Day: July 20, 2021

The People’s Court of the central province of Nge An on July 20 sentenced Nguyen Van Lam, born in 1970 and residing in Vinh city, to nine years in prison for “making, storing, spreading information, materials and items for the purpose of opposing the State of Socialist Republic of Vietnam” under Point a, Clause 1, Article 117 of the Penal Code.

Before being brought to this court, Lam had had a long criminal history of stealing property, prostitution brokering, drug smuggling, and deliberately inflicting bodily harm upon

According to indictment by the provincial People’s Procuracy, on September 21, 2020, the police of Nghe An received reports about Facebook account “Lam Thoi” at https://www.facebook.com/thoi.lam. 9659 posting and sharing many videos, photos and stories with illegal contents.

Investigation results showed that Lam opened account called “Lam Thoi” in 2014 and added 5,000 friends. From 2017 to November 2020, Lam posted many articles and photos with contents going against the law, including three live streaming videos, 13 shares from other accounts, and 18 articles. All aimed at inciting people to oppose the State and the Communist Party of Vietnam, slandering the institution and leaders, and distorting information on Vietnam’s situation. Lam’s posts drew a large number of likes and comments.

At the court, representatives from the provincial People’s Procuracy held that Lam’s activities went against people’s interest and harming people’s trust in the administration. His acts are extremely dangerous and serious, harming the existence and growth of the State, they said.

Therefore, the court decided to give him nine years’ imprisonment

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The 15th National Assembly elected Vice Chairmen and members of the Standing Committee of the legislative body in the afternoon of July 20, the first day of the first session of the 15th legislature.

All 483 deputies present at the sitting voted to adopt a resolution on the election of four NA Vice Chairmen, who are Tran Thanh Man, Nguyen Khac Dinh, Nguyen Duc Hai and Tran Quang Phuong.

Tran Thanh Man, born 1962, is a member of the 13th Politburo and was a deputy of the NA in the 13th and 14th tenures.

Nguyen Khac Dinh, born 1964, is a member of the 13th Party Central Committee and was a deputy of the NA in the 14th tenure.

Nguyen Duc Hai, born 1961, is a member of the 13th Party Central Committee and was a deputy of the NA in the 13th and 14th tenures.

Senior Lieutenant General Tran Quang Phuong, born 1961, is a member of the 13th Party Central Committee.

Later, the NA also adopted a resolution on the election of 13 members of the NA Standing Committee. As a result, the NA Standing Committee in the 15th tenure will comprise the NA Chairman, the four Vice NA Chairmen, and the 13 elected members.

Immediately after the election, the NA Standing Committee convened its first session to assign duties among the members and gave opinions on personnel work.

According to the day’s working programme, after the session, the committee is slated to submit to the NA a list of nominated candidates for the NA to elect the NA General Secretary, the Chairman of the Ethnic Council, Chairmen of the NA’s committees, and the Auditor General of the State Audit Office.

The NA then will discuss the list of nominees in groups

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Politburo member and Chairman of the 14th National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue was elected as Chairman of the 15th tenure during the first session of the 15th legislature in Hanoi on July 20.

All 475 deputies present, or 95.19 percent of the total number of lawmakers, voted yes.

In the morning on the same day, all 466 lawmakers, or 93.39 percent of the total, also approved a Resolution on the number of the members of the NA Standing Committee.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnamese Government welcomes the outcomes of the online talks on July 19 between Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Nguyen Thi Hong and US Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen as well as the agreement reached the same day between the SBV and the US Department of Treasury on exchange rate policy, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 20.

The agreement reaffirms that Vietnam’s exchange rate policy is part of the general monetary policy framework, and consistent with the reality of the foreign currency market in the country and its international commitments in this regard, with the goal of promoting macro-economic stability, not for creating an unfair competitive advantage in international trade, Hang said in reply to reporters’ question.

This is the result of an effective dialogue and consultation process in the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect between the two countries’ relevant agencies. This result also opens up opportunities for closer collaboration between Vietnam and the US in financial and monetary affairs to promote post-pandemic economic growth, she stated.

The spokesperson went on to say that in the coming time, Vietnam will maintain constructive dialogue with the US side to handle issues in economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries, thus contributing to developing bilateral economic relations more stably and sustainably, for the interests of the two countries’ people and businesses.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 19 sent a letter to his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen to express thanks to the Cambodian Government and people for providing help to Ho Chi Minh City in the fight against COVID-19.

The Vietnamese Government leader said the practical and timely assistance that PM Hun Sen, the Government and people of Cambodia have given to HCM City has effectively contributed to the pandemic prevention and control work of the southern hub as well as of Vietnam.

The assistance is even more precious when the Cambodian Government and people are also exerting efforts to cope with the pandemic, and is evidence of the friendship, solidarity and noble tradition of mutual support between the two nations, especially at times of difficulties, Chinh wrote in the letter.

PM Chinh also thanked the Cambodian PM and Government for their care for the community of Vietnamese and Cambodians of Vietnamese origin during the implementation of COVID-19 response measures in the recent past.

He expressed a belief that with the resolve and coordination between the two governments and the support of the people, Vietnam and Cambodia will early win the fight against the pandemic, quickly recover their economy and resume sustainable development.

Earlier on July 17, Cambodian PM Hun Sen sent a letter to PM Chinh to inform that Cambodia would present Ho Chi Minh City with medical supplies, including 1 million medical masks, 100,000 N95 masks, 100 oxygen generators and 200,000 USD in cash. The Cambodian Red Cross Society also presented 100,000 USD and the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association 100,000 USD.

A flight transporting the medical supplies arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport in HCM City on July 19. Youk Sambath, Secretary of State under the Cambodian Ministry of Health handed over the aid to Vice Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Duong Anh Duc.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam is expected to rake in 4 billion USD from fruit and vegetables exports this year if the H1 pace is maintained in the second half of this year.

The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (VinaFruit) said the export turnover was over 360 million USD in June, up 38 percent from the same period last year, pushing the value in the first half to nearly 2.1 billion USD, up 17.7 percent year-on-year.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, VinaFruit General Secretary, said Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables export has recovered in major markets, with less reliance on China and increases in demanding markets like the EU, the US, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan.

However, the neighbouring country of China has remained the biggest buyer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables, accounting for up to 56 percent of Vietnam’s total fruit and vegetables export value.

Nine types of Vietnamese fruits are allowed to enter the Chinese market via the official channel, namely dragon fruit, longan, mango, lychee, banana, jackfruit, rambutan, watermelon and mangosteen. Besides, China has also granted temporary licenses to Vietnamese sweet potato and durian.

Nguyen Xuan Giang, Director of the Hoang Ha Service and Trading Company Limited in the northern border province of Lang Son, said China has imposed more requirements on Vietnamese agricultural products.

To maintain exports to China, local firms should work to satisfy requirements regarding quality, packaging and area codes, he suggested

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Many travel businesses are looking forward to the introduction of Vietnam’s safe tourism map to “live in peace” with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both businesses and potential travelers have been confused during each COVID-19 outbreak, according to a report in Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper.

When a case of infection appears, customers are often confused since information, even about one COVID-19 case in quarantine, often floods media and social media.

“When Hanoi was said to have several COVID-19 infected cases, many tourists immediately cancelled their tours as they thought this was not a safe destination. This huge city, in fact, has many other safe places to go,” the chairman of Vietravel Holdings, Nguyen Quoc Ky, said.

A safe tourism map is very much needed to inform locals of safe places to visit. This enhances tourists’ confidence when traveling to a destination while preventing false rumours about the disease.

Travel service operators will also be supported as they have better control and no longer have to worry about changing their plans at the last minute.

They will be able to save costs and maintain cash flow.

A green economy can “live with the epidemic” when customers are assured of quality services and travel businesses have better control of their operation.

Chairman of Lux Group Pham Ha said that some European countries have built tourism digital maps with information necessary for travelers to draft their plans.

Vietnam’s safe tourism map is a digital map with COVID-19 related information across all provinces and cities.

With a software application on a smartphone, travelers are able to check whether their destinations are safe enough to visit at the time being.

Ha added that the safe tourism map provides travel agencies with opportunities to “go bolder” with their travel products.

The map can be uploaded on a website, presented in a mobile application, or integrated in the Safe Vietnam Tourism application created by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, launched on October 10, 2020.

“The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control should update information about the pandemic on the map or authorise a special unit such as the Ministry of Health,” Ky said.

This map is similar to the warning map of forest fires of the forest ranger. It can incorporate information of visitor density in certain areas to avoid further crowds.

Many travel firms agree that the map is crucial when the market reopens

Source: Vietnam News Agency