Day: January 21, 2022

A virtual space introducing tourist destinations of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue was launched on January 20, aiming to optimise digital transformation to boost the industry’s recovery and encourage traveling activities amid new normal situation.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Tran Huu Thuy Giang, this is a new step for the province to catch up with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and link with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to promote its tourism products, services and destinations to foreign visitors, while contributing to helping Vietnamese firms to seek partnership with leading telecommunication and IT companies.

Giang said the province hopes to organise the space annually, providing a chance for localities across the province and local travel firms to connect with their customers.

Visitors can access the Thua Thien-Hue virtual tourism space at websites http://khonggianao.huetourism.gov.vn and http://khonggianao.visithue.vn to enjoy images of destinations, festivals and specialties as well as tourism activities of the province in a 3D format.

The department and its technology partner Vietsoftpro JSC have supported travel firms to register to join the virtual tourism space and interact with customers. So far, more than 90 localities and businesses have registered to take part in the space.

Hoang Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Vietsoftpro, said hat the firm will continue to develop the space to a tourism platform allowing visitors to book tours and hotels for their trips.

Also on January 20, the provincial Department of Tourism held a conference to launch its tasks for 2022./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Cham Island’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) management board and Quang Nam province’s rangers have released an endangered turtle to the local forest, three days after it was captured by a local farmer and handed to the MPA.

Huynh Thuy Huong, an MPA communication employee, told Vietnam News that the Chinese strip-neck turtle (Mauremys sinensis) was found by Truong Cong Tanh at a paddy field in Dien Ban town in central Quang Nam province on January 14, who gave the turtle to the MPA.

The 1.5kg, 24cm shell turtle, which is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a critically endangered species, was returned to the wild on January 20.

According to MPA, seven tortoises and sea turtles, handed in by locals, have been released in the Cham Islands in 2021.

The Cham Islands-Hoi An (including the total area of the Islands’ land and water and Hoi An) was recognised as a World Biosphere Reserve in 2009. It is home to a large population of sea turtles and tortoises.

The MPA also reported that nearly 1,000 baby turtles had been released into the ocean in 2017-19 since the ex-situ hatching (moving turtle eggs to another place for hatching) conservation project was launched in 2017.

The Cham Islands is the only successful site for the ex-situ turtle eggs hatching project in central Vietnam./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC) has allocated nearly 10 billion VND (over 441,000 USD) to cities and provinces to support the poor and victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

Members of the committee have also joined delegations of Party and State leaders, and organised trips to present Tet gifts to needy people, the VRC said on January 20.

The “Tet for the poor and AO victims” was launched by the VRC in 1993. Since then, its chapters at all levels have granted over 28.9 million gifts to poor households, families of AO victims, those affected by natural disasters and epidemics, and disadvantaged people, with total funding amounting to nearly 10 trillion VND.

This year, the VRC plans to present at least 1.8 million gifts to the groups, including households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 80 percent of the gifts valued from 500,000 VND each./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A delegation from the Hungarian National Assembly (NA) led by its First Officer Márta Mátrai is paying a working visit to Vietnam from January 18 to 22, becoming the first international guests of the Vietnamese NA this year.

The visit takes place prior to the 72nd founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (February 3, 1950 – 2022). It is among activities to maintain visits by senior leaders of the Vietnamese and Hungarian law-making bodies, concretising the contents discussed and agreed between the two parliaments’ leaders at an online conference held in late July 2021.

During the trip, Mátrai paid courtesy calls on NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, and met with Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Vo Van Thuong.

She also held talks with Standing Vice Chairman of the NA Tran Thanh Man and attended a reception banquet hosted by the latter.

At these meetings, the two sides said they will maintain and develop the traditional friendship and sound collaboration between the two nations and their legislative bodies. They considered the visit an opportunity for experience sharing and discussion to enhance the two NAs’ cooperation and mutual support at inter-parliamentary forums.

They also informed each other on their respective nation’s socio-economic situation and COVD-19 prevention and control and put forth measures to step up bilateral commercial, economic and parliamentary collaboration.

The Vietnamese leaders thanked Hungary for assisting Vietnam in responding to the pandemic and supporting the signing and ratification of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Hungary was also the first in the EU to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

Having appreciated Hungary’s granting of scholarships to Vietnamese students, they stressed that the NA will push for and monitor the implementation of Hungary’s preferential loan package worth 500 million EUR serving development projects.

They also supported the establishment of a Hungarian cultural centre in Vietnam and proposed the two nations deepen their parliamentary cooperation toward effectiveness and practical outcomes.

For her part, Mátrai emphasised that Hungary attaches importance to diplomatic and economic relations with Vietnam. Considering Vietnam an important trading partner, Hungary wishes to promote projects and agreements signed during Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Vietnam in 2017, she noted.

The First Officer expressed her delight at the construction of the Can Tho oncology hospital funded by ODA loans from the Hungarian Government, which is expected to be put into operation this year. She thanked Vietnam for sending medical face masks to Hungary since the beginning of COVID-19.

She hoped that the Hungarian cultural centre in Hanoi will soon be inaugurated so that Hungary can share its achievements in science, culture and arts with Vietnamese people.

On the occasion, the Hungarian delegation visited Ha Long Bay in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, as well as toured the NA’s headquarters, and a number of cultural and economic establishments in Hanoi./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on December 30, 2021 issued a resolution allowing the implementation of a number of mechanisms and policies in the healthcare sector serving COVID-19 prevention and control activities, including the management of drug and drug ingredients.

After the document was promulgated, Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) Alain Cany, on behalf of European businesses in the country, sent a letter to NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, expressing his appreciation for the promulgation of this Resolution, describing it an important step forward for both Vietnamese and European enterprises in socio-economic recovery and public health protection.

In particular, the EuroCham Chairman emphasised that the extension of the use of the circulation registration license until December 31, 2022 together with other regulations on drugs and ingredients will help ease difficulties and burdens caused by the lingering and complicated pandemic.

Previously, on December 15, 2021, the Ambassadors of EU member countries, the Ambassadors of Switzerland and Japan sent diplomatic notes asking the legislature to consider promulgating the Resolution within December to allow the continuation of the use of the circulation registration permit to import and circulate drugs in 2022.

The promulgation of this Resolution by the NA Standing Committee demonstrates its determination in COVID-19 prevention and control, its interest in economic activities, the legislative body’s companionship with and its efforts to solve difficulties and obstacles for businesses in the context of the pandemic as well as during economic recovery and development./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A programme to promote Vietnam’s Tet culture and cuisine kicked off at Carrefour Ormesson hypermarket in Ormesson city of France on January 20.

This is the first time a Vietnamese Lunar New Year festival has been held at the Carrefour retail distribution system. The event is part of the activities in the framework of tripartite cooperation between the Vietnam Trade Office in France, importers and retail distributors, to introduce the traditional culture and products of Vietnam to French people.

Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang affirmed this is a good opportunity for Carrefour to conquer the segment of consumers that have the demand to use healthy food.

He said Vietnamese businesses need to tap opportunities brought about by the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement in order to build a professional and sustainable development strategy in order to participate in “playing fields” of European hypermarkets.

According to CEO of Carrefour supermarket chain Bruno Lebon, the event is an occasion to celebrate the strong relationship between Carrefour and its Vietnamese partners, as well as an opportunity for Carrefour’s consumers to explore the Vietnamese cuisine and goods.

He further said over 700 products will be introduced at Carrefour’s supermarket chains during the event.

Nhat Thanh Khiem, an importer of Vietnamese products in France, said the event is hoped to promote Vietnam’s exports to France.

According to Vu Anh Son, Head of Vietnam Trade Office in France, a project to promote enterprises to directly participate in foreign distribution networks has been deployed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade since 2015.

The tripartite cooperation mode has proven effective in the market, benefiting all the involved parties, and helping develop brand and image of Vietnamese goods in the local market.

Owners of supermarkets and retail distribution chains in France have planned to increase the proportion of Vietnamese goods in their distribution systems./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Retail petrol prices rose by more than 400 VND per litre from 3pm on January 21 following the latest adjustment by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance.

The retail price of E5RON92 bio-fuel increased 436 VND to a maximum of 23,595 VND (1.04 USD) per litre, while that of RON95 rose 484 VND to no more than 24,360 VND per litre.

The prices of diesel 0.05S and kerosene, meanwhile, went up 664 VND and 655 VND per litre, respectively.

This is the second consecutive hike of petrol prices in 2022 and the third in a row.

The management of petrol prices is to ensure the implementation of the goal of inflation control and market stabilisation from the beginning of 2022, support people and businesses that are facing difficulties due to the COVID-19, and encourage the use of biofuel to protect the environment./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The People’s Court of central Phu Yen province on January 21 sentenced a man to six and a half years in prison for distributing anti-State materials and illegally storing explosive materials.

According to the indictment issued by the provincial People’s Procuracy, Nguyen Bao Tien, born in 1986 and living in Ward 4 of Tuy Hoa city, followed foreign newspapers and often shared and posted articles with distortions and anti-State content of foreign pages.

From August to October 2019, he received six parcels that contained several books spreading subversive information. He also sent 46 parcels to other people, and was arrested while handling procedures for sending 21 of the parcels. An additional 22 parcels with 38 books were also found at his home.

On April 20, 2021, the police discovered one grenade hidden by the man. Tien said he secretly brought home this explosive with the detonator attached while participating in a military drill in April 2008.

At the trial, Tien made confession and pleaded guilty.

The jury decided to send him to jail for six years and six months, including five years and six months for “storing, distributing, and disseminating materials against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” and one year for “appropriating, and illegally storing explosives” under Article 305 of the amended Penal Code./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency