Day: July 20, 2021

A programme to promote connections for technology supply and demand between Vietnamese and Japanese businesses was held virtually on July 20.

The event was hosted by the Science Technology Development and Innovation Centre (ISC) under the Department of Science and Technology of the northern port city of Hai Phong.

Director of the Department of Science and Technology Tran Quang Tuan said the agency has directed the ISC to organise events to promote technology supply and demand connection with foreign partners, especially those from Japan.

This move aims to update new technological trends, promote technology transfer and development from abroad to Hai Phong city, he said.

The events have offered venues for foreign businesses to set up partnerships with Vietnamese companies, helping local enterprises join in the global value chains, Tuan stressed.

From Japan, Takiguchi, Director of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation (SMRJ) of Japan, said that SMRJ has provided support for 3.58 million small- and medium-sized enterprises in the country.

In recent years, SMRJ has supported Japanese companies to expand their business activities abroad, including Vietnam, through online conferences and e-commerce trading floors, he noted, adding that over 20,000 Japanese enterprises and more than 2,000 Vietnamese firms are using this forms to connect to each other.

According to ISC, the event saw the participation of 12 enterprises from industrial and technological centres of Japan such as Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima and Nagoya. They introduced different technologies, including technologies and equipment for mechanical processing, automation technology, technologies for agricultural production and farm produce processing, among others.

After the event, the organizer will assist businesses of the two sides to negotiate and sign contracts.

ISC said a similar event is scheduled to be held in September this year to connect businesses of Vietnam and the Netherlands.

So far, ISC has organised hundreds of events to connect Vietnamese enterprises with technology supply and transfer partners in many countries with developed science and technology such as Japan and the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, and Russia.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The 15th National Assembly convened its first session on July 20 following an opening ceremony broadcast live on channels of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV1), Vietnam Television (VTV), and NA Television.

Following the opening remarks by Chairman of the 14th NA Vuong Dinh Hue, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a speech at the session.

Tran Thanh Man, Vice Chairman of the 14th NA and deputy head of the National Election Council, then presented a report reviewing the elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and all-level People’s Councils for the 2021-2026 term.

Another report on the verification of the eligibility of deputies to the 15th NA was also presented.

In the afternoon, the legislator elected Chairman of the 15th NA by secret ballots. They then voted to pass a resolution on the election of the NA Chairman. Hue, who was elected for the post, sworn in and delivered a speech.

The legislature then elected Vice Chairpersons and members of the 15th NA Standing Committee by secret ballots.

On July 21, lawmakers are set to conduct procedures to elect the NA General Secretary, the Chairperson of the Ethnic Council, Chairpersons of the NA Committees, and the Auditor General of the State Audit Office.

The NA will hear a proposal on and discuss the legislature’s 2022 supervision programme, and a proposal on and deliberate the law and ordinance building programme for 2022. Adjustments to the 2021 law and ordinance building programme will also be tabled

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ministry of Transport has basically agreed to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s draft pilot plan on welcoming international tourists to Phu Quoc island in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang.

However, the ministry noted the need to work out thorough measures of COVID-19 prevention and control to ensure safety for locals and prevent the spread of the virus from foreign visitors to the local community.

The ministry also proposed giving priority to vaccinating local residents in Phu Quoc against COVID-19, monitoring international tourists throughout the duration of their stay, and putting in place plans to prevent infections among service providers. Currently, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is collecting feedback on its draft pilot programme, which aims at opening the island to international visitors with vaccine passports for six months beginning in October.

Under the scheme, Phu Quoc is expected to welcome 2,000 to 3,000 visitors per month via charter flights in a limited number of locations during the first phase, which will last three months.

In the second phase, also lasting for three months, the island will host 5,000 to 10,000 visitors per month.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue chaired the first session of the 15th NA Standing Committee on July 20, in which Tran Thanh Man was assigned to continue assuming the position as NA Permanent Vice Chairman.

Hue congratulated members of the NA Standing Committee on their election at the 15th legislature’s first plenum earlier the same day.

The top legislator expressed his wish that each member will promote their sense of responsibility, competence, intelligence and qualifications to build a strong NA Standing Committee and well fulfill all assigned tasks.

Hue also said he hoped NA Standing Committee members will direct and organise the implementation of the full-term working programme, and the action plan to carry out the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution and Resolution No. 161 of the 14th National Assembly dated April 8, 2021 on the working programmes of the legislature, the State President, NA and Government agencies, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the State Audit Office of Vietnam in the 2016-2021 tenure.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam expects to reduce the rate of fatalities caused by accidents and injuries among children to five per 100,000 by 2030, according to a programme newly approved by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on prevention of injuries and accidents among children for the 2021-2030 period.

The programme aims to minimise accidents and injuries among children, particularly drowning and traffic accidents, in a bid to protect their health and well-being.

It is also expected to decrease the rate of children suffering from accidents and injuries to 500 per 100,000, to cut the rate of children who die from and are injured by traffic accidents by 5-10 percent per year, and to have about 15,000 schools certified as safe by 2030.

The programme strives to have 95 percent of children aged 6 – 16 educated about road safety rules and 60 percent of them able to swim and aware of water safety rules; while 100 percent of village- and school-based medical workers will be trained about first aid techniques for children.

All centrally-run cities and provinces must start collecting information and data on children’s accidents and injuries; and at the same time, pilot and scale up projects offering lessons on how to avoid accidents and injuries, stay safe in the water, and swim for children.

Accidental injury amongst children is a pressing problem in Vietnam. Among the sources of fatalities and injuries are drowning, traffic accidents, falling from a height, severe burns, being bitten by animals, being cut with pointed objects and suicides. Drowning and traffic accidents are the most common

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The 15th National Assembly elected Politburo member and Chairman of the 14th NA Vuong Dinh Hue as Chairman of the 15th legislature on July 20.

Under the national flag and in front of the NA and voters nationwide, Chairman Hue took oaths, pledging to stay absolutely loyal to the nation, people and Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He also vowed to exert great efforts to fulfill tasks entrusted by the Party, State and people.

In his speech, the top legislator affirmed that in his position, he will do his best to continue renewing the working methods and improving the operation quality and efficiency of the legislature for the supreme goal of serving national interests and for the sake of well-being of the people.

He also pledged to consolidate national defence-security, firmly safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and enhance global integration.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has reduced the rate of premiums for the labour accident and occupational disease insurance fund to zero percent as part of efforts to enable enterprises to support their employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total cut amount from July 2021 to June 2022 following the scheme is about 4.32 trillion VND (187.9 million USD).

As of July 16, the VSS branches in cities and provinces nationwide had completed procedures and sent notifications on the reduction to 375,335 employers with over 11.2 million labourers. Ho Chi Minh City has the highest number of enterprises and labourers benefiting from the scheme with 101,356 firms and 2.3 million workers, with the total amount of over 1 trillion VND. The city is followed by Hanoi with 87,000 firms and over 1.4 million employees.

At the same time, the sector has applied various measures, including simplifying administrative procedures, diversifying ways for submitting insurance-related dossiers and strengthening online transactions to make the Government support policies more accessible for employers and employees amid the pandemic. VSS General Director Nguyen The Manh said that the agency has set up a steering committee for the implementation of the Government’s Resolution No. 68/NQ-CP and supporting policies for pandemic-hit labourers and enterprises.

Manh affirmed that the sector has spared no effort to optimise support policies for in-need companies and labourers, contributing to overcoming the pandemic and completing the dual targets set by the Government in effectively preventing the pandemic and promoting socio-economic development at the same time. Resolution No 68 on a number of policies to support employees and employers affected by COVID-19 pandemic is expected to contribute to recovering production and business and mitigating the adverse impact of the pandemic.

In the document, some basic principles are set out, such as ensuring timely support, to the right people, publicity and transparency, simple and easy criteria and procedures for employees and employers to access. There are 12 supporting policies introduced in the recently-issued Resolution./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A contest on the life and career of General Vo Nguyen Giap will be organised from July 30 to August 25 for Vietnamese citizens at home and abroad on the occasion of the late General’s 110th birthday (August 25, 1911-2021).

Co-held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee and the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army, the contest will take place under the two forms of online interactive quiz and writing.

It aims to educate the young generation and people from all walks of life about the life, career, and great contributions of General Giap to the country’s revolution, his noble morality, and affection of people of all strata, especially youths, teenagers and children, toward him.

An awarding ceremony is scheduled for December 22, 2021, on the occasion of the 77th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army.

General Vo Nguyen Giap, whose real name is Vo Giap (alias Van), was born in Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, the central province of Quang Binh on August 25, 1911. He passed away in Hanoi on October 4, 2013 at the age of 103.

He once served as a Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Standing Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence, Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnamese People’s Army and a National Assembly deputy from the first to seventh tenures.

The General led the Vietnamese people to victory over the French colonialists and then the American imperialists.

Source: Vietnam News Agency