Foreign manufacturers fear taxation on fizzy drinks The Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) attempt to impose the 10 percent luxury tax on carbonated soft drinks is facing strong outcries from foreign manufacturers, who believe that the tax is unfair and aimed at them. Why fizzy soft drinks?  MOF is attempting to put carbonated soft drinks onto the list of goods subject to Foreign-invested enterprises promptly made their displeasure known. Mark Gillin, Chair of Amcham, said at a workshop held last week that the taxation proposal was made based on vague scientific evidence and, moreover, “unhealthy” motives. Gillin charged that the taxation aims at reducing the demand for carbonated beverages – mostly of which are sold by foreign manufacturers – and increasing demand for flat, non-carbonated drinks, mostly made by domestic enterprises. Vehemently criticizing the MOF’s taxation attempt, he alleged that the intention of the policy is to confer a competitive advantage to domestic brands at the expense of foreign ones. Therefore, he insisted, this could be seen as a deliberate barrier to foreign investors. However, MOF claims it has very good precedent for its action. The same products are being levied excise taxes in many other regional countries. A report by MOF revealed that How’s the Vietnamese beverage market doing? Analysts believe that no matter what action the MOF takes, the All told, there are 134 foreign and domestic enterprises producing drinks in Meanwhile, Vietnamese do maintain superiority in the non-carbonated drink arena, with such beverages as tea, coffee and soybean. Which scenario for the beverage industry? MOF has not yet issued a reply to the attacks from AmCham. The ministry reportedly plans to submit its proposal to the government and put it into discussion at the upcoming National Assembly’s session, slated for May. There are two possible scenarios for the carbonated beverage industry, once the luxury tax is applied. First, manufacturers would raise the selling prices to offset the tax. Second, they would keep prices stable, accepting lower margins on sales. According to Dr Tran Kim Chung, Deputy Head of the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), for every one percent increase in the price of carbonated soft drinks, demand will likely drop by 2.8 percent. He expects the 10% luxury tax, if and when implemented, to cost the industry $40.5 million in lost revenue per year. If the second scenario holds, i.e., Pepsi and Coca-Cola do not raise their selling prices, analysts say it would not be any easier for domestic manufacturers to compete with foreign ones. TBKTSG |
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Article 8
Artists reveal reality behind showbiz glitter Two Vietnamese artists talked about the real lives of Vietnamese celebrities, giving an image that is completely different from what many of the artists themselves are trying to promote.  Around 10% of Vietnamese artists are really rich Vietnamese audiences have grown used to seeing their favourite celebrities make frequent appearances at events dressed up on expensive clothes and accessories, conveying the picture of a glamorous lifestyle. Recently, however, the actor, Nguyen Le Ba Thang, surprised many people by posting what life is really like behind the scenes on his fan page. According to Thang, much of what fans see is just an illusion, or vastly exaggerated. Many artists, he said are paid only a few hundred thousand VND to appear for a night.  Actor Nguyen Le Ba Thang “In order to be paid with sums in the tens of millions of VND, an actor would have to work for several months on a film project, all the while having to cover their own transport fees and buy their own costumes," he said. Singers, too, are often only paid in the hundreds of thousands for performances, the actor disclosed. He said that many artists attempt to show off using things that do not belong to them including luxurious houses, cars, clothes, and jewelry. Many artists are reduced to borrowing belongings from friends or colleges or buying second-hand products to maintain the appearance of wealth. “I’m an actor who is working class, so I cannot show off using rented and borrowed things. I’m not afraid of being poorer than others because I still have self-respect. My biggest asset has been my love for my career and the attention of my audience,” he said. His display of candor received great support from his fans and colleagues, including singer Minh Quan.  Singer Minh Quan “I agree with Thang. I think only 10% of artists are really rich, 20% have prosperous lives, 50% earn enough money to survive, while the rest have to struggle just to earn a living,” Minh Quan said. He blamed the habit of showing off on younger artists. Many of these people do not even earn enough money to support themselves and have to ask for help from their families, but still try to live a lifestyle of luxury. "Many young artists dress up in expensive clothes and go to shopping malls without buying anything, or refuse to eat at roadside stalls because they think it would tarnish their image," he said. "They are too young and lack living skills. They have not yet learned how to behave properly." Source: LD, VietNamNet, dtinews.vn |
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Article 7
 Vietnamese border guards return Chinese migrants via the Authorities in the Seven people died in the shootout, including two Vietnamese police officers and five Chinese men. Four other officers were wounded. Authorities from both countries say they are cooperating to investigate the incident. A post on the A group of 16 Chinese citizens, including four women and two children, were arrested at Bac Phong Sinh border gate early Friday after Chinese border officials notified the post that a group had planned to sneak into the country illegally. They were escorted to the Chinese border. While officers filled out the necessary forms for their return, several of the illegal migrants seized an AK-47 rifle from a Vietnamese officer and opened fire around noon. One Vietnamese police officers was killed immediately; another later succumbed to his wounds; four others remain severely injured. The dead officers were Junior Lieutenant Le Vu Viet Khanh and Major Nguyen Minh Dai. Vietnamese officers urged them to surrender their weapons, including knives carried by the women; instead, they continued to fight. The guards' office was utterly destroyed, the Quang Ninh website said. Five Chinese were killed. Some apparently committed suicide by leaping out the windows; others were gunned down by Vietnamese officers. Their remains and the survivors were returned to Chinese forces later that day; security in the area had been restored by 3 p.m. It is not clear yet whether children and women were among the Chinese dead. Nguyen Van Doc, deputy chief of the Quang Ninh Party unit, has been sent to the site to beef up security personnel in the area. The four injured officers have been rushed to hospital. The province is preparing to cooperate with Chinese authorities in investigating the incident. |
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 U.S. Senate President pro tempore Patrick Leahy is seen in this file photo. AFP Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has called on the The Party leader made his call at a reception for visiting U.S. Senate President pro tempore Patrick Leahy on April 17 in Trong also expressed his hope that He suggested that the two sides maintain and increase multifaceted ties at all levels. In reply, Leahy pledged that his country will continue its efforts to work with The He also briefed his host on the fruitful outcomes of his working sessions with other Vietnamese leaders. The Senator affirmed that the parliament and government of the U.S. are keen on strengthening comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam, effectively realizing the two countries' bilateral comprehensive partnership that was set up in July last year. During their meeting, the host and guest also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. The two officials also underlined the importance of bilateral affiliation in maintaining peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the region and the world. The same day Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung also had talks with Senate President pro tempore Patrick Leahy, during which Hung affirmed that Senator Leahy said that his delegation, comprising both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, wants to seek cooperation opportunities to strengthen the two nations' relation as well as their legislative bodies. Tuoitrenews |
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Article 5
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 19/4 According to the city’s Customs Department, the sum was claimed by more than 8,000 foreigners for their goods paid at a total of nearly 390 billion VND (18.6 million USD). A majority of the goods were eye glasses, cosmetics, clothes, footwear, watches, computers, wallets and jewellery. However, some problems have been mentioned, including the processing time for tax refund and inadequate information printed on tax returns. This prompted the Customs Department to ask the Ministry of Finance to standardise the processing time, define concrete responsibilities of goods sellers, and organise regular training courses for customs staff. It has also proposed the application of a single tax refund solution across the country to make the refund processing easier.- VAMC announces interest rate for purchased bad debts Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) will adjust annual interest rates for purchased bad debts at 10.7, 5.2 and 5.7 per cent for the Vietnamese dong, US dollar and Euro, respectively. The interest rates will be applicable to purchased bad debts, which the VAMC had approved to adjust the rate from April 15 to June 30. The move is a response to Circular 19/2013/TT-NHNN issued by the State Bank of The VAMC will announce the interest rate every quarter. The VAMC reported that in the first quarter of this year, the company bought bad debts worth VND3.9 trillion ($185.7 million) – much lower than its target of VND10 trillion ($476.2 million). The VAMC has so far purchased nearly VND43 trillion ($2.05 billion) of bad debts through its bonds. However, it has recovered more than VND300 billion ($14.3 million) worth of debts. Imports of under-9-seat-cars soar The imported cars were worth 26.3 million USD, up nearly 80 percent due to a rise in the imports of luxury vehicles. The report also shows that the country imported a total 10,377 units worth 188 million USD in the reviewed period, up 49.8 percent in volume and 54 percent in value. The high import contributed 1.46 trillion VND (68.62 million USD) to the State budget. In addition, components and spare parts of imported cars also soared 30.9 percent and were valued at 385 million USD. An Giang introduces strength in rice production to Chinese market The southern Addressing the event, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DIT) Mai Thi Anh Tuyet stressed her province leads localities in the Mekong Delta in terms of rice production with an annual yield of 4 milion tonnes. An Giang always attaches importance to applying advanced techniques in rice production, which helps improve the quality of the grain, said Tuyet, adding that the province annually exports over 600,000 tonnes of rice to more than 70 countries and territories around the world, mainly Asian and European markets. It is eyeing on the American market. At the conference, Zong Danfei, Vice President and General Secretary of the China National Association of Grain Sector (CAGS) briefed Vietnamese guests of his country’s rice import and export, noting that Other Chinese representatives asserted that the conference is a good opportunity for An Giang’s rice processing enterprises and exporters to learn about the Earlier, the delegation from the DIT held talks with representatives from the Rice Branch of the CAGS. At the function, CAGS Vice President and President of the branch Shi Jianwei said although the quality of Vietnam’s rice has been improved, Vietnamese businesses need to pay more attention to the selection of rice varieties and limit the use of chemical fertilisers to ensure food safety and hygiene, issues which draw much concern among Chinese consumers.- Top officials of the southern Secretary of Tien Giang provincial Party Committee Tran The Ngoc informed his guest that the locality is situated in a key southern economic zone which is calling for investment in order to facilitate trade. Tien Giang is well on road to renewal and integration, he said. Ngoc and his counterpart Hu Chunhua said they pin high hopes on bilateral economic - trade cooperation. They expressed their expectation that Hu’s visit will create momentum for future coordination between the two localities. Toyota Viet Nam (TMV) on Monday expanded its recall campaign to include the Hilux pickup truck due to similar airbag technical failure for which Fortuner and Innova were recently recalled. The recall, which is applicable to 265 Hilux units produced between 1st Sept 2009 and 8th Dec 2009, followed last week's recall of 42,772 units of Innova and Fortuner for checking and replacing the spiral cable of the driver's airbag. The malfunctioning spiral cable may prevent the airbag from opening up in the event of a crash. Last Thursday , the Japanese car manufacturer announced that it was planning to recall 40,241 Innova units produced between Jan 7, 2006 and Jan 19, 2010, and 2,531 Fortuner units produced between Feb 1, 2009 and Jan 19, 2010. The move follows a global recall of vehicles, due to faulty airbags, by Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) that affected 3.5 million vehicles produced in North America, Europe, Under detailed guidelines issued by the TMC, the TMV will check and replace the spiral cable of the driver's airbag free of cost. Savills to hold property show Savills Viet The real estate partners are Phu My Hung, VinaCapital, The projects, which will be introduced, include Chateau Palace Villas, Star Hill, VNA offers more discounts The national carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has launched its promotional programme called "Golden Moments" for the ninth time on some domestic routes. Accordingly, from April 15 to 29, travellers can buy cheap one-way flight tickets from HCM City to Buon Ma Thuot City for VND499,000 (US$23.7); from HCM City to Da Lat for VND599,000 ($28.5); from HCM City to Vinh City for VND999,000 ($47.5); and from Ha Noi to Da Lat City for VND999,000 ($47.5). Travellers can fly with this promotion between April 15 to May 19. Japanese investors inspect delta Executives from 40 leading Japanese enterprises will visit the Cuu Long ( This was revealed at a working session between the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region and regional authorities in Can Tho on April 15. Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of the steering committee, said the visit is a good opportunity for localities to introduce their potential and incentives to lure Japanese investors to the region, which has so far recorded the lowest foreign direct investment in the country. Dung Quat celebrates 600 days The Dung Quat Oil Refinery, the first of its kind in A ceremony was held on Tuesday in the central Since it became operational in 2009, the plant has sold 26.7 million tonnes of products, earning VND543 trillion, or US$25.5 billion, in revenue, and contributing VND86 trillion, or $4.03 billion, to the State budget. In the first three months of 2014, it marketed nearly 1.7 million tonnes of products, gaining over VND37 trillion, or $1.7 billion. It contributed over VND7 trillion ($333 million), to the State budget. Customs goes electronic Binh Duong Customs has launched the Japanese-funded electronic customs system known as Viet Nam Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System and the Viet Nam Customs Information System (VNACCS/VCIS). According to the Binh Duong online newspaper, the system is based on The VNACCS/VCIS is part of the non-refundable customs modernisation project to build and launch an e-customs programme and a national one-door customs mechanism. Land rentals likely to rise The Finance Ministry has proposed increasing land rental rates as part of a draft decree on land rental, water surface rental and land use fees that will likely be submitted to the Prime Minister next month. The land rental rate currently ranges from 0.25 to two per cent of the land price, depending on what the land is used for and any investor incentives that the province or city offers. However, under the proposal, the rent would start at one per cent of the land price. Rates in urban areas, commercial or transport hubs and crowded residential areas could reach three per cent of land prices. At a meeting in the capital on Monday, representatives from Ha Noi and northern At a similar meeting in The minimum rent increased from 0.25 per cent in 2005 to 0.75 per cent in 2010, and the land price went up 10-15 times as a result, they pointed out. Chairman of HCM City Real Estate Association Le Hoang Chau said that land prices in the city were so high that they depressed investors. "To get land for operations, investors mostly pay compensation based on market prices, which are much higher than those imposed by local authorities. They also have to pay land rental based on future land prices, meaning they pay twice for the same land plot," he said. Deputy director of the HCM City Finance Department Ta Quang Vinh suggested that rental rates be based on what the land was used for. It should also be made clear when the land rental rate was based on the land price frame and when it was lowered by the provincial People's Committee as an incentive, he added. Stagnant production likely to push CPI down further The consumer price index (CPI) in April may dip further on the back of low purchasing power, noted the Price Management Department under the Ministry of Finance. However, the decline will happen at a slower pace as compared to that in March. The department has forecast that certain price pressures were in a state of stagnation. Epidemics that have affected livestock and poultry, for instance, are not under control in the central region, highland, and southern provinces. Agribusiness and production are therefore still stagnant. The prices of some essentials and utility services are expected to stay unchanged or decrease. The prices of diesel, mazut, oil, and gas have already been lowered in the end of March and early April. The country's CPI in March dropped 0.44 per cent against the previous month, the lowest level recorded during the past decade. The prices of food commodities and products posted the steepest fall of 0.96 per cent this month. Housing and construction materials, including rent, electricity, water, fuel, and construction supplies ranked second with a decline of 0.74 per cent. The CPI's slide during March was attributed to a sharp decline in consumption demand after the country's most important holiday of the Lunar New Year in February. The key reasons for the decline were decreased spending by the local consumers due to economic difficulties and stagnant production. However, the CPI in March still rose 0.8 per cent over December 2013. Speaking at a forum meant to boost economic co-operation between Since 2009 the city and Vo Tan Thanh, director of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's The city's exports accounted for more than $2.6 billion, a year-on-year decline of 17 per cent. Its imports rose by 19 per cent. Executives from more than 30 companies from Zhongshan and Chaozhou attended the forum. Their firms are mostly in strongly developing sectors like gas stove manufacture, chemicals, decorative lights, wooden furniture, pottery, and steel. They were apprised about the city's potential and investment opportunities and met local entrepreneurs. The Chinese cities did the same and promised all support to Vietnamese companies investing there. Several contracts were signed between companies from the two countries. MICs should play greater role in global partnership: Middle-income countries (MICs) should play a greater role in the global partnership by sharing their development experience, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung has said. He made the remark at a discussion of the first high-level meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development in The official further said that Dung said the country is now facing issues arising during the transition from low- to middle-income status, for example those relating to infrastructure, competitiveness, workforce quality, income gap and climate change. He added that The official noted the country aims to raise the gross domestic product per capita income to 3,000 USD by 2020. To that end, the Vietnamese Government focuses on completing the market mechanism, building a comprehensive and modern infrastructure, developing human resources and restructuring the economy. Within the meeting’s framework, the Deputy Minister attended bilateral meetings, plenary sessions and discussions. AEC – key to bridging Nguyen Thanh Hai, Deputy Head of the Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), made the statement at an export forum in Boosting exports to big economies such as the Pham Thi Hong Thanh, Deputy Head of the MoIT’s Asia-Pacific Department, said bilateral trade ties between She forecast that exports to these markets will continue to grow steadily as more than 99% of tax lines of six ASEAN countries – This will provide plenty of opportunity for She also pointed out challenges for Vietnamese products in the context of fierce competition, especially when barriers to protect domestic products no longer exist. Thanh suggested domestic businesses should accelerate exports of key products to ASEAN, such as mobile phone handsets and components, computers, electronics and components, means of transport, tools, machinery, equipment, steel and rice in the short term. They should also devise long-term business strategies to take full advantage of incentives post 2015. MoIT Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai said ASEAN is one of AEC and free trade agreements (FTAs) have helped promote Bridge linking Chairwoman of the Tay Ninh provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy revealed the opening date during her April 17 reception for the visiting Governor of Cambodia’s Prey Veng province, Has Saren. Construction on the bridge, connecting Tay Ninh with Cambodia’s Prey Veng and Kampong Cham provinces, began on March last year with a total investment of VND44.3 billion (US$2 million) sourced from the Vietnamese locality’s budget. The whole project includes the bridge - 67 metres long and 8 metres wide - and a 1.5 kilometre section of road connecting the border belt. Once operational, the bridge is expected to encourage cross-border trade between people along the border, contributing to the region’s economic development and cultural growth, as well as maintaining security and defence in the area. At the meeting, the two sides’ leaders also agreed to propose to their governments about upgrading the Tan Nam-Mon Chey auxiliary border gate to international level in the future. With an annual GDP per capita of over US$11,000, Statistics show However, the Trade Office said Brazilian businesses lack in information about To fully tap into this South American market, the Trade Office suggested Vietnamese businesses increase trade promotion, seize opportunity and expand export outlets. Two-way trade turnover between Key exports to Its key imports are maize, footwear and garment accessories, animal food and other raw materials. Businesses urged to grasp benefits from ASEAN Economic Community Domestic businesses have been told to promptly recognise the expected benefits brought by the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 and beyond so that they can connect with other countries from the bloc and the wider region. Participants made the suggestion at a forum in Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade (MIT) Do Thang Hai said the trade turnover between Last year, The export turnover was estimated at 4.7 billion USD in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 6.4 percent. However, the figure has tended to remain steady, and even slowed down on occasion, as domestic enterprises have not yet taken full advantage of the close geographical distance and incentives offered by the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA). Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the MIT Import-Export Department, said local firms need to raise the competitiveness of their exports through quality improvement, especially by following regulations related to origin certification (OC) of products, if they want to fully utilise the opportunities the AEC will provide. He proposed that domestic businesses should set up their development strategies to enlarge the production scale to meet larger orders in the near future. They also need to specify the contents of the strategies and measures to further boost their exports to the ASEAN market, participants suggested. Vietnamese, Chinese businesses seek cooperation Vietnamese and Chinese businesses gathered at a seminar in As part of the Vietnam-China Business Forum 2014, the conference will help the two countries’ businesses form initial orientations for their future investment plans, said Pham Quang Thinh, deputy head of the International Relations Department under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A Chinese representative said his country’s businesses are always encouraged to invest in He expressed his hope that via collaborations set up during the event, the multi-faceted cooperation between By the end of February, Work starts on Tuy Phong IZ The construction of the Tuy Phong Industrial Zone was kicked off in the central The zone, spread over 150ha in the Vinh Hao Commune, Tuy Phong District, has been funded by the Tan Dai Tien Company at a cost of VND370 billion, or US$17.6 million. It aims to have facilities for salt production, chemical production and logistics industries for the local farming, forest and seafood sectors. According to the investor, the industrial zone is located next to the The industrial zone's investor plans to complete the project by 2017. Standard Chartered inks coffee deal Standard Chartered Bank Quach Van Duc, general director of Tin Nghia, said: "Tin Nghia Corporation has continuously grown for many years and secured a place among "Now, with the support of Standard Chartered coupled with our almost 20 years' experience in the coffee export sector, we are confident that we will be able to continue adding value to Viet Nam's coffee industry and bring more benefits to local coffee growers." Nirukt Sapru, general director of Standard Chartered Bank ( US firm opens new feed plant American Feeds Co., an affiliate of Gold Coin Group, has inaugurated its second animal feed plant in the With an investment of VND260 billion (US$12.4 million), the new plant will provide 300,000 tonnes of animal feed each year, in order to meet the demands of the northern and central regions. Ha Noi to host support industry meet The 9th Viet Nam Support Industry Forum will kick off in the capital on May 8 promoting the development of businesses supplying parts and components to the manufacturing sector. Co-organised by Vietnam textile and garment exports soar in Q1 A positive forecast for the garment and textile industry has gradually become a reality. In the first three months of this year, the industry recorded impressive growths in terms of production and exports, creating good impetus for the next quarter, according to the Vietnam Economic News. In the first quarter of this year, the garment and textile industry ranked second in total export turnover with 4.5 billion USD, an increase of 21.9 percent compared to the same period last year. Exports to foreign markets recorded a fairly good growth. According to Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) Pham Duy Hanh, traditional markets for A strong growth in exports of In the first quarter of this year, fiber export turnover also increased 18.7 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 540 million USD thanks to an increase in supply of domestic raw materials. Some projects were put into operation in 2013 such as the Phu Bai 2 Fiber Plant, Vinatex-Hong Linh Fiber Plant and Phu An Fiber Plant. Pham Duy Hanh also said that in the first quarter of this year, Vinatex deployed 29 projects, including 6 fiber, 7 textile and 11 garment projects, 1 project on the construction of infrastructure, 3 projects on the construction of plant and 1 project on the development of cotton materials. Vinatex Investment Joint Stock Company and two The Deputy General Director of Vinatex Pham Duy Hanh also predicted that Vinatex would continue its good business performances in the second quarter of this yea.- BIDV-funded social facilities built on Ly Son The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV)’s branch in central Quang Ngai province handed several new social facilities to Ly Son island district on April 15, aiming to reduce difficulties facing local people. A total sum of 11 billion VND (517,000 USD) was spent on the new facilities, including six classrooms in the An Hai Secondary School, four kindergarten classrooms and the 1.7 billion VND (79,900 USD) Ly Son health centre. The bank also funded the construction of 20 houses worth 50 million VND (2,350 USD) each for the poor in the locality. Last year, the BIDV donated nearly 500 billion VND (23.5 million USD) to national target programmes, focusing on the healthcare, education, the upgrade of temporary houses, and emergency relief aid to compatriots affected by natural disasters. It also presented 70,000 Tet (Lunar New Year) gifts to poor people, totally valued at 22 billion VND (1.034 million USD).- Key ODA transport projects to receive reciprocal capital Seven urgent transport projects funded by official development assistance will receive capital injections totalling 2-2.5 trillion VND (95-119 million USD) in 2014’s first round of advancing reciprocal capital for projects, probably soon after April 30, the Vietnam Investment Review (VIR) reported on April 15. The decision has made at a recent meeting among the misnitries of transport and finance, the State Bank of These seven projects include a road linking Noi Bai international airport to Nhat Tan port in Hanoi, the Da Nang-Quang Ngai expressway, the Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway, Hanoi’s urban railway section from Cat Linh to Ha Dong, Mekong Delta transport infrastructure development (WB5), upgrading the northern sub-Mekong region transport network (national highway 217) and the Lo Te-Rach Soi highway (Delta region). “This list is temporary as they will only see capital injections once developers show that they have finalised disbursement of 70 percent of this year’s reciprocal capital before April 30 and have land acquisition plans approved by local governments,” said Deputy Head of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI)’s Infrastructure Department Tran Duc Toan. Of these above listed projects, two highways developed by the Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) are reportedly in position 15 days ahead of the deadline. “We will disburse nearly 900 billion VND (42.8 million USD) in reciprocal capital to the Da Nang-Quang Ngai and Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway projects no later than mid-April,” said VEC General Director Mai Tuan Anh. According to sources, additional reciprocal capital demands for the two projects are somewhere in the area of 2.3 trillion VND (110 million USD) this year, with 1.5 trillion VND (71.4 million USD) needed just by the latter. Construction of the Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway is slated to kick off in June. According to the Government Office, the National Assembly has approved only 8 trillion VND (381 million USD) in reciprocal capital for the whole country for implementing ODA projects this year. The transport sector is likely to be the biggest recipient with an expected 35 percent of the approved figure. In a document sent to the Prime Minister this March, the MoT proposed an additional allocation of 8.2 trillion VND (392 million USD) in reciprocal capital for ODA projects this year. This figure did not include 2.5 trillion VND (121 million USD) to be sourced from government bonds, already ratified by the Prime Minister earlier this year. “To achieve the full reciprocal capital demand for this year, ODA projects would have to disburse 35 trillion VND (1.66 billion USD) to complete 245km of highways, 12km of key urban roads, upgrade 167km of highway, complete the construction of the T2 terminal at Noi Bai Airport, and more,” said the head of MoT’s Planning and Investment Department Nguyen Hoang. Concerning ODA transport projects, the role of reciprocal capital is essential as it links with compensation and land acquisition, decisive factors in construction and general disbursement. “Key transport projects have a huge demand for reciprocal capital this year and a slow disbursement pace could make their targets unrealisable,” said Toan from the MPI. Phu Yen seamen gain big tuna catch Fishermen in central Phu Yen province are enjoying a productive spell, with 70 percent of tuna fishing boats bringing back 1.5-3 tonnes of ocean tuna each voyage. According to Captain Nguyen Ngoc Ry from the Tuy Hoa border post, more than 80 trawlers of fishermen living in Ward 6 and Phu Dong Ward have anchored and enjoyed higher yields of the fish than that on the first days of this year. Phan Thuan, chairman of the Ward 6’s Fishing Union, said 70 percent of tuna fishing vessels made profits of 70-80 million VND (3,290-3,760 USD) from each offshore fishing voyage. Although the price of tuna dropped to 135,000 VND (6.34 USD) per kilogram from 170,000 VND (7.99 USD), local fishermen still made a profit thanks to their additional catches of other fishes to make up costs for the fishing voyages, which normally last for 20-25 days. According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Phu Yen’s catch of ocean tuna has reached 1,900 tonnes since the beginning of the fishing crop.