Day: August 6, 2022

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has signed a decision approving the National Strategy on Climate Change for 2050.

The overall objective of the strategy, set out in Decision 896/QD-TTg, is to proactively and effectively adapt to climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero, and deal with vulnerabilities and risks caused by climate change.

The strategy also aims to make active and responsible contributions to the international community in protecting the Earth’s climate, take advantage of opportunities from climate change response to transform growth models, as well as improve the competitiveness of the economy.

The strategy expects that by 2050, Vietnam will effectively manage water and land resources, improve environmental quality and prevent natural disasters affecting socio-economic development, firmly ensuring the security of national water resources.

It includes maintaining stable forest cover at 43%; 100% of the population is provided with clean water, 100% of households in disaster-prone areas have safe houses and disaster risk insurance for production and business activities of enterprises.

To achieve the above objectives, the strategy has set out specific tasks and solutions.

According to the strategy, Vietnam needs to enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity of natural, economic and social systems, ensuring sustainable livelihoods, including preventing deterioration, and restoring resources; building a smart, modern agriculture sector that can effectively adapt to climate change and has high economic value; strictly managing and protecting existing natural forests; and developing infrastructure that adapts to climate change.

Solutions to reduce damage caused by natural disasters and increased climate extremes are to increase investment and modernise the weather monitoring system, and upgrade technology related to forecasts.

Between now and 2030, Vietnam will develop and implement an action plan to reduce methane emissions by 30% compared to 2020, as well as manage and eliminate substances that cause greenhouse gas effects./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam recorded 1,602 COVID-19 cases on August 6, according to the Ministry of Health.

Besides, the northern province of Thai Nguyen added 152,485 COVID-19 cases to the national caseload after verifying information.

The national caseload rose to 11,346,137.

With 6,878 patients given the all clear on August 6, the number of recoveries rose to 9,964,533. Meanwhile, there are 44 patients in serious conditions needing breathing support.

No death from COVID-19 was recorded in the past 24 hours. The total fatalities stood at 43,094.

On August 5, an additional 527,300 doses of vaccines were administered, raising the total number of doses of COVID-19 vaccines injected to 248,253,774./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Standing Committee of the Hanoi Party Committee, on Friday, had a meeting with authorities of neighbouring provinces of Hung Yen and Bac Ninh to discuss the implementation of the all-important Ring Road No. 4 project.

Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dinh Tien Dung said that the city had set up a steering committee for building Ring Road No. 4 after the National Assembly issued a resolution on the project.

As the governing body, the Hanoi Party Committee directed offices to draw up a plan of investment for the road’s construction.

The plan had been sent to the provinces of Hung Yen and Bac Ninh for comment.

Dung asked localities to show determination, solidarity, focus and coordination with ministries and central agencies to implement the project well.

According to Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Duong Duc Tuan, the investment policy for the project was approved by the National Assembly in Resolution No. 56/2022/QH15 dated June 16, 2022, with a scale of 112.8km and the total preliminary investment was 85.813 trillion VND (3.68 billion USD).

The preparation for the project’s investment and implementation is scheduled to start this year, complete in 2026 and be put into operation from 2027, Tuan said.

The component projects will be carried out similar to Group A projects in accordance with the law on public investment and approved by the People’s Committee.

Under the NA resolution on the project, the head of competent agency is allowed to consider and decide on contractor appointments during the implementation of bidding packages of consultancy, technical infrastructure relocation, compensation, support and resettlement.

He said that within two years since the resolution was approved and during the project implemented, the construction contractor would not be required to submit a licence for exploiting minerals to make building materials.

Ring Road No. 4 consists of seven component projects, operating independently, in which three component projects are to implement compensation and relocation in Hanoi, Hung Yen and Bac Ninh in the form of public investment; three projects are to invest in the construction of related roads in Hanoi, Hung Yen and Bac Ninh in the form of public investment; and a project is to build the expressway system in the form of public-private partnership.

The section in Hanoi is 58.2km long and passes through seven districts: Soc Son, Me Linh, Hoai Duc, Dan Phuong, Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin and Ha Dong.

To stay on schedule, the People’s Committee proposed the Party Committee allow the State Audit to audit the investment project in parallel with the progress of the construction as well as to permit offices to approve and implement investment projects in the construction of resettlement areas.

According to article 111 of the 2013 Land Law, the People’s Committee should be allowed to use the City Development Investment Fund to make compensation and site clearance according to the master plan and land use approved by the competent State agency.

Hung Yen and Bac Ninh provinces were requested to review and coordinate to implement of the project with Hanoi.

In the meeting, leaders of Hanoi, Hung Yen and Bac Ninh also discussed six other issues: planning work, planning management, land management within the scope of the project, the preparation of property dossiers and site clearance, difficulties and obstacles in balancing capital sources for the project./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Trade Promotion Agency under Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) stands ready to support and create favourable conditions for companies of Vietnam and Côte d’Ivoire to promote bilateral trade in the future, its director Vu Ba Phu has said.

