Day: May 23, 2022

The ninth Da Lat Flower Festival will be held from November to late December this year by the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee to honour the value of flowers and floriculture in the Central Highland resort city.

The biennial national and international cultural-tourism festival also aims to promote tourism and trade, and call for greater domestic and international cooperation and investment throughout the locality, according to the Voice of Vietnam (VOV)

The event will continue to promote the brand of Da Lat as the country’s Flower Festival City, as well as introducing the city’s culture and people to visitors.

Along with hosting traditional art flower spaces, organisers will arrange a wide range of activities during the festival, including a helicopter tour of Da Lat city, a youth music programme, a hot air balloon festival, and street carnivals with the participation of international dancers. National trade fairs and a football tournament will also be held on this occasion.

Notably, there will be a seminar on investment, trade, and tourism promotion in Lam Dong province, which is scheduled for October, along with a workshop to build a strategy for sustainable development for the flower industry in Da Lat in the context of climate change and international integration until 2030.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A total of 103 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives while on duty in the northern Lao provinces of Vientiane, Xaysomboun and Xiengkhuang were returned to Vietnam on May 22 and 23.

The remains were founded by the repatriation team of central Nghe An province’s Military Command during the 2021 – 2022 dry season. They will be re-buried at Nghi Loc martyrs’ cemetery on May 25.

The number is higher than the expectation, despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maj. Gen. Xitha Duangmala, vice chairman of the Lao Government’s special working committee, it is owing to the close coordination, sense of responsibility and high determination of concerned parties in searching and returning the remains.

The Party, Government and people of Laos are grateful for volunteer troops and experts from Vietnam who had sacrificed their lives for independence and freedom in both countries, he said, adding that Laos has been providing all possible conditions and closely coordinating with Vietnam’s national special working committee and repatriation teams in this matter.

Vice Chairman of the Nghe An People’s Committee Bui Dinh Long said Vietnam has received enormous support, not only in accommodations, travel, security but also logistics, and evidence collection, from the Lao administration and people.

Established in 1984, the Nghe An Military Command’s repatriation team has found and repatriated nearly 13,000 sets of soldier remains

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The retail prices of oil and petrol continued to rise from May 23 following the latest adjustment by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Finance.

Accordingly, from 3pm, the price of RON95 bio-fuel RON95 was raised by 670 VND per litre to 30,650 VND (1.32 USD) per litre, while that of E5 RON92 rose by 680 VND per litre to 29,630 VND (1.28 USD) per litre.

Meanwhile, the price of diesel oil was down by 1,100 VND per litre to 25,550 VND (1.1 USD) per litre. A decrease of 660 VND per litre was also seen in the price of kerosene to 24,400 VND (1.05 USD).

Since the beginning of this year, the retail prices of petrol have been adjusted up nine times and down for only three times.

According to the General Statistics Office (GSO), the hike in petrol prices is the major factor pushing up CPI in the first four months of this year. Domestic petrol prices surged 48.84 percent year on year, which led to a 1.76 percentage point rise in CPI.

The average CPI for the first four months of this year rose 2.1 percent year on year, higher than 0.89 percent recorded in the same period last year, but lower than the increases in the January-April period in 2017-2020. The core inflation was also up 0.97 percent

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on May 23.

-The 15th-tenure National Assembly (NA) convened the third session in Hanoi on May 23.

The opening session is broadcast live on Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV1), the Vietnam Television (VTV), and the NA’s TV channel. Read full story

– In order to ensure the highest efficiency of the 15th National Assembly (NA)’s third session, NA agencies and deputies had made careful preparations on discussion contents, aiming for the highest outcomes with shortest sitting time, said NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue while opening the session on May 23.

The top legislator said that over the past nearly one year, NA deputies have adhered to their action plans and kept their promises to voters and people, while listening to their ideas and requests and working to enhance their capacity and operational efficiency across all fields. Read full story

-Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on May 22 held several bilateral meetings with leaders of international organisations and businesses during his trip to Geneva to attend the 52nd World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.

At his meeting with British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma, Khai said that Vietnam has been implementing many overall and comprehensive measures in the field of energy transition and growth model transformation towards a green and circular direction to realise commitments made at COP26. Read full story

-Vietnam supports a rules-based multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) role in the global trade system, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh stated at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)’s 28th Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting.

In his speech at the event, which took place in both face-to-face and virtual forms in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 21-22, the deputy minister affirmed that Vietnam is ready to coordinate with WTO members to promote and approve key contents at the WTO’s 12 ministerial conference slated for June this year. Read full story

-A total of 103 sets of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives while on duty in the northern Lao provinces of Vientiane, Xaysomboun and Xiengkhuang were returned to Vietnam on May 22 and 23.

The remains were founded by the repatriation team of central Nghe An province’s Military Command during the 2021 – 2022 dry season. They will be re-buried at Nghi Loc martyrs’ cemetery on May 25. Read full story

-The retail prices of oil and petrol continued to rise from May 23 following the latest adjustment by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Finance.

