| 17:00' 26/04/2009 (GMT+7) | ||
What should Vietnam do to sustain its development through the current downturn?
VietNamNet/VIR |
Chủ Nhật, 26 tháng 4, 2009
Intel eyes educational horizon for growth
Vietnam takes measures against swine flu
VietNamNet Bridge – After the World Health Organization (WHO) released the warning about the swine flu in Mexico and the United States, the Vietnamese Health Ministry asked related agencies to urgently take actions to prevent the disease.
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| A type A/ H5N1 patient. |
Accordingly, local health agencies have to keep watching to early discover any case of fever or having pneumonia or breathing problems. The people who enter Vietnam from Mexico and the US must pass temperature check.
Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, the Chief of the Preventive Health and Environment Agency under the Health Ministry, said that the swine flu virus is very toxic. Vietnam has not detected any case but it must be vigilant against the flu because type A/H5N1 flu still exists and the country has a huge number of pigs.
In HCM City, the local Department of Health met with the Veterinary Department, the Preventive Health Bureau, the International Health Quarantine Centre and hospitals to discuss measures to supervise swine flu.
According to the HCM City Department of Health, though this disease doesn’t come to Vietnam, the city has to tighten control of domestic and international passengers who enter the city via the Tan Son Nhat International Airport. All passengers have to pass temperature test at the airport. Temperature check is also applied on passengers who travel to Vietnam from Mexico and the US by sea.
The HCM City Department of Health’s Director Nguyen Van Chau instructed the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital and the Children’s Hospitals 1 and 2 to be ready to treat swine flu patients.
The city has also set up a taskforce against swine flu, gathering doctors from the four above hospitals.
New performance prose to take stage
| 02:32' 27/04/2009 (GMT+7) | ||
The cover of Dinh Hoang Anh's book "Nhung Giac Mong Doi Nguoi". Anh is set to experiment with the medium using her short story Coi Song – Coi Chet (World of Living – World of Death) at 3.30pm next Tuesday at the Russian Science and Culture Centre, 501 Kim Ma Street, Ha Noi. The short story will be performed by the writer against a contemporary musical background and will be accompanied by actors from Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre. The programme will be directed by the theatre’s director Bui Nhu Lai. The story has been selected up from Anh’s book Nhung Giac Mong Doi Nguoi (Dreams in People’s Lives), and includes 23 short stories about the separate destinies of different people. Through the book, Anh sends the message: Life is sometimes led by dreams. Sometimes, life itself is a dream. The performance will be coupled with discussion of the book and a presentation by critic Pham Xuan Nguyen. The event includes a performance of Anh’s poem Tieng Rao Dem (Pedlars’ Cries at Night) set to music and acted out by painter Thai Tinh, Anh’s husband. A collection of Tinh’s paintings and installations is also on display. The artist says the pieces were all inspired by Anh’s writing. Anh specialised in mathematics at university. She went on to do a PhD in maths in Minsk, Belarus and finished with an excellent degree. VietNamNet//VNS |
FIFA helps work on women’s footie
VietNamNet Bridge - FIFA consultant on women’s football Monika Staab held talks with the chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation, the general secretary and representatives of VFF’s Womens’ Football Depertment on April 24. 
VFF chairman Nguyen Trong Hy thanked Staab for her comments and said he hoped women’s football would go from strength to strength and compete successfully on the international stage.
Staab said to improve the quality of women’s football, the VFF should increase the number of matches in the national football tournament as well as develop women’s football in school.
Staab said the VFF should coordinate with the Ministry of Education and Training and related ministries and departments to organize mini-football events at festivals for young girls. She said the VFF should not wait until girls reached 15 to introduce them to the sport. Instead, six-to eight-year-old should be encourage to play.
Staab acknowledged that U-19 women’s football had improved as a result of the VFF’s decision to allow teams of 11 players to participate instead of seven.
In terms of coaches, Staab, who is head coach of Myanmar’s U-19 team, said there should be more training schools for coaches. She also said more attention should be paid to diet.
Staab said the VFF should invite FIFA – the international football body – to participate in the training.
Hy and VFF general secretary Tran Quoc Tuan thanked Staab for her comments and said the VFF would act on her advice.
VietNamNet/VNA
Vietnamese top list of foreign arrivals in Cambodia
VietNamNet Bridge - More than 79,700 Vietnamese visited Cambodia in the first quarter of this year, marking an increase of 49 percent over the same period last year, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism. 
Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said Vietnamese tourists outnumbered visitors from the Republic of Korea to account for the largest part of foreign visitors to Cambodia in the first three months of this year.
About 62,600 RoK visitors came to Cambodia in the reviewed period, a remarkable reduction from 97,500 in the corresponding period last year, said the tourism ministry.
To lure visitors in time of the global economic crisis, the Cambodian Tourism Ministry has turned to less-affected countries in addition to promoting new eco-tours.
The ministry has especially streamlined entry-exit procedures for tourists from the neighbouring countries of Vietnam , Thailand and Laos , allowing them to enter the three Cambodian border provinces with laissez-passers and stay for a week instead of three days as applied before.
Chairman of the Cambodian Travel Association, Ang Kim Eang, was optimistic that political stability would help draw more foreign visitors to his country.