- Hai Duong attracts 320 million USD of foreign investment The northern province of Hai Duong has so far this year granted licences to nine foreign investment projects with a combined capital of 248 million USD, and allowed six on-going ones to add 71.4 million USD to their capital. Nguyen Danh Tu, an official from the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, further said this marks an increase of 116 percent over the figure the same period last year. The new projects are mainly in producing moulds, electronic components, garment and health care, with the 225-million-USD Vietnam - Canada international hospital being the most noteworthy. Hai Duong aims to attract another 450 million USD of foreign investment from now to the end of this year, with 300 million from new projects and 150 million from existing ones. To this end, the province will accelerate its investment promotion with major groups and trans-national corporations, along with removing red tape. Currently Hai Duong counts 264 foreign investment projects from 23 countries and territories with a combined capital of over 6.15 billion USD. The projects provide jobs for more than 130,000 workers and thousands of labourers.- Legislature’s role in FTA negotiations considered A close connection with National Assembly deputies and businesses will efficiently help negotiators make progress in the country’s future Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), a conference in Hanoi has heard. The discussion, exploring in depth the law-making body’s role in negotiating, ratifying and implementing FTAs, was jointly organised on April 15 by the National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Participants voiced that as the highest-level people-elected agency, the National Assembly needs to promptly reflect opinions and aspirations of parties involved in various stages of FTA negotiations and enactment. Chairman of the NA’s Committee for External Relations Tran Van Hang reported that Vietnam has so far signed eight FTAs, mainly with its partners in ASEAN, the EU, and China. It is working on different bilateral and regional FTAs. During the event, the participants, including economic experts, made forecasts on the factual impacts of FTAs on Vietnam’s economy, while identifying major bottlenecks during the negotiating and implementing process of FTAs. They raised legal issues that need to be revised for the country to sharpen its competitiveness in the global trade. Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway set to break ground in May Work will start on the 57-km Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway section linking the southeastern and southwestern regions next month as scheduled in a recent plan of the Ministry of Transport. The section, the last component of an expressway connecting Long An, HCMC, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, will allow vehicles to travel at a maximum speed of 120 km per hour and have up to eight lanes. Given the soft foundation along the expressway section, half of the route will be elevated. Besides, two large bridges will be built on the expressway. Binh Khanh Bridge will stretch over 3.7 km across Soai Rap River and Phuoc Khanh Bridge across Long Tau River. Total investment of the expressway section amounts to some VND31.3 trillion, financed by Japanese official development assistance and Asian Development Bank loans, and the state budget. Due to rising wages and construction material prices, the total cost might be adjusted up by an additional VND10 trillion compared to the amount approved earlier, Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) said. Therefore, to keep the already-approved cost unchanged, the Ministry of Transport has adjusted the expressway’s design along with other parts, resulting in a cost reduction of around VND8.5 trillion. After completion, the Ben Luc-Long Thanh expressway will connect southeastern and southwestern provinces and create a direct route leading to Hiep Phuoc and Cai Mep-Thi Vai ports and the planned Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai Province. Also in the second quarter of this year, the ministry plans to start construction of 15 projects and complete 20 other schemes. 30 km of Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway opened to traffic In a related development, VEC has opened to traffic an extra 30 km of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway going through Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho provinces, thus shortening the distance between Noi Bai and the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho to over 30 minutes instead of two hours before the section was put into use. As such, nearly 110 km of the 245-km expressway has been finished and put into use temporarily. The entire expressway is set for completion in June this year. Maritime Bank-MDB merger in the offing The local banking sector is looking to yet another merger – this time between Vietnam Maritime Bank and Mekong Development Bank (MDB). The merger deal has obtained approval from relevant authorities and is expected to be done in July, said an industry source. The board of directors of Maritime Bank will be presenting the merger plan at the bank’s annual general meeting on April 19 in Hanoi City. If the scheme wins approval from shareholders, the board will be assigned to map out a merger project and contract, a charter for the new bank and a share issue plan for share swaps and other documents as requested by administering agencies. Maritime Bank has total chartered capital of VND8 trillion and MDB over VND3.7 trillion. Industry insiders described the forthcoming merger between Maritime Bank and MDB as appropriate since they share some major shareholders and by end-2013 had had similar bad debt ratios, with Maritime Bank at 2.71% and MDB at 2.65%. According to a report by the board of directors, Maritime Bank has total assets of VND107 trillion and over 3,500 staff. Last year saw it obtaining nearly VND335 billion in after-tax profit and having total retained earnings of nearly VND284 billion. Meanwhile, MDB has total assets of over VND6.4 trillion and nearly 1,100 staff. Last year, its profit after tax totaled VND63.4 billion. Prudential Life insurer Prudential Vietnam on April 10 announced 2013’s business results with total income of around VND11 trillion, up 10% versus the previous year. The total premium income reached over VND7.6 trillion, up 16%, and new business sales hit nearly VND1.8 trillion, a 21% improvement. Its retained profit at the end of last year was VND2.6 trillion. As of the end of 2013, Prudential had paid cumulative insurance benefits totaling VND15.7 trillion to around 1.7 million cases. Its total assets reached VND37.8 trillion, an increase of 15% from late 2012. In 2014, Prudential aims to improve the quality of its products and services to celebrate 15 years of its Source: VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VIR |
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Social News Headlines 19/4 Regulation requiring insurance for domestic help draws fire Many people have voiced objections to a newly-issued regulation requiring employers of domestic helpers to pay labour insurance. The newly-issued Decree 27 guides the implementation of the Labour Law governing social and medical insurance for those who work as domestic help. The regulation, which will take effect on May 25 stipulates that employers of domestic help must sign labour contracts that stipulate the salaries, living conditions, transport fees, any funding for vocational training and any other compensation. The regulation also requires that domestic help have at least eight hours for rest, including six consecutive resting hours, along with at least one full day off per week with pay. Employers must also pay extra for overtime and work during holidays. Domestic help would have 12 days of annual leave if they work for one consecutive year for a single employer. Employers will also be required to pay an additional sum of money equivalent to required social and health insurance for their domestic help to facilitate them to buy insurance on their own. The regulation has not attracted much attention from domestic workers, as they largely lack of information. Nguyen Thi Tham, 51, a domestic worker for a family in Many domestic workers say that they dare not ask for the required payments from their house masters but hope for good treatment. Some even fear losing their jobs if they ask for new benefits. Meanwhile, the regulation has attracted a lot of attention from employers, many of whom oppose it. A man named Tuan from “The regulation requires us to allow our domestic help to take one full day off each week but we can’t comply to that. We had to hire domestic help to take care of our baby while we are at work. Compliance to the regulation means we would have to work while our helper is off on the weekend, and that is impossible,” he commented. Some other people have said that they would face difficulties if their domestic help regularly took off one to two days per month to meet the requirements for annual leave. They say they cannot stop working and stay at home to take care of their children in order to work around the lives of their domestic helpers. “I think that there should not be a fixed policy on social and medical insurance for domestic help, as they don’t care much about it and are more interested in their total monthly income. This is an issue for negotiation between the two sides involved. The regulation just sets up a sanction to prevent the abuse of domestic workers," said one woman. Parents in Parents of young children in There is also a large concern about bringing children to crowded public places. Many have sent their children to the countryside. There are currently over 7,000 people infected with the disease nationwide and with over 100 deaths due to complications related to the disease since December 2013. The concentration of infections is most prevalent in The Ministry of Education and Training have yet to take action regarding this issue. Southern provinces experiences heat wave and rain Districts 4, 5, 7, 8, and Nha Be in HCMC experienced heavy rains on April 16. Other southern provinces including Tay Ninh, Kien Giang, and An Giang also experienced heavy rain. The provinces had 100 mm of rainfall recorded, according to the Southern Hydro Meteorological Center. The majority of the record resulted from scattered thunderstorms, said Nguyen Minh Giam, the center’s deputy director. The rain is due to a cold front from the north travelling south to the hot humidity, said Giam. The hot current with low pressure caused heavy rain and thunderstorm in some regions. The region will be experiencing clear weather with a heat wave, according to the forecast. Provinces are expected to experience temperatures of 37-39 degrees Celsius. Western provinces will experience a 2 or 3 degree drop in temperature. The rainy season is expected to start at the end of April or the beginning of May. Coastal provinces including Kien Giang, Cau Mau and southeastern provinces will experience heavy rain. This year’s rainy season will commence later than last year. Average rainfall is also expected to be lower. HCMC to build more kindergartens schools The city will also provide investment capital for 93 school building projects in 22 districts with VND9.4 billion (US$446,500) for the first phase. The city will provide over VND 1 trillion to support private kindergartens in accordance to government’s decision on supporting private preschools, said Director of the Department of Finance in HCMC Dao Thi Huong Lan. However, it is a big sum. Lan petitions indirect supporting methods including providing stimulus packages, land hiring exemptions, and free training for teaching staff in non-public kindergartens. The Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Interior issued a decree to provide financial support to teachers in private preschools. At present, preschools teachers are still not able to receive aid due to unclear policy and registration. 84 winners of technical skill contest honored The 84 winners of the technical skill contest for students in vocational schools were honored on April 15. The winners along with 55 trainers received certificates of merit. This year’s contest received 219 applicants from vocational facilities in HCMC. The first and second-prize winners will be selected into a team for the national technical skill contest in May 2014. Winners will qualify to participate in the 10th ASEAN Technical Skill Contest in Video conference product is promising to revolutionize medical procedures INext Company from the The pilot program for the product was at People’s Hospital 115. It aided in four difficult operations. The use of the product was during a hip-replacement operation for an 84-year-old woman. Online operations have linked with hospitals in Ca Mau and Tien Giang provinces. The product was checked by the Department of Science and Technology in March. Doctors in provinces and districts can easily connect with their counterparts in big hospitals who will guide during difficult operations, said Nguyen Chi Ngoc, lecturer at the university and representative of the INext Company. This is an effective training for doctors in small hospitals. Older methods of video conferences were used at Cho Ray in HCMC and Viet-Duc and Bach Mai hospitals in The implementation of INEXT’s product will give doctors in distant clinics conferences with leading medical experts in big cities, said Dr. Nguyen Dinh Phu, deputy head of People Hospital 115. Many patients are unable to transfer hospitals therefore this method will alleviate that issue. The Ministry of Health used to ask doctors in central hospitals to go to remote areas to help their colleagues and transfer technologies. Overcrowding in the city hospitals make it hard for doctors to leave. Dr. Phu believes the new product will help increase treatment quality and reduce pressure on big hospitals. The new product will be used in People’s Hospital 115 in late 2014 and then it will be used in hospitals in district 7, 12 and the Illegal logging destroys protected forest The Song Lo protected forest in Blatant illegal logging has been reported by residents of Lam Phu Commune, Lang Chanh District. Large areas of chopped down trees riddle the path that leads to the forest. The loggers have cut down trees in many forest areas such as Lan Chay, Me Giang and Ong Vien. After cutting wood into suitable planks and blocks, the loggers use motorbikes to carry it out under cover of darkness. They often work in large groups of four to six so that they can intimidate rangers if they are caught. The deeper into the forest one goes, the more treeless areas can be found. The illegal loggers do not bother with stealth. A large amount of lumber can be seen sitting around near the centre of the Nguyen Duy Vinh, the head of the forest ranger unit in Lang Chanh District admitted that the situation has gotten out of control in and around Na Dang Village. Since late 2013, they have increased the number of rangers there but, due to large area and lack of personnel, the problem continues. As of late 2013, loggers were able to take away dozens of cubic metres of woods. Locals refuse to act for fear of reprisals. "We tried to do our best. We've made reports to the Thanh Hoa Province People's Committee so that they could direct the relevant agencies to deal with the problem," Vinh said. The chairman of Lang Chanh District People's Committee also said they asked forest rangers and managers of Song Lo forest increase their efforts to prevent illegal logging. "We'll report to the higher-ups if becomes necessary," he said. Vietnam indicts 3 Taiwanese for sending 229kg of heroin to Taiwan Vietnamese police have taken legal proceedings against three Taiwanese for their involvement in a case in which 600 bricks of heroin weighing 229 kg, worth nearly US$400 million, were sent by air without detection from Ho Chi Minh City to Taiwan in November last year. These Taiwanese are Sung Yuan Hsuan, 34, Pan Po Chung, 40, and Chen Kuo Shun, 37, who have been charged with “illegally transporting drugs” in Vietnam. They arrived in On October 16, they bought two loudspeakers from a company in Tan Phu District. Five days later, they purchased 10 more loudspeakers. The three men packed the devices in 12 cardboard containers and kept them at their hotel. After stuffing heroin into these 12 loudspeakers, the Taiwanese trio commissioned Le Hoa Trading and Forwarding Company Limited, located in District 1, to carry out all procedures necessary for sending the 12 drug-containing loudspeakers to Le Hoa then had another freight forwarding company, KL Freight Forwarding Company, which is a business partner of China Airlines, arrange with the carrier to send the shipments to the territory. On November 16, the 12 cardboard containers, weighing 438 kg in total, were transported to Tan Son Nhat. After e-customs procedures for the shipments were completed, the cargos were put through a scanning system of the airport’s security force for examination but the system failed to detect the drugs. The heroin, weighing 229 kilograms, was seized by Taiwanese customs officers at Each of the containers contained 50 bricks of heroin that were coated with chocolate paste in order to fool detection dogs, said Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau. The street value of the drugs, allegedly originating in Vietnamese police and customs officials have launched their investigations into the case following the seizure. In late November 2013, Tan Son Nhat Security Services Company suspended four executives of a team in charge of scanning and inspecting goods for failing to discover the drugs. On November 26, 2013, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed relevant ministries strengthen measures to prevent drugs from being shipped to and from He also asked the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with competent agencies, both at home and abroad, to find out the origin of the drugs and identify those responsible for sending them to To date, Taiwanese police have arrested ten people for investigation. Newly-built schools left unused in Thanh Hoa A number of schools in Nghi Xuan District, one of the poorest districts of The schools were built under the government’s Programme 135 and foreign-funded projects. Binh Luong Commune, just some kilometres from the district centre, has three schools which were put into use between 2004 and 2005 that now sit empty and quiet. Among those, the kindergarten in This kindergarten has since been turned into a cultural house for the village. Meanwhile, the two primary schools now serve as a warehouse and a guesthouse. Some residents said that at one point the primary school in Dinh Tan Tuan, Chairman of Binh Luong Commune People’s Committee, admitted the schools had been left idle. He blamed the situation on a failure of the schools to enroll enough students. After the closures, the schools were left to the communes for management, but no official documentation of the handover was issued. Le Nhan Tri, Deputy Director of Nhu Xuan District’s Department of Education and Training, asserts that the transfers were certified by a document on asset guarantees, but when asked about this, he refused to produce it. According to Tri, some other local communes are in the same situation. He promised to provide the reporter with a specific figure about the number of the unused schools, but two days later he would not receive the reporter's call. Ministry explains controversial education package Pham Ngoc Phuong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), explained how over VND34 trillion (USD1.61 billion) will be spent on education reform. According to Phuong, they will need about VND105 billion to creating new content for textbooks, curriculum and teaching materials; VND910 billion will be spent on pilot teaching programmes at 600 primary, secondary and high schools; the implementation of the nationwide programme, in cluding 30,000 schools, will cost about VND8 trillion. VND20 trillion will be spent on buying additional equipment, replacing 50% of the current equipment, and printing textbooks. The rest will be used on the application of information technology to teaching methods and exams. The MoET said the largest chunk of the budget, VND20 trillion for equipment, will be given directly by the Ministry of Finance to localities. Leaders of the MoET also said that, even without the reform plan, they would still need funds for equipment upgrades. At the April 15 press conference with the MoET, a representative from the media pointed out that A member of drafting committee for textbooks and curriculum, Do Ngoc Thong, said, "We are not hiding anything. This number is just an estimate. The entire cost of the programme must go through various reviews by the Ministry of Finance and National Assembly's inspectorates, so it's difficult to give exact numbers at this time." Thong said they will still make use of the equipment that has already been acquired and that the main focus of the plan is on revamping learning and teaching methods. The MoET is collecting opinions and aims to complete their plan by April 25 in order to submit it for discussion at the NA meeting in May. Supermarket staff humiliate schoolgirl, may face prosecution Police in the central highlands The incident occurred on the afternoon of April 10, when, according to the student, she put her money in her bag, which was put at the supermarket cabinet. The girl then took two books worth VND10,000 (USD0.47) each, intending to pay for them after getting the money from her bag. However, she was stopped by security when she went to the first floor. Store security tied her to the stairs, hung a sign around her neck saying “I’m a thief," took her photo and uploaded it to Facebook. When her friend called one of the girl's relatives for help, the relative was asked to pay a fine of VND200,000 (USD9.47) for her to be released. “We decided to pay the fine because we think that our child was wrong to some extent and we don’t want to cause any more trouble,” her parents said. Nguyen Thi Nga, the owner of the supermarket, said she was not at the supermarket when the incident occurred and it was never reported to her. Nga added that the security guard responsible claimed that he did it just for fun. After the public outcry following the incident, the security guard resigned. General Dinh Binh, head of police in Chu Se District said they are investigating the incident. RMIT plans new facility in Hanoi The new facility in the capital city was unveiled by professor Gael McDonald, new president and general director of RMIT Vietnam, at a function in HCMC yesterday. However, she did not unveil the investment capital needed for this new campus as this depended on the site RMIT could find. McDonald said RMIT had invested significantly in RMIT Vietnam currently has 6,000 students, including some 4,500 students at its Saigon South campus in HCMC’s District 7. The Australian-owned university looks to bring the total number to 15,000 by 2020. To achieve this goal, RMIT Vietnam will focus on enhancing teaching quality and investing in new facilities in the next five years. In addition, it will intensify cooperation with enterprises in training and recruiting graduates. Late last year, the university inaugurated Academic Building 2 at its Saigon South campus in order to double its teaching space in HCMC. The facility, equipped with modern teaching and learning technology, allows for a range of flexible learning spaces. With its 14,400 square meters of space across six levels, the new building can house up to 1,100 students at a time. RMIT Vietnam is a 100% Australian-invested university established in Source: Dantri/SGGP/VNA/Tuoitre/VOV |
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Exporters bargain rice away, farmers suffer Vietnamese exporters have won the bid to provide 800,000 tons of rice to the Philippines, thanks to low bids.  Nguyen Hung Linh, Chair of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), declined to provide information about the winning bid, but said it was a reasonable market price. Meanwhile, Thoi bao Kinh te Saigon has quoted its sources as saying that According to Nguyen Dinh Bich, a well-known rice analyst, Vietnamese rice exporters may have bid exceptionally low prices out of a fear of being undercut by Thailand, whom they’d heard was determined to win the bid to clear its excessive stocks. Bich noted that even if the Thai government had accepted selling rice to Thai businesses at low prices in order to support its farmers, the export prices would not be very low, because those businesses would have to tack on the costs of transportation, polishing and other expenses. Lam Anh Tuan, Director of Thinh Phat Company Ltd, which is a member of VFA, noted that the “ability of the staff joining the bid for providing rice to the He stressed that the selling price could have been $30 per ton higher. Another rice exporter also thinks that Meanwhile, an exporter disagreed with Tuan, saying that Farmers will suffer It will be the farmers, not the rice exporters, who suffer most from the low export prices. It can be expected that, in order to assure themselves of a profit, rice exporters will force the domestic rice price down. Farmers will have to sell their rice at low prices, making only small profits, or possibly even taking losses. Contrary to all predictions, the ongoing government-instituted program to purchase one million tons of rice from Vietnamese farmers for storage has not helped to boost domestic prices. Prices did climb during the first days of the rice buying campaign, but later declined. Dr Nguyen Ngoc Kinh, a farm produce expert, asserts that only merchants, who collect rice from farmers to sell to businesses, and rice exporters benefit from the rice production chain. Meanwhile, farmers’ profits are unstable because of their dependence on the market price fluctuations. Businesses refuse to provide capital and give support to farmers. They would rather inject money into agriculture materials, industrial products or real estate to make a profit. Kinh also states that farmers can make only a modest profit of VND50,000 per “sao” (360 square meters) of rice field, a sum of money just enough for two bowls of pho (Vietnamese traditional dish – noodles served with beef or chicken). Dat Viet |
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Operational rules issued for climate plan
The operational framework was developed by the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) - a research institution within MONRE – in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Bank (WB). For a long time, the preferred solution has been to engage in infrastructural engineering and construction or other "hard" options – such as sea walls and dikes – rather than "soft" options such as conserving, restoring and improving ecosystems, since the former provides immediate, measurable results. Recently, however, evidence shows the long-term financial efficiency and practicality of ecosystem-based solutions. These solutions are especially suitable for countries like Since 2010, WWF has been working to develop a guiding framework for ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change for the Mekong Subregion. In "The guidelines have been developed in consultation with national and international institutions, and the recommended ecosystem-based adaptations have been piloted in three coastal districts in southern "We hope the guidelines will be of great help to policy makers and decision makers in responding to climate change," he added. The implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change is drawing attention from Dr. Nguyen Van Tai, director of ISPONRE, said, "It is essential that we integrate climate change issues into our strategy and planning development. And that makes this operational framework a valuable reference." This operational guide is appropriate for policies and strategies established by the government of Viet Nam in the battle against climate change, including Resolution 24-NQ/TW on actively responding to climate change, enhancing sustainable resource management, and protecting the environment, as well as the National Strategy on Green Development and the National Strategy against Climate Change, both of which emphasise the importance of maintaining and recovering ecosystems to climate change resilience in Viet Nam. The operational framework will be distributed among government agencies, institutions, NGOs and other relevant entities across 63 provinces and cities of |
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VN’s most modern radial truck tyre factory inaugurated Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on April 19 cut the ribbon to inaugurate an all-steel radial truck tyre factory in the southern Covering 120,000 sq.m in the Co-invested by the Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem) and the Southern Rubber Industry Joint Stock Company (Casumina), the plant is capable of producing 1 million units per year. Its aims at both domestic and foreign markets such as the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia, the US, North America and Europe. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy PM Hai urged the investors to do more to ensure the factory will operate effectively./. |
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20 things to do on Phu Quoc Island With a motorbike, you can putt around the island, drop in at any beach to swim, and walk on shady roads.  The Tranh River. Photo Gesdman. Here are 20 things that any visitor may wish to experience when they come to Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang Province: 1. Enjoy the sunset at Dinh Cau Rock (Temple): One of the many attractions in Phu Quoc is Dinh Cau Rock or Dinh Cau Temple, which is located at the mouth of the Duong Dong River in Duong Dong Town. It is a combination of a Buddhist temple and a lighthouse that was built in 1937 as a dedication to Thien Hau (the Goddess of the sea) who provides protection for the fisherman and vessels that head out to the open waters. Climbing the steps offers a better view of the many fishing boats navigating the narrow river opening, as well as views along the coast. The beachfront here also is a good place to view the sunset and local life in the evenings. There are views of a small lighthouse in the distance and the beaches of the townspeople. 2. Diving to see corals in Hon Thom: Hon Thơm is the largest island in the commune of Hon Thom, with a population of over 3,00. People live concentrated on the east and west shores of the island and tend to follow the seasonal winds that make the island interesting and special. Almost every family on this island owns two houses, one on the east side and one on the west. They move between homes with the changing seasons, and the two seasons are referred to as "mua truong" and "mua nam". When a family vacates a house, they cover the front in coco leaves to prevent sand and sea salt, which tends to rust furniture, from blowing in.  A beautiful beach on Phu Quoc Island. Photo Gesdman. Visitors can reach Hon Thom by two kinds of boat. Cruise ships organize tours for fishing and diving on the coral reefs, and passenger boats, which travel between Hon Thom and An Thoi. The closer to Hon Thom, the clearer the image of a real fishing village. Many temporary houses are built up on the sea shore; fishermen can be seem mending their nets in a leisurely and peaceful fashion. Go to the island center to find a small market. Hon Thom does not have paved roads - only dirt roads, lined by large trees that do a great job of cooling the air. 3. Swim in Da Ban Spring: It is located 16km east of the center of Duong Dong town, in the center of the Phu Quoc Island. On Duong Dong route 1km north, turning right along a bendy road, tourists arrive at Da Ban stream – a wonderful natural site. The weather is as cool as that of Dalat, and it is very quiet because there are few people here. A stream rises from a high mountain range, edging its way through big, flat stone slabs lying in series. This is the Da Ban stream. The stream is almost poetic, and reminds one of a watercolor painting of two gods playing chess on stone slabs. In addition, tourists can climb on stone slabs to listen to the water babbling and birds singing. It’s the music of forest – a kind of music that, with its melodious rhythm, no musical instrument can fully imitate. Fishes in the stream go here and there. Collecting wild fruits, dipping in the stream, making fire in a cave or catching fish for grilling, tourists will have a most interesting meal. For a moment, we become cavemen in the 20th century. 4. Go picnic at Tranh Stream: Suoi Tranh is located 7 km west of Duong Dong town, about halfway to Ham Ninh on the east coast. Just inside the entrance to Suoi Tranh are Eden-like gardens adorned with large statues of figures from the ancient Chinese fable “Journey to the West”. Some of you may recall the TV series “Monkey”, which was based on the same story. Suoi Tranh is made up of a string of peaceful rock pools and waterfalls and the short trek to the larger waterfall at the top of the trail is well worth the effort. 5. Admire the scenery of Da Ngon stream: With its system of seven waterfalls, Da Ngon stream is a suitable place for those who love to explore and adventure. It has water all year round. But visitors should be careful when coming to Da Ngon Stream in the rainy season, as rocks here are slippery and dangerous. The period from November to April is the best time to visit this stream. 6. Bath at Dai Beach: With the white sands and the green, clear water, Dai Beach is one of the most beautiful and primitive beaches, as voted by the BBC. Dai beach’s coast is 1500 meters long. Many large trees grow straightaway along to the coast. This beach is new land of great potential which can help Phu Quoc Island develop its tourism.  Outside the Phu Quoc Prison. Photo Gesdman. 7. Sao Beach: On the east side of Phu Quoc lie some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Getting to Sao beach is a bit tricky. You will need some local help to get here. If you take a taxi, it won’t be so difficult to find the place, however remember that it is a little isolated. There are a couple of restaurants here and one place with basic accommodation. 8. Pristine Khem Beach: Just over the boulders from Bai Sao beach, Bai Khem is breathtaking in its beauty. But there's a catch — it's a military zone, and tourists (that's you) are not permitted. If you try and reach it from the road you can expect the military checkpoint to turn you away. By climbing over the rocks from Bai Sao you can get a glimpse of the beach and, depending on how cheeky you're feeling, have a swim, but bear in mind you are breaking the law and if you're caught, you will be in trouble. 9. Discover Ganh Dau: Ganh Dau is a destination that you should not miss in Phu Quoc. If Phu Quoc is called Pearl Island because of its shimmering, pure, wild and romantic beauty, Ganh Dau is the brightest pearl on the necklace. Ganh Dau is located in the northern section of Phu Quoc, in which pristine forests, mountains, and seas remain intact. From the town of Duong Dong, you ride a motorbike back up the northern side of the island. Just out of a slightly crowded town you can see red dirt roads running through many peaceful villages. From Ganh Dau, you can visit Nguyen Trung Truc Temple and see breathtaking natural beauty that is vast and beautiful. Here is a bow beach running over 500 meters long, shielded by two mountains. Standing on Ganh Dau, you can see Ta Lon mountain of Cambodia. Ganh Dau has a lot of coral, rocks and various kinds of fish, particularly red grouper. Seafood here is cheap, and is caught by the fishermen and cooked on the spot to be ready for you to enjoy. The most enjoyable activity when you visit Ganh Dau is just swimming and viewing the borderland between Vietnam and Cambodia. If you like exploring, you can rent boats to come to two islands offshore: Hon Ban and Hon Thay Boi..  Phu Quoc's fresh seafood. Photo Gesdman. The shape of Phu Quoc Pearl Island is like a fish with its tail thrashing, swimming to the north, its mouth wide open. That mouth is Ganh Dau, where primary forest stops right at the white sand beaches. Seafood specialties of Ganh Dau are very fresh and quite cheap. After sightseeing, swimming, or playing, you can ask to buy shrimp, fish, or squid from the fishermen and ask them to cook it. The local people are friendly, simple, and good-natured. 10. Explore Phu Quoc National Park: Phu Quoc National park covers more than 50% of the island, so it is definitely worth considering a visit, especially if you would like to escape the heat of the daytime sun, take a walk along a park trail or motorbike on one of roads in the north. It will give you a taste of the natural environment on Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc National Park was established in 2001, and includes 8,603 hectares of strictly protected area, 22,603 hectares of biological restoration area and 33 hectares for administration and services. An additional 6,144 hectares is dedicated to a land-buffer zone, with around 20,000 hectares of sea-buffer zone, though the final Marine protection zones are yet to be declared. Located on an island with mixed terrestrial and coastal climates, Phu Quoc National Park contains many forest types and landscapes, including mangroves and wetlands, sparse forested areas, coastal vegetation and forest on rocky mountains. Studies by the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center in 2005 recorded 1,164 higher plant species, including 23 orchid species and 12 rare plants, including the globally endangered Paphiopedilum callosum which was recently found in the park. A total of 208 animal species were recorded in the National Park, including 28 mammals, 119 birds, 47 reptiles and 14 amphibians. Of these animal species, 6 mammal, 4 bird and 9 reptile species are globally endangered. The rare species here include lorises, the long-tailed macaque, silver langur, otter, and hornbill. Phu Quoc National Park is not strictly defined, however until the National park is made more accessible for the needs of tourism, the following options are available for visitors keen to explore what is on offer; Hire a motorbike on your own and explore the northerly parts of the island. The best areas and most forested parts can be found on the road toward Ganh Dau. To get there, take the road from Duong Dong towards Bai Thom and turn off toward Ganh Dau. The national park becomes more apparent the closer you get to Ganh Dau Village. Walking trails are limited, though for a great way to experience the national park there is a good walking trail 5km before Ganh Dau, where the going is relatively easy and the trail wide enough to take in the surrounding environment. The walk is a particularly pleasant way to escape the heat, as the vegetation provides cover from the heat of the sun. Take the same road mentioned previously towards Ganh Dau and 100m after the 5km Ganh Dau road marker on the left hand side you’ll find an opening in the national park with a clearly defined walking trail, which continues for a couple of kilometers. Note, besides the 5km Ganh Dau marker, the actual trail is not sign posted. If you’d like to experience the National Park along with other sites, you might consider booking a tour through one of the many tour operators on the island, or enquire with your hotel. 11. Visit Ham Ninh fishing village: Located 20km northeast of Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc district, Ham Ninh village is renowned for its breathtaking natural scenery and peaceful daily life of local fishermen. Originally, the residents in Ham Ninh used to solely rely on fishing to make a living, but in recent years, tourism has become a major source of income as they sell seafood and handmade souvenirs to tourists. In hot summer days, traveling to Ham Ninh, visitors are likely to leave their bustling life behind, and be lost in the picturesque scenery here. Stunned by the turquoise sea, tourists are certainly tempted to immerse themselves into the cool water and contemplate small fishes swimming beside them, and seaweed floating in the blue water. Visiting Ham Ninh, travelers have a golden chance to taste mouth-watering and healthful drinks and seafood like ginseng-seaweed water, “Tram” mushroom (a special kind of mushroom in the island), sea-horse soaking in the liquor and so on. And it is so great to lie on the sand, enjoy boiled flower crab meat and watch the stunning sunset on the beach. Before returning home, visitors can buy flower crabs, a bottle of sea-horse in liquor or some souvenirs made of shell as gifts for friends and family.  Photo Gesdman. 12. Coi Nguon Museums: Located on a small hill on Tran Hung Dao Street in Duong Dong Town, the museum was established in 2009 by Huynh Phuoc Hue, who has spent over 15 years collecting thousands of antiques and artifacts. Tourists can buy tickets at VND20,000 each, accompanied with a brochure on the museum, and start their journey to explore the five-story building in an area of over 1.5 hectares. There are 2,645 antiques made from stone, pottery, bronze and fossilized wood dated from the 15th century to the early 20th century, and 540 artifacts consisting of furniture, artworks and fishing tool and household appliances. There are also around 100 traditional paintings. Tourists can discover Phu Quoc’s natural conditions, an overview of the museum, and battles to protect the island on the ground and first floors respectively. The second floor exhibits antique collections, while the third floor displays the model of a wreck and numerous antique fish from sunken vessels discovered on the eastern side of the island. Images of local peoples’ daily lives are on display at the fourth floor. The rooftop has a panoramic view of Duong Dong Town, a pearl blue sea and an immense forest. If you tire of walking, you can go to souvenir shops on the ground floor selling jewelry made from pearl, fossilized wood and shells and craft products made from lua wood. Or you can climb the hill to see a very interesting place – a sea eagle reserve in which you can admire numerous beautiful white and black birds standing inside a giant iron cage raising their strong voices or spreading their wide wings to fly around the cage. Tourists can also escape the sunlight and heat under the shades of many romantic tree houses along the path leading to the sea eagle reserve. Coi Nguon Museum is located at 149 Tran Hung Dao Street, Quarter 7, Duong Dong Town, Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province. 13. Learn about Phu Quoc Prison: Phu Quoc Prison was built in 1949-1950 by the French colonists to jail those considered especially dangerous to the colonist government. Many of the high ranking leaders of Vietnam were detained here in their earlier days. It is ranked as a special historical relic of national importance by the government of Vietnam. The most famous site in this prison is the "tiger cage". The prison covers an area of 40,000 square metres. It was closed after the country united and opened for visitors later. 14. Nguyen Trung Truc Temple: The temple was built as a dedication to the local hero Nguyen Trung Truc, after he was executed. Later, it was rebuilt spaciously. Each year, on the anniversary of his death, many tourists attend a festival here and burn incense to pray for Nguyen Trung Truc. 15. Buy Phu Quoc fish sauce: There are over 100 fish sauce producers in Phu Quoc. Phu Quoc fish sauce is renowned for its traditional flavor that has been maintained for more than 100 years. You can buy fish sauce as gifts. 16. Ho Quoc Temple: This temple was recently inaugurated near the town of An Thoi, with a good view down to the beach. 17. Go to Phu Quoc Market: The market is bustling from early morning with all kinds of boats providing fruit and seafood. The everyday life of ordinary people on the island can be seen from this market. 18. Pick rambutans: In the harvest season in June and July, gardens along the road to the town of Duong Dong are dyed in the red color of rambutan. You can drop in at a garden and pick fresh fruit yourself. Be careful with the black ants on the trees. 19. Pepper gardens: Phu Quoc pepper is very famous for its pungent aromatic taste. After visiting a pepper garden, you can buy some dry pepper as gifts for your friends and families. 20. Enjoy seafood at Dinh Cau Night Market: The market opens daily from 18h to 23h in Duong Dong town, where you can freely select and taste the delicacies that are not to be missed, such as lobster, herring salad and snails. Compiled by Pha Le, |
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BUSINESS IN BRIEF 20/4 Japanese firm makes battery-powered bikes in city HCMC export processing zones and industrial parks authority Hepza has licensed In the US$2.3 million project, the investor will lease a ready-built factory at the industrial park in District 2 to manufacture 9,500 motorcycles and 9,900 bicycles a year. According to a source, Terra Motors previously had plans to assemble battery-powered motorcycles and bicycles at an industrial park in the Mekong Delta Last year, Terra Motors announced production of A4000i motorcycles and that this battery-powered scooter integrated with iPhone would be made in The scooter featuring smartphone integration will provide riders with information about locations, restaurants and entertainment services as well as speed, travel distance, temperature and battery. As Terra Motors does not sell the A4000i product with iPhone, riders need to connect their own iPhone to the scooter. Terra Motors is looking to become a leading battery-powered motorcycle manufacturer in ANZ: Bad debts hinder lending High levels of bad debt are holding back domestic demand for bank loans while businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), have great appetite for fresh funds, said ANZ Bank. According to the Despite ample liquidity, banks are still hesitant to extend their loan books, making government bonds the prime investment of choice. Local banks have cornered around 80% of bonds issued since the start of the year. Foreign banks snapped up 10%, closely followed by financial institutions with 9.6%, the report said. The Treasury of Vietnam, The central bank remains optimistic that its 2014 credit growth target of 12-14% is attainable. The 12% credit growth target last year was achieved. To bolster credit growth, the agency has cut its refinancing rate by 50 basic points to 6.5%, taking the cumulative rate reduction to 850 basic points since early 2012. In addition, commercial banks have been told to cut the short-term deposit rate ceiling to 6% per annum. However, ANZ said any further rate reductions would have a limited effect on credit growth. “We believe the tepid rise in credit is more a reflection of tight credit supply due to banks’ unwillingness to lend with high non-performing loans on their balance sheets.” Further, the lack of clarity in the true level of non-performing loans in the banking system worsens the unevenness in credit distribution. Large and State-owned enterprises continue to get the bulk of available credit, depriving SMEs of funding. In 2013, SMEs received less than 15% of total credit. The central bank recently postponed by nine months to April 2015 the implementation of new loan classification rules that were introduced in Circular 02. ANZ said any delay in debt classification is a step back in policy and will likely prolong banks’ unwillingness to extend credit to SMEs. The bank in the report forecast the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast of 5.6% and 5.8% in 2014 and 2015 respectively. The figure is similar to recent predictions such as of the World Bank at 5.5% this year and National Financial Supervisory Commission at 5.8%. Casino winners may repatriate money abroad Foreigners who win at casinos in the country may be allowed to repatriate foreign currency abroad, according to the draft of a new circular which the central bank is gathering comment on. Under the draft, players winning foreign currency in cash may choose to sell it to designated banks to take In case prize money is paid in foreign currency via transfer, the amount is transferred from the account of the casino operator to the account of the player opened at an designated bank or to an overseas account. Players can also authorize casino operators to contact the chosen bank to make transactions concerning deposit, transfer, money change and applying for a license on money repatriation. The draft also requires casino operators to open different accounts in different currencies at designated banks to facilitate foreign currency transactions. According to official statistics, State Audit says to examine road maintenance fund State Audit of Vietnam has announced it will inspect the accounting procedures and records in 2013 of the country’s road maintenance fund to see how money collected from vehicle owners has been used. According to a decision issued by State Audit last week, the inspection will look into the establishment, allocation, management and usage of the fund last year. The audit, which will last 60 days starting from early this week, will also affect the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam and Vietnam Register. State Audit will thoroughly examine the road management bureaus I, II, III and IV and the transport departments in Lang Son, Nghe An, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Yen Bai and A budget of more than VND7 trillion is projected for road maintenance and repair nationwide this year, with more than VND4.6 trillion paid by vehicle owners and VND2.45 trillion covered by the State budget, the office of the Central Road Maintenance Fund said. The fund’s collections were estimated at more than VND1 trillion in the first quarter, meeting 23.5% of the year’s plan. The Ministry of Transport has presented to the Government a proposal for solving the issue involving those eligible for exemption and allowing for monthly payments. Occupancy peaks in HCMC office market This was 1 percentage point higher than the last quarter of 2013 and 3 higher than the first quarter last year. Commenting on the increase, Savills Average rent between January and March this year was VND531,000 ($25.26) per square metre, up 2 per cent on quarter and 3 per cent on year. Savills also reported that in the first quarter Grade A office space performed best, with 92 per cent occupancy. Grade A and B average rents have continuously increased and in the last five quarters Grade has gone up by 1 per cent per quarter and Grade B by 1.5 per cent per quarter. In the first quarter this year, 26,700 square metres of In the first three months the southern economic hub attracted a total $752.2 million in FDI, 5.5 times that of the first quarter last year. Savills forecasted that in the next three years, the city’s office market would add another 385,000 square metres from 30 projects. Next quarter two Grade B projects in District 1 are expected to open. They will supply more than 40,000 square metres. As of the end of March the city had 217 projects with more than 1.4 million square metres. Total supply increased 1 per cent on quarter and 5 per cent on year. More than four years after receiving an investment certificate, the $1.5 billion The project, developed by Viet Han Trading, Advertising, Construction and Real Estate Company Limited, envisages occupying a total 2,050 hectares spanning nine communes in the province’s Tam Nong district. Designed by I.C.U. JSC and international architects, In October 2011, to build the project’s prestige, Phu Tho’s People’s Committee and developer Viet Han held a ceremony in In the early stages, after receiving the investment certificate, Viet Han regularly met with provincial leaders to introduce foreign investors they said were interested in capitalising the project. The developer even said they would source official development assistance (ODA) funding, which is usually provisioned to the government for public projects. Four years on now, little progress has been made. According to an official from the Phu Tho Department of Planning and Investment, the project has finished its scale planning and is in the process of acquiring land for the first components. In fact, since licensing the project, the provincial People’s Committee has done its utmost to facilitate the project’s progress. It even proposed that the developer focus only on priority items for the present, while delaying making an feasibility study for entire project and seeking approval for the overall project. An official from the People’s Committee who is familiar with the project said “The developer is planning to implement the golf course project. It has a lending commitment from Maritime Bank for $19 million.” Land acquisition has only been conducted for specific elements of the project and in general people are continuing to farm and build houses on as well as buy and sell properties that are part of its planned area as if it did not exist. Successful leased offices still rely on basic values Office for lease landlords in According to Nigel Smith, managing director of CBRE Hong Kong at the office leasing seminar in “You only get effective business from an office building when you can balance these elements,” Smith told VIR. Smith’s comments were made in the context where landlords in “Of most importance is cost effectiveness. That means if the landlord wants to successfully maintain their buildings, it is about finding the right rental level but at the same time they also have to create the right environment. Creating this environment sometimes will increase the rental fees, so finding the balance between rental and occupancy is something building owners should be aware of,” he said, adding that landlords should think about branding and how to make the property stand out from the crowd. According to Smith, during the golden period for office leasing in the 1980s and 1990s, investors often emphasised strategic location to raise the value of their buildings. However, in the recent context, they have switched to stressing stability and the working environment. “One way to do this is in the arrival experience, which has become vital for companies when considering real estate options. The way people socialise and work is completely different today and landlords who design their buildings to accommodate this new breed of employee will ultimately attract more tenants,” Smith said. “Containing and reducing costs is still common practice and for many companies they can only achieve this through either a reduction in floor area, a drop in quality or decentralisation,” he added, noting that savvy developers can help tenants achieve savings simply by providing a more efficient working environment, not just on the office floors but also in the common areas and facilities a project has to offer. Developments such as the Lotte Hanoi Centre and Vacant office space in Gasoline E5 with ethanol will be available throughout the country Businesses will be selling gasoline E5 with 5 percent ethanol in seven provinces in the next eight months. This was revealed at a conference debating the government’s plan to disburse the E5 gasoline. The Ministry of Industry and Eight out of nine Petro Vietnam Oil Corporation stations have sold the gasoline mixture in Gasoline E5 with ethanol will be available in the remaining six localities beginning July. Businesses should ensure quality and the Government should increase subsidies in order to encourage residents to use the fuel, said Dang Vinh Sang, director of Saigon Petrol One Member Limited Company. The subsidization rate currently is only VND200 per litter, which is too low to ensure profit. The ethanol-gasoline blend consists of 95 percent of the conventional non-lead gasoline and 5 percent ethanol, according to Vnplus. Tests show that it has a higher octane rating than conventional gasoline which allows higher fuel efficiency. The government recognizes the bio-fuel industry to be a pivotal point in ensuring energy security and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Thai gastronomy month held in city “Thai Cuisine in Vietnam 2014” with The event will take place at Golden Elephant, Mon Soon, Sam Yan Seafood and Thai House from now until April 25. The gastronomy month aims to promote Thai culture as well as traditional cuisine. Supermarkets hit pay dirt with own brands Whenever she shops at a supermarket, Pham Thu Phuong of District 7, Here, she buys stuff like soaps, shampoos, beverages, and noodles. She has had the habit of buying supermarkets' own brands for nearly a year now after being tipped off by a friend that they are cheap and as good as other brands. These are made by producers for a supermarket and sold under the latter's own labels and are the rising stars on the market at a time of economic gloom since they offer customers alternatives at low prices and good quality. Many supermarkets in Khuat Quang Hung, head of general affairs and corporate communications for Metro Cash & Carry Viet Nam, said the German wholesaler owns seven brands, including Aro, Fine Food, H Line, and Horeca Select, which account for 10 per cent of its stocks. Customers are increasingly turning to its brands as they tighten their purse strings, he said, adding Metro plans to double their volume to 20 per cent by 2015. A source from Big C said at the French supermarket around 5 per cent, equivalent to 1,000 products, are its own. Other supermarkets like Co-op Mart and Lotte Mart also sell hundreds of such products. Hung said: "The price is often 5-20 per cent lower than normal products because there is no need to pay for distribution and advertisement. "More importantly, the quality is comparable because the supermarket's partners are strong and experienced producers. When they tie up with supermarkets, producers can take their products to many provinces around the nation and even abroad." Huynh Ngoc Diep, marketing director of 584 Nha Trang Fishery JSC, said supermarkets' own-brand products help producers diversify their customer base as well as make use of their redundant capacities. Bac Ninh attracts 32 new investment projects The Bac Ninh Industrial Zones Management Board has granted licences to 32 new projects with a combined investment capital of US$200 million during the first quarter of this year. With the grant of the licences, 64 per cent of the yearly target has been met, head of the board Ngo Sy Bich said. The investment came mainly from foreign-funded projects as the local authorities concentrated on attracting satellite projects from big companies such as Samsung, Canon and Nokia, he said. In order to attract more investment from both domestic and foreign businesses into the province, he stated, the local authorities would continue to revise the investment policies. They would also draw up a list of areas which encourage or limit investment to improve the quality of the investment flow. The top priority would be given to environmentally friendly projects which utilise modern technology and facilitate the strengthening of links between domestic businesses. Other service sectors such as banking and insurance, tourism, research and development as well as consultation would also receive special attention. Last year, Bac Ninh was ranked fifth, behind Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa and Binh Thuan provinces, and In term of the number of projects, the province was placed third with 100 newly registered projects, after The Samsung Electronics Viet Nam Company in the Yen Phong Industrial Zone, in particular, added an extra $1 billion to raise the total investment capital to $2.5 billion, making it the world's largest Samsung IT complex. As of last year, the province was home to 459 foreign-funded projects with a total registered capital of over $6 billion, and 719 projects funded by domestic investors with a total worth of VND78.9 billion, or $3.7 million. Seven Mekong Delta coastal provinces, namely Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang, have made plans to expand their mollusc growing area to 28,000 ha in 2015, up 5,600 ha from 2013, said the Steering Committee for the South-Western region. The provinces have also set a combined target of reaching an output of over 206,000 tonnes of produce and 188 million USD from exports. Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy head of the committee, said all provinces will apply advanced technologies to their production, towards reaching a minimum average yield of 7.3 tonnes per hectare. The localities will also further promote a sustainable oyster farming model in several areas that have advantageous natural conditions, he added. Apart from areas for farming oysters, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang and Ca Mau provinces also pay attention to protecting natural oyster habitats by banning local people from harvesting them in breeding seasons. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has also invested in building facilities for producing breeding blood oysters in Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and Kien Giang, with a hope of producing 15 billion young oysters per year. Electricity demand in Q2 forecast to climb Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) is expediting the construction of major power projects to meet the demand for electricity during the second quarter, which is expected to rise a maximum of 10.4 percent against the same period last year. The key projects are 500kV transmission lines such as Quang Ninh-Mong Duong, Quang Ninh-Hiep Hoa, Phu Lam-O Mon, and Pleiku-My Phuoc-Cau Bong, the 500kV Cau Bong transmission station and other 200kV power plants. According to the group, the national grid is able to generate an additional 400 million kWh per day in April. It requires local power companies to ensure the supply of safe electricity, especially in the country’s key economic hubs, as well as continue to maintain power-saving solutions. National power consumption reached over 32 billion kWh in the first three months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 6.85 percent. Despite the severe drought in the central region and the Central Highlands The target of the national grid this month is to continue to make full use of coal-fired thermal electricity and gas-run turbine sources, as well as purchase power from China at a reasonable price, altogether catering for the daily needs of local residents.- Banks need to relax mortgage requirements Since the 30-trillion-VND (1.41 billion USD) loan package for home-buyers and property developers was announced nine months ago, only 4.5% has been disbursed. Although the disbursement rate has picked up in recent months, it is still below expectations, said the Nhan Dan (People) online newspaper. According to latest figures, as of March 15, banks have lent nearly 1.322 trillion VND (62.1 million USD) to over 3,000 home-buyers and pledged to provide nearly 2.9 trillion VND (136.3 million USD) for another 3,000 individual clients. Not long ago the Ministry of Construction (MOC) proposed that the Prime Minister should relax some regulations to make the loans more accessible, thereby quickening the pace of disbursement. One of the barriers blocking home-buyers from borrowing is collateral. Nguyen Ngoc Lan, a health worker in Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tran The new circular lays the foundation for banks to speed up their lending as contracts to buy social housing and commercial housing will have similar terms and conditions with the only difference being that the interest rates are lower for social housing. Both types of housing have to comply with relevant procedures and regulations. Luong Van Cuong, a resident in Deputy Minister Nguyen Tran The limited supply of social housing is one of the primary reasons behind slow disbursement. The solution, therefore, is increasing the supply of affordable housing. In addition to social housing projects under construction, The According to the SBV, the Ministry of Transport has announced a list of 81 projects eligible to access the 30 trillion VND credit package but many projects have yet completed legal procedures, making it impossible for commercial banks to give loans and make disbursement. Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association Le Hoang Chau said that the stagnancy is due to the lack of drastic measures and close co-ordination between ministries, sectors and localities. Many property enterprises have submitted files for the conversion of their housing projects for over a year but have not received reply. Chairman Chau suggested the Ho Chi Minh City's People Committee define clearly the criteria necessary to be met to allow the conversion of commercial projects into social housing and for the restructure of apartments, so that property enterprises could actively seek solutions to solve their hindrances. Director of Phuc Khang Construction and Investment Corporation, Luu Thi Thanh Mau said that property companies need the elimination of bottlenecks in administrative procedures. Intricate and prolonged administrative procedures often push real estate prices up and put property enterprises in difficult positions, thus causing financial difficulties for home-buyers. In previous years, a housing project only took about seven months to complete administrative procedures but now it takes three to five years or even seven years to finish. Thus, if 50-70% of administrative procedures are cut, each project will take one year to complete procedures and housing prices will certainly be reduced significantly. Facing lots of obstacles, real estate enterprises are waiting and hope for more preferential policies from the Government but Deputy Minister Nguyen Tran Nam affirmed that the 30 trillion VND credit package aims to assist low-income earners with housing difficulties to have access to preferential loans to buy homes but it is not a rescue package for the real estate market. The conversion of commercial housing projects into social housing, which are in high demand, is too sluggish because of cautiousness from the banking sector, the low disbursement of loans and the stagnancy of authorised agencies. Currently, the SBV and the MOC are asking localities to simplify administrative formalities, shorten the approval time of housing projects and speed up project progress to increase the supply of social housing and commercial apartments below 70 sq.m and priced under 15 million VND per sq.m. In the coming time, the MOC will continue co-ordinating with the SBV, ministries and sectors to accelerate the progress of lending to meet the expectations of the public. At the same time, the MOC suggests the Government do not grant investment licenses to new commercial housing projects and new urban areas projects in 2014 to reduce the pressure on the real estate market. It is hoped that the implementation of adopted policies as well as policies to be issued in the future will create impetus to disburse the loan package and facilitate the access to this package. Investment certificates to be ditched While the Ministry of Planning and Investment is keen to end the issuing of investment certificates for foreign-invested enterprises in order to further simplify business procedures, several investors have opposed the move. The Ministry of Planning and Investment has signalled its intention to end the widespread use of investment certificates. The abolition of investment certificates represents another step in streamlining the administration of foreign direct investment (FDI). Minister for Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh told the first Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) dialogue held in He added that during earlier exchanges with foreign businesses held throughout the country, many foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) supported the idea of abolishing the certificate, but surprisingly others were keen to maintain the practice as they believed the paper could help them receive investment incentives, access bank loans and rent land. The abolition of the investment certificate is currently included in the draft Investment Law set to be passed this year. Despite these views, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has confirmed it was committed to the abolition of the certificate except in four cases – sensitive areas of the economy such as banking, projects likely to use huge amounts of land, potentially polluting investments and those that need the paper to receive investment incentives. “But in the future, even these four exceptions would be governed by other laws, so the certificate will no longer be necessary,” Vinh told the dialogue, attended by central government authorities and provincial officials in southern Vietnam. VBF co-chairman Vu Tien Loc said the representatives of the authorities attending the forum were responsible for driving through reforms to further improve the business environment. Co-chairing the VBF dialogue with Minister Vinh, Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Deputy Chairman Le Manh Ha said the southern economic hub was vigorously pushing reforms in granting investment certificates but difficulties still hindered the efforts. Ha said the first problem arose from the consultation process with ministries, during which the city administration had either been ignored or had received contrary advice. Other difficulties included additional procedures, lack of regulations, inconsistencies between different laws, and investors delaying the providing of supplementary documents. The average time spent processing FIEs’ applications for investment certificates in Ha said the longest period it had taken to issue an investment certificate last year was 257 days, and the shortest just a day. He added the city received 2,218 applications last year, and admitted the number of delayed applications was very high. “From this dialogue onward, Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee will ask for consultation from ministries only in cases stipulated in legal documents. We won’t bother when the law doesn’t specify any need,” Ha said, adding the city would administer FIEs through an ID code using a database. Minister Vinh said other city’s and provincial governments should follow Cement and steel sales rebound in March The peak season of construction activities in According to the Building Materials Department under the Ministry of Construction, cement sales stagnated in the first two months this year but bounced back in March, with nearly 4.7 million tons consumed domestically and 1.7 million tons exported. Vietnam Cement Industry Corp., the country’s leading market player, sold 1.65 million tons last month, an increase of 20.6% compared to the same period of last year. Overall, the first quarter of this year saw 10.2 million tons of cement consumed on the domestic market, up 7% year-on-year. By the end of March, inventories of both cement and clinker fell by 24% year-on-year to 600,000 tons and two million tons respectively. Cement prices remained stable in February and March after decreases of VND30,000-VND40,000 a ton in January, except for Tam Diep’s cement whose prices tumbled by VND140,000 a ton in the first month of the year. The Ministry of Construction has estimated this year’s cement consumption at 62-63 million tons, up a mere 3% year-on-year. Up to 49 million tons of it will be for domestic sale and the rest for export. Last month, construction steel sales registered a slight year-on-year rise of 8% to 487,000 tons, according to the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA). However, total domestic consumption of this building material in the first quarter slid by 1.8% year-on-year to 1.1 million tons. In this period, steel inventory amounted to 324,000 tons, up 13.8% over a year ago. The VSA ascribed the steel inventory rise to imports in the first three months when total volume reached 2.2 million tons, a rise of 1.6% over the same period of last year. However, imported steel ingots contracted by 24% to 84,000 tons. Nguyen Van Sua, vice chairman of the VSA, said the association forecast that steel sales would perform better in the second quarter because construction of more half-completed projects had been resumed. The VSA said five million tons of construction steel was sold last year, a drop of 500,000 compared to the year before. The major steel consuming sectors, including shipbuilding, automobile, engineering and construction, have not been in good shape this year. Therefore, the VSA has put this year’s steel demand at 12.2-12.5 million tons, up only 3-5% as against last year. Experts assumed fiercer competition and low domestic demand could make more steel producers go bust this year. Viet Steel Corporation (Pomina) has plans to export 35,000 tons of steel products every month in the second quarter of this year, or 15,000 tons lower than the monthly volume the company sells domestically. Do Duy Thai, general director of Pomina, said that the company exported 35,000 tons of steel products to the The increase in exports is credited to Pomina’s penetration into new markets, including Thai said increasing steel exports had helped Pomina and other steel manufacturers in The Vietnam Steel Association estimated companies shipped nearly 2.5 million tons of steel products to U.S., EU top Vietnam’s export markets in Q1 The In the January-March period, the The American Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted the whopping increase in Therefore, the department still keeps its estimate for the Statistics of the General Department of Customs indicate that Meanwhile, the exportation of The department’s prediction is based on significant improvements of the European economy in recent times. Moreover, the fact that Vietnamese footwear exported to the EU as normal items are levied with export tariffs of 0% from 2014 under the new generalized system of preferences (GSP) is also attributed to such a positive forecast. Last year, Europe continued maintaining the top position in importing Notably, Truong Dinh Tuyen, senior advisor to the Government, said these agreements could be signed at the end of this year or early next year. Tuyen told representatives of 32 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in During a meeting with TPP negotiation partners, Tuyen said However, As for the TPP negotiations with the For the FTA talks with the EU, a bottleneck involving government procurement remains unsolved. The partner has requested The nation expects to finish the TPP at the end of this year and the FTA with the EU early next year. Concerning opportunities from the two agreements, Tuyen said that the nations involving the TPP negotiations and the EU accounted for 50% of export value of Once signed, the agreements will create a huge export market for Vietnamese goods with a tax rate of 0%. With the TPP, 90% of export tariffs with be slashed to 0% immediately and 10% will be reduced to 0% gradually within less than 10 years. The move will strongly speed up trade exchanges among TPP nations. However, strict material origin rules will be a big challenge for Vietnamese enterprises as they mainly rely on material imports. For instance, the “yarn forward” ROO (Rule of Origin) requires a TPP nation to use a TPP member-produced yarn in textiles in order to receive duty-free access. Meanwhile, HSBC puts HSBC Bank in a macro economic report released on April 2 predicted In the first quarter of 2014, inflation decelerated to 4.8% from 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2013. March’s inflation slowed to 4.4% year-on-year from 4.6% in February. “Capital and labor are underutilized, with the output gap likely to stay negative this year and next year. Although social costs are expected to rise at the end of the second quarter, we expect inflation to average only 5.5% in 2014 from 6.6% in 2013,” the bank said in the report. According to the report, with consumer confidence low and credit growth negative, prices have decelerated in While However, the bank noted that inflationary pressures were very seasonal in The bank’s inflation projection for HSBC said credit growth contracted by 1% in the first quarter, a sign of low confidence in the future and a financial system burden by high levels of debt. Despite the seasonal festivity, which has historically driven up demand for goods, inflationary pressures have been subdued. The country’s economic growth decelerated to 5% year-on-year in the first quarter from 6% in the fourth quarter of 2013, with the agriculture sector performing the worst. But The central bank reduced the open market operations (OMO) rate by 50 basic points to 5% to spur demand on March 17. But only VND1 trillion was pumped through the OMO on Monday, as there were no bidders in the past several weeks. The HSBC’s report says liquidity is not the issue as the overnight rate has been low at about 1.5% thanks to modest demand and steady foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. With high levels of bad debts, domestic firms do not have the appetite to make further investment, the bank explained. Besides, retail sales decelerated sharply in March to 6.3% year-on-year from 12.7% in February. Disbursed FDI inflows rose 5.6% in the period but pledged FDI fell sharply by 50%. “While disbursed FDI growth in 2014 should stay intact, we believe “Domestic activity should stay subdued, unless officials unveil reforms to offload the bad debts and improve management. We do not expect any substantial reform to be implemented in the next year, as Higher coal prices pile pressure on thermal power plants Electricity generation costs have climbed as the coal price increases last year and early this year have put more pressure on the thermal power plants. Earlier this year, Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) revised up its coal prices by 4-10% for the coal-fueled power plants in operation. Vinacomin’s deputy general director Nguyen Van Bien said the higher coal prices for electricity generation could offset rising production costs for the group. The group has not regained lost revenues after the price adjustment on January 1 this year. Bien noted that the production cost of coal would go up if Vincomin had to exploit the fossilized fuel at greater depths in the future. However, representatives of many coal-fired power plants bemoan the current selling price of coal as it has impacted their electricity production costs, especially in the dry season when those plants are running at full steam. Ha Quang Gioi, deputy general director of Haiphong Thermal Power Joint Stock Co., told the Daily that coal made up 50% of the plant’s operating costs. At present, four generators of this 1,200-MW plant are operating at full capacity as hydropower plants currently lack water for electricity generation. Gioi calculated that the plant needed nearly 10,000 tons of coal to turn out some 22 million kWh every day. “As coal accounts for a great part of electricity generation costs, it will affect the power price when it is sold at higher rates. Currently, electricity prices are controlled by the Government but increases are inevitable,” Gioi said. In the same boat is Quang Ninh Thermal Power Plant, which consumes around three million tons of coal a year and is now also operating at its maximum capacity of 1,200 MW. Do Huu Hai, deputy general director of Quang Ninh Thermal Power Joint Stock Co., said higher coal prices would cut into the company’s profits. Hai estimated the company would probably break even this year. Dang Hoang An, deputy general director of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), said this group had had to buy electricity generated by the coal-fueled power plans at higher prices this year than last year. Dinh The Phuc, deputy head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, told a seminar in Phuc gave an example that the highest selling price of electricity on the country’s competitive power market stood at VND864.3 per kWh early last year but soared to VND1,168 per kWh early this year. Duong Quang Thanh, deputy general director of EVN, told the seminar that this group had spent more than VND54 trillion (around US$2.5 billion) buying electricity only one year after the competitive power market was launched, up over VND827 billion compared to the group’s payments under the contracts it signed directly with power generation companies based on their negotiations before. In an interview with the Daily in January this year, EVN general director Pham Le Thanh acknowledged that the electricity price depended on the coal price. Last year, EVN had to spend an additional VND6 trillion on coal. On August 1 last year, the electricity price increased by VND71.85 per kWh, or around 5%, pushing up the average electricity price from VND1,437 to VND1,508.85 per kWh. Source: VEF/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/VIR |
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Article 7
Pottery, porcelain exports increase
HA NOI (VNS)- High demand has led to an increase in Viet Nam's pottery and porcelain exports in the early months of 2014, reported Viet Nam General Department of Customs. The department stated that in the first two months of this year, the nation had a year-on-year surge of 9.52 per cent in the export value of pottery and porcelain products reaching US$77.6 million. During the first two months, 12 out of 21 export markets for the products reported a growth in export value, including The growth in export value in those markets increased the total export value of pottery and porcelain products during the first two months. The export value of pottery and porcelain products to In the first two months, However, some markets saw a decrease in export value of those products, of which exports to Experts in the pottery and porcelain industry said export markets, such as Vietnamese pottery and porcelain products, expanded because of their superior designs and the high quality of the products. The national exports of pottery and porcelain products increased also due to an export recovery noted in the According to the Dong Nai Fine Art Porcelain Association the recovering global economy has led to increased retail sales and construction activities. Also, since the end of 2013 the province's pottery and porcelain products have recorded an increase in export volume to its traditional markets, especially black porcelain items made in Bien Hoa that sell well in the US market, said association officials. Additionally, the pottery and porcelain export companies have so far received export orders from new markets. The associations said porcelain producers in the province have planned to expand their export markets to potential countries in Europe and Large porcelain export companies in Dong Nai include Taicera Pottery and Porcelain Industrial Joint Stock Company, Pancera International Joint Stock Company and Viet Thanh Pocerlain Joint Stock Company. - VNS |
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WHO representative: Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO's Representative to Vietnam, said that health officials should consider the current outbreak of measles an emergency, as the number of fatalities continues to rise.  Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO's Representative to What are your comments on the current measles outbreak in I know that many people are very worried about the spread of measles in On April 16, I visited the National Hospital of Pediatrics with a group of experts from the Ministry of Health to take stock of the situation. There I saw a patient who died of the disease. This fills me with regret. Doctors at the hospital have been working very hard to provide treatment. Measles is among the diseases that can spread the fastest, and it can also cause fatalities among children in large numbers. In Recently, opinions have been raised that First, I want to say that there is not one standard international definition of an epidemic. It depends on the situation and purpose of each country. According to the World Health Organisation, even if only three people contract the same disease in a country, it could be called an epidemic. However, this depends on each nation. When they fail to control the disease, they should announce it as an epidemic. Do you think that This is a difficult question. As I said before, announcing an epidemic depends on the aims of each country, so I can’t say whether I think that I my opinion, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health should take measures to prevent and control measles. The WHO supports What should The large number of child fatalities from the disease has prompted many parents to take steps to protect their children. I think that the most important thing is controlling the disease and localising the areas affected by the disease, particularly children must be vaccinated. In In order to limit exposure and possible infection, we suggest that parents not take their children to hospital unnecessarily. Laodong |
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Article 5
FDI attraction to be under strict scrutiny (VOV) - Although In 2013 However, many economists are not impressed with this new record, arguing the quality of FDI is the crucial factor. They say since the Foreign Investment Law was first introduced in 1987, During the past 20 years, big international giants such as Intel, Samsung, Nokia,
In the 1990s many Vietnamese localities rolled out the red carpet to welcome foreign investors as special guests, offering numerous preferential tax and other incentives. As a result, FDI inflows into Also during that time, foreign giants earned huge profits which were then remitted to their countries. Meanwhile, many Vietnamese localities began to pay a steep price for their decision, in which addressing environmental problems is one of common examples. Obviously foreign businesses weigh the pros and cons of their investment strategies before funnelling their moneys into a country, especially a developing one, trying to earn as much profit as they can. In turn, investment recipients, including An economic expert admits, “We fully expected to experience positive spill-over effects of FDI attraction, but they (effects) have not lived up to our expectations yet.” In addition, the country has faced a lack of skilled workers and project managers; foreign investors have even struggled to find competent foremen. Worker training at FDI factories is also another matter of particular concern. Workers are normally trained in a number of specific skills without general knowledge of production procedures. Limited technology transfer There are not enough convincing proofs showing that More than 20 years are long enough to evaluate the effect of a policy. Besides incentives for foreign investors, VOV |
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Article 4
Visit southwestern orchards in summer April and May is the harvest time at orchards throughout the southwestern region, and it is a good time for you to visit. Lai Thieu orchards  Photo: Phongdien Located about 20km from Trung An orchards Some 40km from Cai Be About 70km from Orchards in Vinh Kim  When referring to Vinh Kim in Chau Thanh District, My Khanh This is a large garden on four hectares of land located between the floating market of Cai Rang and Phong Dien, with over 20 varieties of fruit trees and ornamental plants. Upon arriving at My Khanh orchard, visitors feel the warmth and serenity of space, delicious sweetness of fruit and the peaceful atmosphere. Cai Mon The orchards in Cai Mon, Cho Lach District of Ben Tre Province are known for the mild climate all year round and delicious fruit like durian, rambutan, pomelo, mango, longan, plum, and others. Hai Hoa grapefruit and Chin Hoa durian are particularly noteworthy. You can spend two days here to explore the fascinating cuisines of Ben Tre. Long Khanh  Photo: Caibe Orchards in Long Khanh, Nam Nhi is another name of Lam Ha Commune, Da Huoai, Orchards in Vinh Long Vinh Long has long been famous for its orchards, which offer all kinds of fruit in all four seasons. The most famous fruits here are Binh Minh pomelo, Binh Hoa Phuoc rambutan, Tam Binh orange, Ri 6 and Chin Hoa durian, sugar tangerine and Hoa Loc and Cat Chu mango. Pha Le, |
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Article 3
 An artists' impression of the Ho Tram Strip, a resort casino project in southern By courtesy of the investor Vietnamese residents should be allowed to join international punters and foreign passport holders to gamble at casinos operating in the country, lawmakers said at a National Assembly Standing Committee meeting on Thursday. But these local gamblers must meet certain requirements to be able to enter the now foreigners-only casinos, legislators told the debate in Hanoi, which was aimed at soliciting feedback for a draft decree that oversees domestic casino operations. “But the problem is whether the new decree is able to control these local gamblers,” Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung questioned. Dung said that the proposed legislation include a section that dictates local residents meet several requirements, such as having strong financial ability, before they can be allowed into domestic casinos. Casino operators, meanwhile, must ensure that they are capable of controlling their gamblers, both foreign and local, he added. With casinos operating in Hien urged that the draft decree should include a clause stipulating that Vietnamese are allowed to gamble at home when they can meet strict requirements. The government earlier tried to obtain approval from the NA to issue the decree without that clause, saying it needed more time to carry out research on the issue prior to adding the item to the document centered merely on the overall management of the gaming business in NA deputy chairman Uong Chu Luu also reiterated the reality that many Vietnamese people are gambling at casinos in Tong Thi Phong, another NA deputy chairperson, said allowing local gamblers to enter domestic casinos will help the government oversee them better. Ksor Phuoc, chairman of the NA's Ethnic Council, acknowledged that the gaming business helps generate jobs and tax revenue, noting that must accompanied by security and social order. The government has made a report on the impacts of casinos on these aspects, but Phuoc said this is not enough. “We don’t need to be so hurried,” he said. “We should continue strictly controlling and managing casino operations before loosening the law for local gamblers.” Tuoi Tre |
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Article 2
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Article 1
Central hospitals see fewer new measles patients Measles vaccination in Central hospitals saw a slight decrease in the number of new measles patient on April 19, the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health has reported. On April 19, there were 14 new measles patients, six fewer than the April 18’s figure. One death of measles-linked diseases was recorded in the Central Hospital of Pediatrics in The Department announced that measles cases have not concentrated in one locality but scattered in many cities and provinces nationwide. A report from the Ministry of Health said that 116 more measles cases were reported on April 19 in 32 cities and provinces across the nation. Since the beginning of this year, the disease recorded 3,360 cases in 61 out of 63 cities and provinces. It has claimed 25 lives so far, mostly children aged below 10 years. At the same time, 116 deaths have been caused by measles complications. Meanwhile, 12 provinces nationwide recorded no new cases over the past 21 days. According to the Department, vaccination against measles is also being stepped up over the past days. As much as 57.5 percent of unvaccinated children have been given shots during the additional round of the national vaccination campaign as of April 19. To help the public fully understand the disease and preventive measures, the Ministry of Health has issued an updated guideline on measles diagnosis and treatment based on the 2009 one. The guideline has been popularised in all cities and provinces across the country, while experienced doctors have been sent to local hospitals to support them in treatment. Also on April 19, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien worked with the Hanoi Healthcare Department on measles prevention and control and inspected the work at some hospitals. Meanwhile, her deputies examined the work in the capital and Ho Chi Minh City.-VNA |
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Chinese investment in Chinese investment in Substantially all of the massive influx of investment in the nation is flowing into the garment and textile and real estate sectors, causing quite a stir in the arena of public opinion. Creating a new wave of investment  Recently the Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Committee of approved the issuance of an investment license to Chinese garment and textile giant When fully operational, the factory specialising in the production of yarn, will have a total annual production capacity of 9.816 tonnes per annum, suitable for the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting and weaving. Tran Dang Tuong, the principal stakeholder of Bao Minh IP, said the Chinese manufacturer has an established global reputation and considerable experience in the industry, which has garnered the interest of many foreign suppliers who are now eager to form cooperative relationships with local businesses in the province. In another promising development, HongKong’s Luenthai company, the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) and Covering an area of nearly 1,500 hectares in Nghia Hung district, Nam Dinh province, the IP project has a total projected initial investment of US$400 million and with a target market of developing in such fields as weaving, dyeing, leather, garments and textiles as well as support industries for In recent times, the garment and textile sector has attracted investment projects from Subsequently, the group expanded its investment in Tuong said that the Chinese garment and textile businesses are accelerating their investment in Foreign businesses are keenly aware that Or, in the alternative, import the items from another TPP member nation. This rule provides Enhancing management work The significant inflow of Chinese investment in the Bui Xuan Khu, Former Minister of Industry and Trade said that Khu stated that over the past ten years, Factually, Khu added that with the new economic developments in the global marketplace, and in light of the signing of the TPP, These investors will provide the much needed funds to fuel A significant problem of immediate importance is the need to improve state management capacity with the supervision of relevant agencies, so foreign investors are fully informed and ensure compliance with Vietnamese laws, he concluded. Source: VOV/VNN |
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Article 9
Vietnamese woman missing in Korea ferry disaster, daughter saved  A photo of Kwon Ji-yeon, who was rescued from the sunk South Korean ferry, was circulated on Twitter to find her relatives. Her Vietnamese mother, Korean father, and six-year-old brother are still missing. A five-year-old girl was rescued Friday from the sunken Korean yacht but the rest of her family, including her Vietnamese mother, are still missing as the death toll mounted to 56. The family of the 29-year-old mother, Phan Ngoc Thach, from Duong Chinh Chuc, a counselor at the embassy, said some embassy officials have been sent to Jindo port to assist Thanh’s family. Officials from the embassy and Korea's foreign and gender equality and family ministries received them at the airport and took them to the site of the accident around 700 kilometers from Seoul. Surviving passengers and police officers rescued Thanh’s daughter Kwon Ji-yeon Wednesday soon after the ferry sank. Nurses dispatched to the site and others used social networks to find her extended family, and she is now with her father’s sister and mother. Thanh and her husband Han Yun Ji were moving with the girl and six-year-old son to settle in Jeju, where Han used to live. The Korea Times said the father had planned to quit the urban rat race and become a farmer, growing tangerine on Jeju. The ferry had their moving truck filled with furniture. It quoted nurses at “Mother and brother put a life jacket on me and pushed me up” has been her only comment so far. A passenger identified only as Kim said he spotted the girl alone in a cabin and he and three other men passed her to each other as they struggled to climb up the tilted ferry. Chuc said Thanh, one of more than 60,000 Vietnamese women living in According to the latest information, 246 out of the 476 passengers, mostly high school children on a holiday trip, are still missing. The vessel is suspected to have hit underwater reefs. Its captain Lee Joon-Seok and two of his crew were arrested Saturday. Yonhap news agency said Lee, who handed the helm to his third officer before the accident happened and abandoned the ferry when it sank, faces five charges ranging from criminal negligence to violation of maritime law. The Maritime Ministry said the vessel made a sharp turn before sending its first distress signal. Some experts believe the turn could have dislodged heavy cargo and destabilized the vessel, while others suggested the turn might have been caused by a collision with an underwater object like a rock. |
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