Social Headlines 23/1 Transport Ministry gets tough on speeding buses   Passenger bus enterprises face suspension of operations for up to three months if their vehicles exceed the speed limit or pick up and drop off passengers at unauthorised spots, according to a Ministry of Transport circular that will take effect in March. With more and more transport enterprises violating traffic regulations, the new rule aims to curb these transgressions, said Khuat Viet Hung, head of the Department of Transport under the Ministry of Transport. Issued late last month, the document also stipulates that enterprises will have their business license revoked for one to three months if they offer less than 70 per cent of their registered routes for one month or at least 30 per cent of their buses have their permits withdrawn for one year. Bus permits, displayed at the front of the vehicle, are withdrawn when drivers violate traffic regulations. Year-end meeting attracts over 700 overseas Vietnamese Over 700 Vietnamese people from 30 countries and territories attended an annual year-end meeting at the Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21. Municipal Party Committee secretary Le Thanh Hai (L) meets overseas Vietnamese at the gathering. Three individuals received certificates of merit from the Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The Municipal People’s Committee also awarded 19 individuals and nine organizations certificates or merit for outstanding contribution. Also present were municipal Party Committee secretary Le Thanh Hai and Chairman of the People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan. Chairman Quan hopes Vietnamese people living abroad will continue to be a cultural and economic bridge of international relations for the country. Foreign currency transferred to VND in Ho Chi Minh City reached US$4.8 billion by the end of 2013, said Chairman Quan during the meeting. In 2012, the amount was at US$4.1 billion. 27 warheads deactivated in Phu Tho Province Twenty-seven warheads, found recently in Doan Hung District in northern Phu Tho Province, were deactivated by the local Military Command. The 105mm warheads reportedly belonged to French colonial ships which sank in the Lo River in 1947, according to senior lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Van Thang, head of the district Military Command. There could be more unexploded warheads in the river and the military forces are searching for them, Thang added. Three teenagers arrested for woman's murder The local police of the northern mountainous Ha Giang province yesterday arrested three teenagers for allegedly stealing from and murdering a 46-year-old woman. The victim, who was the mother of one of the suspects, Nong Van Cong, 17, died of suffocation after the teenagers used tissues to cover her nose and mouth last Thursday. After killing the victim, they stole VND2.8 million (US$132) and a silver chain. The suspects admitted to the police that they killed the victim to steal money, which they wanted to use for playing games. The case is under investigation. Six bottled water companies suspended The HCM City Food Safety and Hygiene Department suspended the operations of six bottled drinking water companies and threw away the products of seven others for violating food safety regulations after an inspection of 466 bottled drinking water establishments in the city. The department also inspected all 198 refectories and canteens of industrial parks and processing zones in the area. More than 30 per cent failed to meet food hygiene and safety standards. Many lacked certificates of food hygiene and safety, while others used substandard tools and ingredients. The inspectors imposed a VND313 million (US$114,800) fine on 37 canteens and suspended eight licences. UNDP hails Vietnam’s environmental sustainability Vietnam has seen considerable achievements in ensuring sustainable environment over the past years, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Sustainable development was attached to the country’s socio-economic development strategy between 2011 and 2020 and it was also included into the country’s socio-economic development plans during the 2006-2010 and 2011-2015 periods. Forest coverage has increased from 28.8% in 1990 to 40% of all land in 2012. Up to 96% of Vietnamese households have access to electricity and other modern sources of energy. In reaching the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on ensuring environmental sustainability by 2015, the UNDP has encouraged the country to continue to prioritise clean water, environmental sanitation, climate change, and biodiversity preservation. Localities have been urged to mobilise the community and their authorities’ positive involvement in ensuring the sustainability of water and environmental services. Over the past two decades, natural disasters related to climate change have annually claimed 445 lives and cost the country US$1.8 billion. Climate change can slow down Vietnam ’s progress in realising the MDG and activities in response to climate change need harmonious collaboration between agencies and their partners. Vietnam is one of the 16 countries with the highest biodiversity in terms of habitat, species and genes. However, biodiversity is being downgraded and lost, and many species are at risk of extinction due to narrowing habitat and pollution. Attention should be paid to protecting the living environment and biodiversity conservation. Relevant agencies should put forth prioritised policies to encourage the private sector’s participation in environmental protection. Binh Phuoc starts clean-up following H5N1 fatality The Preventive Medicine Centre of the southern province of Binh Phuoc has instructed the Bu Dang district health centre to sterilise the building and surrounding area where the first case of A/H5N1 was found this year. The district health centre was also required to closely watch patients with symptoms close to this type of avian influenza. Earlier, Hoang Van Minh, a 52-year-old Dao man from Binh Minh commune, Bu Dang district, died after seven days in hospital with symptoms linked to A/H5N1. This was the first A/H5N1 case recorded in the country in nine months, according to the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department (PMD). The patient was hospitalised on January 11 with flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing and breathing difficulties after his family ate duck meat. All samples taken from him tested positive for A/H5N1 flu. The PMD has instructed the provincial health department to increase measures to supervise and prevent an epidemic in the locality. It has also advised local people to follow precautionary measures like hand-washing with soap, and wearing gloves and masks if handling sick or dead fowl. Head of liquor company prosecuted for embezzlement The Hanoi police have arrested the former director of Hanoi Liquid Company (Halico), Ho Van Hai, on charges of embezzlement. Hai had just retired from his position in November 2013. His alleged crimes were discovered in September 2012, after trying to export what was supposed to be a container of 2,000 cartons of vodka to a private company called Le Thi Hai in Laos. However, because a container normally only stores 1,700 cartons of vodka the customs officer checked inside and discovered that it was empty. Also, the company, Le Thi Hai in Laos, was found not to exist. The container was estimated to be worth USD54,000. If the goods had been cleared, Hai would be able to pocket over VND520 million in tax refund. Upon expanding the investigation, it was discovered that, between 2008 to 2012, Halico cooperated with a Hanoi-based company called Hoang Lan to forge 26 customs documents for its bogus exporting activities to Laos, most of those documents belong to the Le Thi Hai Company. Halico also signed four export contracts with Hoang Lan. It is estimated that Halico embezzled over VND10 billion in tax refund. After one year of investigation, the General Department of Customs decided to prosecute and turn over the case to the police in September, 2013. On January 20, the police searched Hai's home and detained him. HCM City trains school counsellors The HCM City Education and Psychology Association yesterday held a workshop for school counsellors. A report tabled by the Department of Education and Training at the workshop showed that there are only 120 specialised school counsellors in the city. As a result, many schools use their teachers and even retired ones as counsellors. Nguyen Thi Bich Hong of the HCM City University of Education's education and psychology faculty said school counsellors need to have basic knowledge of psychology and counselling skills. The teachers doubling up as counsellors lack the knowledge and skill, she said, suggesting that the department should co-operate with the association to start training courses to improve them. She called for having counselling experts, psychologists, and lawyers to provide assistance to school counsellors. Tran Hong Tam, a counsellor at Hong Bang Secondary School in District 5, said his school did not have a private counselling room, and students are hesitant to come to him. Lam Hieu Minh of the children's ward at the HCM City Psychiatric Hospital agreed, saying schools should have convenient counselling rooms. Besides, students are often reluctant to go to the counselling rooms, fearful of the stigma commonly attached to it since their friends think they have mental problems, according to Minh. Schools should help students understand what the role of a school counsellor is, he said. Effective counselling at school would help reduce the number of children coming to his hospital for treatment, he said. Those numbers are rising, he said, revealing that from 25,000 in 2011 it had gone up to 32,000 last year. "I hope schools improve their counselling for students to prevent psychological problems in a timely fashion." "The quality of life has dropped for children, so their counselling need is high," he added. Sweden, Vietnam hold cultural exchange Hanoi hosted a January 21 cultural and educational exchange programme between Vietnam and Sweden, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and launching the latest Vietnam-Sweden Friendship Association chapter. Vietnam-Sweden Friendship Association (VSFA) President Hoang The Lien reviewed the two nations’ friendship and cooperation over the past 45 years. Lien highlighted how Sweden has helped Vietnam train scientific managers and technical workers, implemented a range of Swedish-funded projects, and advanced Vietnam’s renewal process. Many Vietnamese students graduating from Swedish institutions have returned to take up key positions in State agencies, making greater contributions to the causes of national modernisation and industrialisation. The Swedish Embassy’s Political and Trade Counsellor Elenore Kanter, introduced a video showcasing culture, education, and daily life of the Swedish people. The programme offered VSFA younger members the Vietnam-Swedish Friendship Association a valuable opportunity to learn more about Sweden and its culture and education. PM meets Catholic Church delegation Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received a delegation of the Episcopal Council of the Catholic Church of Vietnam in Hanoi on January 21 in the lead up to the Lunar New Year Festival (Tet). Dung said that the Party and State always pay heed to and create the best possible conditions for religious activities in accordance with the law, for the sake of the country and people. The State respects and protects the freedom of belief and religion and all religions are equal before law, he said. Dung extended his best wishes to the council’s dignitaries and parishioners on a happy and merry New Year and hoped Catholic followers will make more contributions to national construction and protection and great national unity. He praised Catholic followers’ efforts to become actively involved in the country’s socio-economic development, and humanitarian activities. Bui Van Doc, the council’s President thanked the Party and State for their attention to the council’s activities as well as those of the Catholic community, saying that Catholics will play a more active role in boosting the country’s socio-economic development. WB announces Vietnam urban wastewater review -A World Bank report released on January 21 argues Vietnam will need to address sanitation service shortcomings in order to sustain economic growth, improve public health, and minimise adverse environmental impacts. Managing urban wastewater requires substantial financing. Some estimates suggest at least US$250 per person of annual investment will be needed in the Asian region over the next 15 years. The first report, “East Asia Pacific Region Urban Sanitation Review: Actions Needed”, synthesises three sector studies in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. It examines what hinders the sector and recommends ways in which these countries and their neighbours can expand and improve urban sanitation services in an inclusive and sustainable way. “About 2.5 billion people worldwide lack adequate sanitation and 660 million of them live in East Asia and the Pacific Region,” said WB Energy and Water Sector Manager Charles Feinstein. “Inadequate sanitation takes a tremendous toll on the quality of peoples’ lives, the environment, and the economy.  But the good news is investments in sanitation yield high returns,” he added. The second report, “Vietnam Urban Wastewater Review”, focuses on the specific challenges Vietnam faces as a result of increasing environmental pollution associated with rapid urbanisation. It evaluates the wastewater management sector’s performance in Vietnam and makes key recommendations for national policy makers, local governments, and service providers. Over the last 20 years, the Government of Vietnam has made considerable progress on the provision of wastewater services in urban areas. Review Team Leader and Senior Urban Specialist Hung Duy Le says investment as approached an annual US$250 million in recent years. “However, keeping pace with rapid urbanisation is challenging,” he noted. “It is estimated that US$8.3 billion will be required to provide wastewater services to Vietnam’s urban population between now and 2025.” Poor sanitation’s significant repercussions include chronic poor health caused by dysentery and cholera disease outbreaks. Inadequate sanitation also causes environmental pollution. The region’s rapidly expanding cities are engines of economic growth. But poor quality sanitation still costs an annual 1.3% of GDP in Vietnam, 1.5% of GDP in the Philippines, and 2.3% of GDP in Indonesia. Forestry sector sets growth target The forestry sector will strive for a 4.5 per cent growth in annual production (in terms of value) and a 20 per cent growth in forestry product exports in 2014. The figures were announced by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Ha Cong Tuan at the annual plenary meeting of the Forestry Sector Support Partnership (FSSP) in Ha Noi yesterday. "The sector faces several challenges," he said, adding that it would have to constantly improve efficiency for the sake of sustainable development, while ensuring the livelihoods of more than 25 million Vietnamese who make a living from forest-related activities. The deputy minister said the forestry sector is the first in the agricultural industry to complete its restructuring process, which had been approved by MARD earlier. According to the restructuring process, the sector will create large timber plantations, covering an area of 1.2 million hectares, to provide raw materials for the wood processing industry. Improving the capacity and efficiency of the wood processing industry is another major challenge. The restructuring also calls for improving the various economic segments under the forestry sector. A part of the plan is to have state agencies directly manage 50 per cent of the country's forests. Among the goals for this year, the sector will attempt to increase the forest cover rate to 41.5 per cent and strive to gradually meet timber demand for both domestic production and exports. That will create new jobs, facilitate poverty reduction and promote protection of the environment. Meanwhile, the forestry sector will continue to manage the existing 16 million hectares of forests and related land. One of the major measures carried out by the ministry has been to co-operate on forest management to sustainably develop these resources until 2020. Under this approach, the State allocates forest land to local management boards, enterprises and residents. These three parties are expected to work together and share the responsibilities of protecting and developing their allotted forests, while enjoying the benefits from these resources. Another project by MARD aims to improve the management of the timber industry. Under this project, the exploitation of natural timber has been halted in natural forests across the country between 2013 and 2020, apart from two sites approved by the government. Timber exploitation will only be allowed in designated forests that are allocated to individuals, households and communities. International partners, meanwhile, applauded Viet Nam's efforts in undertaking a restructuring of the forestry sector with the aim of increasing the value added from the sector and promoting sustainable development. "Such efforts have enabled Viet Nam to not only obtain remarkable results but also better position itself on the global map, international forums and markets," said Juergen Hess, co-chair of the FSSP. Last year, Viet Nam actively participated in international initiatives to cope with climate change, such as the REDD+, FCPF, the Carbon Fund and the FLEGT Initiative. Given the likely success in its efforts to address climate change, Viet Nam has become the first country among 48 nations in the UN-REDD to continue to the second phase. The country has also received a non-refundable assistance of US$30 million for its efforts. Currently, Viet Nam has more than 10 million hectares of natural forests. A report by MARD's Forestry General Department said the sector's output grew 6 per cent in 2013 compared with the previous year, while timber and forestry products exports increased 15 per cent to $5.5 billion. Youth bring festive cheer to Dak Nong The HCM City-based 3M Living Skill Club took doctors from the HCM City Tumour Hospital for a two-day charity screening programme in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong on the 19th. With support from the Dak Nong Province Youth Federation, the youth club also donated medicines, more than 1,000 notebooks, and 150 gift parcels to poor families living in Truong Xuan Commune. They held a market day for locals, mostly of the M'nong ethnic group, to come and choose used clothes donated by people in HCM City. Dong Thap to expand landfills The People's Committee of southern Dong Thap Province has approved an investment of VND155 billion (US$7.2 million) for two projects to expand the capacity of two dumping sites. The two landfills, in the Cao Lanh District and Sa Dec Township, are overflowing with waste and are causing serious pollution problems to the residents living near the waste sites. A project to expand the capacity of the Dap Da waste site at an investment of VND88.5 billion (US$4.1 million) will be implemented across an area of 25 hectares in Cao Lanh District. After the capacity expansion, the landfill will be able to handle 78 tonnes of domestic waste per day. The second project, expanding the Sa Dec landfill in Sa Dec Township at an investment of VND66.5 billion ($3.1 million), also received approval from the committee. The project, which will raise the landfill's capacity to 43 tonnes of domestic waste, 10 tonnes of hazardous waste and 13 tonnes of recycled waste, will be implemented across an area of 12.5 hectares. In recent years, the two dumping sites have received vast quantities of waste. The Dap Da landfill, for instance, receives 113 tonnes of waste from Cao Lanh District every day on average; however, it has only two waste water reservoirs with a storage volume of 22,000 cubic metres. More importantly, it has no waste water treatment system. As a result, some waste water has leaked into the Muong Trau and Thay Cat water channels, affecting hundreds of households in the My Tho Commune. Nguyen Van E, resident in My Tho Commune's Hamlet 4, said that he and other families use water from these water channels for their daily activities. However, the water has turned black because of the pollution, he added. Doan Minh Tien, vice chairman of the commune's People's Committee, said regular tests on water samples taken from near the landfill by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment showed that the water is sub-standard, he added. In Sa Dec landfill, the situation is the same, although the landfill is equipped with a waste water treatment system that has a capacity of treating 250 cubic metres of water per day. Tran Thi Thuy, deputy head of the Dong Thap City Water Supply and Urban Environment Company, told the Dong Thap newspaper that the company has taken measures to curb pollution, such as spraying pesticides to kill insects three times every day, as well as planting trees around the landfill. Overseas Vietnamese celebrate Tet The Tet holiday, the most important event of Vietnam, is more than a week away, but the festive atmosphere has already reached the Vietnamese community in the North African country of Egypt. In an Islamic country like Egypt, traditional dishes like square glutinous rice cake, spring rolls and pickled onions are a luxury. They are only found during special events like the spring ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the country on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. In spite of busy schedules, Vietnamese people in Egypt , who number less than 100, tried their best to attend the reunion ceremony. They talked over a wide range of topics, from business to children’s study. Some even sang songs about the homeland. For Le Ngoc Mai, a student at Cairo University , it is such a new feeling to celebrate Tet in Egypt . She said when she welcomes the Lunar New Year in Cairo , everyone in Vietnam may already be asleep. Like past years, despite a heavy workload, on a farm in Menoufia province, over 100 kilometres from Cairo , Hany Fahim spent his whole day with his wife Hoang Thi Bich Lien and their five children at the ceremony. In 2013 and the political crisis in Egypt , the Vietnamese community overcame all difficulties, strengthened solidarity and maintained the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Dao Thanh Chung, Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt expressed his happiness that some families living far away from Cairo could make it there to enjoy the ceremony. At such a sacred moment, all expatriates in Egypt looked towards their homeland, wishing for more successes in the coming Year of the Horse. In Caracas, the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela held a get-together to celebrate the Lunar New Year with the participation of the Vietnamese community in the South American country.- Proactive actions against bird flu ordered A senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has warned of a high risk of avian influenza A/H5N1 spread in the country before and after the Lunar New (Tet) holiday. Pham Van Dong, head of the MARD’s Animal Health Department, raised the alarm at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control in Hanoi and January 21. He said such new strains of avian influenza virus as H7N9, H10N8 and H6N1, which were found in poultry several years ago, have circulated in humans with fatal cases recorded in Hong Kong and Taiwan (China). Although no positive samples of the strains have been reported so far in Vietnam, the country is still at greater risk for their outbreak through cross-border poultry smuggling. Dong also raised the fact that H5N1 virus was found in 61 percent of 147 markets selling live poultry in 44 cities and provinces nationwide from October 2012 to September 2013. On this occasion, the committee required its members, ministries and branches to closely work with veterinary departments and local authorities to deploy preventive measures in order to prevent these types of bird flu from spreading, especially during the Tet festival. Earlier, Hoang Van Minh, a 52-year-old man from Binh Minh commune, southern Binh Phuoc province, died after seven days in hospital with symptoms linked to A/H5N1. This was the first A/H5N1 case recorded in the country in nine months, according to the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department. The patient was hospitalised on January 11 with flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing and breathing difficulties after his family ate duck meat. All samples taken from him tested positive for A/H5N1 flu.- Ha Giang works to prevent forest fires The People’s Committee of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang has sent a notice directing local cities and districts to proactively take measures to prevent and fight forest fires. Boasting nearly 350,000 hectares of forest, fires are likely to flare up in the dry season every year, with nine cases reported in the districts of Bac Me, Hoang Su Phi, Quan Ba and Yen Minh in 2013, mainly due to poor local awareness of forest protection, a local official said. The dissemination of the law on the issue has been underlined as one of the key and long-term measures as well as the major task of local forest rangers to preserve and develop community-based forests. Local authorities have also worked with educationalists to raise the importance of forest protection among students.- Belgian Deputy PM stresses water protection’s importance Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Johan Vande Lanotte on January 21 toured the southern province of Ninh Thuan to inspect the progress of Belgian-funded water management projects in the locality. During a working session with key provincial leaders, Lanotte, who is also Minister of Economy, Consumer Affairs and the North Sea , spoke highly of Ninh Thuan’s efforts in implementing the projects and optimising the efficiency of the investment. He held that it is necessary to focus more on protecting water resources. As Vietnam is among the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change, the Belgian Government is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in seeking response measures, he said. According to provincial leaders, Belgian-funded projects in Ninh Thuan have a total investment of 31 million EUR, including nine million EUR from the Vietnamese Government. The money was allocated to a project to construct the Lanh Ra reservoir in the 2007-2012 period, one to strengthen the constitution and capacity of personnel in water management in the 2009-2012 period and another to enhance the ability to manage water resources and respond to climate change lasting from 2010 to 2015. The projects have generated practical outcomes, contributing to raising local people’s awareness of the environment and water protection and reducing the impacts of flooding and natural disasters. Deputy PM Lanotte suggested that Ninh Thuan should tap its potential and advantages to attract more foreign investors, including those from Belgium . He confirmed that he will spare no effort to encourage Belgian businesses to explore investment opportunities in Ninh Thuan, especially in the fields of tourism, which he said is a great potential of the locality.- US veterans, General Giap’s family build school The Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) and General Vo Nguyen Giap’s family have built a primary complex on a former battle field in the northern province of Cao Bang. The Boeing Company partially funded the project through the VVAF. The complex cost USD180,000 and is located in, Tam Kim Commune, Nguyen Binh District, where General Giap established the People’s Army of Vietnam, with the only 34 soldiers on December 22, 1944. The complex encompasses a new two-story classroom building, three renovated rooms, a computer lab, a new fenced-in playground, and a clean water system. Wheelchair ramps were built in as part of the school buildings in order to ensure access for students and parents with disabilities. The school’s dedication ceremony marked General Vo Nguyen Giap's last gift to the people of Tam Kim. Construction of the school started in 2013 when General Giap was still alive. The fully-equipped school will serve the commune’s 147 students and will employ 13 teachers. As many as 75% of the students and teachers are from ethnic minority groups, including Tay, Dao, and Ngai, many of whom are living under the poverty line. Speaking at the launch ceremony, on December 21, General Giap’s son, Vo Hong Nam, said, “When my father was still alive, he was greatly pleased to know that the grandchildren of the people who had contributed to the liberation of Vietnam in 1945 would have new rooms for studying and new places for playing.” Jim Polmanteer, a representative of Boeing in Vietnam, said, “We all agree that education is essential for children all over the world to learn, grow, live their dreams and make our world an even better place.” On the occasion, 30 scholarships, 200 books, 300 pairs of socks and a number of jackets were also given to students and teachers. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGGP/VGP/Dantri