Vietnam succeeds in poverty reduction efforts  

 
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced a report, Pathways to Success, accordingly, many countries have achieved and are on the way to reduce by half the number of poor people by 2015.

Thirty-one out of 79 countries in the FAO list have markedly reduced the number of poor families compared to the early 1990s, including the 4 most successful countries (Vietnam, Armenia, Brazil and Nigeria).

The report also shows four common factors to successfully reducing the ranks of poor people including creating favourable conditions for economic development and people’s prosperity, investing in poor rural areas and shielding people of most risks, maintaining achievements, and having sustainable development plans.

According to FAO, the world summit on food security will take place in Italy from November 16-18, with an aim to promote agricultural production and poverty reduction. Before the opening session, FAO is expected to open an anti-poverty strategy on the Internet.

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Gov’t permits foreign consultants to involve in planning Central Highlands City  

 
VGP – Upon the proposal of the People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk, Deputy PM Hoàng Trung Hải agreed that foreign advisors will be hired to make the construction plan for the province’s capital city of Buôn Ma Thuột.

Under the PM’s Decision 1181/QĐ-TTg dated on September 7, 2006 approving the master plan for the construction of Buôn Ma Thuột City to 2025, the city will become a key center of the Central Highlands.

Its old urban areas will be upgraded and new ones built. Traditional villages and garden-houses will be founded in the city’s outskirts.
 

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Vietnam – one of world’s most peaceful nations  

 
Vietnam was named among one of the most peaceful nations in the world at a Global Symposium of Peaceful Nations held in Washington, DC, from November 1-3.

The symposium, co-organised by the Fulbright Centre and the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), two US non-profit organizations, aims to build a more peaceful world and honours the most peaceful countries in the world.

The symposium attracted the 18 countries with the highest Global Peace Index (GPI) in 2009. The GPI, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney, Australia, is composed of 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators.

Vietnam ranks 39th among 144 countries in the GPI’s ranking and second after Singapore in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

According to a report of the symposium’s organizing board, Vietnam has made significant contributions to peace. Although the country recently fought two wars it is now one of the most peaceful countries in Southeast Asia. Vietnam has achieved stability through an economic reform that the world knows as “Doi Moi”.

The report emphasised that Vietnam is always committed to peace and security in the region and the world and sets an example in military restraint.

Pham Van Chuong, vice chairman of the Vietnam Peace and Development Fund said many countries have praised Vietnam’s success in maintaining peace through economic development, improving local people’s living condition and supporting other countries.

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NA sets economic growth at 6.5 percent for 2010  

 
VNA 06/11/2009 - Vietnam has set targets of growing the economy by 6.5 percent and reducing its poverty rate to less than 10 percent next year.

These were among targets set in a resolution on the socio-economic development plan for 2010 which was adopted by the National Assembly (NA) in Hanoi on Nov. 6 with 85.4 percent in favour.

The resolution also sets out to raise export turnover to over 6 percent, create 1.6 million jobs, including sending 85,000 workers aboard, and achieve a patient/bed ratio for hospitals of 27.5 per 10,000 people. It plans to boost the rates of access to clean and hygienic water for the rural and urban populations to 83 percent and 84 percent, respectively, as well as increase forest coverage to 40 percent.

The resolution clearly aims at achieving the overall goal of obtaining greater economic growth than in 2009 along with increasing macro-economic stability, improving the quality of growth, preventing the recurrence of high inflation, and ensuring social security.

Integration and improving the effectiveness of international economic cooperation, political stability and social order, and ensuring national defence, security are also among the resolution’s overall goals.

Additionally, the same day, NA deputies were presented with reports on the implementation of the Dung Quat oil refinery project and plans to invest into two projects; the Lai Chau hydro-electric power plant and the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant.

Construction of the Dung Quat oil refinery is now fundamentally complete, Industry and Trade Minister Vu Huy Hoang said, adding that the plant produced 39,000 tonnes of LPG, more than 198,000 tonnes of unleaded petrol, 142,000 tonnes of diesel, and 30,000 tonnes of kerosene as of Aug. 15.

Also, the Son La hydro-power plant project is on track to put one generator on line to produce electricity in December of next year and the project will be completed two years later./.

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Overseas remittances to reach US$6.8 billion in 2009 

 
The Ministry of Finance has forecasted that the total amount of money sent by overseas Vietnamese to back home would reach US$6.8 billion by year’s end, US$0.4 billion less than last year.

