Social News 28/1 Laborers’ technique initiatives benefits VND170 bil Emulation movements launched by the city's Labor Union in 2014 have attracted the over 1,500 research projects and 5,900 technique initiatives which benefitted VND170 billion (US$ 7,962,981), reported the union in a meeting yesterday. Nearly 84 percent of enterprises in the city signed labor contracts with laborers. Labor unions in companies  financed 550,000 needy workers by providing capital of VND3 trillion (US$ 140,520,001) to do business and supported landladies to maintain the rents for workers Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Le Thanh Hai, Party Committee Secretary cum a Politburo member of the Communist Party of Vietnam's Central Committee lauded the achievements of the union, adding that the union should think of more creative ways to draw attention of workers and promote creativeness among laborers. Union activities must benefit workers, he said. Mr. Hai required the union to urge all enterprises to sign labor contracts with laborers. Local governments must quickly  build more preschools, kindergartens and dormitories for workers and their children. Mr. Hai wanted more workers to be join in to the Party. On the occasion, Mr. Hai bestowed the Third Labor Medal to five members of the union. In addition, two teams and four union members received merit certificates signed by the Prime Minister. Nearly 50,000 students join 2015 spring volunteer campaign Ho Chi Minh City Student Association has launched the seventh spring volunteer campaign on January 25, with the participation of over 17,000 volunteers and 50,000 students, who have studied and worked in the city. The annual campaign aims to take care of children without parents, children with disabilities, poor families and patients, those who live in island communes, especially, poor students who can not return their homeland on Tet holiday. The seventh spring volunteer campaign will run from January 25 to February 18 in five outskirt districts, new rural communes, train stations, student hostels, bus stations and industrial zones and others. Within framework of the campaign, the organization board will hold  series charitable activities such as drawing paint portraits of Vietnamese heroic mothers, donating 3,000 units of blood for poor patients, offering  1,000 gifts to martyrs' families and 500 gifts for 500 poor patients, disadvantaged students, and disadvantaged children living in open house and shelters. Flight time changed due to upgrade work at Pleiku Airport The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will change the departure time of flights including Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku due to runway and landing area upgrade work at Pleiku Airport starting on January 28-March 15. Vietnam Airlines changes flight time on routes including Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City - Pleiku. (Photo: KK) Accordingly, flights will depart Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City before 4.30 p.m. in January; and earlier than 5 p.m. in February and March. The carrier will provide daytime flights from Pleiku on January 12-27; and March 15-28. In addition, a member of Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam Air Service Co (VASCO) will operate selected flights of the national flag carrier including Ho Chi Minh City - Rach Gia, Phu Quoc – Rach Gia/Can Tho and co-operate Ho Chi Minh City - Phu Quoc from 26 January 2015. This transmit aimed to direct VASCO to be an important carier of Vietnam Airlines in the Mekong Delta region and meet increasing travel demand of passengers. Vietjet to carry apricot, peach blossoms for Tet The low-cost airline Vietjet will transport apricot and peach blossoms for the upcoming lunar New Year Festival (Tet) on domestic flights from January 15 to March 5. A passenger will be allowed to check in with one branch of apricot or peach blossoms, measuring maximum 150cm x 40cm x 40cm as a special ‘Luggage Consignment Service’. Transportation fees for this will be VND400,000. Passengers can register to transport apricot and peach blossoms by booking on the website www.Vietjet.com and the carrier’s booking offices or agents nationwide. Agencies asked to ensure drugs supply for Tet The health ministry's Drug Administration of Viet Nam has asked healthcare agencies and drug manufacturers and importers to ensure adequate supply of drugs for the Tet festival in mid-February. The supply of drugs must also be adequate enough to cope with diseases that break out during winter and spring, including A/H5N1 influenza, hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever and measles, besides diarrhoea caused by rotavirus. The health departments have been asked to intensify inspections of the quality of drugs to prevent fake and substandard drugs from being circulated. Enterprises involved in the manufacture, trading and import of drugs are required to formulate plans to supply drugs to prevent increase in their prices during the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival. New Lao Cai bus station has shopping centres The Lao Cai Centre bus station commenced operations on Sunday. The station is spread over 3.5ha in Lao Cai City. It can handle up to 500 buses at a time, has a digital camera monitoring system and offers computerised registration of vehicles entering and leaving the station. In addition, there are restaurants and entertainment and shopping centres in the bus station. Deputy Transport Minister Le Dinh Tho said that the Lao Cai Centre bus station is a successful model of public-private partnership (PPP). The project aims to help the province in curbing temporary stops and unauthorised operation of buses, and improve the transport sector's service quality. The construction of the VND150-billion ($US700, 000) bus station began in May 2013. A similar project, the Sa Pa Bus Station, will soon be launched. Aphrodisiac pills seized in Hanoi Traffic police in Ha Noi yesterday discovered about 50,000 pills believed to be aphrodisiacs when checking a three-wheeled vehicle carrying excess cargo in Thuy Khue-Van Cao T-junction. These pills were packed in sacks with pornographic pictures. Driver Nguyen Thac Nham failed to show any papers related to the cargo. He said he was hired to transport the cargo from Hoan Kiem District's Dong Xuan Market to Cau Giay District. The cargo was transferred to police in Thuy Khue Ward for further investigation. Erosion threatens coastline Soil erosion threatens the livelihood of more than 50 households in southern Ben Tre Province's Bao Thuan Ward. The erosion also threatens crucial infrastructure in Thanh Hai Commune such as roads and bridges. Strong waves and rising seawater levels caused erosion to speed up in recent years, according to Lam Van O, deputy chairman of Bao Thuan Ward People's Committee. Local authorities hired contractors to reinforce the weak parts of the shore with metal nets and stones to protect major infrastructure, but due to budget limitations, affected households had to spend their own money to protect their land. "I've lived here for 21 years but I've never seen the water this high before," said Nguyen Thi Phuong, who had to borrow nearly VND50 million (US$2,400) to reinforce the foundation of her house. Huynh Van Luong, who used to cultivate 0.6ha of agricultural land, said he lost one-third of his land due to erosion since October last year. Another 100ha of protective forest in the vicinity are threatened by stronger tidal waves. Chairman of the Thanh Hai Commune People's Committee Phan Thanh Tung said erosion also hampered agricultural production in the region. The commune requested a solution from the provincial People's Committee, ministries and agencies but no one addressed the issue, he said. Home petrol stations pose major danger Small private household petrol stations are cropping up like mushrooms in the central province of Nghe An. However, many of them in the districts of Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai, Nghi Loc and Tuong Duong do not meet licensing requirements, threatening hundreds of lives and posing risks to the environment, according to Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today). In the Lach Van harbour in Dien Chau District's Dien Ngoc Commune, 600 fishing vessels regularly patronise 14 of these illegal petrol stations. Only one station on the harbour is said to be operating in compliance with all the rules. It is the State-owned Nghe An Oil and Gas Company. The private refuelling stations are small operations. They are based on supplying drums of fuel stored within private homes instead of underground tanks. Nong Thon Ngay Nay said the storage of large quantities of petrol in homes posed great risks to the members of Lach Van fishing village. Nguyen Van Dung, deputy chairman of Dien Ngoc Commune People's Committee said it was important for authorised agencies to inspect the storage spaces and advise on ways of minimising the risks of explosions. Although oil and petrol are not supposed to be sold until all safety conditions are met, the small traders seem to have no difficulty in obtaining permission to operate. This was revealed in a statement by Ho Sy Tam, an unlicensed private trader in Quynh Lap Commune, Hoang Mai Town. However, Tran Thanh Hai, director of the Dien Ngoc Oil and Gas Company, a licensed trader who has to compete with unlicensed players, said this is unfair. "The authorised agencies must straighten up there thinking to ensure that not only is business in accordance with law, but also operates with little or no risk to surrounding residents," he said. Nguyen Tung Son, leader of a Market Watch Team at Nghe An Provincial Market said: "We are aware of small petrol stations operating along the coast, but we have too much to do that we do not have time to visit them." Tet assistance to target beneficiaries Material support is scheduled to be delivered to the poor as well as beneficiaries of preferential policies for those who rendered services to the nation as the Lunar New Year is drawing near, said Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen. The official said the State President decided to give each beneficiary of preferential policies a Tet gift of VND200,000 or VND400,000, while relevant agencies and local authorities would also lend their own support. Meanwhile, low-income households will benefit from rice or financial assistance contingent on their specific circumstances, she noted. Regarding Tet bonuses for workers, Chuyen said almost all businesses nationwide have developed plans to provide Tet bonuses for their employees, as the traditional holiday is less than a month away. The ministry will survey ailing companies and ask local authorities to provide assistance for the workers of these firms, she said, while recommending workers to check the terms of their bonuses in their labour contracts to ensure their benefits are met. Localities across Vietnam reported a 15% increase in this year’s Tet bonus to about VND5 million (US$234) from 2013, the official said, speaking highly of businesses’ increasing sense of responsibility towards their employees. Vietnam funds Cambodian artillery’s headquarters The Cambodian Artillery High Command inaugurated its new headquarters in Kampong Speu province, funded by the Vietnam Ministry of Defence. The 2,500-square-metre facility includes a two-story main building with 15 fully equipped rooms. It was built at a cost of US$200,000. At the inauguration ceremony on January 26, Cambodian Defence Minister Tia Banh expressed his sincere gratitude for Vietnam’s support which has contributed substantially to the social development and security of his country. Vietnamese military attaché to Cambodia Colonel Nguyen Anh Dung stressed that the facility is a demonstration of the traditional solidarity, relationship and cooperation between the two nations’ armies. Colonel Dung said the Royal Cambodian Army has working diligently to implement a protocol on the Vietnam-Cambodia bilateral defence cooperation , particularly in searching for the remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers who fell down in Cambodia during wartime. Drastic measures needed to optimise Central Highlands strength Advising the Government on specific support policies for regional localities to maximise their strength should be one of the key tasks of the Steering Committee for Central Highlands in 2015, said Head of the Committee, General Tran Dai Quang. General Quang, who is also Minister of Public Security, said in order to successfully fulfil all the socio-economic, cultural, security and defence goals for the 2011-15 period, the committee should focus on designing measures to mobilise resources for stronger transport infrastructure connection for the Central Highlands and its neighbouring regions. Regional localities should continue effectively implementing socio-economic plans approved by the National Assembly and Government, he said at a conference of the committee to review its 2014 performance and launch key 2015 tasks in Dak Lak province on January 26. He also requested strong efforts to ensure the progress of a number of projects, including the upgrade of Pleiku airport and the Ho Chi Minh road. Last year saw complicated developments both domestically and globally, especially in the East Sea, but the nation and the Central Highlands region still made remarkable achievements across sectors, he noted. The region recorded an economic growth of 8.74 percent, with industrial production rising 11 percent. Total social investment in the region hit VND65.7 8 trillion, up 11.53 percent, he reiterated. Meanwhile, total exports of the region exceeded US$2.51 billion, a substantial 49.3 percent increase from the previous year, with the average per capita income reaching VND34.9 million (US$1,640), an annual increase of 13.6 percent, he said. During 2014, 61,000 local labours were underwent vocational training with a resulting 99,000 locals employed, he said, adding that 34,600 households rose out of poverty, reducing the region’s poverty ratio to 10.12 percent. At the same time, regional security and defence were ensured, especially in border areas, while the political system reform was accelerated, he stated. However, General Quang also pointed out a number of existing problems in the region, including the slow progress on a number of transport projects and poor local living conditions, especially among ethnic minority groups. Looking forward, regional localities should roll out more drastic measures to enhance their linkage, including forming a Vietnam coffee fund, reshuffling State-run farms and making preparations for natural disasters, he asked. The official also underlined the need to ensure farm land for people from ethnic minority groups and improve healthcare programmes and access for locals in the region. The committee also presented 16,000 gifts valued at VND8 billion (US$376,000) to beneficiary households in the region and neighbouring localities at the conference. VFF President meets overseas Vietnamese President of Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan on January 25 met with representatives of overseas Vietnamese (OVs) from 11 countries, including the US, Australia, Poland, Germany, Republic of Korea and Laos. The OVs told the VFF President that they have led a stable life and enjoyed overall support from the government of their residing countries. However, they showed their concern about how to develop an OV community and hoped that the Vietnamese government will provide relevant training for students studying abroad to have better community connectivity. They also wished to be supported in the teaching of the Vietnamese language to their children in order to preserve and promote Vietnamese cultural tradition and identities. To deal with OVs difficulties, Nhan urged OVs associations to make regular reports to VFF, proposing specific support policies, particularly those on teaching the Vietnamese language to children living abroad. Overseas Vietnamese resources contribute to national development The Overseas Vietnamese community have made major contributions to Vietnam’s development, especially after the implementation of a resolution of the Political Bureau on overseas Vietnamese (OV) affairs a decade ago. In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency reporters, Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) Vu Hong Nam said the Party and State work diligently to ensure the overseas Vietnamese community is always considered during policymaking, such as the Politburo’s Resolution No. 36 in 2004. To facilitate the realisation of the resolution, a number of legal documents have been developed and enforced to protect the legitimate interests of Vietnamese people abroad. The OV community currently consists of roughly 4.5 million people across 109 countries and territories, Nam noted, adding that they have been establishing firm footholds in these foreign lands, helping to elevate Vietnam’s stature in the global arena. About 10-15% of the OV community, or more than 400,000 people, hold graduate or higher degrees. Thanks to policies encouraging their return, more than 300 Vietnamese intellectuals from developed countries such as the US, France, Germany, and Japan return to their homeland every year. Many of them specialise in economics, mathematics, healthcare, education, and nuclear and information technology, and intend to stay in Vietnam long-term, the official said. In the time ahead, the COVA will conduct various activities to connect overseas and domestic intellectuals, including workshops and dialogues. It will also collaborate with the Ministry of Science and Technology to implement the Fostering Innovation through Research, Science and Technology (FIRST) project calling on OVs to engage in the country’s science and technology development, Nam added. Meanwhile, overseas remittances to Vietnam exceeded US$70 billion from 2003 to 2013, with an annual growth rate of 10% and reaching US$12 billion last year, the Deputy Minister said, noting that Vietnam is now among the top 10 countries receiving overseas remittances in the world. He cited the Central Institute for Economic Management as saying that remittances were the second largest source of capital in the country between 2007 and 2013, following foreign direct investment. Nam said remittances play an important role in stabilising the macro-economy, maintaining trade balance, and fortifying investment and national reserves. They also help spur spending and foster private economic activities, ultimately contributing to unemployment reduction and poverty alleviation. Favourable regulations such as removing caps on remitted money or facilitating OVs’ visits, property acquisitions, and investments in Vietnam have increased remittance inflows, he said. The official also attributed the rise in remittances to the growing number of Vietnamese individuals going abroad to work, study, or reunite with their families as well as convenient banking services and a stable exchange rate between VND and USD. Promising investment opportunities in securities, real estate, insurance, education, and healthcare in the country are also magnets for overseas funds. Vietnam promotes sending guest workers to key markets Vietnam looks to encourage sending citizens to Taiwan (China), Malaysia, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) to work as domestic workers, and to Japan and Germany to work as orderlies and nurses, in 2015. It plans to export 100,000 workers for the year. Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said Vietnam’s key markets for guest workers are Taiwan, Japan, the RoK, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. Data from the ministry’s Overseas Labour Management Department showed that compared to 2013, the number of Vietnamese guest workers sent to Taiwan increased from 46,000 to 60,000 with the number in Japan rising from 9,600 to 20,000 in 2014. A total of 7,000 guest workers were sent to the RoK, 5,000 to Malaysia, and 4,000 to Saudi Arabia, and 1,000 to Qatar. Compared to 2013, the number of workers in these four markets dropped by about 5,000. Thailand has begun to stand out as a promising market, with agreements between the two nations to coordinate their labour exports in 2015. Meanwhile, existing problems with guest workers between Vietnam and Taiwan are expected to be resolved this year, as the system returns to full function after the lift of the Chinese territory’s suspension on receiving Vietnamese labourers, she noted. Responding to reports of mistreatment in the Middle East, the official said the region is a good market with about 16,000 Vietnamese labourers, including 4,000 domestic workers. She explained these markets have specific regulations, and some of the recruitment companies did not help labourers prepare adequately, causing several workers fail in their attempts to adapt to the local environment. The ministry worked with the Vietnamese Embassy in Saudi Arabia to resolve the issues, including examining recruitment businesses to ensure proper operation.- Dong Thap looks for 3.7 trillion VND for climate change response The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is calling for an investment of 3.7 trillion VND (176 million USD) for climate change response projects between 2015 and 2020. The intended projects include developing an embankment system in Tram Chim town in Tam Nong district to counteract rising sea levels, and building erosion-proof dikes around the Tien River in Thuong Thoi Tien town in Hong Ngu district, among others. The projects aim to enhance local capability to adapt and respond to climate change and prevent and mitigate natural disasters to ensure sustainable socio-economic development. They will also cover training on the rehabilitation of production and business activities in areas prone to flooding as well as rescue and relief work. In 2014, as many as 33 communes close to the Tien River suffered from severe landslides and erosion due to climate change, according to the provincial Committee for Flood and Storm Control and Natural Disaster Mitigation. As a result, more than two hectares of land were washed away with nearly 2,000 households evacuated. Mekong Delta targets 49 percent of workforce trained labourers The Mekong Delta—encompassing Can Tho city and 12 provinces—aims to raise the proportion of trained workers to 49 percent in 2015, a 2.5 percent increase from 2014, said the Steering Committee for the Southwest region. To achieve the target, the localities will restructure their education systems and develop training styles relevant to local conditions, such as opening short-term courses in residential areas or publishing job skill knowledge through mass media. They will publish communication activities to encourage locals to enrol in vocational courses and offer training on business demand, the committee said. It added that local authorities will prioritise vocational trainings and job openings for ethnic minorities, impoverished individuals, and households whose farmland was reclaimed. About 187,000 people, including 121,000 from rural areas, attended vocational trainings in the Mekong Delta last year. The region currently has 181 establishments specialising in vocational training, with 186 other facilities also offering vocational courses such as universities, junior colleges, job centres, businesses, and associations, according to regional statistics. The Mekong Delta covers a total area of about 40,000 square kilometres with a population of 18 million, and is a major aquaculture region and the largest rice production hub of Vietnam. Health insurance cards for “near-poor” households in Central Highlands The Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Social Insurance Agency on January 26 presented three Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Kon Tum with donations from philanthropist enterprises and individuals to buy health insurance cards for households living just above the poverty line. The money, which came to nearly two billion VND (93,680 USD), will be used to take out 10,585 health insurance cards. Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said the action would help all ‘near-poor’ households in three provinces gain access to health services. The ministry will continue calling for more donations from philanthropists to expand the programme to the whole country, she said. More than 90 percent of households living near the poverty line in Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Kon Tum are not covered by health insurance. Border district Tra Linh turns to tangerine in fight against poverty The bordering district of Tra Linh in the northern border province of Cao Bang has successfully turned the native tangerines into a key commodity, helping lift local residents out of poverty. Tra Linh tangerine has long been famous for its quality and thus fetching high prices. One hectare of Tra Linh tangerines could bring in one billion VND (46,830 USD) in revenue. According to Duong Van Lam, Vice Chairman of Tra Linh District People’s Committee, the district along with the provincial Department of Science and Technology developed the “Restoring, preserving and developing Tra Linh tangerine” project to assist locals with techniques of caring and preventing diseases for the trees. Lam said currently the district, which borders China to the north, has around 70 hectares of Tra Linh tangerines, mainly located in communes Cao Chuong, Quang Han and Hung Quoc town but the area is expected to increase to 100 hectares in 2015. According to Lam, Tra Linh tangerines are sold for around 30,000 VND (1.4 USD) for each kilogram at the gardens and the price can reach as much as 100,000 VND (4.68 USD) per kilogram in the days approaching Tet. Another project to develop a collective brand for Tra Linh tangerines is underway in order to help raise the value of the fruit.- Gifts for OV Buddhists, poor Cambodians A delegation from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) offered 500 gift packages worth 25,000 USD to Vietnamese Buddhists and impoverished Cambodians living in Phnom Penh on January 25 in honour of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival. Attending the event were representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, the General Association of Cambodian-Vietnamese and the Bank for Investment and Development of Cambodia. Speaking at the event, Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong praised the mercy of the VBS toward disadvantaged Cambodians. He also highlighted the valuable assistance of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in saving Cambodians from the genocidal regime in the past. Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien, General Secretary of the VBS Executive council, said the VBS will continue coordinating with the Cambodia Buddhist Sangha in implementing additional humanitarian activities to support impoverished Buddhist followers in Cambodia, thus fortifing the friendship and relationship between the two countries.- Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/ND