African legend brought to life on HCM City’s stage

Artist Thanh Loc plays Phu Thuy Lam Chieu (Mean Witchs)

VietNamNet Bridge - On the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a play for children, “Phu Thuy Lam Chieu” (Mean Witches), was opened by Idecaf Theater at Ben Thanh Theater, District 1, HCMC, September 25 with 25,000 tickets sold for the show’s run.

The Phu Thuy Lam Chieu’s author Minh Phuong and director, Vu Minh, was based on an African legend and aimed to heighten goodness and unity.

Huynh Anh Tuan, director of Idecaf Theater, said the performance was originally planned to be performed 25 times but they sold 25,000 tickets. Therefore, the theater increased the number of shows to 31.

Idecaf Theater will also offer 2,000 give free tickets to disadvantaged children in the city.

The play will close on November 1.

VietNamNet/SGGP

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55-year-old The Cong club eliminated

VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Defense has crossed off the name of The Cong (or the military club), a famous football team in Vietnam.

The Defense Ministry made the decision on September 25, saying that the team had fallen down in recent years, although it received up to 70 billion dong a year in investments.

The team’s name has been in existence for 55 years and fans are pained by its loss. The team will continue, however, as Viettel Telecom will take over the club, complete with a new name.

Before The Cong, Saigon Port, a famous football club of HCM City also changed its name to HCM City Club after many failures. The team has fallen from V-League to the First Division tournament.

PV

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The rap on Vietnamese souvenirs: too much ‘same-same’

VietNamNet Bridge – The same foreign traveler who spends $400-500 shopping in Thailand typically spends only $90-100 in Vietnam for souvenirs. Some experts conclude Vietnam is missing an opportunity because it cannot persuade foreign tourists to loosen their purse strings further.

Tourists don’t spend money on similar products

Vietnam received 2.48 million foreign travelers in the first eight months of the year. If each one had spent $500 shopping in Vietnam like in Thailand, Vietnam would have earned nearly $1.3 billion from tourists in the first eight months of the year, which rounds up to an annual total of nearly $2 billion in revenues from ‘exports on the spot’.

However, travelers do not spend much money in Vietnam, because, some experts said, Vietnamese goods are unattractively packaged and lack variety.

A reporter for newspaper Tuoi tre related that he met an Australian tourist, Nelly, at the huge Ben Thanh Market in HCM City. Nelly very liked some small statues of young women in ao dai playing the flute. At first, Nelly thought she’d buy ten statues as gifts to relatives when she returns home. After some thought, however, she finally decided to buy only five statues, because the statues seemed repetitiously similar: all the young women had dresses of the same colour and style.

T-shirts adorned with Vietnam’s landscapes ought to be attractive souvenirs for foreign tourists, but they don’t sell well. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, who is in charge of public relations for the big travel agency, Fiditour, said that tourists do not like the T-shirts any more because the fabric is low quality and the patterns and images are done in a careless way.

Ben Thanh Market, HCM City Post Office, Dong Khoi and Le Thanh Ton Streets -- well known places for serving Westerners in HCM City, are now selling cards, embroidered pictures, handbags, brocade scarves, embroidered towels, clothes and food in big quantities. However, the products are monotonously, relentlessly similar. There is little or no diversification in designs.

A lot of foreign tourists want to purchase Vietnam’s coffee, which is getting famous on the world market, but they do not like bad packaging. Hung, who works as a tour guide in HCM City, says he knows many tourists who bought ‘Café Vietnam’ but were really perplexed because they did not know how to brew it. The packages of coffee they bought had no instructions on brewing, nor did they provide a Vietnamese style drip filter.

Many other Vietnamese specialities -- rice, fish sauce and dried food – are not well packaged or give no information about “sell-by” dates or the manufacturer.

“Foreign tourists very much like Vietnamese-styled souvenirs, but they do not have many choices,” said Nguyen Ngoc Van, the owner of ‘The Post,’ a souvenir shop at the Saigon Central Post Office.

To lure tourists, producers have to make heavier investment

Van said that he intends to change the way Vietnamese souvenirs are marketed to foreigners. The shop will sell coffee with a drip coffee filter and good packaging, including instructions on brewing. Van believes that convenience and diversification of goods are the factors that will lure tourists.

Similarly, Duong Thanh Thuy, the owner of the ‘Miss Ao Dai’ brand, says that to entice tourists to buy souvenirs, it’s important to pay attention to the quality of the packaging. Almost all of the craft products that Miss Ao Dai produces or orders are in attractive packages – often of good quality silk – and come with sufficient ‘technical information.’

Nguyen Vinh Thai of Rong Viet Values, which specializes in branding and analysis of consumer psychology, emphasizes that packaging plays a 50 to 60 percent role in consumer decisions on whether to purchase products or not.

However, it seems that Vietnamese enterprises do not want to ‘waste’ money in packaging. “They should think of good packaging as a kind of investment, not an expense,” Thai said.

VietNamNet/TT

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HCM City mother of two wins Mrs. Vietnam title

VietNamNet Bridge – Hoang Thi Yen, 33, won the Mrs. Vietnam Pageant of 2009 held in Vung Tau on September 26 to become the country's first married pageant icon. She will represent Vietnam at the international Mrs. World pageant, along with 100 other international competitors, in Vung Tau on November 22.

Yen, mother of two and director of the UBS Company in HCM City, beat out five other finalists. The pool of 64 contestants had been cut to 20 before a question-and-answer session. She received 150 million dong, the crown, plus jewelry worth $10,000 and many gifts.

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, a 26-year-old owner of Hanoi-based medical equipment shop, finished the contest in second place, while 27-year-old Dam Thi Ly, manager of the fresh vegetable project of Nam San Ltd Co, received third place. Pham Hong Tham of HCM City won the Mrs Congeniality award.

"I must improve my strength and knowledge to prepare for the upcoming beauty contest," Mrs Vietnam 2009 stated. "I believe I will win at the Mrs World Pageant 2009."

Mrs. World 2008, Nataliia Shmarenkova, performed the song “The Phantom of the Opera” from the stage musical of same name on the final night.

The Mrs. Vietnam Pageant 2009 was organized by the Vietnam Women's Association and the CIAT Advertising and Trade Fair Management Company.

Other winners of Mrs. Vietnam 2009 pageant:

Mrs. Photo: Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, 1977 from Ha Giang province

Mrs. Self-motivation: Han Thi Phuong, 1970, Thai Nguyen

Most Beautiful Hair: Phung Thi Lan, 1977, dn

Fairest Skin: Duong Minh Quynh Lien, 1985, HCM City

Best Body, Hoang Thi Thu Huong, 1977, Lang Son

Best in Evening Gown: Duong Hoang Dieu Thu, 1979, HCM City

Best in Traditional Costume: Le Thi Tuyet Nhung, 1982, Hanoi

Mrs. Talent: Nguyen Thu Hai, 1961, HCM City

Most Charming Smile: Tran Thi Kim Huong, 1982, Ha Tinh

Most Beautiful Eyes: Ka The, 1983, Lam Dong

Most Charming Lady: Trinh Thi Van Anh, 1962, HCM City

Mrs. Sport: Mac Thi Thuy Nga, 1980, Hai Phong

Energetic Lady: Hoang Le Minh Nguyet, 1983, Lam Dong

Mrs. Communications: Nguyen Hong Ha, 1974, HCM City

Successful Lady: Truong Thi Tuyet Nga, 1961, HCM City and Nguyen Thi Tuyet, 1962, Thanh Hoa.

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Endangered birds threatened by Central Highlands development

VietNamNet Bridge – Mi Liang Biang birds, a bird indigenous to Vietnam and considered extremely endangered, has been discovered in three sites in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

This species of bird (Crocias Langbianis) has been found in Da Nhim, D’Ran and Don Duong, all within Lam Dong province.

Previously, Mi Liang Biang birds had only been sighted in the Lam Vien nature reserve, Ta Nung valley and the Chu Yang Sin National Park in Lam Dong.

Experts from BirdLife, Lam Dong’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Gia Bi Doup – Nui Ba national park, said that they found Mi Lang Biang birds in an area of the Da Nhim forest scheduled to be felled to make way for a hydroelectric power plant.

Researchers witnessed how the Da Nhim forest is also being chopped down to grow coffee and Japanese mustard, threatening the life of these endangered birds.

They also discovered three pairs of birds in the D’Ran forest and seven pairs in a forest in Don Duong, also under threat by human use.

BirdLife is working with partners to define such forests as highly worthy of preservation as part of a project funded by the Tropical Forest Foundation, an initiative of the Vietnamese government.

VietNamNet/VNE

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Poor students share their struggle

VietNamNet Bridge – The escalation of tuition and prices have put even heavier burdens on students’ shoulders. At a time when studying should be their primary concern, university students must worry about basic needs like food and housing, plus tuition costs.

Nguyen Thanh Luan has decided to withdraw from Hong Bang University in HCM City.

“I have given up. The tuition has become unaffordable. My parents cannot afford to cover my learning expenses,” he stated.

Stressed out students

Le Thi Chau Huyen feels happy that she has been accepted at Van Hien University, but worries that she may not have enough money.

“I thought that the tuition would be the same as the previous year. I could not imagine that the tuitions would increase so sharply,” Huyen recalled. “I came to the university with 5 million dong and I returned home with just 300,000 dong.”

Most private and state-owned universities have raised the tuitions for the 2009-2010 school year.

Saigon International University has set a “sky-high” tuition level of 100 million dong per year, followed by the HCM City Economics and Finance University (45 million dong per annum), Hoa Sen (19..5 million dong per annum), Hong Bang (14 million dong per annum) and Van Lang (9 million dong per annum).

Some universities have increased tuition two-fold. Hong Bang University, for example, required 4.6 million dong in previous years, but tuition for 2009-2010 is now 8 million dong.

A lot of students must study at such expensive universities, because they have no chance to enroll at more economical institutions. Students protest that they do not know where they can earn enough money to stay in HCM City for four years.

The instant noodle generation

The consumer price index has frightened many students

The consumer price index has frightened many students. Le Minh Tam, a second year student of the College of Foreign Economic Relations, calculated that in previous years, 700,000 dong per month was enough for rent and meals.

Returning to HCM City after the summer holiday, higher rental prices shocked university students, she observed.

“The rent was just 1.2 million dong per room in summer, but now it has soared to 1.5 million dong. Landlords all claimed that they raised the rent because of higher petrol prices,” declared Nguyen Minh Thuy from IT College.

Sharing a 16 square meter room with other five students, Ngo Thi Kim Hue admitted that it is very hot and inconvenient. However, she still has to stay there, because it would be more costly to stay in more comfortable rooms.

“Previously, we spent 7,000 dong only for a meal, but now we have to pay 10,000 dong and we are never full,” Hue contended.

She maintained that students do not always have breakfast because they want to save money for school. Many of them only eat instant noodles for several months.

Lucky students find part-time jobs earning 500-700,000 dong a month, which helps them to survive their difficult days at universities.

VietNamNet/VnMedia

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New life for second-hand items

VietNamNet Bridge – Used clothes, footwear, books and other goods were exchanged at the second Mottainai Festival held at the Hanoi Children’s Palace on September 26.

“Mottainai” in Japanese means “Regrettable! It is a waste!” This was the chance for Hanoians to exchange unused clothes and goods. Remaining items will be donated to the poor or given to victims of natural calamities.

A gate made of plastic bottles.

A student buys three to be named “Mr. Organic,” “Mr. Inorganic” and “Ms. Recycling.”

Mrs. Tan from Le Lai Street brings a big bag of secondhand clothes to exchange at the festival.

Books and magazines are also exchanged.

A girl is seeking for a satisfactory item in a secondhand clothes stall.

A stall for used bags.

Duong went to the festival with a group of students from Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities. She said she exchanged some used clothes.

Duc, from the University for Natural Sciences, is trying on a secondhand pair of shoes.

A young girl “wears” a dustbin with visitors’ signatures.

An old man brings a pair of glasses. They are too old to exchange, but the glasses can still be donated to the poor.

VietNamNet/VNE

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World Bank chief says economic crisis remaking global power relations

World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick said on Monday that the global economic crisis is contributing to shifts in power relations in the world that will impact currency markets, monetary policy, trade relations and the role of developing countries.

File photo shows that Robert Zoellick, president of The World Bank, speaks at the International Economic Forum of the Americas conference in Montreal, June 8, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

In a speech ahead of the Annual Meetings in Istanbul, Turkey, of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), Zoellick said leaders should reshape the multilateral system and forge a "responsible globalization" that would encourage balanced global growth and financial stability, embrace global efforts to counter climate change, and advance opportunity for the poorest.

"The old international economic order was struggling to keep up with change before the crisis," Zoellick told an audience at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of the Johns Hopkins University, in Washington, D.C.

"Today's upheaval has revealed the stark gaps and compelling needs. It is time we caught up and moved ahead," he said.

In the speech entitled "After the Crisis?" Zoellick said "Peer review of a new Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth agreed at last week's G20 Summit is a good start, but it will require a new level of international cooperation and coordination, including a new willingness to take the findings of global monitoring seriously. Peer review will need to be peer pressure."

It was also important for the G20 to remember those countries not at the table.

"As agreed in Pittsburgh last week, the G20 should become the premier forum for international economic cooperation among the advanced industrialized countries and rising powers," said the World Bank chief. "But it cannot be a stand-alone committee. Nor can it ignore the voices of the over 160 countries left outside."

China's strong response during the economic crisis and rapid recovery had underscored its growing influence as a stabilizing force in today's global economy, he said.

But its leaders face challenges caused by rapid credit growth and the economy's dependence on exports, he added.

The United States had clearly been hit hard by the crisis. Its prospects depend on whether it will address large deficits, recover without inflation, and overhaul its financial system, according to Zoellick .

The United States has a history of recovering from setbacks. "But the United States would be mistaken to take for granted the dollar's place as the world's predominant reserve currency," Zoellick said, "Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar."

The crisis has brought to the attention of lawmakers the significant role played by central banks.

Central banks performed well once the crisis hit but their role in the build-up was less convincing.

"In the United States, it will be difficult to vest the independent and powerful technocrats at the Federal Reserve with more authority," said Zoellick.

"My reading of recent crisis management is that the Treasury Department needed greater authority to pull together a bevy of different regulators," said the former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State.

"Moreover, the Treasury is an executive department, and therefore Congress and the public can more directly oversee how it uses any added authority," said Zoellick.

Developing countries had already been on the rise before the crisis and their position has been further strengthened because of it. Their growing share of the world economy was a positive development.

"Looking beyond, a more balanced and inclusive growth model for the world would benefit from multiple poles of growth," Zoellick said. "With investments in infrastructure, people, and private businesses, countries in Latin America, Asia, and the broader Middle East could contribute to a 'New Normal' for the world economy."

VietNamNet/Xinhuane

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Quest for ‘national rice varieties’ lacks focus and results

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s rice has always been cheaper than Thailand’s. Lately the price gap has become wider and wider. This has been attributed to the fact that Vietnam still does not have good ‘national rice’ varieties.

Thai rice wins out in Vietnam

Tran Dinh Long, professor, academician, and Chairman of the Vietnam Plant Variety Association

Tran Dinh Long, a professor, academician, and Chairman of the Vietnam Plant Variety Association at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said in a recent interview with Thoi bao Kinh te Vietnam that though MARD has spent billions of dong on scientific research, no ‘national rice’ variety has been found. A result is that Vietnam’s rice must always sell cheaply.

Thoi bao Kinh te Vietnam: Why don’t we have ‘national rice’ varieties?

Dr. Tran Dinh Long: In order to have high quality rice, the first thing we have to do is to create new rice varieties. Rice variety plays the decisive role in the quality of rice. Thailand is exporting rice to the world with just two high-quality varieties. Thai scientists have focussed solely on developing the two varieties in order to have the best quality rice. Therefore, Thailand’s rice exports always have high prices.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese scientists have been following a lot of scientific research paths. They have created dozens of varieties, but none of them has the standard of excellence we hope for.

In recent years, we have focused on developing technologies. However, Vietnam’s new varieties do not thrive on a large scale in rice fields.

We have not followed a well-reasoned procedure in researching for new rice varieties, from subject selection to project implementation.

In most cases, scientists suggest a theme for research and then they carry out the research when their proposals are approved by scientific councils. The suggested themes are just random ideas which do not originate from market forces.

Vietnam has not concentrated its efforts on the most promising scientists. The budget for scientific research is divided among so many research centres and institutes that each of them gets only one or two billion dong every year. The centres and institutes themselves say they only can create so-so varieties with such minimal funding.

TBKTVN: Do you mean that we have many research institutes that carry research about rice, but little focus?

Long: Yes, I do. Every research institute studies rice, from the Agricultural Genetics Institute to the Soils and Fertilisers Research Institute to the National Institute of Plant Protection. Therefore, our best human resources have been dispersed.

The biology laboratory is at the genetics institute has modern equipment but does not bring high efficiency. The same is true at other institutes. The finance mechanism remains rigid, so the heads of projects are not allowed to take initiatives in using money.

TBKTVN: Does that explain why a plant breeding programme that spends hundreds of billion dong still cannot produce national rice varieties?

Long: The scheme on reviewing plant and animal development programmes being followed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development remains irrational. It’s not public, objective nor scientific. At first, some scientists of the plant variety association were invited to join the review conferences. However, they are no longer invited any more. Therefore, scientific projects do not have independent critics from non-state organizations, which means that no one points out the shortcomings of the research. Therefore, though having spent a lot of money, Vietnam still does not have national rice varieties.

TBKTVN: Thailand is exporting well with just two rice varieties. Vietnam has dozens of varieties but our exports cannot compete with Thailand. . .

Long: When scientists announce new varieties, they always dignify their achievements, saying that the varieties can well replace the Khang Dan or Q5 strains. However, in fact, the new varieties still cannot do that. Unlike Vietnam, which has been following many projects at once, Thailand has been making deep and thorough research. I cannot understand why the Government does not check up on what our research institutes are doing.

The Vietnamese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) was formed by gathering 12 smaller institutes with 2,000 scientists. How much do we have to pay for so many scientists? The problem is that the state does not clearly require scientists to create national rice varieties.

TBKTVN: Will Vietnamese scientists say ‘yes’ if the State agrees to spend 10-15 billion dong on a single project and orders them to find national rice varieties?

Long: I think some groups of scientists will take on the job. The problem lies in the financial scheme. I mean by that that the head of the project must be given the right to take initiative in spending money.

In other countries, the state just allocates two million dollars, for example, and requires a rice variety be developed with certain attributes. It does not care how the money is spent in detail. Meanwhile in Vietnam, money is scattered over administrative staff at many levels, while researchers – the ones who really create new varieties -- get just a little bit of money.

VAAS once hired an Australian Viet-kieu to work for it, but it had to stop because there was no mechanism to permit it to pay a salary to a foreigner.

VietNamNet/TP

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Hanoi amends personnel strategy

VietNamNet Bridge - After VietNamNet published articles about Hanoi’s new personnel strategy, Hanoi Department of Home Affairs’ deputy chief Le Quoc Cuong said on September 25 that the plan will be amended.

Hanoi looks to PhD’s for ‘breakthrough ideas’ in the future

The Hanoi Department of Home Affairs’ deputy chief Le Quoc Cuong.

Cuong told the media that the controversial strategy on personnel will be changed to one more appropriate to the actual situation and requirements.

He confirmed that strategy, which was approved by Hanoi’s Chairman Nguyen The Thao on August 24, 2009 and posted on the city’s website two days later, has not gone ahead as a result of a request from the Department of Home Affairs.

Cuong says that the Department of Home Affairs viewed the plan some as containing some “unsuitable points”, in particularly when judged alongside several by-law documents which are being compiled to guide government employees law.

Cuong adds: “Hanoi will reconsider this strategy because this is a long-term plan. Some goals will be changed.”

At present, the Hanoi Party Committee manages around 500 officials, with 8 percent of them holding doctor degrees and 26 percent with master degrees.

“We have had over 30 percent of the officials being masters and doctors so it is completely feasible to have 50 percent of officials being doctors by 2020,” said Cuong.

He adds that all provinces and cities have funding for personal training, which comes from the state budget.

It follows the new personnel strategy introduced recently which saw Hanoi aiming to have all officials managed by the local Party Committee holding PhDs by 2020.

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“Good and honest officials are regarded as fools”

VietNamNet’s readers write in to the Administrative Reform Forum with more ideas on improving government.

Gov’t agencies need to be rated

Why friends ask “Are you getting any extra benefit?”

Finance Ministry grapples with reform of its ‘limitless formalities’

Readers share their frustration with red tape, propose solutions

Are low gov’t wages the cause of ‘bureaucratic’ behavior?

Finance Ministry grapples with reform of its ‘limitless formalities’

VietNamNet opens public forum about administrative formalities

From Russia, reader Hong Son sends a story about his close friend who returned to Vietnam to get married. An official “suggested” that a gratuity of seven million dong could ensure completion of all necessary formalities. It’s obvious, Son said, that only when people are taught self-respect at school that it will be possible to have public servants who refrain from asking for things to which they aren’t entitled.

Reader La Ken from Hai Phong said that if the entire administrative system were computerized, it will be more effective, saving money and time for the people and harassment would be diminished because the people wouldn’t have to directly meet with officials. “By automating procedures,” he wrote, “we can cut down the number of government employees by two-thirds. Wages for government employees will rise while the state doesn’t have to pay more,”

Ken speculated that simplifying formalities is simple in other countries but difficult in Vietnam because officials who hold the power in the government system don’t want to harm their own self- interest.

Many readers propose that public services be privatized. They also suggest a standardized recruitment policy, tighter discipline and reduced government staffs.

Tran Thi Dung from HCM City maintains that the current number of government employees ought to be slashed in half. “In addition, we should reduce the number of divisions and departments within government agencies by two-thirds. Within each division and department, the number of staff should be reduced so that all officials are always busy. Naturally, administrative formalities will be reduced and they will be paid a satisfactory salary,” Dung wrote.

Pham Thi Van from Da Nang questioned: “If an official deliberately takes risks that cause losses to his organization, how would it be if – as in other countries -- his boss has to resign?”

Promotions go to those who are clever at ‘building relations’

VietNamNet’s readers have not only analysed the phenomenon of harassment but also have pointed out the danger of relying on officials who are not good in their jobs nor of high moral character, but instead are just clever at “footwork” and good at building “good relations” with their bosses. Some comment how odd it is that pure and honest officials are regarded by their colleagues as “eccentric fools” and referred to as “idiots.”

A reader at nv.thieu54@... complains: “It is painful how often rich officials return to their home villages openly boasting about their talent in building relations with their superiors. They are proud because the whole village and their relatives admire and honor them as talented people – or so they seem, since they are richer than many who have high diplomas.”

Hoang Nga from Hanoi expresses frank criticism: “Don’t excuse immorality as the consquence of low salaries. Many people live purely and keep their self-respect. It is regrettable that such officials are rare today and they may be thought of as “stupid” by their colleagues.”

According to Hoang Nga, cases of officials abusing administrative formalities to benefit themselves has become an “epidemic.” The perpetrators are not ashamed when they harass the people.

Some students now studying overseas told VietNamNet that the current situation discourages them from returning home to work. Nguyen Huong in London said that she is studying with some Vietnamese officials. Whenever they talk to each other, they always mention that this position is lucrative or that position is good for earning money or it is very easy to create difficulties for people who need their help.

Huong added that although the monthly salary of these officials is two to three million dong, they spend luxuriously.

“Let’s bravely change our policy entirely, like Singapore did. Don’t set up a long ‘roadmap” that will take many years to execute” Huong urged.

The prayer of nearly every reader is that the government will strongly commit to the reform of ‘administrative procedures’ and take resolute action.

Le Nhung

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