VietNamNet/VNA
Court-style library to be built in Hue
| 19:40' 26/04/2009 (GMT+7) | ||
The library will be built on the site of the Tang Thu Lau building, the former archive of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) The remains of the archive are located on an island in the middle of Hoc Hai Lake on Dinh Tien Hoang Street within the former Forbidden City. Once completed, the library will house a collection of documents chronicling feudal matters in several languages, including Han (Chinese), Nom (Vietnamese ideographic script developed from Chinese characters), French and modern Vietnamese. The centre’s experts have surveyed documents preserved at villages in and around Hue City, especially those issued by kings, such as orders, decrees, edicts and conferment documents. The documents will be translated, transformed into modern languages and digitized to cater to professional researchers. The building of the library will require the clearing of nearly 20 households residing in the area. VietNamNet//VNS |
IP rights catches Government’s attention
VietNamNet Bridge - Government officials have confirmed that they are paying special attention to protecting intellectual property (IP) rights and so far have made major progress. 
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan told a workshop on April 21 that the Government has been continuing with efforts to complete a legal system on IP in order to meet the World Trade Organisation’s requirements.
“The Government is also paying special attention to improving the management and execution of the IP rights through issuing the relevant legislation,” said the senior official.
Along with its own efforts, the Government has been working hard to raise the public’s awareness of their obligations to respect the law by launching a series of information campaigns due to the importance of the issue, Quan said.
Journalists and media agencies are being urged to operate at full capacity to help the Government meet this target, the deputy minister told the workshop.
The event was co-sponsored by the National Office of Intellectual Property (NOIP) and the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) to respond to the International Day of Intellectual Property on April 26. It is aimed at honouring scientists for innovations that have contributed considerably to global socio-economic development.
In Vietnam, thanks to constant efforts since 1980s, the nation has so far boasted a virtually perfect legal system on the issue with the IP Law at its core. The system has been evaluated by international experts as meeting international standards.
The NOIP reported that Vietnamese businesses are increasingly interested in having their IP rights protected as around one-third of 300,000 enterprises have registered for protection so far. However, they are also seriously concerned with the rising number of infringements.
Director of the Ben Thanh Audio-Video company Huynh Tiet, complained that illegal copies of discs and tapes have been flooding the domestic market.
The NOIP Director, Tran Viet Hung, blamed the Customs Office for the problem, explaining that over 60 percent of illegal products that broke IP rights have originated from foreign markets.
Other problems that have led to wanton IP violations such as overlapping management procedures and a lack of personnel were also discussed at the event.
VietNamNet/VNA
Students learn English while working
Ngoc Anh talks to a foreign customer at her working place. (Photo: SGGP)
VietNamNet Bridge - Some students go to foreign language training centers when they need their language skills improved. Others find jobs in backpacker districts, which not only help their speaking improved but help them financially. 
“My speaking skills have improved a lot since I began working at backpacker district and I have been able to make a living without my parents’ support,” Dau Anh Thu, a souvenir shop assistant in Hue said.
Tran Thi Mai Huong said that she tried to improve her English through several books and documents but failed to make any progress. Her speaking has become more fluent after just one month working at Ngoc Anh restaurant.
Even some students who knew no English are able to talk to foreigners confidently after working here for sometime.
“It was hard for me to find a job in backpacker district because I didn’t know a single foreign word. Finally, a restaurant recruited me as a waitress,” Hoang Thi Tuyet recounted.
“My English restaurant vocabulary is great now and I feel more confident as I have to talk to foreigners everyday,” she said happily.
“The students’ eagerness in studying foreign languages has persuaded me to recruit even people speak no English” said Thu, Ngoc Anh restaurant’s owner, adding that they have made an obvious improvement through their jobs.
“I‘ve learnt a lot from real circumstances,” said Ngoc Anh, a junior of Hue Foreign Languages University’s Faculty of Chinese and Japanese.
“What I was taught at school sometimes is not really attached to reality. For example, I didn’t know tomato sauce is ketchup until a customer told me,” she added.
She also revealed that she recorded every conversation with customers and listened to them again to practice speaking.
“I’ve made an incredible advance in communicating with foreigners,” she proudly said.
VietNamNet//SGGP
SOCIAL IN BRIEF 27/4
| 07:43' 27/04/2009 (GMT+7) | ||
Pleiku upgraded to second class city
Pleiku city on April 24 held its 80th founding anniversary (1929 – 2009) and received the Prime Minister’s decision on upgrading it to the second class city. At the ceremony, Hoang Cong Ly, Deputy Chairman of Gia Lai provincial People’s Committee was assigned by the Prime Minister to award the above-said decision to Pleiku city leaders and recognize the great contributions and efforts of the city authorites over the past 80 years of the city’s construction and development. Vietnamese paintings on display in Hong Kong
Paintings by contemporary Vietnamese artists are on display at an exhibition in the Rotunda Exchange Square Central in Hong Kong, China, to mark Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit.
The seven-day exhibition runs through April 26 and features works by such famous painters as Nguyen Trung, Do Quang Em and Dang Xuan Hoa.
Over VND 207 billion to bring electricity to ethnic minority people The Electricity Company No. 2 and the electricity sector of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong are accelerating the building of electric infrastructure to connect power to over 19,700 families in 12 districts, with a total investment capital of VND 207.6 billion. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Minh, deputy head of the provincial electricity department, one year after the inauguration, 65% of the construction has been accomplished. It is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2009. The construction will also provide electricity for 1,200 villages with 116,000 ethnic minority families in five Central Highlands provinces. Kon Tum province holds an ethnic cultural festivalA cultural festival of ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands has taken place in a traditional house in Dak Cho village, Ngoc Tu commune, Dak To district, Kon Tum province. More than 400 artisans from 9 communes in the Dak To district participated in the festival. Diverse cultural activities such as gastronomy, folk games, traditional cloth and gong performances were held during the festival. This was an activity to mark the 37th anniversary of the liberation of Dak To – Tan Canh and improve awareness in the preservation of culture among ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands. Vietnamese ensemble wins gold cup at Pyongyang Spring FestivalA Vietnamese ensemble of 22 singers and musicians has won the gold cup at the 26th international arts festival in Pyongyang in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The event attracted 650 artists from 24 countries and territories around the world. The Vietnamese artists played traditional music instruments and songs. They also joined a number of overseas artists from Mongolia, Moldavia and Indonesia in various performances. Foreign assistance helps mine victimsClear Path International of the US will provide US$15,000 to a US$15,750 project to help mine victims in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue. The project will be carried out in the mountainous districts of A Luoi and Nam Dong. Mine victims in the localities will be provided with seedling and breeding animals, as well as training in husbandry, aquaculture and forest plantation. The province has also received assistance from other foreign and international organisations to clear bombs and mines. The German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently donated US$3.81 million to Thua Thien-Hue to clear bombs and mines on 600 hectares in the districts of Huong Thuy, Phu Loc, and Huong Tra. 46,700 bombs, mines and unexplosive objects have been cleared so far. However, about 7,000 ha of land, in the former battle fields of Nam Dong, A Luoi, Phong Dien, Huong Tra, Huong Thuy and Phu Loc remain yet to be assisted with bomb and mine clearance. Safe water project built for SEA Games 25
Construction of a project to supply safe water for the sport complex for the up-coming 25th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 25th) began in Xaythany district, Vientiane, on April 24. Plan to help poor pay medical bills The Mekong Delta Region Health Support Project, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the US-based RASS company, plans to raise funds to help pay for health insurance for the near-poor. Vietnam aims to reduce malaria Dr Nguyen Manh Hung, director of National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, April 25 said that this year the Government plans to reduce the number of malaria cases and deaths, as well as prevent the spread of disease. According to the latest Ministry of Health survey, there were 12,548 cases of malaria and one death since the beginning of the year, down 25.3 percent over the same period last year. Drug-resistant malarial parasites have spread to many provinces, said Dr Hung, adding that the WHO also warned about this on World Malaria Awareness Day on April 25. The WHO said that this disease may spread widely in the Mekong Delta, with drug resistance preventing efforts to eradicate malaria by 2015. VNA reporters gain better access to auditor’s office The State Audit Office of Viet Nam and the Vietnam News Agency yesterday signed an agreement that allows VNA reporters with easier access to the Vietnamese auditors’ official sources of information. According to the agreement, the State Audit Office of Viet Nam has responsibility in providing the Vietnam News Agency with a wide range of information, ranging from legal documents and documents relating to its organisation and operations, to examining reports. The State Audit Office, in co-operation with the Vietnam News Agency, will also open training courses to show journalists how to interpret its reports more effectively. It will also organise professional seminars to enhance bilateral understanding. General Auditor Vuong Dinh Hue said the agreement was a firm foundation for both agencies to better serve the community. General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Tran Mai Huong said the new co-operation would help reporters provide international and local readers with more accurate and informative news. Nation’s biggest service station opens A 3.3ha service station on Highway 20 in the southern province of Dong Nai was opened on Thursday. The Tan Phu District service station, costing VND70 billion (US$4.1 million), was funded by Dong Nai-based Tin Nghia Co Ltd. It is described as the biggest in the country. The service station houses a petrol station, two restaurants, a convenience store and a garage. It is hoped the complex will help reduce accidents on Highway 20. Inspectors confiscate Chinese poultry The Bac Giang health authorities have confiscated 2,000 chickens, 1,500 ducklings and 300 goslings being transported in a lorry in Yen Dung District. It was the largest consignment of poultry ever seized by authorities in the northern province, local health inspectors said. Owner of the goods found in Dong Son Commune said he imported the poultry from China and did not have any quarantine certificates for them. Fine holiday weather in North; centre cool Northern provinces will have fine weather with a temperature of 21 to 30 degrees over this week’s two-day holiday, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecast said. On Liberation Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1), central provinces will have cool weather and may experience whirlwinds and hail. The south can expect strong winds and rain in the evening from April 30 to May 3. Poor students paid ferry expenses The Ca Mau People’s Committee has approved a project of supporting poor and disabled students with ferry expenses. Under the project, each poor and disabled student in the province would receive VND150,000 (US$9) a month, said Vo Quoc Viet, chairman of the people’s committee. A pilot programme would be implemented in Ngoc Hien District from now until the end of May and be expanded to remaining districts next school year. About 30,800 students, more than 15 per cent of local students, go to school by ferry. This school year, nearly 400 students dropped out because they could not pay ferry fees. PV |
U.S. declares public health emergency with 20 swine flu cases confirmed
The Obama administration on Sunday declared public health emergency, immediately after at least 20 cases have been confirmed of swine flu in the
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano speaks during a news briefing on the swine flu outbreak at White House in Washington, capital of the United States, April 26, 2009. The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday amid an outbreak of 20 confirmed cases of swine flu. (Xinhua/Zhang Yan)
The Department of Health and Human Services "will declare today a public health emergency in the 
The emergency declaration was "standard operating procedure," Napolitano said, adding the declaration will "allows us to use medication and diagnostic tests that we might not otherwise be able to use, particularly on very young children, and it releases funds for the acquisitions of additional anti-virals."