Accordingly, from 3pm, the price of RON95 bio-fuel RON95 was raised by 670 VND per litre to 30,650 VND (1.32 USD) per litre, while that of E5 RON92 rose by 680 VND per litre to 29,630 VND (1.28 USD) per litre. Read full story

-The 8th summer camp of Vietnamese youth in Europe “Vietheart Summer Camp 2022” will take place in Prague on August 18-21, heard a press conference held by the Vietnam youth and student associations in the country on May 22.

The camp will be hosted by the standing board of the Union of Vietnamese Youth and Student in Europe and the Vietnam Youth and Student Association after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read full story

-Vietnam have wrapped up their SEA Games 31 run at the top of the medal table with 205 golds, including the much-anticipated one in the men’s football claimed on May 22 night.

The hosts broke the record of 194 golds set by Indonesia at the 1997 SEA Games in Jakarta. Thailand came second with 92 golds and Indonesia third with 69. Read full story

Source: Vietnam News Agency

In order to ensure the highest efficiency of the 15th National Assembly (NA)’s third session, NA agencies and deputies had made careful preparations on discussion contents, aiming for the highest outcomes with shortest sitting time, said NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue while opening the session on May 23.

He said that the session is taking place following the success of the fifth session of the NA Standing Committee, focusing on many important issues in the socio-economic development, the building of the Party and political system to meet the demands of the country’s reform period.

Over the past one year, the NA has worked hard to improve its operational efficiency, while approving three laws and 45 resolutions which included many unprecedented regulations to ease difficulties facing people and businesses and promote socio-economic development in both short and long terms, the official said.

He noted that so far, the country has seen positive progress in socio-economic development after putting the COVID-19 pandemic under good control, with fast economic recovery and expansion, normal education, social, cultural, healthcare and sports activities, ensured social welfare, security, defence, and expanded external relations.

The NA leader said that the success of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) has spread great inspiration to Vietnamese people inside and outside the country as well as international friends. He lauded efforts and achievements of the Vietnamese delegation at the biggest regional sports event.

In the 19 working days, deputies are scheduled to discuss reports by the Government on the outcomes of the socio-economic development and State budget plans for 2021, the implementation of such plans for 2022, and approve the State budget settlement for 2020.

NA Chairman Hue asked deputies to give subjective, comprehensive and practical assessments on the reports, while improving their sense of responsibility in analysing prolonged problems in State budget plan implementation, thus raising ideas to tighten disciplines, strengthen accountability and handling violations of financial and State budget regulations.

Regarding law-building activities, the NA leader said that during the session, NA deputies will consider and approve five draft laws and three draft resolutions – the Law on adjustment and supplementation to a number of articles of the Intellectual Property Law; Law on Insurance Business (revised); Cinematography Law (revised); Law on Emulation and Commendation (revised); Mobile Police Law; Resolution on piloting the model of organising working activities, career guidance and vocational training for prisoners outside prisons; Resolution on law and ordinance building programme in 2023, and adjustments to the programme for 2022; and Resolution on piloting a number of specific mechanisms and policies to boost Khanh Hoa province’s development.

At the same time, they will for the first time debate six bills, including the draft revised Law on Domestic Violation Prevention and Control, Law on Medical Examination and Treatment (revised); Law on Implementing Democracy at Grassroots Level; Law on Inspection (revised); Law on adjustments and supplementations to a number of articles of Law on Radio Frequency; and Petroleum Law (revised).

NA Chairman Hue asked the deputies to analyse and evaluate the influence of policies and specific contents of each bill, thus completing and submitting them to the NA for approve in the next session.

Along with listening to a report summarising voters’ ideas and requests, as well as another on thrift practice and wastefulness prevention, the NA will debate the supervision result on the implementation of policies and laws related to planning activities since the Planning Law took effect, he said.

The NA leader stressed the need to point out shortcomings and limitations in the legal system related to planning and problems during their implementation, and seek proper solutions.

Meanwhile, the NA will spend two days and a half for question-and-answer activities.

Regarding the decision of other important national issues, NA Chairman Hue said that legislators will consider and decide investment policies for five important transport infrastructure projects – Ring Road No.4 in the Hanoi Capital Region; Ring Road No.3 in Ho Chi Minh City; Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway; Khanh Hoa – Buon Ma Thuot Expressway; and Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang Expressway.

Underlining the significance of the project to the national socio-economic development and each region and localities, NA Chairman Hue asked deputies to focus on discussing the coherence of their planning to the national, regional and local planning, investment forms, and necessary mechanisms and policies for their implementation as well as specific responsibilities of each party.

He also requested legislators to carefully debate other reports in different fields.

The top legislator said that over the past nearly one year, NA deputies have adhered to their action plans and kept their promises to voters and people, while listening to their ideas and requests and working to enhance their capacity and operational efficiency across all fields.

On the first working day, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh delivered a report on supplementary assessment of the implementation of the socio-economic development plans and the state budget in 2021 and in the first months of 2022.

Source: Vietnam News Agency