hydropower is a strength of the Lao economy and also an important cooperative area between Vietnam and Laos , which attracts a huge Vietnamese investment.
To date, the Lao government has licensed 16 Vietnamese hydropower projects with a total designed capacity of over 4,000 MW.
However, the hydropower cooperation between Vietnam and Laos is still facing several difficulties such as poor infrastructure, unqualified labour force and remote project locations.
Participants at the symposium discussed measures to solve these difficulties in order to boost the bilateral cooperation in this field, meeting the aspiration of the two countries’ high-ranking leaders.
On behalf of the Lao government, Deputy Minister Ratsasombath thanked Vietnam for its assistance for and cooperation with Laos in various fields, including hydropower.
Ambassador Chau called on Vietnamese businesses to strengthen hydropower cooperation with Lao partners and pledged to do his best to foster this strategic cooperation.-Enditem
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NA deputies query hot transportation issues
Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly deputies on Nov. 23 queried a number of hot transportation issues related to the North-South Railway Express, infrastructure, traffic jams and the restructure of the Vietnam Shipping Industry Group (Vinashin).
Regarding the North-South Railway Express project, Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung said his ministry would not invest in the project as the NA refused to approve earlier this year. However, he said, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s instruction, the ministry would continue studying the feasibility of the project.
“We will not study the whole route but only several sections such as a flyover railway on the third belt road connecting the centre of Hanoi to the Noi Bai Airport, and sections from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa and Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City,” he said, adding that all works are now only studying and developing project.
Dung also answered deputies’ queries on punishment to contractors that caused traffic jams and accidents during their construction process, the effectiveness of the Ho Chi Minh Highway, and plans to develop coastal roads combined with sea dyke system to cope with climate change and tides.
Regarding the near-bankrupt shipbuilder Vinashin, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, head of a steering board to oversee Vinashin’s restructuring process, assured that it would be able to pay off its debt of 86 trillion VND (42 billion USD).
According to him, the restructure began in 2008 by withdrawing Vinashin’s investment capital and reducing its projects from 185 to 28 and focusing on only 13 projects.
He said the shipbuilder was making progress in both production and sales. It’s 28 shipbuilders have resumed operation and this year, Vinashin will build 66 vessels to earn almost 600 million USD, the Deputy PM said, affirming that the group would gross revenues of around 14 trillion VND (6.83 billion USD) and would reap benefit from 2013.-Enditem
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Cashew growers lauded for economic success
HCM City (VNA) — The Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) on Nov. 23 was awarded the Certificate of Merit from Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung for its contribution in helping Vietnam become the world's top cashew nut exporter.
Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Thai Hoc, chairman of Vinacas, said since its establishment Vinacas had developed the domestic cashew industry in line with the Government's macro-economic orientation.
"The association and its members have achieved many good results, making significant contributions to the sustainable development of the domestic cashew industry," Hoc said.
The association has 300 members and three branches, including the Long An Cashew Processing-Import and Export Association, the Binh Phuoc Cashew Association and the Binh Phuoc Farmers Association. In 2003, Vinacas was granted the Labour Order, 3rd class, from the State President.
With help from the government as well as industries and localities, the cashew industry in the last year improved significantly, particularly in production and processing, product diversification, market expansion and technology renewal.
As a result, the industry has brought an increasing amount of foreign currency revenue for the country, Hoc said.
"Significantly, although the world economy recovered slowly after the global economic crisis, the domestic cashew industry, unlike many other industries here, kept developing, with a record export value of estimated 1 billion USD this year, 2.2 times higher than the target set for the year," he added.
As a result, Vietnam is now the world's biggest cashew export earner, and the second biggest cashew producer, after India , which has had a century of producing cashews.
In addition, Vietnam ranks third after India and the Cote d'Ivoire in productivity and output.
Outstanding achievements that Vinacas and the cashew industry have obtained since 1990 include: expanding the cashew cultivation area to 390,000 hectares, up by 2.1 times compared with the figure recorded in 2003; increasing the volume of cashew nuts exported this year to 180,000 tonnes, up 2.14 times compared with 83,000 tonnes in 2003; and increasing export value to 1 billion USD, up 3.5 times higher than 284 million USD in 2003.
Vinacas and its member companies, in cooperation with scientists, have also implemented many research projects that have helped create new cashew hybrids that give high yield and good quality.
In particular, BL1 and CH1 hybrids can yield between three and four tonnes per hectare while old hybrids could only generate 600 to 700 kilos per hectare.