The agency has strived to deploy trade promotion and investment solutions based on the application of information technology, aiming to help Vietnamese companies maintain contact with potential foreign partners and investors to explore collaboration opportunities.

Côte d’Ivoire is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner and fourth-largest export market in Africa, according to Nguyen Phuc Nam, deputy head of the Asia-Africa Market Department under MoIT.

The value of two-way trade has amounted to more than 1 billion USD per year between 2017 and 2021. Bilateral trade recorded a strong recovery last year, reaching nearly 1.26 billion USD, up 38.7% from 2020.

In particular, Vietnam is currently one of the five largest rice exporters to Côte d’Ivoire, accounting for an average of 30-40% of the African country’s total rice import value./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Digital Transformation Week 2022 is set to take place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on August 17.

Themed “Digital transformation creates momentum to accelerate socio-economic development”, the event is expected to attract the participation of 50 speakers, more than 100 small- and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs) registering to attend digital transformation training, over 1,000 delegates attending conferences and some 3,000 delegates participating in exhibitions.

The event which will be co-organised by the People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue and the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association (VINASA) is one of the province’s activities to respond to the national digital transformation day which will be held on October 10.

It will have many activities such as four conferences, three in-depth seminars, exhibitions and launching of digital solution platforms, signing digital transformation cooperation agreements between businesses and the province’s departments and agencies.

As a locality with strong culture and heritage, Thua Thien-Hue will organise a separate conference on “Digital transformation: promoting the strength of culture – heritage” to find solutions to preserve, promote and enhance cultural and heritage values. The conference is expected to attract the participation of leaders of both local and foreign heritage management agencies, digital transformation experts, and leading enterprises providing technology in the field of heritage and culture.

Thua Thien-Hue has been evaluated as one of the leading localities in the country in digital transformation. In 2020, the province ranked second out of 63 provinces and cities in terms of provincial digital transformation index (DTI), and third in administrative procedure reform.

Notably, after three years of implementation, the Hue-S platform has nearly 900,000 accounts and 17 million visits. Thua Thien-Hue sets a target to achieve all digital government criteria, more than 90% of public services at level 4 by 2025. The digital economy is expected to contribute from 15-20% of the province’s GRDP. All of its agencies would deploy Cloud technology and have more than 300 digital technology enterprises./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The 55th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-55) and related meetings have successfully concluded, with some 30 documents on regional cooperation adopted, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said on August 6.

“We have reviewed the progress made thus far to strengthen ASEAN’s community building, advance regional integration, and enhance our cooperation with external partners,” he told a press conference.

The official said that over the course of three and a half days, 19 meetings were held back-to-back, with the participation of foreign ministers and representatives from 38 countries.

On the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the ASEAN foreign ministers encouraged the effective operationalisation of the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies.

He added that the ministers also stressed the need to strengthen supply chain connectivity, support economic recovery and improve stability and resilience of the region.

According to Sokhonn, the foreign ministers of ASEAN and its dialogue partners also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

“ASEAN is committed to ensuring the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement … to enhance ASEAN’s attractiveness for trade, investment and global supply chain,” he said.

Cambodia is the chair of ASEAN for 2022, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Many traditional festivals are being reproduced and treated as part of tourism events in a bid to attract more visitors, experts said.

The “Doan Ngo Festival: Past and Present” is an example. The festival was held recently at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, offering visitors an array of experiences in royal culture as well as traditional rituals.

According to the Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre, the event’s organiser, during the late Le Dynasty (1533 – 1789), emperors would host a ritual during the Doan Ngo Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, to present fans to all mandarins. The presentation offered good blessings, health and luck to the recipients’ families

Reenactments of old festivals have also been held in Hue, including Te Xa Tac (Worshiping the Genies of Rice and Soil). It was one of the most important rituals performed by kings of successive feudal dynasties every spring to pray for abundant crops and peace.

Recently, within the framework of the Hue Festival, phoenix spring rolls were on offer as part of the tourism products implemented by the Department of Tourism of Thua Thien-Hue. According to Nguyen Van Phuc, the department’s director, these activities are expected to help Hue tourism develop sustainably.

A kite festival is also another event worth experiencing in Hue. Under Bao Dai King, kite competitions were usually held during holidays. The artisans of that time were always looking for new materials to improve their kites and improve the art of kite flying. More than 80 traditional kites made by artisans that are shaped like dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, butterflies, swallows, and goldfish took part in the kite festival which is held in April. These kites have a wingspan of 1.5 – 3m. Dang Van Bai, Vice Chairman of the National Heritage Council, said that reproducing old festivals will attract a large crowd of tourists.

Assoc Prof. Dr Bui Hoai Son, a permanent member of the Committee for Culture and Education of the National Assembly, agreed, saying that it is necessary to treat cultural tradition as part of tourism events.

“Creating events with cultural tradition does not only help the locality have more cultural events, thereby developing tourism, but also contributes to reviving it,” he said.

However, it should be carried out prudently to avoid misleading or overusing, Son added./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency