Day: November 16, 2021

Former President Truong Tan Sang and leaders of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) Central Committee handed over 30 sets of multi-functional life jackets to poor fishermen in the central city of Da Nang on November 16.

The activity was part of a programme to present 15,000 life jackets to 12 central cities and provinces, which were donated by businesses and philanthropists in response to a joint appeal by former President Truong Tan Sang and the VRC Central Committee.

Sang expressed his hope that the gifts will partly help the fishermen overcome difficulties and safeguard the country’s sea and island sovereignty. In September 2021, the Da Nang Red Cross Society received 1,000 life jackets from the VRC Central Committee and presented them to local fishermen.

As part of the programme, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Khanh Hoa provinces will receive 1,000 life jackets each. As many as 1,600 life jackets will be presented to Quang Ngai and Phu Yen provinces each while 1,800 others will be handed over to fishermen in Binh Dinh. Fishermen in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago will also get 1,000 life jackets.

The donation of life jackets to poor fishermen is a practical activity, helping to ensure the safety of fishermen while fishing offshore, developing the economy and participating in the protection of the country’s sovereignty over seas and islands.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Ministry of Public Security has officially established an airborne security unit under the Immigration Department, which is responsible for preventing and combating terrorist attacks and unlawful interference to ensure aviation security in Vietnam.

After the Government issued Decree No. 922015 on October 13, 2015 on aviation security, the Ministry of Public Security directed the Border Security Department under the General Department of Security (now the Immigration Department) to build a scheme on airborne security force.

The Immigration Department has coordinated with competent ministries and agencies to complete the tasks and reported to the ministry for approval in early 2020.

The airborne security force is in charge of preventing and combating terrorism, unlawful interference to ensure flight security of Vietnamese airlines. It would collect, synthesise, analyse, evaluate and forecast the situation related to acts that threatened the security and safety of Vietnam’s civil aviation.

In addition, this force will give advice to and propose the Immigration Department on guidelines and plans to proactively detect acts of terrorism.

It will take responsibility to coordinate with the flight crew in handling unlawful interference or unexpected situations. It is allowed to use weapons or technical means in order to neutralise illegal acts of interference against the aircraft according to the provisions of law, and also coordinates with airlines and functional forces at home and abroad to solve problems related to security on aircraft.

In special cases, the airborne security force can require the Immigration Department to suspend flights when there were possibilities of terrorist attacks or unlawful interference.

This force will coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and the aviation industry to escort people who were extradited or serving prison sentences from abroad to Vietnam and vice versa, expulsed foreigners, Vietnamese deported people or those wanted by Interpol.

The Ministry of Public Security will be in charge of recruiting and training officers to deploy security forces in the air on flights and routes.

Speaking at a ceremony to announce the Minister of Public Security’s decision on the establishment of the Airborne Security Desk on November 15, Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang said that the decision showed the increasing requirement on airborne security protection.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai hosted a reception in Hanoi on November 16 for Ambassador of the Czech Republic Vítězslav Grepl and a delegation from Skoda Auto, a car maker of the Czech Republic, who came to seek partners to build an automobile factory in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Hai said the exchange of high-level delegations over the past years has created a driving force for bilateral economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries.

He added that Vietnam’s auto industry has grown rapidly over the past three years and welcomed Skoda Auto’s plan to invest in Vietnam. The presence of Skoda vehicles in Vietnam will help diversify the domestic auto market, Hai said.

Grepl, for his part, expressed his hope that auto manufacturing will become a focus of bilateral cooperation in the future.

Ondrej Cerny, a representative of Skoda Auto, said the car maker was established in 1985 in the Czech Republic and is part of Volkswagen Group.

The company plans to build an auto factory in Quang Ninh and begin exporting automobiles by 2023, he said, adding that he hoped the Vietnamese Government, ministries and agencies will offer all possible support for Skoda Auto.

Hai said Vietnam signed 14 free trade agreements with countries in and outside the region, especially commitments related to the auto industry in ASEAN, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Therefore, he suggested the Czech Republic side thoroughly consider Vietnam’s international commitments as well as domestic laws to carry out investment.

As of October 2021, the Czech Republic has invested in 38 valid projects worth 91.23 million USD, ranking 49th out of 140 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

It is urgent for Vietnam to develop financial and budgetary solutions to stablise the macro-economy and boost economic recovery and development post-COVID-19, Deputy Finance Minister Vo Thanh Hung told the Vietnam Finance Forum 2021 on November 16.

This year’s event was themed “Finance Strategy for the 2021 – 2030 period: Solutions for Economic Recovery and Development in Vietnam.”

Also speaking at the event, Dr. Nguyen Nhu Quynh, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Finance’s National Institute for Finance (NIF) said according to the next decade’s Finance Strategy, the national finance policy plays a pioneering role in effectively mobilizing, distributing and using both domestic and foreign resources, and directing the resources into fulfilling priority socio-economic development goals in each certain period of time.

It is important for the country to focus more on improving policies to effectively mobilise resources for development, enhancing business climate and accelerating the mobilization of non-State resources, Quynh said.

He also emphasized the need to tighten control of State budget deficit, properly manage public debts and step by step provide more fiscal space for heightening the national finance’s resilience.

Vice Chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Commission Dr. Vu Nhu Thang said to develop a healthy and efficient financial market and minimise impacts of systemic crises, Vietnam must reform the financial sector through facilitating fair competition and stability of the banking system.

He further urged for the improvement of financial infrastructure to enable the country to keep up with the ever-changing fintech trends.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Buddhist temples and establishments across the country will ring the bell, lit candles, offer incense and pray for those who died from COVID-19 at 8pm on November 19, in coordination with a national requiem for the dead victims of the coronavirus.

The request was made by the Standing Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Executive Council.

The standing board also asked VBS chapters in provinces and centrally-run cities to hold requiems for COVID-19 dead victims based on local conditions and in compliance with pandemic prevention rules.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee plans to organise a requiem for those who lost their lives to COVID-19, which will begin at 8pm on November 19.

More than 23,180 people had died from COVID-19 in Vietnam by November 15.

The requiem aims to share the pain and loss suffered by tens of thousands of families who have lost their loved ones to the pandemic, the VFF Central Committee said, adding that this is also an opportunity to promote the tradition of great solidarity and the will of the nation to overcome difficulties, adapt safely and flexibly to and effectively control the COVID-19 pandemic, and restore production and business and socio-economic development.

VFF has sent documents to leaders of religious organisations in the country to join in the holding of activities to commemorate COVID-19 dead victims.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Thanks to an expected upturn in retail demand between now and the end of the year, the total revenue for 2021 is expected to have grown by 3-4 percent, as compared to the previous year.

The forecast was delivered by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). However, growth is expected to be lower than the target of eight percent set earlier by the industry.

According to MoIT’s Domestic Market Department, retail of goods has seen positive growth over the first 10 months of 2021, thanks to the recent resumption of trading.

Travelling and circulation of goods have also become easier.

As well as winter apparel, the demand for household appliances and stationery has also increased after the social distancing period, pushing up the October retail of goods and service revenues by 18.5 percent month-on-month.

On the structure of retail of goods and service revenues so far in 2021, retail sales accounted for the largest share with 82.8 percent, accommodation and catering services had 8.3 percent; tourism just 0.1 percent and other services accounted for 8.8 percent.

To further boost domestic consumption in the remaining months of this year, the MoIT said it would concentrate on addressing concerns in business and production activities, especially those of major enterprises in industrial parks or economic zones.

“The aim is to ensure a speedy resumption of economic activities and keeping value chains intact, especially at a time when demands for goods and products would rise during the year-end period,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the MoIT will closely monitor the demand-supply balance and market prices of goods to intervene if necessary, along with effective distribution of goods across localities, including the pandemic epicentres, to ensure the smooth movements of goods.

In line with these efforts, the ministry will supervise the market during the year-end period to address trade fraud activities and ensure a healthy development environment for Vietnamese products.

The MoIT also plans to reopen in phases wholesale markets, supermarkets, convenience stores on the condition of complying with anti-COVID-19 measures to boost production and consumption, while trade promotion activities are expected to shift to online platforms to boost sales in late 2021 and early 2022.

“A series of promotion programmes will kickstart in the year-end shopping period, ahead of the new year festivals,” MoIT added.

Meanwhile, supply-and-demand connectivity and trade promotion activities will continue at home, make full use of e-commerce to launch the domestic market development strategy and project till 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Tourism sites in the northern province of Ninh Binh began welcoming local visitors back on November 15 after a long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, as November 15 is Monday – a workday, these tourism sites were quite empty.

Bui Van Manh, Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said that in order to gradually restore and develop tourism, the opening will be done step by step. Firstly, the tourism sites are only open to local holiday-makers. Then, based on the pandemic situation, the sector will pilot welcoming visitors from other localities who take package tours. After the pilot period, the tourism industry will advise the provincial People’s Committee on whether to continue to open the door to tourists from outside Ninh Binh.

To attract more visitors, the province will step up tourism promotion, and organised online tours to introduce them to the province’s tourist attractions and products.

Also on November 15, the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre launched a programme to offer tours to ‘green’ (safe) zones in the “kingdom of coconut”.

To date, 70 out of 162 travel units in the province have registered to resume operations.

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, from November 15 to the end of 2021, Ben Tre will open its door to local holidaymakers and those from other Vietnamese localities.

From January 2022 to December 31, 2022, it will begin welcoming foreign visitors back, depending on the pandemic situation.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Airports Council International (ACI) World has agreed to extend its Airport Health Accreditation (AHA) certificate granted to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, a representative from the airport said on November 16.

The AHA programme enables airports to demonstrate to passengers, staff, regulators, and governments that they are prioritizing health and safety in a measurable, established manner.

Noi Bai airport secured the certificate last year. In order to receive the certificate, the airport had to undergo a strict assessment of health safety measures at the airport, including cleaning and disinfection procedures, physical distancing, staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications, and passenger facilities.

Meanwhile, Incheon International Airport Corporation of the Republic of Korea (RoK) has recognised Noi Bai airport as an official member of the Safe Corridor Initiative (SCI).

According to the representative, over the past year, Noi Bai has maintained COVID-19 prevention and control measures to ensure absolute safety for passengers and its staff.

In a letter sent to Noi Bai on November 12, ACI General Director Luis Felipe de Oliveira said the airport has put health and safety of passengers on top priority by implementing measures and observing recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as well as guidelines of the ACI.

The ACI is the only global trade representative of the world’s airports. Established in 1991, it represents airports interests with Governments and international organisations such as ICAO, develops standards, policies and recommended practices for airports, and provides information and training opportunities to raise standards around the world.

Source: Vietnam News Agency