Costs per cashew tree have also fallen, from 10,000 VND to between 2,000 VND and 5,000 VND.
Cashew processing techniques have been updated with automatic equipment, resulting in increased labour productivity that is 10 to 20 times higher than that from manual work.
"Proper application of green production technology has also been a main goal of the industry," he said.
A representative of China-based Hai Phu Company said the company discovered Vietnam 's quality cashew nuts in 1992 and decided to import them and sell in China .
"Vietnamese companies gave us active support in building the market. The first shipment to China was in March 1992, and four years later Vietnamese cashews were sold in many big provinces in China ," he said.
"Many more Chinese companies became involved in importing and the volume grew from 20,000 tonnes in 2003 to 50,000 tonnes in 2009," he said.
China , the world's most populous market, is a lucrative market for cashew products due to the use of the nut in its cuisine, he added.
Vietnam 's first cashew shipments were transported to the US in 1994.
The volume of cashew exports continued to increase to 52,000 tonnes in 2009, with export value of 245 million USD, or 28 percent of the Vietnamese industry's total. The US is the largest importer of Vietnamese cashew.
The high quality of the Vietnamese cashew and exporters' adherence to their contracts contributed to the success of the industry, speakers at the ceremony said.
In addition to the Certificate of Merit to Vinacas, more than 100 people from the cashew industry and other ministries and industries received medals from Vinacas honouring them for their assistance and service.- Enditem
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State Bank scoffs at gold-hoarding rumours
Hanoi (VNA) -- The State Bank of Vietnam refused to comment on Nov. 22 on rumours that 1,000 tonnes of gold, worth 45 billion USD, was being hoarded in private hands.
In response to inquiries from National Assembly deputies, State Bank Governor Nguyen Van Giau merely quoted State Bank and customs figures showing that Vietnam had imported 339.86 tonnes of gold since 1998 while exporting 268.86 tonnes.
However, the rumour began circulating among the public earlier this month when the National Financial Supervisory Committee made a statement that the Vietnamese people were holding 1,000 tonnes of gold.
"I can't imagine where or how somebody could come up with such a large volume, which would account for 45 percent of gross domestic product," Giau commented in a recent interview with reporters. "If it were true, our population would be very rich, and income per capita would not be 1,200 USD per year."
"Excluding a certain amount of gold smuggled across the border, the public may now hold about 200 tonnes of gold, with a worth of 9 billion USD," estimated the general director of a major gold trading company who asked to have his name withheld.
According to Gold Fields Mineral Services, in the first nine months this year, Vietnam 's demand for gold was about 74.3 tonnes.
Giau did deny a rumour that people were withdrawing deposits from banks to buy gold and US dollars, noting that total deposits on hand in the banking system in the first half of October had risen 0.64 percent since the end of September.
The central bank was finalising methodology according to IMF guidelines to meet monetary and international balance of payment targets, and was working on setting up better financial indexes to support early monetary and financial forecasts, Giau told reporters. -Enditem
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Stocks rally despite inflation woes
Hanoi (VNA) - Stock indices rallied on Nov. 23 despite concerns that news of rising inflation rates would depress trading.
On the HCM Stock Exchange, the VN-Index gained 1.08 percent to close at 430.81 points. Trading volume, however, fell 16.1 percent from Nov. 23 to 24.6 million shares, worth a total of 544.4 billion VND (26.1 million USD).
Blue chips advanced, with steel producer Hoa Phat Group (HPG) up 2.41 percent, financial conglomerate Ocean Group (OGC) up 1.89 percent, Phu My Fertilisers (DPM) up 1.72 percent, software giant FPT Corp (FPT) up 1.45 percent, and real estate developer Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG) up 1.3 percent.
Sacombank (STB) continued as the most-active stock, with 1.7 million traded.
Viet An Co (AVF), which specialises in the breeding and processing of tra and basa fish, listed 22.5 million shares on the HCM City bourse on Nov. 22. Its products are exported to the US , EU and Australia . In the first eight months of this year, it saw earnings of 40 million USD, against 62 million USD for the whole of last year.
Last year, the An Giang-based company posted a net profit of almost 75 billion VND (3.57 million USD) and has topped that figure in the first nine months of this year, at 76.7 billion VND (3.65 million USD).
Total profit by the end of this year was expected to reach 108 billion VND (5.14 million USD).
Foreign investors currently represent over 4.5 percent of the company’s 225 billion VND (11 million USD) in charter capital.
The company operates two processing factories which can handle 250 tonnes of fish daily and plans to build a new 200 billion VND facility in the Mekong Delta with a capacity of 150 tonnes per day when it begins operations in 2011.
AVF shares closed their first trading day at 26,000 VND, up 1,000 VND per share the reference price of 25,000 VND.
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange on Nov. 23, the HNX-Index bounced back by 1.2 percent to close at 99.05 points. Volume was down 10.1 percent from Nov. 22 to 25 million shares, worth 428.8 billion VND (20.1 million USD).
Half of the ten leading shares by capitalization advanced, including Kim Long Securities Co (KLS), up 1.8 percent; Petrolimex Chemical Co (PLC), up 1.75 percent; Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), up 1.32 percent; PetroVietnam Construction (PVX) – the most heavily-traded stock, with a volume of 1.7 million shares – up 1.11 percent.
Habubank (HBB) on Nov. 23 became the latest bank to list on the Hanoi exchange HBB closed just off the opening reference price of 10,000 to 9,700 VND per share on a volume of just over one million.-Enditem
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ADB helps control infectious disease in Mekong countries
Sydney(VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced a fund worth 49 million USD to the second project of infectious disease surveillance in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
The project aims to expand surveillance response systems to help control dengue outbreaks and prevent the spread of communicable and tropical diseases in Cambodia , Laos , and Vietnam .
It also targets improvements in the capacity of health services and communities involved in disease control in 116 border districts of the three countries. About one-third of the population in the target areas belong to ethnic minority groups.
ADB said in a press release on November 23 that infectious diseases have had major economic impacts on productivity, trade, and tourism in Asia and will continue to pose a public health threat.
In addition, dengue continues to spread, and communicable diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and HIV/AIDS, as well as tropical illnesses such as Japanese encephalitis and schistosomiasis, pose a major disease burden.
Financing will come from Asian Development Fund with a loan of 27 million USD for Vietnam and grants of 10 million USD for Cambodia and 12 million USD for Laos , ADB said.
The Ministry of Health in each country will be the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion in June 2016. The regional coordination unit will be based in Vientiane capital of Laos.-Enditem
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Villager gives ancient documents to nation
Hanoi (VNA) – A family in the central province of Quang Binh has given 15 ancient documents to the State Record Management and Archives Department.
The documents were title promotion decrees issued by Kings Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, who took the reign from 1820 to 1925.
They were conferred to military mandarin Pham Si, a son of the sixth generation of the Pham family, for his contributions to helping the Kings to defend the country from the 15 th year (1834) of Minh Mang King to the 9 th year (1924) of Khai Dinh King.
Pham Van Khoi, a representative from the ninth generation of the Pham family in Trung village, Vo Ninh commune, Quang Ninh district, said his family’s decision on donation aims to preserve these invaluable documents and to serve the research into the national history.- Enditem
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Australia finances poverty reduction projects in Vietnam
Hanoi (VNA) – Australian and Vietnamese experts will under take collaborative research on economic integration and poverty reduction via Australian Government science grants which are provided through the Australian International Science Linkages-Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (ISL-HASS) Academies Programme.
Two Vietnamese projects are among 24 successful international applicants in the 2010 prgramme.
The Australian Embassy in Hanoi said in its Nov. 24 media release that under the programme the Australian School of Taxation ( University of New South Wales ) will work with the Vietnam Development of and Policies Research Centre to research international economic integration, child poverty and transfer policy in Vietnam .
The second project will be carried out by the Centre for Strategic Economic Studies ( Victoria University ) and the Vietnam Institute for Trade (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and will consider global economic crisis, Australian-Vietnam trade, and regional integration.
“These grants will strengthen linkages between respected Australian and Vietnamese researchers on issues of mutual interest, including Australia-Vietnam trade integration and poverty reduction,” Australian Charge d’affaires Vanessa Wood said.
Chief Economist Nguyen Ngoc Anh of the Vietnam Development and Policies Research Centre said that he saw great potential to learn from Australian partners and hoped the this grant would allow the centre to sow an important seed for future and further research collaboration between Australia and Vietnam.-Enditem
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4,500 cu.m ethylene carrier launched in Hai Phong
Hai Phong (VNA) – The Bach Dang Industry Shipbuilding Corporation on November 24 has successfully launched a 4,500 cu.m liquified ethylene carrier No.3 called Excalibur for an Italian company.
The 140-m long, 16.4-m wide and 4,900-tonnage carrier has engine capacity of 4,000 KW. It is supervised by the Rina Register of Italy .