Early this year, the figure was first projected to drop by 15-20 percent to US$5.8-6 billion. 

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Hanoi marks 10th anniversary of City for Peace recognition 

 
(VNA) A ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of Hanoi’s recognition as City for Peace by UNESCO was held on October 27.

Addressing the event, the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao stressed the title was the recognition of the international community, adding that the UNESCO General Assembly’s decision to take part in the organisation of Thang Long-Hanoi’s millennial celebrations in 2010 is a great honour for the city.

On the occasion, he sent out a message that the capital city of one thousand years is dynamically developing and together with international friends trying for an everlasting peace on earth, creating a stable ground for development, prosperity and integration.

Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez who have been living in Hanoi for more than 20 years also expressed his love to the city as his second homeland.

“Hanoi today is making great efforts to deserve the title,” he said. “It has become an important city in the Southeast Asia, having hosted and will host important events during Vietnam’s integration process into the region and the world, and contributing actively to the common struggle for peace in the world.”

In 1999, Hanoi was among five cities in five continents presented with the “City for Peace” award by the UNESCO to recognise its contributions to the struggle for peace as well as its development that meet the organisation’s standards of equality in the community, the urban construction, living environment protection, culture and education promotion, and care for young generations.

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Efforts pooled to overcome storm Ketsana’s aftermath 

Nhan Dan – Vietnam’s leaders, armed forces and people are making every effort to help storm-hit provinces surmount the severe consequences of the tropical storm Ketsana.
 
So far, at least 162 people have died, 13 are still missing and 616 injured. About 21,429 houses were swept away and collapsed; other 258,306 houses were unroofed and damaged. 218,249 houses, 5,280 classrooms, 12,604 head offices of the People’s Committees and health stations were submerged.

Additionally, more than 35,741 hectares of rice, 44,013 hectares of other food crops and 26,209 hectares of industrial crops were inundated by flood water.

Besides, the traffic and irrigation works and electricity systems were seriously damaged.

The whole country is rushing to the help of storm-hit compatriots and has been giving relief aids to damaged areas. The Government has decided to allocate an amount of VND 414 billion to 31 storm-hit provinces to evacuate storm victims to safer places and help stabilise their life. Specifically, each province of Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa is granted a financial support of VND 20 billion. VND 15 billion is allocated to each province: Bac Can, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Gia Lai and Dac Nong and VND 13 billion to each province: Bac Giang, Ha Nam, Quang Binh. Each VND 10 billion is granted to Son La, Ninh Binh, Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Ngai, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Soc Trang, Dong Thap, Ca Mau and Ben Tre. VND 22 billion, 21 billion, 16 billion and 5 billion are given to Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Ha Tinh and Bac Ninh respectively. Hoa Binh and Binh Dinh are given VND 12 billion each. Phu Yen and Quang Ninh are given VND 6 billion each.

Vietnam has continued to receive messages of sympathy and relief aids from foreign countries and organisations. The World Vision has granted an emergency aid of US$30,000 to children and households in Da Nang, Quang Tri and Quang Ngai. Also, the organisation will mobilise an amount of US$500,000 to help about 50,000 residents in 14 areas in the Central region. Besides, the World Vision has sent rice, instant noodles and fresh water to storm-hit victims. Many other domestic and international organisations have pledged to grant financial support to the storm victims in Vietnam.

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UNESCO recognizes Quan họ as world’s cultural heritage  

VGP - The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on September 30 recognized Quan họ (folk songs and their performances in the northern provinces of Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang) as one of 76 new additions to the representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
 
Quan họ Bắc Ninh is recognized by UNESCO as the world’s cultural heritage


The 76 inscriptions were honored from 111 nominations from 34 nations by the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage at its 4th session in the United Arab Emirates from September 28 to October 2.

The UNESCO highly appreciated Quan họ’s special cultural values in terms of social practices, performance arts, singing techniques, cultural behaviors, lyrics and costumes.

Many of the villages still practicing the singing are twinned and reinforce their relationship through customs such as Quan họ folk songs. The songs are performed as alternating verses between women from one village who sing in harmony, and men from another village who respond with the same tune but different lyrics.

To date Việt Nam has had three such intangibles recognized by UNESCO. They are the Huế royal court music, the Central Highlands gong cultural space and now the Quan họ folk song.

On October 1, the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee inscribed Việt Nam’s ca trù (ceremonial singing) on the List of Intangible Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

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Promoting culture, arts, sport and tourism activities in rural areas 

Nhan Dan - A co-ordination programme which aims to promote culture, arts, sport and tourism activities in rural areas in the 2009-2014 period was signed by the Vietnam Farmers' Association and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Hanoi yesterday.
 
Under the signing content, the two sides will co-ordinate in mobilising funds, creating conditions for the Association’s member and farmers participating in buiding material facilities, cultural institutions... Thus, each village will have at least one house of culture and one sporting hall.

Besides, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam Farmers' Association will help build eco-tourism models in localities as well as promote reading culture among people in rural areas.

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Awards presented to top FDI businesses

Nhan Dan/VNA - Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan yesterday presented the ‘Vietnam Golden FDI’ awards to 85 FDI businesses and 15 entrepreneurs that have attained the most outstanding production and business performances at home and abroad.
 
“The Vietnamese Government always attaches importance to attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and considers it an important resource for national development,” he emphasised.

The Deputy PM reiterated that the Government would further improve the investment environment for attracting more foreign investors in Vietnam and encouraging local businesses to invest in other countries.

He said he hoped the slogan ‘For a friendly and developed Vietnam’ will become a motto of operation of all FDI businesses in the coming time.

The award-winners were selected by the Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises in co-ordination with the Thien Ngan Communications Join Stock Company under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Trade with the aim of honouring and encouraging the FDI businesses in Vietnam and the Vietnamese businesses investing abroad, which have made a great contribution to the Vietnamese economy.

At a conference themed ‘For a friendly and developed Vietnam’, which was part of the ‘Vietnam Golden FDI’ event, most participants shared the view that the investment and business environment in Vietnam has been improved.

Tom Chong, Deputy General Director of Ernst & Young Vietnam – the world’s leading consultancy, financial transaction, tax and auditing service provider, said Ernst & Young Vietnam has doubled the scope of its operation in Vietnam over the past three years thanks to the Vietnamese Government’s adoption of a host of practical policies and laws.

That all the foreign investors coming to Vietnam over the past three years have been major multi-national groups shows their recognition of positive improvements in Vietnam’s investment and business environment, he said.

Director General Manuelito Jose De Dios of the AkzoNobel Vietnam Company of the Holland-based AkzoNobel Group highly valued the Government’s deployment of the stimulus packages, especially those for investment and consumption, and the State Bank of Vietnam’s prompt intervention in slashing lending interest rates and stepping up banking payment.

He reckoned that those efforts have helped not only boost the Vietnamese national economy but also facilitate foreign-invested businesses in the country.

Sharing the views with Ernst & Young Vietnam and AkzoNobel Vietnam executives, Hsu Jung Chun, the Director General of Jia Non-Biotech – a Chinese company specialising in agriculture, commented that “Vietnam’s investment environment is getting more and more suitable for foreign businesses”, with better managerial capacity and transparent taxation policy.

At the conference, FDI businesses also frankly pointed to existing obstacles that are hindering business and investment activities, including underdeveloped infrastructure, a lack of high-skilled human resources and competent managers, and overlapping, complex investment licensing procedures.

They urged the Government to quickly remove those obstacles to help the country sharpen its competitive edge and improve development capacity.

However, many FDI businesses still chose Vietnam as “an attractive destination for investment” and expressed their strong belief in a future expanded operation environment in the country thanks to the Government’s due attention and policies.

Since the Law on Foreign Investment enacted in 1988, more than 10,000 FDI enterprises have operated in Vietnam with a combined capital of US$174 billion. They have created direct jobs for nearly 2 million people and indirect jobs for millions of others.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnamese businesses have invested in 440 projects in 49 countries and territories at a total registered investment capital of US$6.8 billion.

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Vietnam’s ‘Best Brands’ climb rankings  

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hoi An town, and several hotels and resorts in the country have won a number of Best Asian Travel Brands 2009 after a recent travel poll by the Hong Kong-based Smart Travel Asia online magazine.
 
The ancient quarter of Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam climbed one place to fifth among the Top Ten Holiday Destinations, Hanoi climbed two places to 6th among the Top Ten Cities for Shopping, while Ho Chi Minh City, together with Seoul and Taipei, placed 10th in the Top Ten Cities for Business.

The rankings for a number of Vietnam’s major hotels and resorts also improved over last year’s poll. Sofitel Metropole Hanoi ranked second and Nam Hai resort in Hoi An town came in 9th among the Top 25 Leisure Hotels and Resorts. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Smart Travel Asia’s annual online poll collects people’s opinions about tourism destinations, aviation services, hotels and resorts.

Vietnam’s entry into several Top Ten lists marks growing improvement in its profile as a tourist destination.

The VNAT stated that the achievements were attributed to the country’s stimulus measures to recover the industry from the impacts of the global economic crisis and the A/H1N1 influenza epidemic.

The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam saw signs of recovery after steadily decreasing in the early part of the year. The agency reported that the country welcomed almost 315,000 foreign arrivals in August, a 16% increase over July.

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HCM City to host regional tourism conference 

VOV 09/10/2009 - The first-ever regional conference to encourage businesses to invest in tourism in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia will be held in Ho Chi Minh City from September 30 to October 1. 
 
The HCM City Municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism says that using the theme of “Three Nations – One Destination”, the conference will promote the three countries as an ideal region for tourism investment and development.
The event will be attended by government delegations from the three countries and many other international delegates who will discuss issues related to tourism investment and development in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
The conference will provide a forum in which tourism organisations of the three countries can introduce their latest development strategies to international businesses.
The event is being held on the sidelines of the 5th international tourism exhibition taking place in HCM City from October 1-10. This exhibition is expected to attract more than 150 international travel agents from 15 countries and territories.

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State President praises outstanding students 

VGP - State President Nguyễn Minh Triết praised 852 most outstanding students from 27 northern cities and provinces at an annual award-granting ceremony in Hà Nội on September 13.  
State President Nguyễn Minh Triết and some most outstanding students at the award-granting ceremony, Hà Nội, September 13, 2009.
At the ceremony, called “Hoa Trạng Nguyên” (First-grade Doctoral Laureate Flower), the second ever-held event of its kind, the State President said that he hoped the students would bring national pride into play and overcome all challenges to highlight the spirit and intelligence of Vietnamese people.

The 852 students in the Northern region account for half of excellent students in the whole country. They include disadvantaged youths in rural and remote areas.

On September 12, the State Presidents received and presented gifts to 119 students who represent 1,655 “Hoa Trạng Nguyên” winners.

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VN Petroleum Association founded  

VGP – The Việt Nam Petroleum Association (VNPA) made the debut and organized its first congress this morning.
 
VNPA is a socio-occupational organization administered by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT).
In the term of 2009-2013, the Association will focus on professional activities. In the near future, VNPA will advice PetroVietnam in designing the five-year plan 2011-2015, mapping out national energy policies, and assessing and approving investment projects at home and abroad.
According to MIT Deputy Minister Bùi Xuân Khu, the establishment of VNPA will bring about a new strength for Việt Nam’s petroleum industry to make greater contributions to the country’s development.

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Green industry strategy by 2020 announced  

VGP – Recently ratified by the Government chief, the Cleaner Industrial Production Strategy by 2020 stipulates five major projects and many new directions and solutions to raise industrial producers’ awareness of this model of production.
 
Enterprises are encouraged to adopt cleaner technologies in industrial production – Photo: VGP

The Strategy requires broad application of green production in order to effectively consume natural resources, materials and fuels, minimize emission and pollution, better environment and ensure sustainable development.

Specifically, five major projects will be carried out until 2020, focusing on increasing producers’ awareness and capacity, building and operating databases and websites on clean production, providing technical assistance, forming a network of organizations facilitating green technology applications, and improving financing mechanism for green industrial production.

According to the strategy, by 2020, 50% of producers will have to adopt green technologies so as to save around 8-13% of energy consumption. About 90% of large and medium enterprises will have units in charge of green production.

In addition, standards of green production must be inserted in industrial development strategies.

Research institutes and industry establishments are encouraged to shake hands in researching, transferring and applying clean technologies.

The State pledges to offer preferential credits for green industrial projects, encouraging both domestic and foreign players to engage in developing environmentally friendly technologies.

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Vietnam wins four medals at Int’l Chemistry Olympiad 

Nhan Dan – All of the four Vietnamese students competing at the 41st International Chemistry Olympiad have won medals including one gold, two silvers and one bronze.
 
The gold medal went to Vu Minh Chau, a 12th grader majoring in chemistry from the University of Natural Sciences under the Hanoi National University.

Two silver winners are Le Duc Anh, a 12th grader majoring in chemistry from the Tran Phu Senior Secondary School for Gifted Students in Hai Phong city and Luu Nguyen Hong Quang, an 11th grader majoring in chemistry from the University of Natural Sciences under the Hanoi National University.

The bronze medal was snatched by Le Thu Huong, a 12th grader from Hung Yen Senior Secondary School for Gifted Students.

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Giong Festival expected to be recognised world intangible cultural heritage 

VNA 20/07/2009 - The Hanoi People’s Committee has requested that steps be taken for the local Giong Festival to be considered for UNESCO’s recognition as intangible cultural heritage of the world.

The Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism has been asked to consider the proposal, which if accepted would put the Vietnam Culture and Art Institute in charge of creating a dossier for submission to UNESCO in August.
The Giong Festival is held from the sixth to the 12th day of the fourth lunar month every year at Phu Dong (or Giong) Village in Gia Lam District, Hanoi, as well as in some other regions of the capital including Phu Ninh Village in Soc Son District and Xuan Dinh Village of Tu Liem District. The main festival day is on the 9th day of the month.
The festival is original, because it commemorates a legendary character that ancient Vietnamese turned into an immortal saint, according to Professor Nguyen Chi Ben, head of the Vietnam ’s Culture and Art Institute.
Cultural researcher Ben said: "This is not only the biggest festival in the capital city, but also the biggest in the entire northern plain."
The festival celebrates Saint Giong, a legendary Vietnamese hero who fought against the northern invaders.
The legend says that once upon a time, a poor woman from Giong Village went to the rice paddy and saw a giant step. Curious, she stepped onto the step; not long after, she discovered she was pregnant and then gave birth to a son she named Giong. As a three-year old, the boy still didn’t know how to speak and never laughed. But when the country was invaded, the boy suddenly began to speak and asked the King to give him an iron horse, an iron suit of armour and an iron rod, so that he could fight against the invaders. He then rose up to become a giant.
After having fought triumphantly the enemy, he and his horse went to Soc Mountain . On the mountain top, he removed his armour and flew into the sky with his horse.
This festival is considered one more testament to the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese nation when pitted against foreign invaders.
Festival performances recount Saint Giong’s celebrated battles as his troops squared off against the aggressors, symbolised by crowds of people from four communes in Phu Dong Village .
The festival also involves young boys and girls acting out the performance’s most important parts, after having practiced for the festival all year./.

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Legendary beauty of Nui Coc Lake 

Nhan Dan – Nui Coc Lake, the man-made reservoir, located in Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province is well-known for its spectacular and legendary beauty.
 
Nui Coc Lake also surprises tourists by a mysterious legend of a romantic but tragic love story between a girl named Cong and a man named Coc. As the legend has it, the Cong River and Coc Mountain are named after the names of the ill-fated couple.

The tourism zone of Nui Coc Lake covers a large mountainous area with natural landscape and exciting entertainment areas. The lake is surrounded by mountains, forest trees and green tea hills which help to make Nui Coc more like an artistic painting. Visiting Nui Coc Lake, tourists can explore natural beauty of the vast lake, amazing islets, giant mountains as well as enjoy entertainment activities and the region’s specialties.

Nui Coc tourism area is divided into two parts: the north and the south of the lake. The northern zone provides visitors with varieties of entertainment facilities like water park, dinosaur park, electric railway, swimming pools and so on. Along the hill’s slope, many lodging houses and guest houses are available to tourists who want to stay overnight. A thing that should not be missed is the region’s specialties such as shrimp, tench bream….How enjoyable it is to sit in a restaurant floating on cool water and enjoying the region’s specialties.

The southern zone of Nui Coc Lake shows all kinds of services and a busy tourism zone which can meet diverse needs of tourists.

Discovering caves is a great choice to those who love adventurous tourism. Such caves as ‘Legendary Palace’, ‘Three Pine Trees’ and ‘Fairy Tale World’ will certainly amaze tourists. Inside the caves there are fanciful mazes and natural masterpieces of all kinds. More interesting, many old fairy tales are carved on the cave’s walls. Fairy tales along with legendary beauty of caves will lead tourists to a miraculous world to forget all their fatigue and sorrow in life.

Once getting out of caves, exploring overall Nui Coc Lake on a boat will give tourists much pleasure. Many beautiful islets are waiting to be explored. You can visit Co Island (the island of storks) covered with wild myrtles and bamboos where live many kinds of birds and storks. Along the way, you can also drop into Thuong Ngan temple or Nui Cai islet to enjoy as many as 1,000 Vietnam traditional handicraft products on display. Enjoying the region’s specialties like bream, shrimp and so on has become indispensable part of Nui Coc tourism.

Currently, infrastructure facilities in Nui Coc tourism area have been in good service to diverse needs of tourists.

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Đà Lạt Flower Festival 2009 to be held in December 

VGP - A five-day festival, under the motto "Đà Lạt - a City of Thousand Flowers," will take place in Đà Lạt City of Lâm Đồng Central Highlands Province on December 18-22. 
The festival will center on programs to honor the value of floriculture in Đà Lạt.

During the festival, a series of events will be organized, including the display of flower streets, flower towers, and flower islands in the city center, an international exhibition of flowers and bonsai, and a flower parade.

In addition, there will be a wine gala dinner and flower wedding ceremonies.

The biennial Đà Lạt Flower Festival was selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as one of the most important national events to welcome the 1000th birthday anniversary of Thăng Long-Hà Nội.

The festival will forge a playing ground for local floriculturists and their domestic and foreign counterparts as well as flower lovers, businessmen and scientists to meet and exchange views.

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Vietnam’s economy begins recovering: int’l economists 

VOV 30/06/2009 - Bloomberg, the leading US financial information services company quoted foreign economists as saying on June 29 that Vietnam’s economy began recovering in the second quarter of this year. 
“The worst has likely passed for Vietnam as well as the rest of the region,” said Paul Gruenwald, chief economist for Asia at ANZ in Singapore. “The focus now should be on assessing the strength of the recovery and how long it will take to return to potential growth.”
He added that the economy grew 3.9 percent in the first half from 3.1 percent in the first three months. “The pickup in growth in the second quarter in Vietnam was domestically based thanks to the fuel, transport and garment industries”, he said. He estimated that the GDP will grow more during the rest of 2009 as the fiscal stimulus plan continues.
International experts said that most countries have passed the depths of the crisis and those with strong domestic growth generators will benefit more and recover faster. “While Vietnam’s exports remain fairly lackluster, the economy is well supported by pro-growth government policies”, they said.
Some experts said that Vietnam, Indonesia, China and India, where growth remained positive amid the global slowdown, are examples of economies that have shown more resilience than other export-dependent nations because of domestic consumption.
Credit Suisse Group AG last week raised its growth forecast for Vietnam, predicting the economy will expand 4 percent this year, from an earlier estimate of 2 percent.
Expectations of high inflation in Vietnam are constraining the government’s efforts to support growth by easing fiscal and monetary policy, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said in a report on June 10.

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Rice exports to hit record high of 6 million tonnes 

VOV 01/07/2009- Vietnam is expected to export 6 million tonnes of rice this year thanks to the signed contracts with importers and an increasing demand from major markets. 
By the end of June, the country has shipped 3.642 million tonnes of rice abroad and earned US$1.427 billion, according to the Vietnam Food Association.
The signing of new export contracts has made a positive impact on the domestic rice market. The price of high-quality rice of the early summer-autumn crop in the Mekong River Delta now fluctuates at VND4,200-4,300 per kilogram.
According to rice experts, about 2 million tonnes of summer-autumn rice will be reserved for export. With an additional 300,000 tonnes of high-quality rice from the winter-spring crop in stock, Vietnam is expected to fulfil the signed export contracts this year.

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Positive economic signals forecast for second half  

VNA 29/06/2009 - Vietnam’s economy will see positive developments in the second half of the year as the government’s loosened monetary policies and stimulus packages become effective, said a senior economic expert.
According to Dr. Le Dinh An, Director of the National Centre for Socio-economic Information and Forecast (NCSIF) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam’s exports are expected to increase in the rest of the year when world prices, especially prices of export staples, are predicted to rise again, along with increasing export demand as a result of trade promotion and outlet expansion to China and Africa.
The global trade may recover sooner than expected, he said, adding that big economies have joined hands to put forth anti-crisis measures and taken the advantage of the crisis for effective restructuring.
The NCSIF forecasts that this year, the industrial sector’s growth rate will reach between 4.6 percent and 5.2 percent while the agricultural and service sectors will grow at 3.4-3.7 percent and 4.9-5.8 percent, respectively.
The country’s consumer price index (CPI) in 2009 is estimated to stand at 7.51 percent, according to the centre.
An also said that prices may rise again during the last months of 2009 due to increasing crude oil prices which now stand at nearly 70 USD per barrel.
In addition, a huge sum of money has been poured into the market to implement the government’s stimulus packages and social security policies while domestic production is yet to recover. This may lead to a money-commodity imbalance, a reason for price hikes, he said.
The NCSIF director also predicted a higher domestic consumption and inflation rate for the year-end unless due attention is paid to price control measures.
 

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Over VND45,000 billion spent to build and upgrade hospitals 

The Prime Minister has signed a decree approving a project to build and upgrade hospitals specialising in tuberculosis, mental disorders, tumours and paediatrics as well as provincial general hospitals in mountainous areas, with a total investment of VND45,280 billion.

The project will use Government bonds and other capital sources during the 2009-2013 period.

The objectives are to help poor people in remote areas gain access to high-quality public health services, reduce hospital overload, and improve staff quality.

Hospitals to receive funds include 78 general hospitals, 55 tuberculosis hospitals, 40 mental hospitals and centers, 33 paediatric hospitals, 9 tumour hospitals and centers and 7 tumour faculties belonging to general hospitals under the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and the Can Tho Medical-Pharmaceutical University.
 

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Investment in education and health for women and girls are smart investments 

(CPV)- On the occasion of the 2009 World Population Day with a theme of “Responding to the Economic Crisis: Investing in Women is a Smart Choice”, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the United Nations in Vietnam have made a call to keep on investing in women’s health and ensuring continued progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, despite the recent global economic crisis.

The economic crisis has already affected progress towards improving women’s health and reducing poverty. Women and girls suffer disproportionately during times of economic crisis. To protect their rights to health, there is an urgent need for increasing social investment, especially in reproductive health, according to the Government and United Nations officials.

“The global financial crisis is forcing all of us to save and cut costs where we can. But our work for the women of the world must continue undiminished. When you empower a woman, you empower a family. When you empower a woman, you change the world,” said the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on the occasion of the World Population Day 2009.

In the Government’s socio-economic development plan (2006-2010), Vietnam plans to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to 60 per 100,000 live births by 2010. In order to achieve this, and thereby reach the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by 75 percent by 2015, Vietnam needs to make concerted efforts. However, the economic crisis represents a challenge for Vietnam in terms of maintaining this steady progress. Recently, there has been an increase in the maternal mortality rate, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas.

“Our collective efforts to achieve the MDGs must remain a priority. We must join forces to advance women’s empowerment and ensure universal access to reproductive health by 2015. Reproductive health services are key to protecting the health of women, mothers and their babies,” said Mr. Nguyen Ba Thuy, Vice Minister of Health and General Director of the General Office for Population and Family Planning.

Over the past years, progress has been made in expanding access to reproductive health and integrating family planning in pre- and post-natal care and HIV prevention. In addition, use of modern contraception has increased and stronger programmes, policies and laws for reproductive health and rights have been established.

“In this time of global economic crisis, we must protect the gains achieved by increasing resources for reproductive health, including family planning, so we can make greater progress for women and families,” said Mr. Bruce Campbell, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Vietnam.

“Investments in education and health for women and girls have been linked to increases in productivity, agricultural yields, and national income. There is no smarter investment, with such high economic and social returns, than investing in the health and education rights of adolescent girls and women,” added Mr Campbell.

To keep up the momentum in achieving MDG5 on maternal health, efforts should be devoted to enhancing the quality of safe motherhood services for ethnic minority people in remote and mountainous areas. It is also essential to strengthen the knowledge, skills and attitudes among service providers of maternal health and newborn care. Above all, priority should be on skilled attendance at delivery with a strengthened referral system to a centre which can respond to pregnancy complications that might otherwise lead to a tragic and unnecessary maternal death.

On World Population Day 2009, the Ministry of Health and the United Nations in Vietnam pledge their commitment to support health and equal opportunity for all people. It is time to make health and reproductive rights a priority for all, especially for women.

This year witnesses the 20th annual World Population Day. The day’s inception in 1989 by UNFPA’s Governing Council prompted its acknowledgment by the United Nations General Assembly as an avenue for building better awareness of population issues and their relation to development.
 

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