Hung Yen works to have 92% of population covered by health insurance

The northern province of Hung Yen is implementing concerted measures to realise its goal of expanding health insurance coverage to over 92% of the population this year.

 

The province also aims to have more than 40% of the local workforce covered by social insurance.

 

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duy Hung said one of the measures is to require all-level Party committees, administrations and socio-political organizations to take up more responsibility in encouraging participation in insurance.

 

Communication activities are being conducted in diverse forms and styles to raise public awareness about the significance of insurance. At the same time, the province will intensify inspections of agencies and enterprises in enforcing laws on social insurance and health insurance.

 

On its part, the insurance sector is accelerating administrative reform and the application of information technology in order to simplify procedures, facilitating people’s access to insurance.

 

The sector has also organized training courses for agents to improve their skills in persuading people to join insurance, while coordinating with relevant agencies to inspect enterprises suspected of breaching policies and laws on health and social insurance.

 

According to Pham Huu Hien, Director of the provincial Social Insurance, the number of people installing and using the insurance application VssID surpassed the target by 16%.

 

So far, nearly 1.15 million people in the province have joined health insurance. Since the beginning of the year, the insurance agency has paid nearly 540 billion VND in health insurance benefits./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Vietnam attends Singapore International Cyber Week

Minister of Public Security, General To Lam attended the Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW2022) from October 18-20.

 

Within the framework of the SICW2022, Lam attended the seventh ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity.

 

At a plenary session of the conference, the minister said cybersecurity cooperation in ASEAN should be focused on promoting the awareness and actions in the 10-member grouping towards cybersecurity.

 

He reiterated Vietnam’s commitments to further participating actively, pragmatically and effectively in intensifying ASEAN’s efforts in handling challenges to cybersecurity.

 

Lam also urged ASEAN member countries to join hands to organise legal forums on cybersecurity in the bloc in order to exchange experience in applying international law in this field and implementing the principle of national sovereignty in cyberspace.

 

On this occasion, the minister had bilateral meetings with senior officials of Singapore, the US, and Australia.

 

Meeting with Singaporean Minister For Communications and Information and Minister-In-Charge Of Smart Nation And Cybersecurity Josephine Teo, and Minister of Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam, he suggested the two sides maintain and expand international cooperation in cybersecurity with flexible formats like exchanging information and experience and conducting joint exercises.

 

The two countries should consider signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in drug combat, he said.

 

At his meeting with US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Lam asked the US official to pay attention to enhancing cooperation between law enforcement and criminal justice agencies of the two countries through the existing mechanisms, saying the two sides should share information and experience, and exchange delegations in this regard.

 

The two sides also consented to soon perfect relevant procedures to sign an MoU on cooperation in trans-national crime combat between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the US Department of Homeland Security.

 

Lam also had a meeting with Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia Tim Watts, during which the Vietnamese official suggested that law enforcement agencies of the two countries step up cooperation in fighting cybercrime, focusing on the research, building and signing of cooperation documents and agreements.

 

He said the two countries should set up a direct, effective communication mechanism to exchange experience and information, and strengthen public-private partnership in the investigation and handling work.

 

Organised by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, SICW is Asia-Pacific’s most established cybersecurity event.

 

With the theme of “Digital Security: A Shared Responsibility”, SICW 2022 ramps up the momentum on cyber capacity building and international partnerships amid a landscape fraught with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and explores strategies to navigate volatile power relations between state and non-state actors./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Vietnam values, prioritises traditional ties with Laos, Cambodia: top legislator

 

Vietnam always attaches great importance and gives high priority to strengthening the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia traditional relations, affirmed National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.

 

Hue made the statement while receiving Chairmen of the Lao NA’s Foreign Affairs Committee Sanya Praseuth and of the Cambodian NA’s Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation Sous Yara in Hanoi on October 21. The guests visited Vietnam to attend an October 18 consultation meeting between the foreign affairs committees of the three NAs.

 

At the reception, Chairman of the Vietnamese NA’s Committee for Foreign Affairs Vu Hai Ha said the consultation agreed to propose the establishment of a mechanism for periodic high-level meetings between the parliaments.

 

Vietnam values, prioritises traditional ties with Laos, Cambodia: top legislator hinh anh 2

 

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and the Cambodian delegation pose for a group photo (Source: VNA)

 

Commending the three countries’ parliamentary cooperation, Ha and his Lao and Cambodian counterparts highlighted the necessity and importance of the mechanism for the law-making bodies to discuss and work together in formulating policies and laws, monitoring and promoting the effective implementation of bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements of the nations.

 

The upgrade of the collaboration mechanism among the countries’ NA committees to the NA level in such fields as foreign politics, finance, budget, and national defense and security will contribute to consolidating and promoting their friendly and traditional relationship, they said.

 

Hue suggested the sides continue backing one another at multilateral forums like the AIPA, IPU, and APPF, and supporting each other’s stances on regional and international issues of common concern./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Hai Phong seeks to lure more investment inflows

A workshop to call for investment and introduce potential and strengths of the northern port city of Hai Phong was held by DEEP C Industrial Zones and the Hai Phong Economic Zone Authority (HEZA) on October 20-21.

 

In his opening speech, HEZA director Le Trung Kien briefed participants on the city’s policies to encourage investment in projects with advanced technology, modern administration, and high-added value, which can connect with global supply and production chains.

 

Hai Phong seeks to lure more investment inflows hinh anh 2

 

Participants at the workshop (Photo: VNA)

 

According to Kien, the municipal authorities have paid special attention to developing synchronous and modern transport infrastructure, especially seaports, in line with the growing trend of maritime transportation. Hai Phong’s GRDP, industrial development and budget collection expanded by 12.06%, 13% and 20%, respectively, in the first nine months of 2022.

 

The operation and exploitation of modern deep-water ports are expected to meet the northern region’s import- export needs, Kien said.

 

Kien acknowledged the contribution of the DEEP C Industrial Complex to the city’s strong economic development. The 25-year-old complex is home to three industrial parks (IPs) and investors from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), and Europe; as well as domestic corporations such as Vingroup.

 

DEEP C Industrial Zones is a Belgian developer and operator of an industrial zone and port cluster in Hai Phong and Quang Ninh province.

 

Bruno Jaspaert – CEO of DEEP C said the complex is considered a typical successful investment joint venture between European and Vietnamese partners, attracting nearly 140 projects with a total investment of 5 billion USD.

 

DEEP C is gradually implementing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting standards as core criteria for its sustainable development strategy. It is one of the five zones selected in Vietnam as pioneer for a Eco- Industrial Park (EIP) initiative led by the United National Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

 

Participants highly valued the investment environment in Hai Phong, while shared their development orientations in line with circular economy model.

 

Vadym Sheronov, CEO Vietnam of Royal HaskoningDHV, said more and more enterprises consider climate change an important issue to their business activities.

 

As such, investors tend to seek and select partners with the same criteria on sustainable development, environmental protection and occupation safety, which gives a competitive edge to eco-industrial zones like DEEP C in attracting hi-tech investors.

 

At the event, representatives of HEZA presented an investment registration certificate for a project invested by First Global Business Co., Ltd to produce photovoltaic panels with a total investment of 98 million USD./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Vietnam commits to advancing women’s progress: ambassador

 

Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Tra, Charge d’affaires a.i. of Vietnam to the UN, highlighted Vietnam’s commitments to promoting women’s advancement while addressing an open debate of the UN Security Council on October 20.

 

The commitment has its root in women’s role and great contributions to Vietnam’s history of struggling for national independence and development, Tra told the debate, themed “Strengthening Women’s Resilience and Leadership as a Path to Peace in Regions Plagued by Armed Groups.”

 

She said Vietnam has sent female officers to UN peacekeeping missions and wishes that women will have more favourable conditions to contribute to UN peacekeeping operations, adding that Vietnam has made active contributions to the UN agenda on women, peace and security, especially in its capacity as non-permanent member of the Security Council.

 

She proposed intensifying women’s participation in peace negotiations and building and exchanging experience in this field, saying countries should work to ensure and promote women’s full, equal and meaningful participation at different levels by integrating their rights into national policy frameworks.

 

Vietnam is committed to contributing international efforts in promoting the agenda on women, peace and security, the diplomat affirmed.

 

The participating countries shared the view that strong political commitments and pragmatic actions are needed to improve women’s power and ensure their rights as well as their full and equal participation in all aspects of social life, especially in preventing conflicts and building peace.

 

The Security Council adopted resolution (S/RES/1325) on women and peace and security on October 31, 2000. It is the first legal document of the council that requires parties in conflicts to prevent violations of women’s rights and supports women’s involvement in peace talks and post-conflict reconstruction./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Training courses for female entrepreneurs launched in Vietnam

Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Vietnam Melissa A. Bishop on October 21 launched the first two courses of the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) in the country.

 

Addressing the launching ceremony, Chairwoman of Deloitte Ha Thu Thanh highlighted the significance of the courses, saying that they offer good chances for entrepreneurs to meet and share business experience.

 

According to Ngo Thuy Anh, Founder and CEO of HASU – a physical and mental healthcare app for the elderly, after nearly two years being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an important time for entrepreneurs to quickly embark on big new business plans because there are many great opportunities ahead.

 

AWE in Vietnam was jointly initiated by the American Centre in Vietnam and the Women’s Initiative for Startups and Entrepreneurship (WISE), and funded by the US Department of State.

 

Through the initiative, female entrepreneurs will get business skills such as strategic operation planning, marketing, and financial management.

 

Since 2019, AWE has helped train about 16,000 female entrepreneurs in nearly 90 countries around the world./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Sweet potato to be officially exported to China

 

China is considering the import of Vietnam’s sweet potato via official channels, with its customs officers scheduling a virtual survey of growing areas and packaging facilities in Vietnam this week.

 

Unveiling the information, Le Van Thiet, Vice Director of the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said the department is negotiating the official export with the Chinese General Administration of Customs.

 

Sweet potato is one of Vietnam’s important agricultural products. Most of its plantations concentrate in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long’s Binh Tan district with more than 13,000 ha under the crop.

 

In preparation for the official export, the Vinh Long’s plant cultivation and protection has completed documents for 22 planting area codes, which together cover more than 500 hectares of sweet potato. The code, one of the factors for product traceability, is a necessary and mandatory condition to export fruits to China.

 

Thiet said after potato, negotiations for official export will begin for pomelo and coconut.

 

Currently, Vietnam has 11 kinds of fruits that are exported via official channels to China. Of these fruits, Vietnam has signed with China protocols on phytosanitary requirements for three kinds, including mangosteen, passion fruit and durian./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency

 

Singapore – potential market for Vietnam: Official

 

Singapore is a promising market where Vietnamese products see both advantages and difficulties, Cao Xuan Thang from the Vietnam Trade Office in Singapore said in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency.

 

Thang said that Singapore is a transit market of the world with a high level of openness.

 

With its major income coming from services, Singapore is almost completely dependent on imports of consumer goods, he said, noting that Singapore does not have any tariff and non-tariff restrictions or barriers on imported goods, except for the mandatory regulations on quality standards of international organisations.

 

According to Thang, Vietnam’s advantages include the capacity of supplying various kinds of goods, close geographical distance to Singapore, and being a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) like Singapore.

 

Vietnam and Singapore are the only two countries in the region to have comprehensive deals with Europe and the UK, he added, holding that this is also an advantage for import-export activities between the two countries.

 

However, Thang underlined that Vietnam has also faced a number of challenges and difficulties in the market, including fierce competition with other suppliers, and high marketing cost.

 

He said that over the years, the Vietnam Trade Office has worked hard to support Vietnamese firms to approach the Singaporean market, especially through updating the policies and import-export situation of the country, guiding the companies to grasp export opportunities, and assisting them in introducing their products to Singaporean partners.

 

Last year, the office held a hybrid trade fair to promote Vietnamese products, he said.

 

After Singapore reopened its door at the beginning of the year, the office collaborated with its partners to organise a conference to provide information on the market and products of Vietnam to nearly 400 Singaporean firms.

 

In the coming months, the office will continue to support domestic firms to join trade fairs in Singapore and send samples to local firms, while holding online trade conferences and arranging for Singaporean enterprises to visit Vietnam to seek partnership with their Vietnamese peers, said Thang./.

 

Source: Vietnam News Agency