Boosting exports will control trade deficit; Global Buddhist Conference wrapped up in HCM City; RoK naval ship makes friendly visit to HCM City; Get-together strengthens Vietnam-Cambodia friendship

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has asked all ministries, sectors and localities across the country to fulfill their export targets set by the National Assembly to keep the trade deficit rate at less than 20 percent in 2010.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will have to submit to the PM a plan to step up exports for 2010 in the first quarter of this year, introduce various regulations and implement a national trade promotion programme in the second quarter of this year.

Also during the first quarter, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will apply import and customs quotas or import permits to control the import of products believed to be harmful to people, the environment and plants and animals.

In addition, import controls will continue to be taken to reduce the import of agricultural products, seacooking and other processed products, cosmetics and medicines.

The PM also directed the Ministry of Finance to continue providing guidelines on value added tax rebates and shorten customs clearance time and tax final accounts.

Meanwhile, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will strictly supervise credit providers to make it easier for businesses to access capital to boost their exports. The SBV will also adjust loans for the import of consumer goods and non-essential products.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will work alongside the Ministry of Finance to issue regulations and policies to encourage investments from State groups and corporations.

Global Buddhist Conference wrapped up in HCM City

Vietnam always exercises dharma towards Buddhist women in the world, said Buddhist nun Karma Lekshe Tsomo, President of the the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women at a meeting with leaders from HCM City on January 4.

The 11th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women (SICBW) has closed in HCM City after a week of discussions on the role of Buddhist women. 57 reports presented by international and Vietnamese delegates focused on the status, the impact and the contributions made by Buddhist women around the world to social activities, particularly education and culture.

In a 15-point joint statement, more than 2,000 Vietnamese and overseas Buddhist women said they would continue with their efforts to fulfill the UN’s millennium development goals of poverty reduction, educational development, promotion of gender equality and women’s rights, HIV/AIDS prevention, environmental protection and global cooperation for development.

The conference called on Buddhist women from all over the world to promote peace, and solidarity towards a just, democratic and civilsed society on the basis of respecting the traditional culture of each nation and the International community to support Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims.

On the occasion, the participants thanked the Vietnamese Government and local administrations for showing their goodwill and recognising their religious activities.

The 12th SICBW will be held in Singapore.

VN provides insight into socialism: foreign delegation

Vietnam is an excellent model for researchers of Marxism, offering an insightful look at the road to socialism, said a foreign leftist delegation currently in Ho Chi Minh City on a working visit.

Deputy Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Dua received the delegation, led by American journalist Merle Evelyn Rartner, who is co-chair of the Brecht Forum at the New York-based Marx School, on January 4.

The delegation also included Chilean Director Maria Marta Harnecker Cerda of the Memoria Popular Latinoamericana, a research center in Havana, Cuba; and Michael A.

Lebowitz, a professor at Canada’s Simon Frazer University and founding member of the Socialism Research Association in Canada.

The two sides exchanged information and experiences and discussed such issues as Marxist reasoning in the 21st century; causes of the collapse of the Soviet Union and socialist East European countries; socialist propaganda and the path to socialism; and the emergence of leftist movements in Latin American countries.

Guests also heard about HCMC’s experience in developing socialism.

Having visited some 30 provinces and cities in Vietnam over the past few years, the leftist delegation said it highly valued Vietnam’s achievements in various fields.

They attributed such achievements to the fact that Vietnam has properly and creatively applied Marxism to the building of socialism based on the country’s actual socio-economic conditions.

By studying Vietnam, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the road to developing a socialist society, they said.

Discussing economic development issues, the delegation said the rich-poor gap in society would be widened if a socialist-oriented market economy were not applied in socialist countries.

They also warned about “cultural imperialism” spreading in the world and about a lack of Marxism-Leninism awareness amongst youth.

Mr. Dua expressed warm feelings after meeting with researchers of Marxism-Leninism “right in the heart of capitalism,” saying he hoped the visit will help establish a better understanding of Vietnam’s road to socialism.

Earlier, the delegation visited Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper where they were welcomed by Editor-in-Chief Tran The Tuyen. Mr. Tuyen briefed them on the newspaper’s recent public awareness campaigns including a series of articles titled “Marxist-Leninist doctrine and socialism: trend or necessity,” which have proved popular amongst both local and foreign readers.

Ms. Rartner highly appreciated the articles and said SGGP has taken a lead in the struggle to defend the ideologies of Marxism-Leninism as well as in discussing socialism-related issues. It has thereby contributed to combating misperceptions about Marxism and socialism, she added.

Get-together strengthens Vietnam-Cambodia friendship

A get-together to mark the 31st anniversary of Cambodian Victory Day (January 7) and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 5.

Both the president of the VCFA, Truong Kim Nhat and the Royal Consulate General of Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City, Lun Kimkhuon said that January 7, 1979 is an historic day and a concrete reminder of the traditional friendship between the two nations.

Over the past 30 years, the two countries have continuously strengthened their cooperation in educating the youths through practical activities organised by Vietnam and Cambodia.

On behalf of the Royal Family and the people of Cambodia, Consulate General Lun expressed his deep gratitude for the steadfast support of the Communist Party, the State and people of Vietnam in the Cambodian people’s past struggles to overthrow the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime as well as in their current process of national reconstruction.

RoK naval ship makes friendly visit to HCM City

The Republic of Korea’s naval ship Dae Yeong arrived in HCM City on January 5, beginning a four-day friendly visit to the city.

During their stay, the ship’s officers and crewmembers are scheduled to pay courtesy visits to leaders of the HCM City Municipal People’s Committee, the Command of the Naval Service in the city and the Command of Military Zone No7.

They will play a friendly volleyball game with their counterparts from the Naval High School and visit several tourist sites in the city.

PV