Month: May 2022

Posted on

Meeting raises public awareness of prevention and control of tobacco harms

 A meeting in response to the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) themed “Tobacco: A Threat to Our Environment”, and the National No Tobacco Week (from May 25 – May 31) was jointly held by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Hanoi on May 31.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vu Dang Minh, Chief of the Office and Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for Tobacco Control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, underlined the message of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day, saying that it aims to call on countries to seek ways to raise public awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco use on the environment.

He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken a series of practical solutions toward a living environment without smokes.

Minh suggested agencies and units step up communications about the harmful effects of using tobacco products, and provisions of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control, especially contents directly related to the responsibility of leaders and smokers, and places where smoking is prohibited.

According to the WHO, one of the main causes behind non-communicable diseases such cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease, is smoking, said Associate Professor Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, and Director of the Vietnam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF).

He emphasised the need for everyone to join hands in the fight against smoking, for the health of the whole community, and for a greener and cleaner environment.

According to the national tobacco harm prevention and control programme, 40,000 Vietnamese people die each year from tobacco-related diseases. It is estimated that in 2021, the number of Vietnamese people dying from tobacco use exceeded the total number of deaths from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, traffic accidents and suicide./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

Outstanding SEA Games 31 athletes to be honoured with Labour Order

 President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on May 31 signed a decision to confer the Labour Order to athletes who made outstanding achievements at the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31).

Under the decision, the second-class Labour Order will be awarded to swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang who won five golds and broke two records at the Games, swimmer Tran Hung Nguyen with four golds and two records, Nguyen Thi Huong with five golds in canoeing, and runner Nguyen Thi Oanh with three golds and one record.

The U23 men’s and women’s football teams and 19 athletes in aerobic, swimming, canoeing, athletics, dance-sport, finswimming, rowing, gymnastics and weightlifting will be awarded the third-class Labour Order.

The SEA Games 31 took place in Hanoi and 11 nearby localities from May 12-23. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam ranked first in the medal standings with 205 gold, 125 silver and 116 bronze medals. Thailand came second with 92 golds, 103 silvers and 136 bronzes, while Indonesia finished third with 69 golds, 91 silvers and 81 bronzes./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

Vietnam attends 58th ASOSAI Governing Board Meeting

 A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Auditor General Ha Thi My Dung attended the 58th meeting of the Governing Board of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), held virtually on May 31.

Hosted by Pakistan, the meeting brought together representatives from 14 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI), of which 12 are members of the Governing Board, including Vietnam, and two are members of the ASOSAI’s Audit Committee.

In her remarks, Dung said after completing its ASOSAI Chairmanship for the 2018-2021 tenure, the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) has played an active role in ASOSAI activities as a member of the Governing Board for 2021-2024 and a member of ASOSAI working groups on crisis management and sustainable development auditing, as well as ASOSAI regulation amendments.

It also attended a meeting of the Capacity Development Committee in May, and worked as a member of the 13th ASOSAI Research Project titled “Remote Audit for SAI: Future and Challenges”, she added.

Auditor General of Pakistan Muhammad Ajmal Gondal described the meeting as a forum for SAI members to promote cooperation and sustainable development, towards operational reforms by sharing knowledge and experience, identifying challenges, and outlining cooperation solutions at a regional level in order to ensure transparency and accountability in public finance.

Chanathap Indamra, President of the State Audit Commission of Thailand – ASOSAI Chair in 2021-2024, expressed his hope that SAI members will step up cooperation and work to enhance transparency of ASOSAI to achieve sustainable development goals, with nobody left behind.

The meeting approved a number of reports, including one on the ASOSAI strategic plan for 2022-2027, and others by working groups.

After Pakistan, the Republic of Korea (RoK) will host the 59th meeting./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

President chairs session of steering committee on law-governed socialist state building project

 President Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the third session of the steering committee for developing a project on a strategy for building and perfecting Vietnam’s law-governed socialist state to 2030 with orientations to 2045, held in Hanoi on May 31.

The President, who is chairman of the steering committee, said the steering committee appreciated the work of the project drafting group and the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs in the past over one month.

He summed up opinions at the session, highlighting the issues on which consensus has been reached, noting that the building and perfection of Vietnam’s law-governed socialist state must be done under the leadership of the Party, firmly follow the socialist orientation and ensure better execution of socialist democracy.

He said from now to 2030, mechanisms, policies and laws should be fine-tuned and implemented in accordance with the Political Platform and the 2013 Constitution. From after 2030 to 2045, orientations should be defined for amending and supplementing the Platform and the Constitution to fully ensure the values and characteristics of the Vietnamese socialist state.

He hailed the organization of discussions with relevant agencies, experts and scientists regarding issues submitted to the steering committee’s second meeting, which he said facilitated the exchange of views, debate and criticism.

The President stressed that the building and perfection of the law-governed socialist state of Vietnam is the key task in reforming and fine-tuning the political system for a strong and prosperous country, the people’s happiness and national interests.

The goal of the reform is set not for this tenure or the next tenure, but for the long-term future, he said/.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

Vice President visits child cancer patients in Hanoi

 Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan visited child patients at the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital in Hanoi’s Thanh Tri district on May 31, on the occasion of the International Children’s Day (June 1) and the action month for children 2022.

During the visit, the Vice President presented 50 gifts to the hospitalised children and their families, wishing them a swift recovery.

Xuan encouraged medical staff to continue improving their skills in the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients.

Every year, Vietnam has about 180,000 new cancer cases, of which 1.5 percent, or some 2,700 cases, are children.

The National Cancer Hospital, employing 1,700 medical personnel, annually conducts cancer screenings for 500,000 people and offers inpatient treatment for 84,000./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

Vietnamese Party delegation visits Laos

 Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and head of its Organisation Commission, is leading a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to visit Laos from May 30 to June 1.

The visit is made at the invitation of Sisay Leudetmounsone, Politburo member, Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee and head of its Organisation Commission.

Mai and her entourage were received by Party General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh and National Assembly Chairman Saysomphone Phomvihane.

At the meetings, the Vietnamese official conveyed regards and wishes by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, PM Pham Minh Chinh and NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue to the Lao leaders.

Mai congratulated Laos on great, comprehensive achievements the country has recorded over the past more than 35 years of reform and in the implementation of the resolution adopted at the 11th Party Congress and the 9th five-year socio-economic development plan.

She affirmed Vietnam’s support for the reform cause in the neighbouring country, and expressed her hope that under the leadership of the LPRP, the management of the Lao government and the supervision of the NA, Lao people will reap greater achievements.

Mai noted with pleasure the continuous development of the Vietnam-Laos special solidarity across spheres, and thanked Laos for its support to Vietnam during the past struggles for national independence and reunification, as well as the present cause of national construction and defence.

The official cited Party General Secretary Trong’s view on the significance of the special solidarity, and the need to raise the efficiency of bilateral cooperation in different areas.

Briefing the Lao leaders on outcomes of her talks with Sisay Leudetmounsone, Mai said the CPV Central Committee’s Organisation Commission stands ready to work together with its Lao counterpart to enhance the exchange of information and experience in Party building, and closely coordinate to implement agreements they reached, and others between the two Parties and countries.

For their part, the Lao leaders said Mai’s visit, which is taking place in the Vietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year 2022, vividly demonstrates the relationship.

They congratulated Vietnam on its achievements over the past time, especially in the COVID-19 fight, socio-economic reopening and international integration, along with the country’s successful organisation of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) earlier this month.

The hosts noted their hope that under the CPV’s leadership, Vietnamese people will gain more attainments in reform and successfully materialise the resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress.

They thanked Vietnam for its great, valuable, sincere, effective and timely support to Laos over the past time.

The Organisation Commissions should step up the sharing of information and experience in Party and political system building, apparatus organisation and personnel training, they suggested.

The leaders pledged to make every effort, together with Vietnam, to preserve and promote the special solidarity, and suggested the two sides coordinate in the implementation of reached agreements, work to improve the efficiency of collaboration, particularly in economy, trade and investment, and organise activities marking the Solidarity and Friendship Year.

They asked Mai to convey their regards to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Vietnamese senior leaders.

During their talks earlier the same day, Mai and her Lao counterpart Sisay Leudetmounsone informed each other about the situation of each Party and country, and reviewed cooperation between the two commissions.

They discussed cooperation orientations in the time ahead to contribute to implementing Party resolutions in each country.

While in Laos, the Vietnamese delegation paid floral tribute to President Kaysone Phomvihane and Lao martyrs in Vientiane, and visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

Japan revokes permit of intermediary body after mistreatment of Vietnamese intern

 Japanese authorities have decided to revoke the permit of Okayama Sangyo Gijutsu Kyodo Kumiai – an intermediate body that introduces foreign trainees to host companies – after it failed to prevent the physical abuse of a Vietnamese man by his Japanese co-workers at a construction firm.

The organisation, based in the Japanese western prefecture of Okayama, has been prohibited from introducing foreign trainees to companies for five years under an administrative punishment issued by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

The Immigration Services Agency of Japan (ISAJ) under the MoJ said the body had failed to properly oversee the construction firm Six Create, submit a report on the matter, or implement necessary steps after it was informed by the victim.

Speaking at a press conference in Tokyo on May 31, Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa admitted that extremely vicious human rights violations occurred due to the failure of the supervisory group, which shows a serious problem lies in the system itself.

The government will work to prevent a recurrence of such incidents and intends to proceed with a review of the technical internship system, Kyodo News cited the minister as saying.

Last January, a technical intern from Vietnam said he had been mistreated by his colleagues while working at Six Create.

The 41-year-old Vietnamese man, who arrived in Japan in 2019, sustained serious injuries, including a broken rib, in repeated assaults by his co-workers that began a month after he joined the construction firm.

The intermediary organisation and Six Create have apologised to the man and agreed to pay him compensation.

In response to the case, ISAJ, MHLW, and the Organisation for Technical Intern Training (OTIT), a government entity overseeing the technical internship programme, on January 24 appealed to the companies receiving interns and broker organisations to monitor mistreatment in the workplace.

The OTIT has filed a complaint with the Okayama prefectural police accusing the Japanese co-workers of assaulting the Vietnamese man.

Authorities in Japan banned Six Create from receiving foreign interns for five years from February 18./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Posted on

Da Nang: trade-business-investment activities in full swing this June

 The central city of Da Nang will hold a series of economic, trade, and investment events in June, most importantly the Da Nang investment forum on June 26, said Ho Ky Minh, Vice Chairman of the municipal People Committee at a press conference on May 31.

According to Minh, the forum will introduce the city’s potential, advantages and investment opportunities to attract capital in Vietnam and abroad, particularly foreign direct investment. This is also a chance for local authorities to listen to opinions of businesses and investors to improve the local business and investment climate.

On the sidelines, an exhibition on Da Nang’s planning until 2030, inauguration ceremonies of key projects, and field trips to many high-tech sites are scheduled to take place.

Meanwhile, from June 4 to 9, the city will host the 16th Asian route development forum (Routes Asia 2022), the largest and biggest event to promote and connect flight networks in the Asia-Pacific region. The event is expected to draw about 450 delegates from 200 international aviation agencies and organisations from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Also in the summer month, Da Nang will kick off the construction of many major projects such the Long Thanh plastic plant, the Nesta Da Nang centre, and the Dana Logistics.

Minh said after five months of 2022, local business, investment, commerce, tourism, culture, and sport activities have resumed in the normal condition.

The June events are expected to create a driving force for the city to bounce back and grow, he stressed./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency