Trade bank asked to make room for school expansion

The People’s Council of Ho Chi Minh City proposes to ask the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank of Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) to look elsewhere for locating their new office building, making room for a high school expansion.

Pham Van Dong, Head of the Economic-Budget Department chaired a meeting yesterday to resolve the issue of moving the construction of the bank building from 112 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, adjacent to Le Quy Don High School in District 3.

Representatives of the Department of Education and Training, the high school and some other departments, attended the meeting.

Representatives at the meeting agreed that the city People’s Council should forward necessary documents to the city People’s Committee to allow the property at 112 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai to be handed over to the Le Quy Don School. The school has expansion plans and is currently awaiting approval from authorities.

The 440.5 square meters of the above land had been marked for expansion of the school premises. However, on March 30, leaders of the city People’s Committee found the city budget inadequate for the school project and hence offered the land to the bank to build their office building.

Should the city People’s Committee allow the school project to continue, it will have to revoke their decision and compensate the bank.

According to the District 3 People’s Committee, the city People’s Committee had instructed them to clear the site for the school expansion project. The district has already completed assessing compensation rates and submitted the same to the city compensation assessment council for approval. Unfortunately, the city People’s Committee has also leased the land to Vietinbank for a period of 50 years.

Le Quy Don High School, established 130 years ago is the oldest school, not only in HCMC but also in all of the Indochina area. The school was built in the classic French colonial architectural style and boasts of famous alumni.

Vietnamese authorities to monitor imported cookings

Vietnam authorities will strictly monitor all imported food items including dairy products and fake eggs.

This regulation particularly follows the discovery of enterobacter sakazakii in powdered infant milk products imported from the Maeil Dairy Industry of South Korea. Medical experts say infants could develop pneumonia, lung or brain abscess, bone-marrow inflammation, blood infection, cerebral meningitis or blood poisoning from these bacteria.

Vietnamese health authorities have ordered its sub-divisions to check all low quality milk products. According to relevant agencies, milk products from the Maeil Dairy in Vietnam do not contain the same bacteria strain.

China’s food safety watchdog said it has shut down several local dairy product makers because disease-causing bacteria in infant milk products had caused deaths in Pingliang city, Gansu province. The Food Administration of Vietnam (VFA) was quick to contact the Vietnamese Embassy in China to further investigate and find that Vietnam had not issued certification for any Chinese dairy product since January 1, 2011.

However, an enterprise in Vietnam has imported 60 tons of Numilac Milk Powder. The company has completed import formalities but has not yet supplied the product in the market. VFA will check Melamine and Nitrit standards before allowing the product to reach the consumer market.

Vietnamese authorities and relevant agencies will work closely to check Chinese milk products in the market. The authorities will take random samples from markets for testing and announce their results publicly.

In the wake of Thursday’s news report that fake eggs, allegedly filled with chemicals, were found in Penang province, the Ministry of Health has ordered concerned agencies to check all eggs in the markets. So far, there has been no report of finding fake eggs in the Vietnamese market.

Australian police bust heroin ring from Vietnam

Australian Associated Press reported the Australian police had taken down a drug ring using couriers to traffic heroin from Vietnam into Australia.

The police arrested eight people in raids in Victoria and New South Wales today and seized a “substantial” amount of cash, Jewelry and property.

Five of them were captured in Melbourne and the other three in suburban Sydney following thorough searches of 20 local properties.

The eight-month investigation, Operation Rattlesnake-Joinery, which involved local and federal Australian police and Vietnamese authorities, centered on an alleged drug syndicate ferrying heroin by couriers into the two states from Vietnam.

The Australian Federal Police had previously charged five internal couriers connected to the operation.

South Korea funds central region vocational projects

South Korea’s International Co-operation Agency (KOIKA) has provided US$3.5million in funding to help the central province of Thua Thien Hue city reappraise its development plans.

The scheme is expected to turn Hue into a city that harmoniously combines heritage and natural landscapes.

The two-year project was agreed yesterday between Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Cao and Chief Representative of KOIKA in Viet Nam Lee Wook Heon.

KOIKA also signed a $4.7 million project to develop skilled human resources for the central province of Quang Tri, on Thursday.

The three-year project aims to strengthen the capacity of the six faculties of the Quang Tri Job and Vocational Training School in machinery and computer application design, electricity, refrigeration, automobile production and IT.

The project will include a 4,000 square metre campus, teacher training and practical facilities for students.

The school is expected to provide skilled workers for two locally-based industrial zones and the wider central region.

Drug pushing, use go overt in Ho Chi Minh City

Drugs are being sold and used openly in many places in Ho Chi Minh City, causing anxiety among residents.

Tuoi Tre discovered that one of the hotpots is Ward 15 in District 10. More than 10 pushers operate on a 30-meter stretch of sidewalk near a bus stop in front of Le Thi Rieng Park.

There are also people inhaling and injecting drugs there. Needles covered with blood are scattered everywhere.

M.P, an addict, says that there are at least three places selling drugs day and night in a small alley in Ward 15.

Colonel Ly Van Ngo, deputy head of the District police, admitted there are lots of drug hotspots in Ward 15. But despite regular patrol by officers, the situation is not improving due to personnel shortage, the complex nature of the alley networks, and the long experience of the pushers.

Drugs are also sold and used openly in other places around the city like Nhi Thien Duong bridge (District 8), Mien Dong bus station (Binh Thanh District), and Nguyen Chi Thanh and Chau Van Liem Streets (District 5).

Outlying districts like Thu Duc and Hoc Mon and Binh Duong Province are some of the worst affected places.

Long weekend as holidays fall on Saturday, Sunday

With National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) falling on Saturday and Sunday this year, the Ho Chi Minh City people’s committee has declared the next two days as compensatory holidays.

Vietnamese government call upon people to put out national flags in their houses during the four days.

All government offices will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Vietnam launches first online booking for trains

Online booking will be applied from tomorrow onwards for passengers who want to travel by train from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau or vice versa.

The Saigon Railway Station’s online booking system will enable passengers to obtain a seat from home, Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy head of the Station said.

With the system, passengers can book easily at anywhere through the station’s website at www.vetau.com.vn, he said.

Passengers are required to pay for their seats to the Vietnam Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) through the bank’s ATMs or transaction offices.

After passengers fill in a booking form available on the website and make payments, the website’s automatic ticket selling system will certify the form as “paid” and passengers simply print the certified form and use it as a ticket.

Online booking will entitle passengers to 5% deduction.

The online booking system is currently applicable to trips conducted by SNT1 and SNT2 trains from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang City and vice versa, he added.

Hanoi police seize US$100,000 and 8,000 euros

Hanoi police early morning Thursday busted an illegal trading in foreign currencies and seized US$100,000 and 8,000 euros.

They caught red handed a number of people transporting the cash from Minh Thiet gold shop in Ninh Binh province to Hong Duong company at No 3 Ngo Tram street, Hoan Kiem district in Hanoi for sale there.

Police say this could be a professional ring dealing in foreign currencies.

This is the second biggest illegal foreign exchange transaction that has been busted since the government tightened such trade as per Resolution No 11.

Also in Hanoi, police last month busted an illegal foreign exchange transaction and seized US$390,500.

Police Tuesday caught Duong Thi Thuy Trang and Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen, from Khuong and Le Investment and Trading Co., Ltd., handing the greenbacks to two men and receiving from them VND8.427 billion.

The deal took place at the Hanoi branch of the Vietnam Export-Import Bank.

Both men, Nguyen Ngoc Tuan and Dao Manh Quan, had no license for such a trade, said the police.

HCM City marks Lao, Cambodian, Thai New Year

A friendship exchange was held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 15 to celebrate the traditional New Year of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Ho Chi Minh City chapter Huynh Minh Thien expressed best wishes to people of the three countries.

He also expressed his hope that friendship, cooperation and understanding among Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam would be constantly developed.

