Day: April 8, 2024

An Giang: Hundreds of poor households of the Khmer ethnic minority group in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on April 7 received gifts from the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, Loc Troi Group JSC and the Vietnam-Cambodia Business Association (VCBA) on the occasion of their traditional Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year) Festival. Up to 500 packages of gifts were presented to the disadvantaged households, each worth 600,00 VND (24 USD), comprising 10 kg of rice and 300,000 VND in cash, at a ceremony held in O Lam commune of Tri Ton district. VCBA Chairman Oknha Leng Rithy said the good deed demonstrates sentiments towards impoverished people in the province, particularly the Khmer ethnic minority group. He also sent his wishes to local Khmer people on the occasion of the Chol Chnam Thmay Festival. Pham Tuan Khai, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of O Lam commune, extended his hope that the solidarity and and 'good neighbourliness, traditional friendship, com prehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability' between Vietnam and Cambodia as well as between the VCBA and An Giang province will further flourish in the coming time./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Nghe An: A 226-kilogramme bomb left over from the war was safely deactivated by the military command and sappers of the central province of Nghe An on April 8. Locals in Thach Son hamlet, Ngoc Son commune, Thanh Chuong district discovered the bomb at a depth of 50 centimetres while digging soil for road construction. The bomb, 25 centimetres in diameter, 150 centimetres in length, and labelled MK-82, was safely removed and defused at a designated site in Thanh Thuy commune. According to the Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal under the Engineering Command, up to 7,645 of the 8,686 communes in Vietnam's 63 provinces and cities are polluted with unexploded ordnance (UXOs). Statistics from the National Steering Committee for Recovery over Postwar Bomb and Landmine Impacts showed that some 800,000 tonnes of UXOs are scattered across 6.6 million hectares, or 20.12% of the country's land, mainly in the central region, putting people in danger everyday./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: The military-run telecom service provider Viettel and the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) have recently won Vietnam's first successful auctions for 5G spectrum licenses, Director General of the Authority of Radio Frequency Management Le Van Tuan told a monthly press conference held by the Ministry of Information and Communications in Hanoi on April 8. In March, Viettel secured the rights to utilise the B1 band (2,500-2,600 MHz) for the next 15 years following a competitive bidding process that lasted for 24 rounds. This band offers Viettel a potential cost advantage compared to those acquiring the higher-frequency C2 (3,700-3,800 MHz) and C3 (3.800-3.900 MHz) bands. Additionally, the B1 band's versatility allows it to support both 4G and 5G networks. The VNPT emerged as the winner for the C2 band after 17 rounds of bidding. This mid-range band is a coveted resource for major telecom companies globally thanks to its ideal combination of bandwidth, speed, latency and investment effici ency. The C2 band is well-suited for deploying the most advanced 5G network capabilities currently available. The C3 brand was not auctioned due to a lack of bidders. According to Tuan, these auctions have marked the first successful spectrum allocation in Vietnam's radio frequency field in 15 years./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vung Tau: The number of vessels from Ba Ria - Vung Tau committing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing has fallen sharply, especially since this southern province signed a coordination deal with law enforcement forces at sea in 2022, reported the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Thanks to increased communications, fishermen's awareness of and compliance with legal regulations have improved, the department said, noting that authorities' check and control of fishing vessels, particularly in the waters adjacent to other countries', have been tightened and shown better results. Fishermen in Long Dien district have become aware that IUU fishing may cause serious impacts on their lives and property, so they have changed their plans. Huynh Tan Nhat, a fisherman from Phuoc Tinh commune of Long Dien district, said that because the catch is no longer as large as in the past, to concurrently ensure a large volume of fish and adhere to legal regulations, their fishing trips hav e been lengthened, from one - two months each to three - four months at present. However, to do that, fishermen need authorities to extend vehicle examination deadlines, allow vessels to keep operating at sea when their monitoring systems break down, and let law enforcement forces like coast guards, navy, fisheries resources surveillance, or border guards nearby to come to certify vessels' status. Col. Nguyen Van Thong, Deputy Political Commissar of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Border Guard Command, said this proposal is feasible, adding after certifying the status of vessels, the forces can install a temporary monitoring system to keep track of the vehicles. Expenses will be covered by the maritime environmental protection fund so that fishermen could feel secure about their activities. This solution can help both strictly manage fishing vessels and create favourable conditions for fishing activities, he added. Various measures from central to local levels, even from fishermen, are aiding nationwide efforts to carry out the European Commission's recommendations about IUU fishing prevention and control, towards the goal of having the EC's 'yellow card' warning lifted. Such efforts have been highly valued by Ambassador Julien Guerrier, head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, at a meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on April 4, during which he voiced high expectations for Vietnam's progress in fishing vessel management so as to remove the 'yellow card' soon. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan considered this as a chance for the country to switch from a small-scaled fisheries sector to a responsible one. He said having the 'yellow card' warning lifted is not only an urgent requirement for Vietnam to develop a sustainable fishery sector but also a demonstration of its sense of responsibility and prestige in the international arena. The EC issued a 'yellow card' warning for Vietnam in this regard in 2017. The "yellow card" is followed by a "green card" if the problem is resolved or a "red card" if it is not. A 'red card' may lead to a ban on aquatic exports to the EU./ Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Thailand's Nation Story newspaper has run a story suggesting experiences not to be missed in Phu Quoc island of Vietnam, highlighting that local tourism service prices are half of those in Thailand, and recommending visitors to spend at least five days to fully enjoy the 'pearl island'. Thasaneya Ratwong, the author, called Phu Quoc a 'heavenly island' of Vietnam which provides rich experience meeting diverse demands of tourists. 'The island has become a global tourism hotspot for tourists seeking unique natural beauty and many fascinating experiences,' commented Thasaneya. The thing that fascinated the Thai reporter most while travelling Phu Quoc was the reasonable cost. 'The prices for accommodation and food services are much cheaper than those in Thailand. In particular, fresh seafood is only half the price compared to Thailand," she commented when comparing specific service prices at the pearl island of Vietnam with some famous tourist destinations in the 'golden temple' kingdom. During her jou rney, Thasaneya was most impressed with the southern part of Phu Quoc and divided the experience into three main parts. For art and culture lovers, the female reporter suggested Sunset Town. For those who want to find a real tropical paradise, world-class resorts at Bai Kem will be ideal. Meanwhile, adventure seekers should spend at least a day to take the cable car to Hon Thom island to admire the beautiful panorama of Phu Quoc sea from above and snorkel to see the corals. Sunset Town was the place that left a strong impression on Thasaneya who called it a destination of love and art. "The town has bright Mediterranean-inspired colours, a unique style adorned with lush gardens and tropical beauty," the reporter described. 'The destination also has enchanting attractions such as the Kissing Bridge with two branches 30cm apart, serving as a breathtaking backdrop to watch the sunset.' Thasaneya was even more impressed when she was "treated" to an additional experience - an extreme Jetski and Flyboards sport s art show "Love Vortex". "Not simply an extreme sports performance, the "music and poetry" show gives jetski and flyboard the appearance of the creative colours of art," Thasaneya wrote. The Thai journalist was "extremely excited" to witness the athletes performing at a height of 15m and making extremely daring turns in the air. In the evening, joining the crowd, she continued to experience the world's largest multimedia show Kiss of the Sea and immersed herself in Vietnamese culture with the Vietnamese puppet show. In particular, the thing that most impressed the Nation Story's reporter when touring Phu Quoc was the surprise of fireworks show every night in Sunset Town. "Phu Quoc is a rare place in the world where fireworks shows are held all year round," she underlined. Not only enjoying these joyful experiences, Thasaneya was also especially impressed with the natural beauty of the south of Phu Quoc island. She was captivated by Bai Kem and Bai Sao - two beaches that were repeatedly praised by internati onal media. Among them, Bai Kem was voted by Canada's Flight Network as one of the 50 most beautiful beaches on the planet. To fully enjoy these experience, the Thai journalist believed that a three-day-and two-night tour like hers is not enough. "Visitors need at least five days to experience the island," Thasaneya emphasised. With reasonable prices, wonderful natural beauty, diverse cultural experiences and classy resort amenities, Phu Quoc has increasingly attracted Thai tourists. This is the success of the pearl island to conquer tourists from a country that already has famous tourist islands such as Phuket, Koh Sa Mui, and Krabi. Furthermore, the trend of choosing Phu Quoc as a destination among Thai tourists is likely to rise thanks to convenient travelling with direct flights from Bangkok that take visitors only 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach the pearl island./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Ottawa: Vietnam was introduced as an ideal, safe and attractive destination for Canadian tourists at the 27th annual Travel and Vacation Show which was held at Shaw Centre in Ottawa on April 6 and 7. The show saw the participation of more than 200 exhibitors around the world and nearly 20,000 visitors who came to seek information about destinations and vacations as summer, a vibrant travel season, is approaching. Representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy and international diplomatic delegations in Ottawa also joined the event. Featuring abundant information and beautiful images of the S-shaped country and its people, the Vietnamese booth attracted interest of visitors. Intriguing tourism products and destinations introduced at the expo helped event-goers to have a better understanding of the hospitality as well as culinary quintessence of Vietnamese people. World-leading indie travel news source Travel Off Path has listed Vietnam as the safest country to visit in Asia for 2024. The Readers' Choice Awards 2024 for the Asia-Pacific region by DestinAsian magazine named Phu Quoc at the 6th place among the top 10 islands in the region. The 2024 Travelers' Choice Awards - Best of the Best Destinations by TripAdvisor honoured Ha Long Bay (3rd place) and Sapa (5th) on its list of the top 25 destinations worldwide. Meanwhile, the Yahoo! Finance website named Hue in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue as one of the top 20 most underrated travel destinations throughout Asia. Not only places, but some Vietnamese dishes have also been mentioned by the international media. Among them, Banh Mi (bread) ranked first in the Top 100 sandwiches in the world announced by the culinary website TasteAtlas last month. Vietnam's tourism industry has set a target to welcome 17-18 million foreign visitors in 2024, approaching the pre-pandemic record in 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic had yet to disrupt global travel. In 2023, the figure hit 12.6 million, surpassing the initial target by 57% and achieving the adjusted goal of 12- 13 million. The number of domestic travellers, meanwhile, stood at 108 million, up 6% compared to the set target. Tourism activities generated about 678 trillion VND (27.85 billion USD) in revenue, 4.3% higher than the yearly plan./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Seoul: Vietnam is seen a next generation workshop and a growing market to become an advanced research and development (R and D) centre, said an article published by Dong-a Ilbo newspaper of the Republic of Korea (RoK). According to the article, there are about 1,000 R and D employees of automotive electronics and electronic equipment working at R and D subsidiaries of LG Electronics Vietnam in Hanoi and the central city of Da Nang, including only six Korean staff. In 2019, the number of R and D personnel of LG in Vietnam totaled 200, but by January 2023, a R and D department of the firm with about 750 employees was splited into an independent unit. The article said Vietnam's R and D competitiveness benefits from changes in the Government's policies. The Vietnamese Government aims to go beyond the previous 'Made in Vietnam' model, which was limited to be a hired processing facility, to become a manufacturing centre with its own technology and production capacity, and stepped up efforts to promote the infor mation and communications technology (ICT) sector. Domestic universities have recently focused on training engineers specialising in information technology (IT). Following this trend, the presence of R and D centre of LG Electronics Vietnam is also growing stronger. The role of Vietnamese developers, who are mainly responsible for developing and testing basic electronic functions by analysing orders from automakers, has been expanded to the design of core functions. Jeong Seung-min, director of the R and D centre of LG Electronics Vietnam - said that the establishment is responsible for developing software related to LG's automotive electrical and electronic equipment. Initially, LG's research facilities in Vietnam could carry out only 20% of the R and D process, but now they can carry out up to 60% and are expected to increase in the near future./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on April 8 requested the Ministry of Health to work with the Vietnam Social Security and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to provide health insurance coverage for all tuberculosis (TB) patients. Addressing a meeting of the national committee on TB eradication, Ha also asked these units to research plans to pay for testing costs to detect the disease, and conduct centralised bidding to ensure there are enough drugs, medical equipment and supplies for this work. One of the top tasks of the Health Ministry is to promulgate regulations and professional guidance on prevention, detection and treatment of TB patients from the central to grassroots levels, he stressed. He assigned the ministry to prepare human resources and medical equipment to implement a national-scale investigation on this disease in 2025, promote international cooperation and technology transfer for rapid and mass TB testing, research the use of traditional medicine in TB treatment a nd develop applications for TB patients. Press and media agencies were asked to step up dissemination and raise public awareness about TB, while associations of the elderly, women, youth and farmers need to become the nucleus in implementing local TB prevention and control programmes. Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated in 2022 that Vietnam had 172,000 new TB patients and about 13,000 died from this disease. It ranked 11th out of the 30 countries burdened with the disease and the highest drug-resistant TB rate globally. The number of TB patients detected, treated and reported each year only accounts for about 60% of the estimated number./. Source: Vietnam News Agency