Similar emergency declarations were issued for floods in recent months in the
According to the secretary,
"Travelers who do present with symptoms, if and when encountered, will be isolated per established rules," she said.
"They will be provided both with personal protective equipment and we'll continue to emphasize universal hand washing."
A total of 20 swine flu cases have been confirmed in the
The 20 cases confirmed so far are in
Besser says things are moving fast and that authorities expect the virus to spread. But he assured Americans that health officials are taking action to minimize its impact.
VietNamNet/Xinhuanet
River damming starts at A Luoi hydro-power project
VietNamNet Bridge - Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on Apr. 26 ordered to dam the A Sap river for the construction of the A Luoi hydroelectric power plant in A Luoi district, central Thua Thien-Hue province. 
As the largest hydro-power electricity project in the province, the A Luoi power project will also help supply water and prevent floods and droughts on the one hand, while improving the environmental and weather conditions in the region on the other hand, the Deputy PM said.
He also stressed the project’s contribution to maintaining border security, restructuring the economy and developing production, especially aquaculture, in the locality.
Hai asked the investor – the Central Region Hydro Electricity Joint Stock Company – to cooperate with contractors and the locality in ensuring the construction tempo and quality.
The A Luoi project has two turbine groups with a total design capacity of 170 MW, to be built with a total investment of over 3.2 trillion VND.
The project, started 21 months ago, is expected to become operational by the end of 2011 and provide the national grid with 686.5 million kWh a year.
It will also help raise the capacity of the Huong Dien hydro-power plant at the Co Bi river.
VietNamNet/VNA
Vietnam wants increased legislative ties with Singapore
Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Duc Kien.
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam’s legislative body wants to increase the sharing of information and experience with its Singaporean counterpart in order to expand bilateral cooperation in a wider range, said a senior Vietnamese legislator. 
Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Assembly Nguyen Duc Kien made the statement at his working sessions with Deputy Speakers of the Singapore Parliament held during his official visit to Singapore from April 22-25.
The Vietnamese legislator also proposed to continue exchanging visits of the two countries’ legislators as part of efforts toward an increased bilateral cooperation in the field.
Kien highly valued Singapore ’s role in ASEAN and reiterated the country’s policy of focusing on promoting friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with ASEAN member countries.
Delighted with the growing bilateral ties, he highlighted Singaporean businesses’ effective investment in Vietnam and affirmed active implementation of bilateral economic cooperation programmes between the two countries.
While in Singapore , Kien and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to Singaporean President Sellapan Rama Nathan.
They also held working sessions with Singaporean government officials, business representatives, and professors of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and attended a meeting between Singaporean members of parliament and voters.
The Vietnamese legislators learnt about the Singapore Parliament’s role in examining and deciding important national issues as well as policies and breakthrough measures Singapore has taken to achieve prosperity.
They also inquired into Singapore ’s short and medium-term policies to overcome the crisis, its policies on urban housing and real estate business, management models, investment attraction incentives and law on human resource development and environmental protection.
VietNamNet/VNA
Illegal foreign labourers in Vietnam, lack of proper management?
| 05:23' 27/04/2009 (GMT+7) | ||
Unskilled foreign workers flow into Vietnam Unskilled foreign workers not permitted to work in Vietnam PM asks for check of foreign workers in Vietnam 2,000 Chinese laborers may work on Central Highlands alumina project While Vietnamese guest workers in foreign countries have to register with the local authorities through their employers, there is a large number of foreign workers illegally employed in Vietnam but local authorities do not know the exact figure even where they live and work. According to Phan Quoc Thai, deputy head of the Vietnam Immigration Department in Southern regions of Vietnam under the Ministry of Public Security, the number of foreign workers from Africa and the Middle East coming to Ho Chi Minh City has increased rapidly in recent years. The number rose from 2,893 in 2005 to 4,080 in 2007 and 1,765 in just the first half on 2008. However, many foreign workers in Ho Chi Minh City do not have work permits because they don’t satisfy the criteria in terms of work experience. Some work at two firms at once. Tam said the Department is seeking ways to address the situation. Problems persist in the management of foreign labourers. Ho Chi Minh City currently has about 8,000 legal foreign workers, however, this figure is only the tip of the iceberg. Many enterprises recruit foreign labourers themselves from China and African countries, since there are no enterprises in Vietnam which are permitted to do it for them. Foreign labourers work in Vietnam in such fields as education, footwear, garments and textiles, printing and building-often for low salaries. Most footwear and garment and textile companies employ Chinese workers. Illegal foreign workers number in the thousands A report from Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Labour-Invalids and Social Affairs in a survey of 200 enterprises at the end of 2008 shows that 30% of foreign workers do not have permits and 10% of them are not qualified to get one. After concluding their review of 14 companies employing foreign labourers in the last quarter of 2008, the review committee was shocked to discover that only 3 out of 23 foreign workers have a labour license. Some experts are worried about the difficulty of foreign-labour management in the face of increasingly large numbers. Last year, for example, the number of Asian workers in Ho Chi Minh City rose drastically. In addition, the number of Korean, Japanese, Malaysian and French workers also increased sharply, respectively by 125%, 35%, 136% and 87%. Le Hong Tam, head of the Ho Chi Minh City’ Department of Labour-Invalids and Social Affairs, said that the Department cannot control the amount of illegal labourers being used by companies outside the designated economic zones since reporting by such companies to the Department is often incomplete, moreover, many foreigners work illegally using tourist visas. In Hai Phong there are about 4,000 labourers, half of them working on the construction of the Hai Phong thermal power plant in Thuy Nguyen district, while others work in Do Son industrial park and some factories in An Duong district. According to Nguyen Hong Mai, deputy head of the Institute of Construction Economics, large construction sites like Ca Mau Gas-Power-Fertilizer Complex and Hai Phong’s thermal power plant always employ thousands of Chinese workers. Nguyen Cong Luc, head of the Department of Economic Sectors of the Government Office said that a thermal power plant in Quang Ninh uses more than 2,000 Chinese workers. The chairman of the Vietnam Association of Building Materials added that more than 10 large cement factories and power plant projects are being undertaken by Chinese contractors. Tran Ngoc Hung, head of the Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations confirmed that Vietnamese contractors are worried that Chinese contractors are winning in key construction projects for the production of electricity, cement and chemicals. To make matters worse these contractors bring with them thousands of Chinese workers and materials which can be easily obtained in Vietnam. Tougher foreign labour management needed Mr. Thai pointed out that the number of visas granted cannot be used to count the number of people registered to work in Vietnam since visas are granted for both tourism and business, and are then extended by those wishing to stay in the country to work. This uncontrolled process of visa granting enables foreigners to easily immigrate to Vietnam in large numbers. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has proposed that foreign labourers in Vietnam be required to have at least a university degree. Foreign workers skilled in traditional handicrafts or who have valuable experience in their profession but who do not have qualifications must obtain approval from relevant authorities in their country of origin. This would enable Vietnam to close the door on unskilled foreign labour. However, since there is no set agreement among Vietnam and other countries as to the definition of ”a skilled worker” employers may be able to exploit the situation to bring in unskilled workers anyway. This would make it easy for some foreign workers to enter the country and negatively impact social security and the development of many regions in Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs urged its Department to broaden their knowledge of laws and regulations on the employment and the management of foreign labourers in Vietnam, which apply to local enterprises and organisations. The Vietnam Immigration Department, under the Ministry of Public Security, has already officially notified the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform them that the Department of Security under the Ministry of Public Security has instructed the police in the cities and provinces not to grant visa application and extensions for foreign workers without reason. Statistics from the relevant agencies have shown that most foreign workers employed in the educational, footwear, garments and textiles, banking, finance, securities and building construction sectors have a stable monthly payroll much higher than Vietnamese workers. For foreign workers who have labour contracts, enterprises must post the job advertisement and register with relevant organisations. Nearly 2,800 foreign workers from 46 countries and territories were newly licensed in 2008, an increase of 55.3% over 2007. Among the top 10 countries with the largest numbers of guest workers are China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which supplied more than half of the total.
VietNamNet/VOV |
Thứ Hai, 20 tháng 4, 2009
Quan wins Tanimex 2009 tourney
VietNamNet Bridge – Number one Vietnamese tennis star Do Minh Quan won yesterday the Tanimex International Tennis Tournament 2009 title for the second time in a row.
He’s a winner: Top player Do Minh Quan holds the trophy of the Tanimex International Tennis Tournament in HCM City. He beat Le Quoc Khanh 6-1, 6-0 in the men’s singles final yesterday.
Quan left the court victorious with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Le Quoc Khanh, who conceded the second set because of thigh injury. 
As top seed and defending champion, with an easier-than-expected victory over seventh seed Andrean Raturandang of Indonesia in the semi-final, Quan broke in the third game but won the next four games to win the first set.
Khanh, who called for medical care in the sixth game of the first set, decided to drop out and concede the men’s singles title.
"I am very happy to take the title for the second time in succession," Quan said after the match.
"Before the tournament I didn’t think it would be easy for me to win the title, but the unexpected early elimination of foreign players made it easier for me to grab it," added Quan.
"Even though I won the tournament, I still must work to improve my serving ability and my physical strength."
"Finishing the tournament in second place is an unexpected success, considering I only returned to practice a month ago," said Khanh, who always plays very aggressive.
In the men’s doubles, Hendri Susilo Pramono and Andrean Raturandang of Indonesia overcame hosts Quan and Khanh to win the men’s event for the first time and received US$1,500 in prize money.
"We played well in the final; we equalized the score twice in the first set and in the decider to seal the win. We are very happy to win the men’s doubles title and hope that we will be here for the next tournament," said Pramono.
Quan received US$2,950, including $2,500 for the men’s singles title and $450 for the men’s doubles second place win.
Khanh pocketed $2,150, including $1,700 for second in the men’s singles and $450 for the men’s doubles runner-up.
Third place in the men’s singles event was shared between Ngo Quang Huy and Andrean Raturandang.
Malaysian duo Adam Jaya and Yew Ming Si and Pongsiri Niroj and Kong Lertchai from Thailand came in third in the men’s doubles event.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
Vietnam Airlines conquers European market
VietNamNet Bridge - The national flagship Vietnam Airlines will hold the 2009 Vietnam Sea Festival in Paris, France on April 28-29 to promote tourism and attract foreign visitors, especially from France and Europe, to tourist sites in Vietnam. 
Le Dung, Chief Representative of Vietnam Airlines in Paris, says while international airlines encountered many difficulties arising from the impact of the global economic recession in 2008, Vietnam gained some achievements in the European market.
The national flagship earned total revenue of EUR165 million from the European market in 2008, up 20 percent against 2007. In the French market alone, the revenue was up 24 percent.
On the routes connecting Paris to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the number of passengers increased by 87 percent on average and Vietnam Airlines began to bring in profits.
Although the national flagship operates only 3 direct routes from Vietnam to France, Germany and Russia, it has opened ticket agencies in most Western, Northern and Central European countries.
France will continue to be a major market for Vietnam Airlines, says Dung. French tourists, particularly, older people, are interested in travelling to Vietnam because of traditional cultural, historical and economic relations.
In addition, there are many overseas Vietnamese in France and the country is also an important gateway to major countries in Europe. Therefore, Vietnam Airlines has decided to increase the number of flights to France from 6 to 8 a week in late October.
More events to advertise Vietnam’s potential for tourism are expected to take place in the near future.
VietNamNet/VOV
If Ha Long Bay could talk…
VietNamNet Bridge – What is more important: Ha Long Bay becoming one of the seven new natural wonders of the world in the selection held by the New7Wonders or it being preserved well and protected from being damaged by man? How might the bay answer? 
The costly "game” with Ha Long Bay
UNESCO’s recognition not enough?
Objectively, any positive selection related to Ha Long Bay is a chance for Vietnam to engage in cultural diplomacy. The selection is a way for Ha Long Bay in particular and Vietnam in general to capture the world’s notice even if it doesn’t end up as one of the top seven natural wonders of the world. However, there are concerns.
The New7Wonders selection doesn’t have any criterion apart from number of votes. This means that countries with larger populations have a natural advantage. Moreover, the New7Wonders website doesn’t make public the numbers of votes for nominated landscapes.
The New7Wonders project started ten years ago. It was launched by a Swiss-Canadian, Bernard Weber, a filmmaker, a pilot and an adventurer, who is not very well known in the world.
The titles being offered by the New7Wonders – the New World Wonder (2007) and the New World Natural Wonder (2001) – cannot or should not be compared to the World Heritage title created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The assessment and recognition of world heritage sites by UNESCO is conducted very carefully, systematically by prestigious experts, based on clear-cut and scientific criteria.
According to UNESCO’s website, 878 places in the world are recognised as world heritages, including 679 cultural heritages, 174 natural heritages and 25 combined heritage sites.
Ha Long Bay has been recognised as a World Heritage twice, in 1994 and 2000, by UNESCO. Without the New7Wonders’ selection, Ha Long Bay is already a world heritage and famous globally.
Preserving heritage more important than titles
Not much time has been wasted in trying to get Ha Long Bay another title. If the bay surpasses 261 nominees to become one of the seven new world natural wonders of New7Wonders, it gets a title bestowed by an obscure, private organisation.
Many people are asking why Ha Long Bay needs a title granted by such an organisation. Ngo Van Hung, head of the Ha Long Bay Management Board, said: “The two selections are different. UNESCO annually recognises new world heritage sites so the number of world heritage sites is increasing. The New7Wonders only chooses seven world natural wonders.”
The vote for the seven new world natural wonders by the New7Wonders is entering the second phase. The final 77 of 261 candidates will be announced on July 7, 2009. Therefore, many campaigns calling for votes for Ha Long Bay have been launched recently. However, it seems that calling for people to vote for the bay is more important than calling for them to preserve the site.
Many famous heritage sites in the world have been put on the list of Endangered World Heritages by UNESCO; these sites are at risk of being ousted from the World Heritage list. In 2007, the Arabian Oryx temple in Oman was no longer recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage after 13 years of recognition.
Long-term preservation of heritage sites is key. Ha Long Bay may be rejected from UNESCO’s World Heritage list if it is not preserved properly. The most important thing is that Ha Long Bay is the only one of its kind in the world.
Bich Hanh
Nuclear power: Seven agencies allowed to offer training
A nuclear power plant (photo: ecofriend.org).
VietNamNet Bridge – According to the scheme to train human resources for the nuclear power sector, seven agencies in Hanoi, HCM City and Lam Dam province are permitted to offer training activities. The total funding for this scheme is around VND2 trillion ($111.1 million). 
The seven agencies are: the Hanoi Polytechnic University, the Hanoi-based and HCM City-based universities for natural sciences, the Electricity University, Da Lat University, the Vietnam Atomic Power Institute, and the Institute of Physics.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Dinh Tien said human resource training for the nuclear power industry is critical, and needs to be begun as soon as possible. Vietnam aims to have sufficient human resources for its first nuclear power plant.
There are four universities in Vietnam which have nuclear energy faculties. However, the Vietnam Atomic Power Institute said that the curriculums for these universities don’t meet requirements for nuclear technology and safety training.
According to experts, preparation of human resources for the nuclear power industry must be implemented early, tens of years before the first nuclear power plant becomes operational.
It is estimated that this plant will need around 450 experts. Vietnam currently has 600 people who are working in nuclear-related fields, mainly in non-energy application areas, all of whom are of advanced age.
Chi Mai
Students of Internet era cannot use Internet
VietNamNet Bridge – Dormitories of many universities and junior colleges refuse to allow students to use Internet services, ignoring their petitions.
Students using Internet for chatting?
The dormitory of the 
“I can only use a computer to make documents or listen to music, because there is no Internet connection in the dormitory. If I have to use the Internet, I have to go to an Internet café,” said Huong, a student of the Business Administration Faculty.
In fact, there is one room in every building of the dormitory with 30 Internet connected computers. However, the figure proves to be too small, and cannot meet the requirements of the several hundred students in every building.
“The Internet speed of the computers is very slow. Meanwhile, the persons in charge of the rooms are not always there. They only come when they want,” Huong said.
She added that the Internet rooms have been closed recently. Most students have to go to Internet cafés to access the Internet. Those who have laptops often bring their laptops to building 5’s vicinity to catch wifi specifically equipped for the building.
Students have many times asked the university’s leadership to allow them to use the Internet in dormitories, offering to spend their own money to use Internet services. However, they have not been allowed to do that.
The students living in the dormitory of Hanoi Construction Junior College No 1 are facing the same situation.
Vi, a 2nd year student of the Civil Engineering Faculty under the college, said: “I have a high demand for using the Internet because the information available on the Internet proves to be very useful. Besides, I’m now the administrator of several forums, and I have to use the Internet regularly.” He related that he has several times contacted Internet service providers himself, but the college then did not allow him to use the service.
“We have been told simply that the college still cannot have Internet at this moment. Moreover, teachers think that we use the Internet just to play games, and chat with friends, while we don’t use Internet for studying,” he added.
Because of no Internet, many students of the college have left the dormitory for boarding houses, where they can use Internet services.
No Internet because of difficulties in management
Explaining the absence of Internet connection, Trinh Quang Vinh, Headmaster of the Construction Junior College, said: “It is not because we don’t want to have an Internet connection for students in the dormitory. The Internet cable didn’t reach the Trung Van area, where the college is located, until 2008.”
Vinh added that the college is considering connecting to the Internet, but this will take more time. The plan will be implemented when answers can be found for a lot of questions: Who will spend money on the investment, the university or students? How many students will use Internet services? How will the students be managed? Which service provider will be chosen?
Meanwhile, Le Anh Tuan, Head of the Student Management Division under the Hanoi National Economics University, said that it is not difficult to have the Internet connected, but he is worried about the management work, when there are several thousand students in the dormitory.
When asked why the university does not allow students to sign contracts directly with Internet service providers, Tuan said that the Internet cable may affect the existing cable system. Moreover, the university would not be able to manage them if students brought outsiders to the dormitory to fix Internet problems.
When asked why the university still did not allow its students to have Internet connected, when other universities had done this already, Tuan said: “They have their viewpoints, and we hold our viewpoints.”
He added that the solution is that the university will increase the number of public Internet access points in the dormitory.
Cam Quyen
Stock exchange head investigated for misuse of public asset
VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City Department of Construction will look into the scandal related to the misuse of a public house by General Director of the HCM City Stock Exchange, Tran Dac Sinh, this week.
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| The current villa of the General Director of the HCM City Stock Exchange, Tran Dac Sinh. |
The probe will be conducted today, April 20.
Residents of Ngo Tat To apartment block in Ward 17, Binh Thanh district, represented by a man named Ngo Viet Thinh, complained that Sinh was misusing a 60sq.m public apartment in this block, which was allocated to him in 2002.
In 2005, Sinh bought a piece of land and built a villa of 200sq.m in Binh Hung commune, Binh Chanh district and moved into that villa.
However, after moving into his own house, Sinh didn’t return the public apartment to the state but gave the apartment to his son. Local residents complained that Sinh’s son has his own house but he stays in the public house of his father. Meanwhile, many state officials who meet standards to have a public house have not been allocated accommodations.
The manager of Ngo Tat To apartment block, Nguyen Huu Sinh, told VietNamNet that Sinh used the public apartment No. 1323 at Ngo Tat To apartment block. However, he said Sinh’s son had been living there for the last two years, not Sinh.
According to a member of the management board of Ngo Tat To apartment block, the Housing Management Division of the HCM City Department of Construction, the People’s Committee of Ward 19, Binh Thanh district, and the management board of Ngo Tat To apartment block checked apartment 1323 on March 2.
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| The state apartment that is used by Sinh's son. |
Inspectors initially judged that the public apartment was not being used for the right purposes and its use was contrary to the rules on management and use of public houses of the HCM City People’s Committee.
In phone interviews with reporters, Sinh admitted that the apartment at Ngo Tat To apartment block was a state apartment. He moved into his own house in Binh Chanh district. He explained: “I gave that apartment to my son, not anyone else. When his house is completed this year’s end, he will move into the new house and I will give back the apartment to the state.”
Local residents near Sinh’s villa in Binh Chanh district said that Sinh’s family had been living in that house for around four years.
According to the HCM City People’s Committee’s regulations, it is wrong that Sinh’s son is using the state apartment and the apartment must be revoked immediately.
The HCM City Department of Construction will probe the case and report to the HCM City People’s Committee this week.
An official from the HCM City Department of Construction said that if Sinh is found having misused the state apartment, he will have to immediately give it back to the state and the agency will review his Party membership.
Thai Thien
Commentary: What makes Uncle Sam "modest"?
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| Presidents of Chile Michelle Bachelet, Argentina Cristina Fernandez, the U.S. Barack Obama and Brazil Inacio Lula da Silva (L-R) talk before the opening ceremony of the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain April 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
In fact, U.S. President Barack Obama was not making overtures in a casual way.
Before Obama embarked on his first presidential trip to Latin America, the White House made it clear that the president "is not going to Trinidad with a plan for the hemisphere... He is going to Trinidad with the intention of listening, and discussing and dealing with his colleagues as partners."
The modesty of Uncle Sam this time has been manifested in many ways.
First of all, Obama said explicitly at the summit that countries in the hemisphere are "equal partners" and the future relationship between the United States and the rest of the region should be based on "mutual respect, common interests and common values."
For a country that has long been treating Latin America as its own "backyard," these kinds of expressions are very rare, if not unprecedented.
Secondly, the president admitted several times that his country had made a number of mistakes in regional affairs.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the summit, Obama conceded: "We have at times been disengaged... and at times we sought to dictate our terms."
At a press conference on Sunday, he said his country has unpleasant history with the region and had used "double standards."
Obama also called the long-time U.S. policy of isolating Cuba "foolish."
And finally, the Obama administration seemed not shy about taking responsibility for the region's various woes.
When visiting the Dominican Republic ahead of the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged that the rampant illicit drug trade in Latin America is directly related to the huge demand for drug in her country.
Earlier, during her trip to Mexico, Clinton admitted that the increasing violence in Mexico has a lot to do with guns smuggled in from the United States.
The unusual U.S. "modesty" is not a result of a sudden impulse.
The new phenomenon can be traced to Obama's foreign policy philosophy and has a lot to do with the changing realities in and outside the United States.
Obama is known for his different approach in dealing with foreign affairs from his predecessor George W. Bush, who once favored unilateralism and pre-emptive military strikes.
The new president is more inclined to multilateralism and the notion of "soft power" and "smart power."
Due to the historical tensions between Latin America and the United States, resentment at the United States has become a mindset among many Latin Americans. The sentiment soared further during the Bush years.
Obama and his advisors may be convinced that a modest gesture could be an effective way to ease such negative feelings.
Domestically, the Latinos in the United States are gaining more political power and are asking the new administration to treat their original countries with more respect.
Domestic market not a temporary harbour
VietNamNet Bridge – If Vietnamese enterprises do not have serious business plans, they will not succeed in the domestic market, a place which is no longer the personal stomping ground of Vietnamese enterprises.
Truong Dinh Tuyen, a member of the National Advisory Council for Monetary Policies, stressed that businesses are correct in wanting to develop the domestic market as export markets have been narrowed. However, he said that businesses need to have long-term and strategic plans to conquer the market, they should not expect that they can make big leaps in the market overnight 
Domestic market not shelter
An economist noted that many export companies have returned to the domestic market, considering this a temporary shelter to stay while they weather the global economic recession. As a result, they are only making products with inventory materials to launch onto the domestic market.
Tuyen emphasised that a market with the commodity and service retail turnover of VND986tril like
Sharing the same view, Vu Kim Hanh, Director of the Enterprise Support and Business Research Centre, said that if businesses consider the domestic market a ‘temporary shelter’ only, they will move with hasty steps without appropriate investments and detailed studies about consumers’ tastes and market segments’ demands.
Hanh also said that export companies, while making products for domestic consumption, should also prepare to resume exporting when the export markets become bustling again.
Good strategies needed
The businesses which have been successful in the domestic market recently all have had methodical business strategies.
Vinamilk, for example, had turnover from domestic sales and exports at 40% and 60%, respectively, of total turnover in 2006. Considering the home market the target market, Vinamilk has been implementing a series of new measures. Currently, its ratio of domestic turnover vs. export turnover is 80% to 20%.
Nguyen Lam Vien, Chairman of Vinamit, specialising in processed fruits, said that right in 2005, Vinamit, which then focused on exports only, decided to pay more attention to the domestic market. The company’s turnover ratios are now 50% from domestic sales and 50% from exports.
Doan Dinh Duy Khuong, Marketing Director of Hau Giang Pharmacy, said that in order to make Hau Giang a good brand name in the domestic market, the company has spent three years to try a lot of distribution methods in different regions of the country.
To date, enterprises have had to devise strategies themselves to develop the domestic market, while they have not got support from management agencies. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently announced a VND52bil worth programme to help support domestic market development. Experts say that Vietnam is behind in setting up strategies to stimulate the domestic market.
VietNamNet/NLD