At present, the corporation is concentrating on completing series of products for handing over to some foreign and domestic customers this year.-Enditem.
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Vietnam wishes to further ties with UAE
Hanoi (VNA) – The current fine political ties is a favourable basis for Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to boost their cooperation, the Vietnamese head of state affirmed.
State President Nguyen Minh Triet also affirmed the country’s wish to further its cooperation with the Persian Gulf country at his meeting with UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri in Hanoi on Nov. 24.
President Triet said he was happy to see the two countries’ cooperation growing in various fields while giving high evaluation to the UAE’s role in the Persian Gulf and the world.
He called on the UAE businesspeople to increase investments in Vietnam and cited the country’s abundant human resources and its unceasing efforts to better the investment environment as advantages.
Referring to the UAE’s strength in the construction of infrastructure, seaports, and airports, and energy, and Vietnam ’s advantage in agriculture, President Triet proposed the two countries to increase the exchange of visits at all levels to seek opportunities for bilateral cooperation and investment.
For his part, Minister Al Mansouri said the UAE desires to establish a strategic cooperative ties with Vietnam as it sees a vision for long-term cooperation with the Southeast Asian country.
He said the UAE wanted to boost its agricultural cooperation with Vietnam apart from industry, infrastructure construction, services, renewable energy, seaports, airports and human resources development, which it has pumped more investment into.
The minister stated that the UAE is willing to offer scholarships to Vietnamese students to study the fields which are its strength.
The UAE minister has been in Hanoi since Nov. 23 for the Vietnam-UAE Inter-governmental Cooperation Committee’s first meeting. -Enditem
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Vietnam to attend regional film festival
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will join the 54 th Asia – Pacific film Festival (APFF) 2010, which is scheduled to be held in Taiwan (China) from Dec. 2-4 .
According to the Cinema Department ., four Vietnamese films to attend the event include one feature, two documentaries and one cartoon. They are Long Thanh Cam Gia Ca (A Singer of Thang Long Capital) by Director Dao Ba Son, Nguoi Thap Lua (The Burner) by Director Nguyen Nhu Vu, Dao Ly Son (Ly Son Island) by Director Cong Thanh Duc and Chiec La (Leaf) by Director Hong Son.
The festival is expected to draw the participation of film-makers from 18 countries and territories, who will compete in three different categories, namely feature, documentary and short film.-Enditem
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UN General Assembly discuss ASEAN-initiated draft resolution
New York (VNA) – The 65 th session of the United Nations General Assembly on November 23 convened a plenary session on the adoption of the draft resolution on sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth for poverty eradication and achievement of the MDGs that was initiated by ten ASEAN member countries in co-ordination with Japan , the Republic of Korea and China .
Vietnamese Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Permanent Representative of Vietnam on behalf of the initial sponsors, underlined the achievement of the MDGs while promoting regional integration and narrowing the development gap.
The initial sponsors have provided constructive inputs, based on regional experiences, to the United Nations High-level Plenary Meeting on the MDGs with a view to accelerating progress of the MDGs, especially through strengthened global partnership, the diplomat said.
While recognizing the diversities within and among countries, including in how to achieve the MDGs, the initial sponsors are common in the view that economic growth should be given higher priority in the discussion on MDGs, the ambassador said.
At the same time, the 13 nations are placing greater emphasis on the kind of growth that enables everyone to benefit equally from economic development, the most vulnerable groups in particular, Ambassador Minh said, adding that this is a lesson learned from the Asian monetary and economic crisis that the region experienced in the late 1990’s.
The draft resolution is currently co-sponsored by nearly 100 countries, including several countries of EU and East Europe , the ambassador noted.-Enditem
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Businesses to participate in Vietnam- China trade fair
Lao Cai (VNA) – Sixty-two Vietnamese businesses will take part in the Vietnam – China border trade fair 2010 scheduled to open from Nov. 26-30 in Hekou district of China’s southern Yunnan province.
They will showcase their products at 250 out of the fair’s 1000 pavilions with various kinds of goods.
The Lao Cai Centre for Investment - Trade and Tourism Promotion (CITTP) has cooperated with Chinese authorities in preparations to ensure the success of the event as well as create favourable conditions for the two countries’ people to attend the fair, said Le Tien Dung, Director of Lao Cai CITTP.
It is expected that dozens of trade contracts regarding minerals import and export, fertilizer supply and equipment provision will be signed during the fair.
On this occasion, a conference on investment promotion and a signing ceremony on economic contracts between Lao Cai and Hekou businesses will also be held.-Enditem
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