Participants at the event enjoyed performances of songs and dances and especially traditional costumes and talking about customs during the New Year days of the four countries.

On this occasion, municipal authorities visited and presented gifts to Cambodian and Lao cadres and students working and studying in the city.

Vietnam moves to send more workers to Malaysia

Representatives from 50 local labour export companies discussed measures to send more Vietnamese guest workers to Malaysia, at a seminar in Hanoi on April 15.

The event was jointly held by the Overseas Labour Management Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the Labour Department of the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources.

Addressing the seminar, MoLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Hoa said Malaysia is an open market with a huge demand for Vietnamese labourers and a target of many Vietnamese businesses.

However, Vietnamese companies are facing numerous hurdles while exporting labourers to the Malaysian market, said the participants.

Nguyen Thanh Son, Director of Vinh Cat Trade and Service Company, suggested the Malaysian side create favourable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to send permanent representatives to the country, assisting employers in labour management and dealing with emerging issues.

Several businesses stressed the need for banks to support workers with loans to help them cover contract costs.

Vietnam began sending workers to Malaysia in 2002. To date, the country has had 190,000 labourers working in 12 out of 13 Malaysian states, mainly in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, services and housingkeeping, said MoLISA Overseas Labour Management Department.

Over VND61 billion donated to help Japanese people

The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) has received over VND61 billion from organisations and individuals nationwide in support for Japanese people to overcome difficulties resulting from the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

Out of the donations, raised from March 15 to April 15, the VRC said it had sent US$1 million to the Japanese people through the Japan Red Cross on April 1. The remaining will be used to buy essential goods for those in need in Japan.

A 9.8-magnitude earthquake resulting in 10m high tsunami on March 11 caused serious human and property losses for the Japanese people with tens of thousands of people dead and missing and hundreds of thousands of others losing their houses.

Vietnam strives to reduce traffic accidents

It is necessary for Vietnam to design a strategy to reduce traffic mortality from the current 8 to 4-6 per 100,000 people by 2030.

The statement was given at a seminar on building a Vietnam National Road Safety Strategy to 2020 and the vision of 2030, which was jointly held by the Ministry of Transport (MoT), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

According to the forecast of the Global Road Safety Partnership, the number of road traffic accident-related injuries and fatalities will increase by 65 percent in 20 years, especially in developing countries.

In 2020, it will be among the three major reasons leading to injuries and diseases if there is no prevention commitment from the world, says the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In Vietnam, the boom of motorised vehicles and urbanization, as well as insufficient transport infrastructure are making the problem more complicated. 11,499 people were killed by traffic accidents in 2010 alone.

At the seminar, JICA and WHO experts shared their experiences to maintain traffic order in Vietnam. They said authorities and society should join hands to implement the strategy effectively.

WHO and UNICEF also introduced the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and the Launch on the Global Decade of Actions on Road Safety starting in New Zealand and ending in Mexico on May 11.

Food safety month launched in HCM City

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee on April 14 launched the Month of Action for Food Safety and Hygiene 2011 throughout the city.

Hua Ngoc Thuan, Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, called on food manufacturers, processing enterprises and traders to obey safety and hygiene regulations by using raw materials and additives that have a certified origin and quality.

Consumers should purchase food with proper packaging and labels, including place of origin at reputable shops, Thuan said.

Inspection of food safety and hygiene will also be stepped up, with strict enforcement of regulations and fines, he said.

More than 70 percent of food manufacturers and traders in the city are certified as meeting food safety and hygiene standards.

The number of food poisoning incidents among workers in industrial parks and export processing zones has declined to 13 cases of food poisoning, which hospitalised 734 workers last year, from 22 cases with 1,002 workers involved in 2009.

The city has managed to prevent outbreaks of food-borne diseases, particularly cholera, by improving inspections of food safety and hygiene. However, the origin of raw materials for food manufacturing and processing has not been controlled well because of the poor management capacity of agencies and departments.

The new Food Safety Law, which becomes effective at the beginning of July, will improve efficiency of management on food safety and hygiene.