La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the city's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at a press briefing that a photographic exhibition will present markets in HCM City, flowers in Da Lat, beaches in Mui Ne, Phu Quoc island, and the red flamboyance of poinciana flowers in Hai Phong.

Last year, the central province of Quang Binh had become the first destination to be promoted under the department's plan to highlight a different destination or destinations every year.

"The HCM City Tourism Day is an important festival that can stimulate tourism demand at a difficult time," Khanh said.

"It can be seen as a supermarket where travel companies promote and sell their products, and customers can freely choose what they like."

However, this "supermarket" remains a relatively new concept in Vietnam and both travel companies as well as customers are yet to use such events as a major resource, he said.

Hence, most travel companies who participate in the event focus on promoting their brand name instead of selling their product directly.

However, 92 percent of travel firms that joined the event last year have registered to so again, proving its success, Khanh said.

In the context of inflation and an increase in prices of most goods and services, the festival will enjoin participants to stand by the Government's efforts to keep prices stable as much as possible, Khanh said.

The city Tourism Association has petitioned the Ministry of Finance to cut value-added tax by 50 percent, corporate income tax by 50 percent and allow travel companies to pay taxes two months late, an association representative said at the briefing.

The four-day event is being organised at the city's September 23 Park in downtown HCM City from April 7.

The event will feature a travel fair, a Southern food festival, Golden Voice of HCM City Tourism contest, “tai tu” traditional music performances as well as the photo exhibition.

Though the organisers expected to attract 80 companies to fill 150 booths, an additional four booths have been booked this year.

"The event aims to help travel companies publicise their brands and promote their services for the coming summer season," Khanh said.

A dominant theme of HCM City Tourism Day 2011 is "Tourism Brand" and those brands that have made a mark in domestic and overseas markets will be honoured at the festival.

It will name the top ten names in many categories including: destinations, inbound travel companies, outbound travel companies, domestic travel companies, tourism websites, luxury hotels, shopping stores, hotels for businesspeople, hotels for MICE (Meeting-Incentive-Conference-Event), tour companies and restaurants.

A grand closing ceremony honoring top Vietnamese tourism brands will be broadcast live on the HTV9 channel./.

 


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Mercedes-Benz Trophy 2011 tees off in Binh Duong

 

Hanoi (VNA) - The first qualifying rounds for the Mercedes-Benz Trophy started on March 21 in southern province of Binh Duong's Song Be Golf Resort.

Around 4,000 golfers representing 24 golf clubs throughout Viet Nam have registered for the tournament.

Entrant numbers have increased by a third since last year, which is remarkable considering golf is a relatively new sport in the country. Vietnam has the third most entries in Asia behind Singapore and Chinese Taipei.

Qualifier events will be spread over 14 golf clubs for the next three months.

The best of each qualifying round will play in two semi-finals, to be held in the North and the South. The top third of the fields will be eligible to enter the Vietnam Final, from which the seven best players will form the Vietnam team to compete at the Asian Final in Australia in August 2011.

One of these players could represent Vietnam in the World Final in Stuttgart, Germany to be held in September.

The MercedesTrophy is a global premium tournament series for amateurs in its 22nd year. More than 58,000 players, in more than 43 countries, tee off annually./.

 


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CDIA helps Da Nang in waste water treatment

 

Hanoi (VNA) – The Cities Development Initiative for Asia (CDIA) has pledged 400,000 USD to the central Da Nang city to deal with urban waste water.

For its part, Da Nang authorities will contribute 80,000 USD to the project.

The organisation will conduct pre-feasibility study and seek investors for the implementation of the project.

Da Nang city is facing difficulties in the treatment of waste water in its industrial parks of Hoa Khanh, Lien Chieu and Tho Quang as well as the discharge of daily waste water into the sea.

CDIA was set up by the Asia Development Bank and the German government in 2007 to support small-sized Asian cities in the implementation of sustainable environment and urban management and infrastructure development projects./.

 


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Internal Security Act extended for Bangkok

 

Bangkok (VNA) – The Thai cabinet has agreed to extend the enforcement of the Internal Security Act (ISA) in seven Bangkok districts for another 30 days after it expires on March 25.

According to the cabinet’s decision made on March 22, the ISA new extension will take effect in Wang Thong Lang, Pathumwan, Ratchathewi, Dusit, Watthana, Pomprop Sattruphai and Phrana Nakhon from March 26 to April 24.

The cabinet’s approval followed the request of the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) to cope with demostrations of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD)./.

 


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Countries call for end of attack on Libya

 

Hanoi (VNA) – Many countries in the world have raised their voices to protest military actions against Libya over the past three days.

Speaking after the talks with visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates in Moscow on March 22, Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that Russia wants to see an immediate ceasefire in Libya and the start of political negotiations.

“We urged the sides to do everything to end the violence,” he said, adding that Moscow believed Libyan civilians had been killed in the air strikes.

Earlier, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Moscow may act as an intermediary in seeking solutions for the conflict in Libya .

Opposing the military interference in Libya , Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee stressed on March 22 that with no external forces are allowed to interfere into issues which are happening within a country and internal affairs of a country.

Whether the regime will continue or not, it will depend on the people of that particular country, not any external forces, he affirmed.

On the same day, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) also condemned the air strikes in Libya . The DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesperson told the country’s official news agency KCNA that the attacks were “a hideous crime against humanity” and “a gross breach of the dignity of the Libyan people”.

On March 22, China accused the alliance of causing civilian casualties in their air strikes under the UN’s mandate and called on the concerned parties to come to an immediate ceasefire.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu stressed that the UN’s objective in its resolution on Libya is to ensure the safety of Libyan people residents. However, the military actions are causing casualties for innocent people.

She said that China opposes the use of violence that may cause more casualties for civilians and a greater humanitarian crisis.

In Brussels , the North Atlantic Council, the governing body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), on March 22 agreed to deploy a sea arms embargo on Libya . The embargo was also adopted by ambassadors of 28 NATO member countries two days earlier.

According to the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), thousands of Libyan residents have left their home in the eastern region to take refuge.

South African President Jacob Zuma raised his voice to protest the foreign military intervention in Libya . Speaking at a meeting on March 21, Zuma stated that South Africa supports the viewpoint of the African Union (AU)’s Peace and Security Council, in which Africa pledges to respect the unity and territorial integrity of Libya and refute foreign military interference into the country under any form.

South Africa believes that only a peaceful political solution based on the legitimate aspiration of the civilians ensures a long-term stability in the North African country in the future, he said.

Also on March 21, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni condemned the military actions against Libya and at the same time, urged negotiations to stop the chaos. /.

 


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Localities nationwide draw up candidate roster

 

Hanoi (VNA) – Provinces and cities nationwide have drawn up their lists of candidates for the election of the 13 th National Assembly (NA) for the 2011-16 term.

The second consultation conference held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Hanoi Committee on March 22 agreed a preliminary list of 82 candidates for the May 22 NA election.

Of the 82 candidates, 11 were nominated by the VFF, 41 others by agencies and organisations of Hanoi and 30 are self-nominated. They include 20 women.

Of the 30 self-nominated candidates, there are five females and 13 businesspersons..

In Ho Chi Minh City , the second consultation conference discussed an initial list of 63 candidates for the upcoming NA election.

Among the 41 nominated candidates who come from the city, there are 14 females, four aged below 35 years old, four non-Party members, one Hoa ethnic minority person, one Cham ethnic minority person and eight deputies of the 12 th NA.

Among the 22 self-nominated candidates, there are 20 non-Party members, three aged below 35 years old, one female and one who has two nationalities – Vietnamese and French.

The northern province of Lao Cai agreed to nominate 15 candidates besides two nominated by the VFF Central Committee. There are seven females, nine ethnic minority people and a non-Party member.

At its second negotiation conference, the northwestern province of Lai Chau approved the candidacy of list of eight people with half of them being females.

All the candidates belong to four ethnic minority groups of Mong, Thai, Ha Nhi and Si La.

The northern province of Bac Kan agreed to nominate 11 candidates and the northern Bac Ninh province nominated 11, including two self-nominated ones.

The northern province of Yen Bai drew up an initial list of 8 candidates, including six females, three Tay ethnic minority persons and one Dao ethnic minority person.

The Mekong delta province of Tra Vinh agreed to nominate 11 candidates for the election.

The central province of Quang Tri adopted an initial list of 12 candidates, of them one third percent are females.

The central province of Thanh Hoa drew up an initial list of 30 candidates, including two self-nominated ones.

The negotiation conference of the central province of Ninh Thuan agreed to a list of nine candidates./.





Seeking an end to tuberculosis

 


Hanoi (VNA) — Health experts have called for greater political and financial support to improve the medical system and strengthen community awareness activities to prevent tuberculosis in Vietnam .

" Vietnam needs more political commitment to release financial and human resources to minimise tuberculosis (TB) cases and eliminate the disease by 2030," said Vice Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen.

Xuyen was speaking at a workshop on TB prevention held by the Party Central Committee's Commission for Popularisation and Education and the Ministry of Health (MoH) on March 22.

A TB survey conducted in 2006 by the MoH revealed that the rate of TB cases was 145/100,000 in Vietnam , higher than the previous World Health Organisation estimate of 109/100,000. However, the health sector only managed to treat around 60 percent of TB patients due to a lack of human resources, especially at local levels.

Health sector statistics showed that the current number of doctors who specialise in TB prevention is 1.58/100,000 compared with the general practitioner rate of 12/100,000. There could be a shortage of staff involved in TB prevention for a number of reasons, including a high risk of infection, low income and even discrimination.

Director of the National Lung Hospital Dinh Ngoc Sy said that many provinces haven't given due attention to TB prevention, leaving many TB patients misdiagnosed or unreported, putting them at risk of spreading the infection in their communities.

A representative from the TB and Lung Diseases Hospital of central Ha Tinh province said that there was a TB staff shortage at provincial and district levels because there was no preferential policy for staff working in the field other than an allowance equal to 35 percent of the minimum wage.

The TB and Lung Diseases Hospital of central Da Nang city revealed that it had been unable to hire a TB doctor for the past 10 years because no one wanted the job.

The National TB Prevention Programme estimated that Vietnam needed to mobilise an additional 258 million USD to supplement the 340 million USD from State and provincial budgets, and international support for TB prevention during the 2011-15 period.

Successful detection and treatment of TB were vital in the fight to prevent the disease in Vietnam , said Sy.

He stressed that the political system should give priorities for TB prevention in the coming years with an aim to strengthen the health system with sufficient numbers of capable human resources, financing and techniques.

The health sector should train more staff to fill the human resource gap in TB prevention as well as mobilise private medical units into the fight against TB. The health sector's TB prevention system and community awareness of TB prevention should also be strengthened at all levels with an aim to provide available access to TB patients, said Sy.

According to the National Programme for TB Prevention, TB prevalence was still a pressing problem inVietnam which currently ranks 12 out of 22 countries struggling with TB prevention throughout the world.

In 2009, more than 98,000 cases of TB were reported inVietnam, including more than 51,000 new patients and 26,000 people seeing reoccurring cases. Each year, the health sector successfully treats more than 91 percent of patients who are detected with the disease.

The World Health Organisation said that there were more than 9 million cases of TB reported across the world each year, leading to 2 million deaths. Between 95-98 percent of TB cases occurred in developing countries and 75 per cent hit people who were at a working age./.

 



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Khmer people hold peace praying ritual

 


Soc Trang (VNA) – Khmer ethnic people in the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang are eagerly organising the Bun Kom San Sroc (peace praying) festival.

This is an annual event that often takes place in dry season from the first to the third month of the lunar calendar.

During the event, the Khmer people pray for peace, happy life and bumper harvest.

Worthy of note in this year’s festival are Bun Chroi Rum Chec (making offerings to sea) in Vinh Chau district and Bun Thac Koung (beating gongs) in Chau Thanh district./.

 



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Several strong quakes hit northeastern Japan

 


Hanoi (VNA) - Several strong earthquakes early March 23 again jolted northeastern Japan , which was already severely damaged by the devastating March 11 quake.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a quake with a magnitude of 6.0 jolted mainly Fukushima prefecture at 7:12 a.m. ( Tokyo time). It was followed by quakes measuring from 4-6 on the Richter scale in several locations in Fukushima and Iwaki , Miyagi and Ibaraki prefectures, according to the agency.

No tsunami warnings were issued following the quakes.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Health Ministry said it found higher-than-acceptable level of radioactive substances in 11 types of vegetables, including broccoli and cabbage grown in Fukushima prefecture and unprocessed milk in Ibaraki prefecture.

The ministry warned consumers not to eat these vegetables.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it will send another group experts to Japan to test radiation around the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Tokyo and surrounding areas.

Earlier, first IAEA expert team came to Japan on March 17.

According to the National Police Agency’s statistics, the catastrophic quake and tsunami have by the end of March 22 left 9,199 people dead and 13,786 others missing. The disaster destroyed 5,682 schools in 23 prefectures and forced 260,000 people to evacuate.

The government estimated the total losses from the twin disasters of about 15-25 trillion JPY (185-308 billion USD), according to Nikkei newspaper on March 23./.

 



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Mozambique Defence Minister visits Vietnam

 


Hanoi (VNA) – Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh received his Mozambique counterpart Fillipe Jacindo Nyussi, who heads a high ranking military delegation on an official working visit to Vietnam in Hanoi on March 23.

At the meeting, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation.

General Thanh hailed Defence Minister Fillipe Nyussi and his entourage’s visit to Vietnam and expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to bolstering mutual understanding as well as friendly relations between the two armies and peoples.

Minister Fillipe Nyussi congratulated the Vietnam Defence Ministry over its successful organisation of the fourth ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting (ADMM 4).

They studied possibilities of cooperation in various fields including defence industry, army logistics, military medicine and exchanged their experiences on building and improving the army as well as the army’s participation in preventing natural disasters and poverty eradication.

The two ministers also considered establishing relations between their military-run businesses./.

 



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ProPak, PIA exhibitions open in HCM City

 


Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – The sixth International Processing, Filling and Packaging Exhibition (ProPak) and the third International Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Instrumentation, Laboratory and Scientific Equipment Exhibition (PIA) opened in HCM city on March 23.

The exhibitions, held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, are jointly organised by Thailand ’s Bangkok Exhibition Services (BES) and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Exhibitions Company (Vietchamexpo).

The events drew the participation of 243 enterprises from 28 countries and territories, which are showcasing the latest equipment and technological solutions to costumers as well as discussing cooperative and investment opportunities with Vietnamese partners.

Director of Vietchamexpo Bui Thi Thuc Anh said the exhibitions are an effective business forum for participants to exchange information and seek development opportunities, adding that they will help boost Vietnam ’s technological market.

BES Director David Aitken spoke highly of Vietnam ’s potential and said he hoped the total value of contracts signed during the exhibitions would reach 55 million USD.

The exhibitions will run until March 25./.

 



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Dak Nong to buzz with national folk songs

 


Dak Nong (VNA) – The fourth Vietnam Folk Song Festival of the Central Highlands and the southern province of Binh Phuoc will be held in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong from March 25-27.

The festival will bring together professional singers from Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Binh Phuoc provinces, who will present 22 categories of traditional music, along with a number of amateur singers.

At the end of the festival, two first prizes (A), four second prizes (B) and six third prizes (C) will be presented to winners.

The biennial event aims to preserve original folk songs and create a healthy activity for Central Highlands residents, boosting national solidarity./.

 



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WB to prioritise rural sanitation programmes

 


Hanoi (VNA) – The World Bank (WB) will continue to prioritise safe water and environmental sanitation programmes in Vietnam ’s rural areas during the next decade.

This was stated by Dean Cira, WB Senior Urban Specialist, at a seminar on Vietnam ’s strategy on clean water supply and environmental sanitation in rural areas by 2020, held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Hanoi on March 23.

WB has supported the national strategy over the past decade and continues to give priority to it in the next decade, to help rural residents gain access to fresh water and sanitary facilities, Dean Cira said.

In the next decade, WB will focus on improving the quality of water as well as the water supply system, he said.

According to Vu Van Thang, Deputy Head of the Irrigation Department under MARD, the decade-old strategy has helped raise the number of rural residents with access to safe water from below 30 percent to 83 percent in 2010, and the proportion of households having sanitary latrines now up to 56 percent.

The strategy to 2020 will focus on poor households and elements to promote sustainable development, matching the country’s socio-economic development strategy by 2020, Thang said.

During the 2011-2015 period, the programme was scheduled to provide fresh water to 95 percent of rural population, of which 70 percent will use water that meets standards set by the Vietnamese Health Ministry, and 85 percent will have sanitary latrines./.

 



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Academies join hands to develop music industry

 


Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) – The Vietnam National Academy of Music, Hue Academy of Music and Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music will join hands for the first time to bolster the country’s music industry.

The cooperation highlights the fine traditional relations between Hanoi , HCM City and the central city of Hue , said the academies’ representatives at the signing ceremony held at the Hue Academy of Music on March 23.

The move is aimed at introducing the most typical music achievements and bringing into full play the strengths of each academy to improve their capacity in different areas such as training, research and performance, while helping to preserve and develop music assets in each region as well as the country.

On the occasion, the Hue Academy of Music debuted its 50-member symphony orchestra after 10 years of preparations./.

 



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Mozambique Minister's visit boosts defence ties

 


Hanoi (VNA) –Mozambique Defence Minister Filipe Jacinto Nyussi’s visit to Vietnam is an important landmark in the two countries’ defence cooperation and a contribution to stronger bilateral relations.

State President Nguyen Minh Triet made the remarks during his reception in Hanoi on March 23 for the Mozambique Defence Minister, who is a guest of Vietnamese Defence Minister, General Phung Quang Thanh.

As both countries have always expressed wishes to boost cooperation, their relevant agencies, therefore, need to seek new areas for cooperation to be expanded while strengthening existing cooperative fields, the Vietnamese leader said.

He noted that Vietnam is willing to share its socio-economic development experiences with Mozambique .

Defence Minister Filipe Jacinto Nyussi said his visit was a step toward realising the two countries’ commitments to enhancing cooperation, including defence cooperation.

He briefed President Triet on the results of his talks with Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh, referring to the signing of a memorandum of understanding to outline specific orientations for bilateral defence cooperation, especially for military-run businesses.

The Mozambique officer congratulated Viettel Corporation on winning the contract to implement a telecom network in Mozambique, while expressing hope that more Vietnam enterprises will come to do business in his country./.

 



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Vietnam, Thailand step up bilateral ties

 


Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and Thailand will preserve and effectively develop bilateral mechanisms to deepen their cooperative relations.

This was confirmed by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya at their talks in Hanoi on March 23.

The two sides expressed their belief that bilateral ties would further prosper in the future, contributing to each country’s development.

They agreed to urge their ministries, agencies and localities to work together to successfully celebrate the 35 th anniversary of diplomatic ties on August 6.

Deputy PM Khiem expressed his hope that the Thai Foreign Minister’s visit would contribute to bolstering friendship and multifaceted relations between the two countries.

For his part, the Thai Foreign Minister spoke highly of Vietnam for its role as ASEAN Chair in 2010, expressing his delight at achievements the two sides recorded in multilateral forums.

He also took the occasion to inform his host about progress over recent conflicts in the Thailand-Cambodia border.

Deputy PM Khiem affirmed that Vietnam welcomed the two neighbours’ agreement to hold meetings of the Cambodia-Thailand General Border Committee and Joint Border Committee on Demarcation of Land Boundary, Indonesia on April 7 and 8.

Vietnam always desires that Thailand and Cambodia will continue to deal with their conflicts through peaceful negotiations, on the basis of fundamental principles of international law, the UN Chapter and in the spirit of friendship and solidarity in the bloc, for the benefit of the two countries’ people, and for peace, stability, cooperation in the region and the world at large, he stressed.


Both host and guest committed to continue their cooperation at regional and international forums, contributing to raising ASEAN’s position in the world arena./.

 



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Draft capital law draws city dwellers’ attention

 


Hanoi (VNA) – The draft Capital Law, which is attracting special interest from Hanoians, is expected to be passed at the ongoing 9 th session of the 12 th National Assembly.

The draft law defines the location and the role of the capital city, as well as the tasks to build, develop and protect the city.

A number of goals and special policies for construction and development of the capital city in the areas of socio-economic development, education and training, science and technology, infrastructure planning and management of space and architecture are also included in the draft law.

The draft law stipulates that the National Assembly has opinions on the capital’s overall planning and decides the location for the national political and administrative centre. This new stipulation represents the capital city’s specific characteristics in comparison with other key cities.

Beside priorities in social housing development, investment in preserving and protecting cultural projects and technical infrastructure of large scale and importance in the city, the draft law also mentions mechanisms and policies in finance and land for the capital. It says the Government gives priority in allocating ODA capital to technical infrastructure projects approved by authorised agencies. The municipal People’s Committee, within its rights and tasks, is allowed to use its land resources to raise fund for the building of infrastructure or to borrow capital from the State, organisations and individuals in special cases.

At the debate session on Mar. 22, a majority of NA deputies affirmed that the promulgation of the law was necessary. They agreed on the stipulations of specific mechanisms and policies to create legal foundations for Hanoi to have appropriate conditions to deservedly become a special urban city and national political and administrative centre.

However, the deputies asked for the release of detailed stipulations on specific factors for Hanoi, which are not contrary to the law and respects fundamental principles of the current law.

The draft Capital Law is expected to be passed by voting on Mar. 29, the last working day of the 9 th session of the 12 th National Assembly./.

 



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PM greets Saudi Arabia agriculture, industry ministers

 


Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Vietnam and Saudi Arabia should sign agreements on investment protection and free trade as quickly as possible to create a legal corridor for long-term cooperation.

The PM met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Agriculture, Fahad Bin Abdul Rahman Balghamin, and Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Bin Ahmed Zainal Ali Ridha, in Hanoi on March 23.

“The two nations should further promote their multifaceted cooperation, based on the great potential and strengths of each country,” PM Dung said.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government welcomed discussions with Saudi Arabia to work out specific suitable cooperation models in the fields of agriculture, petro-chemistry and labour, for the sake of mutual benefits.

He also suggested that the two sides should promote the exchange of experts and businesses to seek the most cooperative way.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his hope that following their visits, the two ministers would work harder to increase the two countries’ cooperation.

The ministers said that potential for the two countries’ cooperation in agriculture was significant.

They said that during this visit, they will discuss with relevant Vietnamese ministries and agencies about mechanisms that boost cooperation in agriculture, labour and oil refining, so as to raise the two countries’ trade turnover.

The ties between Vietnam and Saudi Arabia are growing, especially in trade. Last year, the two countries earned 700 million USD in turnover./.

 



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Vietnam urges early ceasefire in Libya

 


Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam calls on parties involved in military operations in Libya to cease fire and resolve the issue in a peaceful manner, a spokesperson for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry said.

Spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said: “Together with the international community, Vietnam continues to monitor, with deep concern, military actions that have triggered losses to civilians in Libya ”.

She made the reply on March 23 in response to reporters’ queries on Vietnam ’s reaction to the current developments in Libya .

The spokeswoman urged concerned parties to promptly end military actions and soon sit together to seek a peaceful solution to the situation on the basis of fully respecting the UN Charter and international laws which ensure all nations’ independence and sovereignty are respected.

For the benefit of the Libyan people and for peace and stability in the region, these parties should not create negative precedence in international relations, Nga said.

Vietnam supported every effort made by all concerned parties, regional and international organisations towards peaceful negotiations./.

 



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Vietnam attends Int’l Defence Dialogue 2011

 


Jakarta (VNA) - A Vietnamese military delegation, led by Lieut. Gen. Tran Thai Binh, Director of the Institute of Military Strategy under the Defence Ministry attended the Jakarta International Defence Dialogue 2011 that opened on March 23.

Themed, “Strengthening security and stability”, the event drew the participation of 1,300 delegates, including defence ministers and military officers from 34 countries throughout the world.

Addressing the ceremony, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono underlined that world peace and security are currently facing new challenges, evidenced by tensions on the Korean peninsula, the Thai-Cambodian border dispute, Middle East instability, Somali piracy attacks, and radiation threats after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

He urged the world to cooperate more closely to deal with old and new challenges.

The three-day event aims to gather high-ranking military leaders, experts and policy makers from the Asia-Pacific region to foster regional stability in the future, to promote cooperation among governments to deal with international and regional security threats as well as create a strategic model for defence and security./.

 



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Vietnam welcomes Belorussian businesses: PM

 


Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese government welcomed and created favourable conditions for Belorussian businesses to cooperate with Vietnamese partners, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

At the Mar. 23 reception for the newly-accredited ambassador of Belarus to Vietnam, Valery Sudokho, PM Dung pointed out fields that the two countries’ businesses could boost cooperative ties, including automobile manufacturing, mining equipment, tractors and production of chemical fertilizers as well as finance-banking.

He highlighted the fine relations between Vietnam and Belarus , saying that Vietnam always attached importance to strengthening cooperation with Belarus in politics, diplomacy, trade and investment, education and defence, for benefit of both nations .

He suggested the ambassador closely coordinate with ministries and agencies of Vietnam to further boost bilateral relations and increase two-way trade.

Ambassador Valery Sudokho expressed his pleasure at working in Vietnam , saying he hoped the Vietnamese government would create favourable conditions for him to fulfil his duties in the country./.

 

BUSINESS



Profit-taking depresses shares

 

Hanoi (VNA) — Profit-taking accelerated in the final minutes of on March 22's sessions on both the HCM City and Hanoi stock exchanges, causing stocks to plummet.

On the HCM City market, the VN-Index closed at 464.80 points, off 0.74 percent from March 21’s close. The volume of trades declined 11 percent to 37 million shares, worth a combined total of 837.2 billion VND (38.9 million USD).

Most leading blue chips plunged, including Sai Gon Securities Inc (SSI) down 4.4 percent, property developer Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAG) down 3 percent, PetroVietnam Finance (PVF) down 2.7 percent, Phu My Fertilisers (DPM) down 1.9 percent, and Sacombank (STB) down 0.7 percent.

Insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), Eximbank (EIB) and software producer FPT closed unchanged, while Masan Group (MSN) bucked the prevailing trend and rose to its ceiling price, a 4.9 percent increase.

Dai Viet Securities Co analysts blamed the accelerated sales to worries over tightened monetary policies and the official priority, re-emphasised on March 21, to curb inflation – policies which would collectively restrain the amount of capital available for investments on the stock market.

Foreign investors have also become net sellers, intensifying worries over their commitment to the market, the analysts said. While foreign investors were again net buyers in HCM City on March 22, they continued as net sellers in Hanoi.

On the Hanoi Stock Exchange yesterday, the HNX-Index plunged 1.76 percent to end the session at 93.17 points, with 221 codes seeing declines. The volume of trades was low at 37.5 million shares, worth 604.3 billion VND (28 million USD).

Eight of the 10 leading shares by capitalisation lost ground, with Bao Viet Securities (BVS) plunging 5.47 percent, VNDirect Securities (VND) 5.11 percent, and Sacomreal (SCR) 4.93 percent./.

 


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Experts urge stabilising fertiliser prices

 

Nam Dinh (VNA) — Supplies of fertiliser must be ensured to stabilise rising fertiliser prices and meet demand in the domestic market, said experts at a recent workshop in northern Nam Dinh province.

Le Viet Nga, deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Domestic Market Department, said that actively balancing supply and demand will help stabilise domestic fertiliser prices.

The ministry planns to require fertiliser producers and importers to keep a stockpile of fertiliser to avoid price increases due to shortages of supply, she said.

"They should also improve the efficiency of their direct distribution system to ensure that fertiliser is delivered directly to farmers," said Nga.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Ministry of Finance's Price Management Department, agreed that stability in supply and demand of fertiliser will be the most important factor in settling the domestic fertiliser market.

The Ministry of Finance will manage supply and demand by adjusting taxes and import-export policies, including increases of export tax and cuts in import tax.

There is also a proposal to temporarily halt exports of certain types of fertiliser during specific periods, Tuan said.

Ho Thi Kim Thoa, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, said Vietsam has promoted investment in fertiliser projects to meet demand for fertiliser in the domestic market.

Nguyen Dinh Hac Thuy, general secretary of the Viet Nam Fertiliser Association, said fertiliser prices are at 9,500 VND per kilo for imported fertiliser and 8,500 VND per kilo for Phu My fertiliser products made by the PetroVietnam Fertiliser and Chemical Products Corporation (PVFCCo).

The prices of fertiliser products are expected to increase in the coming time due to rising demand. Phu My fertiliser products have met only 40 per cent of market demand with imports having to cover the remainder, Thuy said.

World fertiliser prices are on the rise and importers have limited the amount of imports to avoid losses due to higher selling prices for the imported fertiliser against domestic fertiliser, he said./.

 


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Habubank to issue 45.71 mln USD bond

 

Hanoi (VNA) – Habubank shareholders have approved a plan to issue 960 billion VND (45.71 million USD) in convertible bonds next year to raise the bank's charter capital to 5 trillion VND (238.1 million USD).

This year, the Hanoi-based bank plans to spend 1.05 trillion VND (50 million USD) from a convertible bond issuance in August last year to increase charter capital to 4.05 trillion VND (192.86 million USD) from 3 trillion VND (142.86 million USD). The additional charter capital will be spent on improving infrastructure and business activities.

The Hanoi Stock Exchange-listed bank (coded HBB) targets a pre-tax profit of 700-750 billion VND (33.33-35.71 million USD) this year. Its shares closed flat yesterday at 9,900 VND.

The bank also plans to equitise in-house securities firm Habubank Securities, pending legal approval.

Habubank posted its 2010 fiscal report earlier this month, with a net profit of 746.7 billion VND (35.55 million USD), up 13 percent against the previous year. The bank's service arm posted a profit of over 114 billion VND (5.43 million USD) while its forex business posted a loss of 15.85 billion VND (754,761 USD).

Securities services earned only 2.4 billion VND (114,285 USD), falling over 84 percent year on year while securities investment earned over 221 billion VND (10.52 million USD) profit, a four fold increase against the previous year.

The bank's earnings from other operations hit 243.8 billion VND (11.61 million USD), seven times higher than in 2009./.

 


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Chinaese demand boosts cassava price

 

HCM City (VNA) — Due to demand from mainland China, traders are buying large quantities of cassava, causing the domestic price to go up 40-45 percent compared to last year.

The export cassava price also increased during this period.

According to the Vietnam Market Analysis and Forecast Joint-Stock Company Agro-Monitor, domestic sliced cassava is selling for 6,300 VND per kilo.

The export price of tapioca starch to China has increased to 550 USD per tonne.

The Plant Quarantine Sub-Department of Region VIII said 350-400 tonnes of cassava were being exported to China daily through the border gate at Lao Cai.
The Chinese market has faced a large shortage, especially of the cassava varieties and sliced cassava.

Domestic traders have taken full advantage of the situation to buy up fresh, dried and sliced cassava as well as cassava varieties to transport to Quy Nhon port in central Vietnam for export to China.

However, the current cassava purchases are expected to cause a shortage of cassava varieties and affect production and long-term cassava cultivation.

According to the Customs General Office, Vietnam exported 1.6 million tonnes of cassava, earning a turnover of 556 USD million last year.

Sliced cassava accounted for 56.8 percent and tapioca starch 42.9 percent.

China remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese cassava last year, accounting for 94.8 percent of the total export turnover.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said this year, the areas for growing cassava was about 500,000ha, with output of about 8.9 million tonnes, higher than last year's output of 8.52 million tonnes.

According to an annual report of the cassava and tapioca starch industry and AgroMonitor's forecast, this year's total demand for fresh cassava for domestic production is about 8.12 million tonnes.

That includes 1.89 million tonnes for ethanol production; 2.67 million tonnes for foodstuff processing and animal feed production; and 3.56 million tonnes for tapioca starch production.

Thus, there is only 780,000 tonnes for export, equivalent to 355,000 tonnes of dried sliced cassava.

However, China has begun increasing its imports of sliced cassava and fresh cassava, which could increase Vietnam's exports up to 4-5 million tonnes.

As a result, the domestic tapioca starch processors and animal feed producers will face severe competition in buying raw materials.

Experts said a long-term development strategy for the industry should be created, including solutions that would balance the supply and demand for exports and raw material supply for domestic production./.

 


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US trade turnover continue rising in Jan.

 

Washington (VNA) - Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and the US in January 2011 reached nearly 1.8 billion USD, an increase of 301.3 million USD or 21.3 percent over the same period last year.

According to data released by the US Department of Commerce, in the first month of this year, the US imported from Vietnam 1.38 billion USD worth of goods, an increase of 19.53 percent over the same period last year; while it exported goods at a total value of 334.6 million USD, up by 29.16 percent from Jan. 2010's export value.

United States International Trade Commission's data showed that among Vietnam 's exports to the U.S. in January 2011, apparel and clothing accessories retained the first ranking with export value of 548.8 million USD, 89.8 million USD higher than Jan. 2010.

Taking the second place was footwear with 170.9 million USD, an increase of 33.5 million USD. Furniture followed with an export value of 158.6 million USD, a 20.8 million USD rise from Jan. 2010; and electrical machinery and equipment and parts with value reaching 69.4 million USD, up 17,7 million USD from the same period last year.

Fish and aquatic invertebrates fetched an export value of 61.7 million USD, an increase of 18.1 million USD over the corresponding month of 2010.

Cotton, including yarns and woven fabrics thereof, topped US exports to Vietnam in January 2011 with value of 59.6 million USD, up 51.6 million USD over the same period last year. Coming second was machinery and mechanical appliances, parts thereof with value reaching 31.2 million USD, a decrease of 32.2 million USD.

It was followed by electrical machinery and equipment (with value of 23 million USD, up 161 percent); and iron and steel (with value of 21.9 million USD, up 128 percent). Vietnam 's import of U.S. vehicles and parts and accessories thereof continued decreasing, down from 23.2 million USD in Jan. 2010 to 20.4 million USD./.

 


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Hanoi lures 430 million USD of FDI in Q1

 

Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi attracted nearly 430 million USD in 57 FDI projects in the first three months of the year, according to the city’s Statistics Office (HSO).

The figure represents a 19.7 time increase in term of value and an 18.8 percent rise in term of project number year-on-year.

47 out of the total 57 projects (excluding those in the Hoa Lac high-tech zone) were newly lisenced ones with a total registered capital of 28.93 million USD.

According to HSO Head Cong Xuan Mui, the impacts of the global financial crisis and the delay in approving a master plan for the city hindered its FDI attraction.

The city is working with foreign consultants to adjust the mater plan./.

 



Int’l construction expo opens in Hanoi

 


Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai cut the ribbon to kick off the international exhibition on construction, construction materials, real estate and interior decoration in Hanoi on March 23.

The exhibition, named Vietbuild Hanoi 2011, offers a chance for domestic and foreign enterprises to seek partnerships, exchange management experiences and transfer technologies and advanced solutions in the construction industry, the Deputy PM said.

This year’s expo has attracted nearly 500 businesses from 18 countries and territories, a rise of 21 percent as compared to the last event, according to Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran Nam .

The increase in the number of exhibitors reflects the strong development of Vietnam ’s construction industry, Nam said.

During the five-day exhibition, there will be a number of symposiums on new products and environmentally-friendly technologies. The organisers will also present the “Vtopbuild” award and gold medals to high-quality construction products./.

 



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Exporters expect minor impact from Japan’s disaster

 


Hanoi (VNA)- Exporters have foreseen difficulties or even decreases in exports to Japan as the impact of the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami unfolds, but said the impact might be minor.

Seafood exporters, for example, said Japanese provinces which were affected by the twin disaster are not major destinations of Vietnam’s seafood. Furthermore, seafood is an essential daily product, so demand is expected to remain strong.

The President of the Vietnam Seafood Corporation Management Board, Vo Phuoc Hoa, said his company was working on export contracts to Japan as usual.

However, Truong Dinh Hoe, General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), said as Japan is the second largest market of Vietnamese seafood after the European Union, VASEP is closely following developments.

Exports of wood and wooden furniture have also signalled minimal impact, since these products mostly go to major cities.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that Japan is Vietnam’s fourth largest trade partner and the third largest importer.

In the first two months of 2011, exports to Japan kept growing considerably, especially apparel, seafood, footwear, wood and wooden furniture.

The garment and textile industry, for example, earned 200 million USD, enjoying a year-on-year increase of 39.6 percent.

Export revenues of seafood, the second-largest hard currency earner, increased almost 21 percent year on year to 106 million USD in the same period. Meanwhile, footwear and wood and wooden products achieved respective growth rates of 78.6 and 20.6 percent.

In general, exports to Japan brought over 1.2 billion USD for Vietnam, accounting for 10 percent of the country’s gross export revenue./.

 



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HCMC invites London to build financial centre

 


HCM City (VNA) – A Ho Chi Minh City leader has invited the City of London and other British businesses to take part in building the Thu Thiem financial centre that is expected to become Vietnam ’s “financial heart”.

Chairman of the Municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan delivered the invitation to the Lord Mayor of the City of London , Michael Bear, during their meeting on March 23.

“The City of London is an ideal model and has a lot of valuable experience that HCM City can learn from,” the municipal official said.

Quan proposed the City of London help with the training of financial personnel for HCM City , specifically for the HCM Stock Exchange and banks.
He reiterated HCM City ’s policy of attracting individual investors and providing them with every favourable condition possible for partnerships and business activities.

Lord Mayor Bear said the British Government has laid stress on elevating the UK-Vietnam ties to a new height, giving due care to public-private partnerships and financial cooperation.

He affirmed that with its experience and within its capacity, the City of London will assist HCM City in expanding the stock market’s operational scope and building the city’s financial centre.

The City of London was ready to partner and assist HCM City in training personnel in financial and securities fields as well as developing urban infrastructure, Bear noted.

He stressed that British businesses were capable, in terms of experience and technologies, of improving urban infrastructure in HCM City .

During the visit to Vietnam ’s major economic hub, the Lord Mayor held working sessions with the municipal investment promotion centre and the British business community./.

 



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IMF official praises Vietnam’s economic efforts

 


Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam ’s recent resolution to stabilise its macroeconomy showed the government’s determination to control the economy in the current situation, said an IMF official.

Senior Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund in Vietnam Benedict Bingham gave this assessment while he and a visiting IMF mission were received by Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on Mar. 23.

He also said that the mission’s trip was to evaluate Vietnam ’s economy in 2011, following IMF regulations.

He said that IMF supported the plan and measures under the Vietnamese Government’s Resolution 11/NQ-CP issued on Feb. 23, 2011.

The official submitted the mission’s recommendations on monetary, foreign exchange and fiscal policies, emphasising the importance of protecting financial sector stability as it needs a series of macro preventive and monitoring measures.

Minister Phuc told guests about the government’s efforts in implementing synchronous measures to control inflation and raise the efficiency of public investment.

Speaking highly of the IMF and the mission’s recommendations, the Vietnamese official expressed his wish to closely coordinate with the IMF in the future.

He affirmed the government’s determination to reach the goals set in the Resolution 11 sustainably in the long term.

The Minister said the Vietnamese Government agreed upon the policy to implement a programme to appraise the stability of the financial sector and would soon release an official letter asking IMF and the World Bank to assist.

He also asked the IMF to provide technical assistance and training to raise Vietnamese governmental agencies’ capacity for research, analysis and formulation of macroeconomic policies./.