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.4 mln USD for mushroom growing in Quang Tri
Quang Tri (VNA)- The People’s Committee of the central province of Quang Tri and the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) have signed an agreement to carry out the “Mushrooms with a mission” programme worth 1.4 million USD.
The programme is part of the “Restoring the environment and neutralising the effects of the war in Quang Tri province” project, aiming to provide support to Quang Tri farmers in growing, processing and marketing high quality mushrooms in a sustainable way.
About 1,000 local households who are victims of bombs and mines during the war will benefit from this five-year programme.
HDI is a US-based nongovernmental organisation that creates government and private partnership in humanitarian programmes linking landmine removal with agricultural development and poverty reduction all over the world./.
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Outstanding women entrepreneurs honoured
Hanoi (VNA) - A ceremony to present the Golden Rose Cup Award to 100 outstanding Vietnamese female entrepreneurs in 2010 was held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 7.
Addressing the award ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan praised the positive contributions to national construction and development by the entrepreneurs over the past time.
He said their achievements were great pride not only of women entrepreneurs but also of Vietnamese business circles.
The Deputy PM expressed his hope that the award would be expanded to contribute more to the country’s renewal process and its integration into the world economy.
According to Dr. Vu Tien Loc, VCCI President and head of the award’s steering board, at present, enterprises owned by women or operating under women managers make up over 20 percent of the total number of enterprises across the country. The percentage is high in comparison with other countries in the world.
Meanwhile, Tran Thi Thuy, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs’ Council said over 100,000 enterprises in the country are put under the leadership of women whose leadership capability have been increasing strengthened.
The Golden Rose Cup Award initiated by the Vietnam Women Entrepreneurs’ Council under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is held annually on the occasion of the International Women’s Day (March 8) to encourage and honour women entrepreneurs who have made great business achievements as a contribution to the country’s socio-economic development./.
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German MPs share pains with Vietnamese AO victims
HCM City (VNA) – A delegation of German parliamentarians had a working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin recently.
Major General Tran Ngoc Tho, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) and President of the municipal association, briefed the delegation about the struggle for justice for AO victims as well as their lives in HCM City and across the country.
The German MPs expressed their deep sympathies with the Vietnamese people and pledged to voice for justice for Vietnamese AO victims at international arena./.
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Poor households to be supported after electricity hike
Hanoi (VNA) -- Around 3.2 million poor households in the country will be given support totalling 1.12 trillion VND (53.3 million USD from the State budget following the recent increase in electricity price, said a government official.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung had approved a new average electricity rate of 1,242 VND (0.05 USD) per kWh, an increase of 165 VND (0.007 USD) for one kWh compared to last year.
However, poor households, including those with an average income of less than 400,000 VND (19 USD) per person per month in rural areas and less than 500,000 VND (24 USD) per person per month in cities, will receive support for 50kWh per month, equivalent to 30,000 VND (1.40 USD) per month.
Household electricity prices in remote and rural areas, and islands that are not connected to the national electricity network, will have floor and ceiling prices of 1.5 times and 2.5 times higher than the average price. They will receive Government subsidies to make up the difference.
He added that with the support, poor households will have to pay an additional 20,000 VND (0.95) per month. Retail price applied to households will be 400 VND per kWh.
Pham Manh Thang, head of the MoIT's Electrical Distribution and Control Department, said about 98 percent of households used less than 400kWh a month while only 2 percent used more.
Household monthly electricity bills will be divided into seven levels.
"Poor and low-income households who use no more than 50kWh per month will pay 993 VND (0.047 USD) per kWh. However, they must first register with electricity suppliers to benefit from the favourable rate," he said, adding that the deadline for the registration will be the end of this month.
However, many people raised concerns on how the deduction will be distributed to the eligible households.
Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said there were more than 3.1 million poor households in the country.
She said the ministry will ask Electricity of Vietnam to transfer the whole support package to them and they will disburse the money.
She added that the most challenging issue was how to give the money to households living in remote areas every month when the sum was so small.
The MOIT's Circular 05 proposed a pre-paid card for electricity consumption of households which rent a house.
If applied, the payment will benefit tenants who used electricity temporarily, including students and low-income earners.
Accordingly, the electricity tariff will be 1,639 VND (0.07 USD), much lower than the 3,000-4,000 VND (0.14-0.19 USD) they have paid at rental houses.
However, Pham Manh Thang said electricity contracts were signed between house owners and power suppliers. There was no condition which required a price list for tenants, thus making it hard to fine violators for selling prices higher than stipulated.
Thang said the industry and EVN will take five to seven months to apply a pilot use of the card. They will have to buy electricity meters, issue cards and advertise the policies to tenants.
"Tenants did not report high electricity prices because they were afraid of being evicted," he said, adding that it will be a challenge for the industry to apply the card.
The circular also stipulated that house owners could only collect 10 percent higher than prices set by the Government and will be fined if found violating the regulations./.
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All-female art show opens
HCM City (VNA) -- Ten female artists from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are showcasing their latest paintings at an annual exhibition at the Women Artists Club.
The Sac Mau Hanoi-Sai Gon 2 (Colours of Hanoi-Sai Gon) displays 100 works in acrylic, oil and lacquer, featuring natural landscapes and human life in regions of the country where the artists have travelled.
Artist Bui Mai Hien, one of six artists from Hanoi , says she is obsessed with traditional materials of lacquer and the richness of colour. The 54-year-old artist's abstract paintings express her feelings about human relationships and the desires of women.
Hien's work Chieu Tren Cao Nguyen (Afternoon in the Highlands ) depicts an image of a woman carrying a child which stands out from the iron-like red and coppery green background.
Hien, a graduate of Hanoi-based Vietnam Fine Arts College, has had several solo and group exhibitions in Vietnam , France , Switzerland , and the US .
The exhibition also features acrylic and oil paintings of Hanoi 's artists, including Le Thu, Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Phan Thi Minh Chau, Nguyen Thi My and Ngo Hai Yen.
All six artists are members of the Hanoi Fine Arts Association.
Artist Nguyen Thi Tam of HCM City has oil paintings describing the landscape, while the lecturer of the HCM City Fine Arts College – Cao Thi Duoc uses bright colours to express her feelings about women and the Cham people, and sometimes of landscapes.
Their co-members of the HCM City Fine Arts Association, Tran Thuy Linh and Dang Thi Duong, also showcase their works at the exhibition.
During the exhibition, 10 artists will have a four-day tour around the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta to find inspiration.
The exhibition runs until Sunday at the HCM City Exhibition Centre at 92 Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1./.
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Taiwan vocal band performs in Hai Phong
Hai Phong (VNA) – The Semiscon Vocal Band from China ’s Taiwan on March 6 gave a performance in the northern city of Hai Phong , reported the Hanoi Moi daily.
The art programme is jointly held by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi and the Taiwanese Businessmen Association (TBA) in Vietnam .
During the event, the band performed special items with a unique acappella style (singing without musical instruments), in combination with dances and limelight.
The programme aimed to help Vietnamese spectators to enjoy special characters of Taiwan’s music and culture as well as promote exchanges with the Taiwanese community in Vietnam./.
HCM City orders separation of diseased animals
HCM City (VNA) -- The HCM City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has ordered district animal health bureaus to keep out livestock and poultry from provinces that have reported outbreaks of animal diseases.
Several neighbouring provinces that supply livestock and poultry to the city, including Long An, Tien Giang, Binh Phuoc, and Dong Nai, have reported outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.
City veterinary agencies have discovered that diseased pigs from provinces where the disease has been reported have been brought into the city because of poor oversight in those provinces, the Animal Health Sub-department said.
Besides, bird flu and blue ear disease in pigs, which resurface periodically in several provinces, are a threat to the city's livestock and poultry.
The city's Steering Committee for Epidemic Prevention has announced that households breeding livestock and poultry without registering with relevant agencies, of unknown origin, or without vaccinating them will not be assisted financially when epidemics break out./.
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Ho Chi Minh faces labour shortage
HCM City (VNA) -- Businesses and small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in Ho Chi Minh City are trying to solve a labour shortage, because workers have quit in hope of better pay after Lunar New Year holidays, according to the Centre for Labour Market Information and Human Resource Forecast.
Tran Anh Tuan, the centre's standing deputy head, said city-based firms in fields of textile, garment, service, mechanics, electricity and IT needed to recruit 35,000 labourers this month, 60 percent of them unskilled, Tuan said.
In February, vacancies at city-based firms were 25.58 percent higher than January, a report by the center said.
The number of workers changing jobs in February was 30 percent more than January.
With the current shortage of labour, enterprises and companies have drawn up strategies to recruit, including offering salary and allowance incentives, he said.
Strategies also included working closely with universities and vocational schools, Tuan said.
The supply of skilled labour in February was high, with few opportunities in accountancy and administration management, he said./.
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Hanoi University offers degree in sustainable science
Hanoi National University will be the first in Vietnam to offer graduate degrees in sustainable science, a move that will bring more professionalism to research on sustainability policies.
Professor Vu Minh Giang, deputy president of the university, said that to date, there are only practical training courses provided for experts in the field, but no courses on policy research. By offering this degree, the university hopes to provide policy makers with deeper insights and opportunities to connect with global leaders in sustainability research, he said at the international conference on sustainability science in Asia on March 6.
The three-day conference that ended the same day brought over a hundred academics, researchers and funding agencies to discuss sustainable development in Asia through proposed and potential collaborative projects.
Akimasa Sumi, a University of Tokyo professor, said a concrete plan of action for economic development is neccessary in a developing country. He also noted that many people believe plans for economic development should go hand-in-hand with plans to adapt to climate change.
"To create a plan as to how to adapt to climate change, we need to share an image of the future society in the global warming age. In other words, the image of a sustainable society. We have to propose a concrete action plan for this society, suitable to each region," he said.
President of Hanoi National University Mai Trong Nhuan said his university will likely invite foreign experts in the field to serve on the faculty of this programme.
"We hope our programme will soon meet the world standard," he said./.
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HCM City hosts ASEAN Charming TV pageant
HCM City (VNA) -- Eighteen women television personalities from ASEAN member countries are in Ho Chi Minh City for the second Duyen Dang Truyen Hinh (Charming Television) contest that opens on March 7.
The contest, began last year by HCM City Television (HTV), aims to promote friendship among ASEAN member countries, said Huynh Van Nam, general director of HTV.
He also hoped the annual event will make HCM City the gateway for the countries to exchange culture and knowledge.
This year's line-up again includes editors, emcees, reporters, and performers from Thailand , Myanmar , Malaysia , Brunei , Laos , Cambodia , Indonesia , the Philippines , Singapore , and Vietnam .
The jury, comprising TV producers and researchers from Vietnam and the Philippines , will select the three best contestants who will then have to field questions.
The pageant will be held at the HTV Theatre and broadcast live on HTV9.
The visitors will be shown around HCM City , the organisers said./.
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Female scientist honoured for pest control research
HCM City (VNA) -- Nguyen Thi Loc is one of two Vietnamese female scientists who will receive the Kovalevskaia Award 2010 at a ceremony in Hanoi on March 8, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper has reported.
"I conduct research to help farmers cut harvest losses. The image of my mother working hard in the rice fields to take care of eight children is imprinted deep within my memory. I had to overcome difficulties to study and research," said Dr. Loc, head of the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute's Insect Ecology and Biological Control Department.
Loc's products, including two entomogenous fungal bio-insecticides called OMetar and Biovip, have helped control pests on rice and other crops.
Loc has also provided farmers with pest-management methods and cultivation tips on growing rice, crop, fruits and sugarcane.
"During the first few days, I saw farmers cleaning canal water with alum to use for their daily activities, and some even drank the water without boiling it while fertilisers and pesticides were just sprayed on rice fields nearby," she said.
Loc was shocked and decided to conduct research to create products that can replace toxic chemicals to protect rice crops and farmers' health.
"Maybe that was the reason I stayed in this region," she said.
In 1989, she studied in India for her post-graduate study. After taking her doctorate degree in entomophagous fungi, Loc received a US scholarship for post-doctoral study in biotechnology in plant protection. Loc then returned to the institute and worked with her colleagues conducting research and producing two bio-insecticides from Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana fungi to control brown planthoppers, rice bugs and lepidopterans.
In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development approved the application of two bio-insecticides in agricultural production on a large scale.
The two bio-insecticides are listed in the country's plant protection medicine list with tradenames of OMetar and Biovip. Loc and her colleagues have transferred the techniques of producing OMetar to farmers so they can produce it themselves at a cost of about 50,000 VND per ha each time they spray their fields.
This has helped farmers save billions of dong.
Farmers have also called Loc to visit their fields after they successfully applied the technique.
Loc said she will use the 3,000 USD from the Kovalevskaia award to conduct research on the production of a bio-insecticide from microfungi to control pests on plants, especially on fruit trees.
The Kovalevskaia prize, named after a Russian female professor of mathematics during the 19th century, Sophia Kovalevskaia, was founded in 1985 to honour women scientists in developing countries./.
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Travel agency shut down after tragedy
Hanoi (VNA) -- The travel agency that organised the fatal tour that left 12 people dead in Ha Long Bay last month was shut down on March 6 by the Hanoi Sports, Culture and Tourism Department, according to deputy director Mai Tien Dung.
Nu Hoang Travel Company (AZ Queen) was also fined 15 million VND (719 USD) for operating international travel services without a licence. The company accepted all the fines.
According to inspectors, six of the 11 tourists who died after their boat sank in Ha Long Bay booked their tours directly with AZ Queen, while the other five made their purchases through company agents.
The department ordered the company in co-operation with relevant authorities to pay the consequences for the accident and compensate the families of the dead tourists.
It also asked for inspections to be carried out at travel agencies in the capital's Hoan Kiem District where AZ Queen is located to ensure companies are not operating without a licence.
The Vietnam Tourism Administration has also been instructed to block any application for an international tourism licence by Nguyen Van Hien, director of the company.
Operations at the Truong Hai Company which owned the boat were also suspended, while the boat's captain and chief engineer were detained for further investigation.
The department said most agencies that operated international travel services in the city were licensed following regulations that ensured visitor safety.
Those that did not have a licence, such as AZ Queen, offered low quality tours that had a negative affect on the image of the city./.
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Vietnamese spirit keeps workers in Libya united
Res Jedire (VNA) – The Vietnamese guest workers in the Tunisian area of Res Jedire, where they fled to safety, may never forget the image of the five-pointed golden star red flag flying in the wind there as it kept them strong and united after fleeing political chaos-hit Libya.
The five-pointed golden star red flag, Vietnam ’s national flag, caught the interest of reporters from the Vietnam News Agency, on reaching Res Jedire to meet with Vietnamese guest workers escaping from Libya after travelling more than 120 km from Djerba city.
It was so noisy there as discussions were exchanged in various languages by thousands of workers of different nationalities who are currently living in temporary huts waiting to go home.
On meeting with Hoang Van Tien, from the central province of Nghe An, and hearing his story about the life-threatening moments he and his fellow workers had encountered during their journey from Libya ’s capital city of Tripoli to Res Jedire.
“On reaching there, I see a chance of returning home so I told my fellow workers to work together in overcoming difficulties and challenges that may arise while waiting for flights to return home talked about how to manage getting a flight home,” Tien said.
With a smile on his face and in his central Vietnam accent, Tien noted that the Vietnamese workers in Res Jedire agreed that they must keep their spirits high, holding on to their tradition of undauntedness that the Vietnamese people have held on to for centuries.
Tien and more than 1,000 other workers in Re Jedire have also received assistance offered by the Tunisian government and international organisations, including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), for their passage back to Vietnam .
Late on March 6, 663 Vietnamese workers in the camp were transported to Zarzis airport to fly home and about 830 others will be airborne over the next two days.
Amongst those leaving, Nguyen Van Son, from the northern province of Bac Kan , said “having been very nervous over the past few days, we will soon be home. We would like to send our thanks to the Party and Government for what they have done for us.”
After a riot broke out, the Vietnamese Government and other related ministries and agencies took prompt moves to collect the Vietnamese guest workers to bring them home.
Five inter-agency working teams have been dispatched to work with Vietnamese representative agencies abroad and international organisations to ensure the necessary procedures and the orderly repatriation of workers.
All the Vietnamese workers in Libya , which number 10,334, had left the riot-stricken country by March 6, and more than 7,000 of them had already arrived home.
To get the remaining guest workers home, the country’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will send another flight to Djerba , Tunisia , on March 8, bringing to ten the number of flights on the “air bridge” mission to help Vietnamese workers in Libya return home.
Though there are workers who are still waiting for flights home, the flying five-pointed golden star red flag keeps them believing that they will be reunited with their families soon./.
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UNESCO donates tourism maps to Hoi An
Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has donated 40,000 tourism maps of Hoi An’s ancient streets and its neighborhoods to the central town, according to UNESCO’s Representative Office in Hanoi .
The project was funded by the Robin Taucks & Partners Foundation from the US through UNESCO’s Representative Office in Hanoi .
The maps will be delivered at ticket outlets and hotels across Hoi An and with theses maps, tourists will find it easy to find 52 popular tourist spots in the centre of the old quarter in Hoi An.
At a meeting of the Hoi An Tourism Association on March 6, a representative from UNESCO said that the free map-delivery-project aims to provide travellers with useful and precise information on local tourism spots as well as attract more tourists to the ancient town./.
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OV association in Cambodia convenes congress
Phnom Penh (VNA) – The Association of Overseas Vietnamese (OVA) in Cambodia (AOVC) convened its first congress for the 2011-2015 term in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 6.
Addressing the congress, Cambodian Minister of Cult and Religion Min Khin, who is also Vice President of the National Council of Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodia’s Motherland, spoke highly of the Vietnamese community’s activities and active contributions to Cambodia’s national construction.
The minister took the occasion to express the sincere thanks of the Cambodian people to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers for their sacrifice in helping overthrow the Khmer genocidal regime and revive Cambodia.
She wished the congress every success and the two countries’ traditional friendship and solidarity a sustainable future.
President of the Provisional Executive Committee of the AOVC Chau Van Chi spoke of the association’s activities during the 2008-2010 period with its chapters and headquarters setting up in 20 out of 24 provinces and cities of the country.
The association has almost 6,000 new members and 52 chapters at precinct and district levels, she said.
It has developed a close relationship with Cambodian authorities to facilitate its chapters’ operation and coordinated with local authorities to protect the legitimate rights of the Vietnamese community in Cambodia in accordance with the resident country’s law.
The association has also helped OVs to overcome the consequences of disasters and taught Vietnamese and Vietnam’s education programme for Overseas Vietnamese children.
The congress also elected a 36-member executive committee will five Vice Presidents and former provisionary president Chau Van Chi as President of the association.
The AOVC was set up in February, 2003 and a provisional executive committee made its debut in early 2008. At present, the association is an official member of the National Council of Solidarity Fronts for the Development of Cambodia’s Motherland and a member of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Ngo Anh Dung, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Hong Tham and representatives of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese attended the event./.
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VN general staff chief sees Chinese ambassador
Hanoi (VNA) – Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, received Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Sun Gouxiang in Hanoi on March 7.
Lieut. Gen. Ty, who is also a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, affirmed Vietnam’s Defence Ministry will spare no effort to make contributions to increasing the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership between Vietnam and China.
He expressed his wish that the Ambassador will continue to make further contributions to promoting the Vietnam-China strategic partnership in general and the two armies in particular, in line with the common aspirations of both countries’ people.
Ambassador Sun thanked Lieut. Gen. Ty for the reception and congratulated him on his appointment as the Chief of the General Staff and re-election as a member of the CPV Central Committee./.
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Former RoK Prime Minister welcomed in Hanoi
Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai received a Republic of Korea (RoK) delegation led by former Prime Minister Lee Soo-sung in Hanoi on March 7.
At the reception, Deputy PM Hai thanked the RoK government and people in general and former PM Lee Soo-sung in particular for their support for Vietnam in agricultural development, as well as their sharing of experiences in building a new rural area.
He said he was pleased with the delegation’s signing of a memorandum of understanding on agricultural mechanisation and a plant breeding programme with Vietnam .
Vietnam has implemented a series of policies on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, he said, adding that the country has also poured a huge investment into irrigation, seedling improvement, changing management mechanisms and encouraging farmers to make the best use of their cultivation land.
According to the Deputy PM, with the combination of national objective programmes, Vietnam has seen remarkable developments in agriculture and rural areas, shifting from a country that suffered food shortages to an exporter of agricultural products.
For his part, Lee Soo-sung, also former President of the New Village Movement, expressed his belief that Vietnam, with new policies for rural areas in the future, will bring its agriculture to a new level of development, helping change the face of rural areas and improve living standards for farmers./.
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Indian youth delegation visits Vietnam
Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of ten cadets from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) of Ministry of Defence of India is currently visiting Vietnam as part of a youth exchange programme between the two countries.
According to the Embassy of India in Hanoi, during their ten-day stay in Vietnam, the Indian youth, including four girls and six boys, will participate in many joint activities with their counterparts from the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF).
The Indian visitors will stay in the homes of Vietnamese hosts for a day, take part in cultural and sports activities with students of the Tran Quoc Tuan University of the Vietnam People’s Army in Hanoi ’s Son Tay town and visit Ha Long Bay.
They also plan to exchange with youth unions of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta province of Long An, carry out joint community work as well as visit the Cadet School of Cu Chi.
On March 4, the young cadets visited Birla Orphanage in Hanoi and presented a large television and a DVD player to children there.
The visit aims to reciprocate the visit of six Vietnamese cadets to India from Jan. 14-30, 2011 to participate in the Republic Day parade of India on Jan. 26.
The cadets were sent to India under the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the VYF and the NCC signed on December 5, 2006./.
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Single mums tell their stories in photos
Hanoi (VNA) – Eighteen single mothers from Tan Minh commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi had the chance to share their happiness and sadness as well as desire for a brighter future at an exhibition opened in the Vietnam Women’s Museum on March 7.
Entitled, “Single mothers’ stories”, the event was the result of cooperation between the Vietnam Women’s Museum and the Embassy of Finland, aiming to raise the economic and social status of a group of disadvantaged women.
Through 200 photos and objects, the exhibition tells true stories about the women who have to carry two burdens on their shoulders as they fulfill the functions of both mother and father, in spite of gender prejudices.
The exhibition also shows the change in the community’s perceptions and actions regarding the issue of single mothers on the way to achieving the goal of gender equality.
The exhibition will take place at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street , Hanoi for five months and then move to Tan Minh for one month./.
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Vietnam to complete bringing workers home soon
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will complete bringing its migrant workers in Libya back home over the next several days, said Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Head of the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Overseas Labour Management Department .
Quynh said that on March 7-8, four flights, including two of Vietnam and two of the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), will pick up more than 1,000 Vietnamese workers who are waiting in Tunisia .
The last flights carrying Vietnamese labourers from Tunisia are expected to land at the Noi Bai International Airport on March 9, he said.
Another plane is on the way to pick up workers from Turkey while Vietnamese relevant agencies are coordinating with IOM to bring 292 people who are staying in Algeria home, Quynh said.
According to Nguyen Xuan Tao, Deputy Head of the Labour Management Section of the Overseas Labour Management Department, t he number of Vietnamese workers in Libya brought home is expected to increase to 8,200 with the arrivals of a flight by 23:00 hrs on March 7.
During the day, close to 1,200 returned home on 18 flights, he said, adding that there were also 20 Cambodian overseas students rescued by Vietnam on board an aircraft, which landed at Noi Bai International Airport at 11:00 hrs./.
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Defence Minister visits Laos
Vientiane (VNA) – Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh is paying an official visit to Laos from March 7- 9.
At the meeting in Luang Prabang on March 7, Thanh and his Laotian counterpart, Senior Lieutenant General Douangchay Phichith signed a cooperation plan for the year 2011.
At the meeting, the two sides informed each other of the two countries’ situations and international and regional issues of mutual concern. They agreed to continue to strengthen traditional bilateral relations, following the teaching of the late President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane, as well as boost multifaceted cooperation under the terms of their cooperative protocol for the period 2010-2014 and cooperative plan in 2011.
Minister Douangchay Phichith expressed his pleasure at Thanh’s visit and thanked Vietnam ’s Party, Government and people in general and the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) in particular for their help. He also hailed the success of Vietnam ’s 11 th National Party Congress and said he believed the Vietnamese people will successfully implement the Congress’ Resolution under the leadership of the Party.
Thanh took the chance to thank the Lao People’s Army’s support to the VPA over the past years and expressed his pleasure at the cooperation between the two armies, saying that it will help boost the two countries’ relations. He expressed his belief that the Lao 11 th National Party Congress will be a success./.
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Innovation day highlights social equity
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the World Bank (WB) on March 7 launched Vietnam Innovation Day (VID 2011) with the theme, “Innovation for Social Equity and Sustainable Development”.
The event’s objective is to seek out and support innovative proposals that exhibit remarkable potential impacts for the country’s development and promise concrete outcomes that may become foundations for future expansion. It is also an opportunity to bring to life innovative ideas that address local development challenges.
With three sub-themes, efficient energy, traditional herbal medicine, and agriculture-based products and services, VID 2011 is seeking innovations that will replace high cost products, lower production costs, and help the poor and under-served communities improve their access to more affordable products and services.
VID 2011 is also calling on proposals from Vietnamese agencies and organisations, including micro, small and medium size enterprises and social entrepreneurs. Each project will receive a maximum of 30,000 USD in support and be implemented within a year.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Van Trung spoke highly of the programme, saying he hoped that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would continue to make important steps to develop the country’s economy.
Victoria Kwakwa, WB director in Vietnam , said the annual programme was launched in 2003 with good initial outcomes./.
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VFF leader receives Lao Front delegation
Hanoi (VNA) – Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee (VFFCC) Nguyen Van Pha received a delegation from the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) led by Vice President Buavone Onchahom in Hanoi on March 7.
At the reception, Pha introduced the main contents of the law on the VFF and discussed the coordination between the front and state agencies in discharging the VFF’s rights and responsibilities. He affirmed that the dissemination and implementation of the law on the VFF has raised awareness of the role, position, functions and tasks of the VFF in the political system, as well as of the relationship between the Front and Party committees and the State and member organisations in building the national great unity bloc.
For her part, the LFNC vice president thanked the VFF for its practical assistance for the LFNC, especially for exchanging valuable experiences in the front’s work.
She expressed her wish that the two organisations will see further cooperation in the future, helping strengthen the loyal friendship between the two countries./.
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ASEAN senior officials discuss important issues
Jakarta (VNA) – A series of ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOMs) has been taking place in Indonesia ’s Yogyakarta city from March 7-9, discussing what the bloc has to work towards the building of the ASEAN Community in 2015.
The meetings are also a preparation for the 18 th ASEAN Summit scheduled for May 7-8.
The Director-General for ASEAN of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Djauhari Oratmangun said on March 6 that the SOMs will consider the implementation of each ASEAN member country’s commitments to the master plan on building the ASEAN Community, which is based on three pillars: economics, security-politics and socio-culture.
The meetings will also work on a draft statement to be issued by ASEAN leaders at the 18 th ASEAN Summit, he said.
According to Djauhari Oratmangun, the sensitive Thailand-Cambodia border issue will not be put on table during the meetings./.
BUSINESS
Hanoi takes moves against inflation
Hanoi (VNA) -- Hanoi should focus on tightening expenditures, reducing spending and stabilising the four key areas of commodities, prices, interest rates and exchange rates in order to join with localities nationwide to curb inflation, said Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung.
The city should take harmonious measures to curb inflation while managing prices in order to create conditions for investors while also creating more effective production, he said at a meeting held by Hanoi authorities on March 5 to implement the Government Resolution on taking measures to curb inflation, stabilise the macro-economy and ensure social security.
The city needed to take more drastic measures in its monetary policy and credit growth management and control, particularly by paying more attention to exports to reduce the trade gap, Hung said.
It was essential to mobilise involvement of the whole society to curb inflation by creating changes in awareness and daily consumption habits of people in all walks of life, he added.
Success in curbing inflation in Hanoi and other cities will lead to the success of the whole country, he stressed.
Municipal People's Committee Chairman Nguyen The Thao said the city will focus on taking a number of key measures, including seriously implementing tight monetary policy and managing credit growth to keep it under 20 percent in 2011.
Particularly, the city will focus on inspecting gold and foreign currency trading and strictly punishing those involved in speculation and illegal gold and foreign currency trade, he said.
The city will also increase management to prevent budget loss and make the maximum possible cost reductions for organising conferences and meetings, as well as domestic and foreign business trips, Thao said.
Implementation of delayed and ineffective projects with State budget investment will be cancelled or postponed, while investment will be poured into social infrastructure projects, and rural and agriculture projects, Thao said.
Regarding measures to ensure social security, the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will actively work with districts in the city to implement the city's job creation programme during the 2011-15 period with a target of generating jobs for 137,000 workers.
Credit priority will be given to poor households and those near the poverty line to help them with production development and labour export, Thao said.
The city will continue to provide an allowance for around 2,000 poor households and people who rendered great services to the country.
Other provinces and cities nationwide are also carrying out the Government's measures on inflation control in an effort to maintain economic stability and ensure social welfare.
Phu Yen province, for example, will review regular State budget expenditures and create measures to save 10 percent of its expenses for the rest of the year.
The province will also monitor credit at banks and credit institutions to keep the growth rate under 20 percent.
Similarly, Quang Tri province will work to cut 10 percent of public expenditures and reduce energy spending.
Other provinces, including Lai Chau, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh and Ha Nam , have also mapped out measures to control inflation.
The north-central province of Ha Tinh , for example, has asked commercial banks to give priority to capital for the production and trading sectors, and stop lending to non-manufacturing, real estate companies and the stock market.
The province has also ordered agencies to speed up construction on the province's key projects such as Vung Ang 1 Thermal Power Plant and Sai Gon-Ha Tinh Beer brewery.
Lai Chau province targets saving 10 percent of annual State budget spending of more than 26 billion VND (1.3 million USD).
It has called on agencies, organisations and institutions to increase savings in electricity, water, telephone, office supplies and petrol.
Ha Nam province People's Committee plans to review the performance of enterprises in the province to solve any difficulties, and impose strict penalties to those who violate laws and regulations.
The authorities have also ordered the provincial Bank for Social Policy to offer loans to poor households, disadvantaged students and beneficiaries of social welfare, who need capital to start businesses or to study or work abroad./.
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First cargo flight heads to Europe
Hanoi (VNA) -- Chinese air cargo carrier Jade Cargo International officially opened for business in Vietnam ọn March 4, offering a direct connection between Hanoi and Amsterdam .
The carrier started its operation out of Hanoi for the first time on February 27, with two Boeing 747ERF flights per week, from Shanghai to Hanoi on Sundays and Thursdays.
The new service from the Red River Delta area to Amsterdam includes stopovers in Chennai , India and Dubai .
" Hanoi has evolved into one of Vietnam 's major industrial centres," said Gabriela Ahrens, Jade Cargo's Executive Vice President of Products & Sales. "With our new connections, we are expanding our customised product to accommodate the increased demand in Vietnam , especially from the high-tech industry."
This further strengthens the airline's dense network in South East Asia . Jade Cargo currently serves 25 destinations worldwide from its hubs in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Tianjin in China , with an emphasis on routes to Europe, India and the Middle East./.
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Tea export value has growth spurt
Hanoi (VNA) -- Tea exports registered a year-on-year increase of 34.3 percent in value in the first two months of this year to 32 million USD, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
During the first two months, exports surged by 27.4 percent to 22,000 tonnes and the price of tea also rose 6.5 percent to 1,465 USD per tonne against the same period of last year, said Nguyen Viet Chien, head of the ministry's Centre of Information and Statistics. In February, exports reached 11,000 tonnes, earning 16 million USD.
The three largest export markets of Vietnamese tea products included Pakistan , Russia and Taiwan , he said.
The Vietnam Tea Association predicted that Vietnam would gain a year-on-year increase of 10 percent in value to 200 million USD for this year while export volume is expected to remain unchanged against last year, said Nguyen Van Thu, deputy chairman of the association.
Export prices for Vietnamese tea products currently stand at 60-70 percent of the world average prices, higher than the rate of 50 percent in previous years, Thu said.
The tea industry has improved the quality of products and ensured food safety and hygiene, he said. The industry has also trained farmers to grow tea using high technology to ensure higher quality products.
Vietnam is the world's fifth leading tea exporter, shipping tea products to 110 nations and territories worldwide. It's "Che Viet" trademark is registered and protected in 70 markets. About 6 million people in Vietnam work in the tea industry./.
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Wood product exports soar in month
Hanoi (VNA) -- Wood products exports in February totalled 200 million USD, bringing the exports value in the first two months of the year to 548 million USD– a surge of 17.6 percent over the same period last year – the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced.
Exports to key markets in the US , Japan , mainland China and the Republic of Korea (RoK), which together accounted for 63.7 percent of wood products export value, increased significantly, with exports to the RoK nearly tripling.
The US remained the leading market for Vietnamese wood products, buying up 118 million USD worth, followed by the EU (90.2 million USD), Japan (49.1 million USD) and China (32 million USD).
Exports of wood products could rise by another 30 percent and exceed 4 billion USD this year thanks to rising global demand, said Vietnam Wood and Forest Products Association vice chairman Nguyen Ton Quyen.
However, the association was advising exporters to increase their focus on the domestic market to lower the risk of rising raw material prices.
Vietnam ranked fourth among Southeast Asian wood products exporters, but only 20 percent of wood products consumed in the country were produced by domestic enterprises, with the remaining 80 percent imported from mainland China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan, according to the HCM City Handicraft and Wood Products Association.
"Vietnamese enterprises should be more familiar with domestic consumer tastes," said association chairman Nguyen Chien Thang. "If there were a focus on high- to average-income segments, they could definitely dominate the domestic market, instead of wrestling over foreign markets."./.
Ho Chi Minh City faces labour shortage (correction)
HCM City (VNA) -- Businesses and small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in Ho Chi Minh City are trying to solve a labour shortage, because workers have quit in hope of better pay after Lunar New Year holidays, according to the Centre for Labour Market Information and Human Resource Forecast.
Tran Anh Tuan, the centre's standing deputy head, said city-based firms in fields of textile, garment, service, mechanics, electricity and IT needed to recruit 35,000 labourers this month, 60 percent of them unskilled, Tuan said.
In February, vacancies at city-based firms were 25.58 percent higher than January, a report by the center said.
The number of workers changing jobs in February was 30 percent more than January.
With the current shortage of labour, enterprises and companies have drawn up strategies to recruit, including offering salary and allowance incentives, he said.
Strategies also included working closely with universities and vocational schools, Tuan said.
The supply of skilled labour in February was high, with few opportunities in accountancy and administration management, he said./.
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People benefit from community-based tourism
Hanoi (VNA) – The community-based tourism development set to benefit local residents highlights Cat Ba tourism sector’s new direction of combining tourism with sustainable poverty reduction.
Tourists will be able to enjoy interesting tourism services in Cat Ba island, Cat Hai district of the northern port city of Hai Phong at any time of the year. Visitors can enjoy Lan Ha Bay’s beautiful views and visit community tourist spots in Viet Hai, Xuan Dam, Hien Hao and Gia Luan communes with local residents acting as tour guides.
With this new model, local people receive direct income from tourist services, a much higher income than from pure agricultural production, said Chairman of the Cat Hai district People’s Committee Bui Trung Nghia.
In addition, the model has promoted infrastructure development, increased job generation and cultural exchange and improved local people’s social awareness of maintaining border security and cultural preservation, he said.
He said Viet Hai commune was the most attractive tourist destination, due to its advantages of natural resources and the native culture and unexplored landscape of the core region of the world’s Cat Ba biosphere reserve.
To develop community-based tourist spots, Viet Hai commune has built farms for lucrative animals and wild animals that need to be protected, Vietnamese-style houses and environmentally friendly resorts offering traditional herbs for disease treatment.
Apart from Viet Hai, Cat Ba has other tourist sites for investment, such as Xuan Dam, Tran Chau, Gia Luan communes with models of traditional fruit trees – the province’s specialties.
Hoang Xuan Dung from Gia Luan commune said his family could earn between 20-40 million VND each year from fruit and tourism services.
According to the Hai Phong Tourism Department, Cat Ba is expected to receive 1.2 million tourists in 2011./.
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VEC invites bids for 1 trillion VND in bonds
Hanoi (VNA)- The Vietnam Expressway Investment and Development Company (VEC) is inviting bids for 1 trillion VND worth of bonds.
The bidding package includes 5-year bond worth 500 billion VND, 10-year bonds worth 300 billion VND and 15-year bonds worth 200 billion VND.
The bonds, to be issued on March 11 in the form of records or certificates, will be payable on the due dates and their interest will be paid once per year.
The deadline of submissions is to be no later than 2 pm on March 9./.
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Da Nang eager to attract NZ investors
Da Nang (VNA) – A workshop to promote cooperation in trade and investment between Da Nang and New Zealand was held on March 7 in Da Nang with the aim of opening up opportunities for businesses from the central city to work with partners from New Zealand .
The workshop was jointly organised by the municipal People’s Committee, the NZ Embassy in Vietnam , the NZ Trade Commission and the joint ASEAN-NZ Business Council, attracting almost 40 firms from Da Nang and representatives from eight NZ companies operating in construction, food and beverages, civil aviation and food processing.
Graham Sims, NZ Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, stressed that one of the NZ trade Commission’s strategies in 2011 focused on investment for development in central Vietnam, particularly in Da Nang City, in civil aviation, food and beverages, construction and the plan to make the city clean and green by 2020.
NZ businesses are aware of the region’s potential and are impressed with the city’s growth in recent years, Sims added.
With a target of building Da Nang into one of the country’s big urban centres, socio-economic hubs in the central region, the municipal authorities have paid a lot of attention to attracting investment , business and making appropriate policies, creating favourable conditions for businesses, especially foreign firms to Da Nang, said Van Huu Chien, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee.
The workshop was a chance for the municipal leaders to introduce NZ firms to the city’s investment climate, socio-economic development and potential, incentives for foreign investment and regulations, he added.
It was also an opportunity for firms in Da Nang to meet and set up initial ties with potential partners from New Zealand .
Cooperation between Da Nang and New Zealand has been in mainly non-governmental assistance. However from July, 2004, New Zealand’s Global Voluntary Network (GVN) has sent volunteers from different countries to the city to take part in social activities such as caring for children in need, orphans and disabled children as well as teaching English./.
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Hanoi plays major role in curbing inflation
Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi ’s success in curbing inflation is of extreme importance to the whole country, said Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung at a conference in Hanoi on March 5.
“With its important position in the economy, if Hanoi succeeds in curbing inflation, the whole nation will succeed”, he told the conference on implementing a government resolution on the issue.
He added that with the nation’s leading monetary market, Hanoi should stabilise the market, prices, interest and exchange rates as well as work out measures to stockpile commodities and ensure social welfare.
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao said that the city would implement five core solution groups to curb inflation and stabilise the macro economy this year, including increasing budget revenues, saving expenses and reducing public projects.
Additionally, the city will keep credit growth to under 20 percent this year, support small and medium sized enterprises to develop production, agriculture, export as well as reduce the amount of loans for real estate and securities./.
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China launches Chongqing-Hanoi air route
Beijing (VNA) – A flight with 100 passengers aboard took off from Jiangbei international airport in central China’s Chongqing city to Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi on March 6, opening the first direct air route between the two cities.
The maiden flight operated by China ’s Sichuan Airlines helps shorten the travel time between the two cities to two hours.
Previously, passengers from Chongqing to Hanoi had to transfer in Nanning or Beihai, making their travel inconvenient and time consuming.
According to Vice General Director of Sichuan Airlines Zhang Huiyu, direct flights will be conducted every Thursday and Sunday.
Chongqing is devoted to developing itself into an outlet connecting China ’s core to southeastern Asian countries. Vietnam is expected to be among attractive destinations for international tourists from Chongqing and surrounding cities and provinces./.
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Work starts on major bridge in Tra Vinh
Tra Vinh (VNA) – Work started in Tra Vinh on March 7 on a cable-stayed bridge that will connect the Mekong delta provinces of Tra Vinh and Ben Tre.
Once completed, the Co Chien bridge, which will be built in 36 months at an investment cost of almost 3.8 trillion VND, is expected to cut the travel distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Tra Vinh to 70 kilometres and help to ease traffic jams in the locality.
Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said the Co Chien bridge, one of four bridges on Highway 60, was included in the coastal corridor development strategy.
The strategy aims to attract investment, promote cultural exchange, educational development and public health care as well as enhance regional defence and security, Hung said.
The Deputy PM said the construction of the bridge in the context of economic difficulties reflected the determination of the Government, the two provincial Party committees, transport and communication sectors in improving the local people’s life./.
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HSBC confident in Vietnam’s economic growth
London (VNA) – The UK-based Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) recently predicted that Vietnam’s economy would see positive growth this year.
The UK Financial Times quoted a report by an economist from HSBC, Sherman Chan as saying that Vietnam’s polity makers were headed in the right direction after the country’s economy saw years of fast but unsustainable development.
According to Sherman Chan, the Vietnamese Government’s recent measures, such as devaluing the Vietnam dong, increasing interest rates for inter-bank loans and reducing credit growth and public spending showed its determination to stabilise the national economy and ensure sustainable growth.
However, Chan said that the double-digit inflation rate, a high import surplus, pressure on the devaluation of the Vietnam dong, low foreign currency reserves, a budget deficit, and inefficient operation of state-owned enterprises are challenges faced by the country’s economy.
Even if the Government managed to deal with these problems, it still needs to continue with its effective measures as Vietnam is negatively affected by a 20 percent interest rate on loans and the public spending reduction at the end of this year, said Chan./.
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