Category: General

The Ministry of Civil Service of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of the Republic of India have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of human resource development in the civil service. The MoU between the two ministries was signed here on April 22 under the presidency of H.E. Hun Many, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Civil Service and H.E. Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Ambassador of India to Cambodia. H.E. V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) of India joined the ceremony via video conference. The MoU aims to strengthen and promote bilateral exchange and cooperation between India and Cambodia in the field of human resource development in civil service and this will facilitate a dialogue between Indian government agencies and the agencies of the Ministry of Civil Service of Cambodia, said a press release of the Embassy of India in Phnom Penh AKP received this evening. Addressing the function, H.E. Paul Pidou said that the MoU has laid the foundation for fruitful bilateral cooperation between institutions on both sides. Emphasising its significance, he said that the MoU goes beyond mere knowledge exchange and focuses on mutual learning, capacity building and the development of human capital in the civil service that can contribute to improved governance, public service delivery, and policy implementation. He affirmed that Ministry of Civil Service will continue to do its utmost to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, as well as the Embassy of the Republic of India, to ensure that the MoU yields the desired benefits. For his part, H.E. V. Srinivas said that the MoU focuses on strengthening and promoting bilateral exchange and cooperation between India and Cambodia in the field of Human Resource Development in Civil Service as also to facilitate a dialogue between the India's Personnel Administration agencies and the agencies of the Ministry of Civil Service of the Kingdom of Cambodia. He added that MoU will enable significant knowledge exchanges over the next five years. India has succeeded in establishing a new paradigm of governance by creating modern day digital institutions and is committed for adoption of next generation administrative reforms. Elaborating on cooperation with Cambodia, he said that from December 2023-April 2024, the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has conducted four programmes in which 156 Cambodian civil servants participated, and for the year 2024-25, the NCGG has proposed six programmes for 250 Cambodian civil servants. According to the press release, capacity building with human resource development is a cornerstone of India's bilateral cooperation with Cambodia. Fostering institutional linkages for capacity building stands out as a key aspect of the cooperation. Since 1981, almost 3,000 Cambodian nationals have received training under the ITEC programme. Currently, under ITEC, 2 50 training slots annually, fully funded by the Government of India, are available for Cambodia. In 2023-24, 276 Cambodian officials attended the short term ITEC training programmes. 43 ICCR scholarships for under-graduate, post-graduate and higher studies including 33 under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee General Scholarship Scheme and 10 under Mekong Ganga Cooperation Scholarship Scheme were availed by the Cambodian students in 2023-24. In addition, three ASEAN scholarships at Nalanda University were availed by the Cambodian students. As an important addition, there are many customised training courses for Cambodian officials being held under the ITEC programme. Six customized training courses namely Good Governance and Implementation of Civil Judgment Decision, and Good Governance and Implementation of Criminal Justice System, and four courses on Public Policy and Governance for Civil Servants of Cambodia were held during 2023-24. In March 2024, India held the 1st Special Course for Diplomats from Cambodia at th e Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS), Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, which was attended by 15 diplomats from Cambodia. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse

Hanoi: Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the National Committee for Digital Transformation, has signed a decision to issue the committee's work plan in 2024, aiming to speed up national digital transformation in an effective and practical manner, creating breakthroughs in the country's socio-economic development and contributing to completing all socio-economic targets for 2024 and the 2021-2025 period. The work plan's objectives include strengthening the responsibility of organisations and individuals, especially leaders of state agencies at all levels in digital transformation, while synchronously and effectively implementing goals and tasks in the National Digital Transformation Programme to 2025 with a vision to 2030, e-government development strategies towards digital government, and the strategy for developing digital economy and digital society. Specific targets of the work plan include developing 48,000 digital technology enterprises operating in localities, and 60% of businesses in indust rial parks and export processing zones applying digital platforms in management and production, thus changing production and business processes, increasing productivity, operational efficiency, and reducing emissions. Meanwhile, 40% of adults are expected to use online public services. This year, the Government will complete the supply of 53 online public services. At the same time, 100% of the information system serving the processing of administrative procedures of ministries, sectors and localities will be connected to the system monitoring and measuring the level of service provision (EMC system). Under the work plan, 100% of the reporting information systems of ministries, sectors and localities are expected to be connected to the government reporting information system, the centre for information and direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, while 100% of villages and hamlets accessing the national power grid are hoped to have mobile broadband coverage. Besides, 100% of ministries, ministe rial-level agencies, governmental agencies and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities are scheduled to use the management support platform to ensure information security by level. To achieve these targets, the National Committee for Digital Transformation gave a number of solutions, including strengthening inspections of the implementation of digital transformation tasks in ministries, sectors and localities, building a semiconductor IC industry development strategy to 2030 with a vision to 2035, promoting, connecting and providing favourable conditions for digital technology firms to engage in the digital transformation process in industrial parks and export processing zones, prioritising the use of digital technology solutions developed by Vietnamese businesses, speeding up the development of local digital technology businesses, and deploying electronic invoice solutions initiated from cash registers to prevent tax and budget losses./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Acting President Vo Thi Anh Xuan attended a ceremony in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on April 22 to launch the National Humanitarian Month 2024. The National Humanitarian Month, jointly organised by the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) Central Committee and the provincial People's Committee, will run from May 1-31, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - 2024), and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Hanoi (October 10, 1954 - 2024). At the ceremony, Xuan affirmed that over the past six years, the VRC has been the core organizer of the Humanitarian Month across the country, contributing to raising public awareness, and promoting and spreading the spirit of "mutual love" among people from all walks of life. As a result, more than 3.4 trillion VND (133.5 million USD) has been mobilised, and used to help over 5.5 million poor and disadvantaged people throughout the country. She expressed her hope that agencies, organisations and donors inside and outside the country will continue supporting and accompanying the VRC to provide assistance for more people in need. VRC Chairwoman Bui Thi Hoa said that in this year's National Humanitarian Month, the VRC aims to support 100,000 individuals and collectives in difficult circumstances. At the event, the Acting President presented 300 scholarships to ethnic minority students with good academic performance in Dien Bien province. The VRC at all levels also received donations and donation pledges worth 485 billion VND. On this occasion, vouchers worth 500,000 VND each were granted to 500 policy beneficiaries and poor people in the province. The highlight of the National Humanitarian Month 2024 was the 'Trieu Buoc Chan Nhan Ai' (Millions of Steps of Kindness) campaign, which took place from February 25 to April 21 with the participation of nearly 100,000 people through the V-Race application. The campaign collected 14.1 billion VND which will be used to aid the poor in Thai Nguyen, Son La and Dien Bien prov inces./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: Nearly 150 documents and artifacts highlighting the significance, stature, and value of the Dien Bien Phu Victory will be displayed at an exhibition slated for April 25 at the Vietnam National Museum of History. Themed 'Dien Bien Phu - The Immortal Spirit', the event is part of the activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7) and the signing of the Geneva Accords on ending the war and restoring peace in Indochina on July 21, 1954. All of the exhibits demonstrate the strength of the great national solidarity, the clear-sighted leadership of the Party and the growth of the military, which are seen as locomotives for the nation's renewal, international integration, and development. Running until June, the exhibition is expected to provide people from all walks of life, particularly youth, with an insight into the contributions of locals and soldiers to the historical victory, and the nation's revolutionary tradition. On the occasion, the museum will join hands with the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Information Technology Centre to launch an e-ticket system, helping improve service quality./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: The Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security on April 21 started legal proceedings against and issued arrest and house search warrants to Pham Thai Ha, deputy head of the National Assembly (NA) Office and Assistant to the NA Chairman, on charges of abusing position and power for personal gains. The ministry's spokesperson Lieutenant General To An Xo said on April 22 that the decisions on the matter were made following an expanded investigation into a case involving bidding regulation violations and bribery at the Thuan An Group and related units and organisations. Further investigation is now underway. Earlier, the agency launched legal proceedings against a case of 'violating regulations on bidding causing serious consequences', 'giving bribes', and 'receiving bribes' which occurred at the group and related units and organisations. Accordingly, the group's chairman Nguyen Duy Hung; its general director and deputy general director Tran Anh Quang and Nguyen Khac Man; directo r and deputy director of the investment project management board for construction of transport and agricultural works in the northern province of Bac Giang Nguyen Van Thao and Dam Van Cuong; and Hoang The Du, head of the province's project management board were arrested. Thuan An, established in 2004, operates in the fields of investment, construction of technical infrastructure projects, electricity and renewable energy trading, and real estate./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hanoi: To mark the Administrative Professionals' Week, the Tran and Tran Vietnam Consulting and Training Company in collaboration with the Vietnam Economic Times held a symposium and networking event in Hanoi on April 20 to honour the role of assistants in particular and those working in the administrative field in general, as well as to explore the future of this profession amid rapid digital technological advancements. The event saw the presence of Le Quoc Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan (People) newspaper, deputy head of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Popularisation and Education and Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists' Association; Le Trong Minh, Editor-in-Chief of the Vietnam Investment Review; Nguyen Van Ba, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnamnet; Nguyen Ngoc Diep, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Economic Times; along with leaders, managers, directors of many firms as well as assistants, secretaries and administrative staff who have been dedicating t o the operation of agencies and businesses. Keynote speakers at the event were Assoc. Prof. Dao Thi Thu Giang, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Alphanam Group's subsidiary company; Dam Thi Thu Trang, Director of the TalentsAll Co. Ltd.; Tran Thi Thu Huong, Executive Assistant to the Asia-Pacific Regional Director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and co-founder of Enlighten Books, a book collection dedicated to assistants. At the event, the speakers said according to research documents, the role of assistants dated back to the Roman times when their tasks primarily involved pouring water, making tea, and handling paperwork and correspondence. However, since the global economic crisis in 2008, personnel changes in large corporations have considerably reshaped this profession. Huong said in order to become a professional assistant, they must learn and possess basic skills ranging from managing schedules, collecting and managing information, organising and planning, being able to make decisions and ensure high security, managing work schedules, to more advanced skills such as diplomacy, negotiation, human resources and project management, data analysis, or even proactively supporting the building and implementation of strategies. Particularly, the most important quality that assistants need to have is flexibility. At present, there is a high demand for personnel for this position. Trang, as director of the TalentsAll, a human resources service provider, said not only in Vietnam but also worldwide, recruiting demand for professional assistants is increasing rapidly. In fact, a director may have multiple assistants for different projects/plans in the business development trajectory. Therefore, the opportunities for advancement in this career are also ample, and they are being nurtured to become the next generation of leaders or hold higher positions in independent roles. In the context of the post-COVID-19 economic fluctuations and the rapid development of technology, especially artificial intellige nce (AI), the role of assistants has also undergone significant changes. Huong, a master's degree holder, said she currently works as an executive assistant remotely, handling all tasks on a digital platform. This presents advantages, opening up many job opportunities while also posing challenges as enterprises are accelerating their digitalisation processes. However, Giang said the assistant profession cannot be replaced by AI. "AI can help reduce the workload, streamline some tasks, helping assistants save time but cannot completely replace their profession. This is because executive assistants need to possess emotional intelligence. This is a particularly important factor. For example, when developing direction and strategy, AI can synthesise data and propose solutions, but choosing which option to go with requires the assistant's reasoning, logic, experience and intuition. Or speaking of collaboration, one of the qualities of an assistant is networking and group working to grasp and collect information and feelings before proposing solutions, which AI cannot do'. Also at the event, the Vietnamese version of the book "The Modern-Day Assistant" by British author Lucy Brazier was unveiled. This set the stage for the introduction event of the "Enlighten books', a book collection dedicated to assistants by Huong and Tran Thi Kieu Anh, co-founders of the initiative. Source: Vietnam News Agency

Moscow: A book fair was held in Moscow on April 21 in response to the Vietnam Book and Reading Cultural Day, creating a chance for the Vietnamese community in Russia to meet, exchange books, and promote the reading culture. Themed 'Tram Ky uc' (memory station), the event was jointly organised by 'Vong tay Viet-Nga' (Vietnam- Russia embrace) association and the Vietnamese Students' Association in Russia, aiming at inspiring solidarity and patriotism among members of the overseas Vietnamese community. A fund-raising event was also held to build schools for mountainous students at home. The Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day was first held in 2022 following a decision by the Prime Minister. The day is expected to encourage and develop the reading movement among the community, contributing to building a learning society. In addition, it aims to honour readers, authors, publishers, printers, and libraries that strive to preserve, collect, and promote books./. Source: Vietnam News Agency

HCM City: To meet the demand of people and tourists coming to Dien Bien during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, Vietjet increased the frequencies of flights between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and Dien Bien to 28 flights per week. Accordingly, the Hanoi - Dien Bien route will increase to 14 flights during the week from May 3 to May 11, 2024. Besides, there are 14 flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Dien Bien every week serving people and tourists travelling from the South to Dien Bien on the occasion of the anniversary of the "illustrious victory on five continents, shaking the Earth". During the week of the holiday of April 30 and May 1, Vietjet has also added 86,000 seats, equivalent to over 450 flights on tourist routes and increased the frequency of flights to/from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang. Vietjet also enhances its resources to increase flights, reduce turnaround times, serve passengers at airports and bring them the best price promotions. The new-a ge carrier Vietjet has not only revolutionised the aviation industry in Vietnam but also been a pioneering airline across the region and around the world. With a focus on cost management ability, effective operations, and performance, applying the latest technology to all activities and leading the trend, Vietjet offers flying opportunities with cost-saving and flexible fares as well as diversified services to meet customers' demands. Vietjet is a fully-fledged member of International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. As Vietnam's largest private carrier, the airline has been awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world's only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com and listed as one of the world's 50 best airlines for healthy financing and operations by Airfinance Journal in many consecutive years. The airline has also been named as Best Low-Cost Carrier by renowned organizations such as Skytrax, CAPA, Airline Ratings , and many others./. Source: Vietnam News Agency