Category: General

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has approved a trade development programme in remote, mountainous and island areas for the 2021-2025 period, which will be implemented in 287 districts of 48 provinces and cities nationwide.

The programme aims to narrow the commercial development gap among regions, helping to promote socio-economic development, raise incomes for people and ensure national security and defence in remote, mountainous and island areas.

It is expected to expand total retail sales of goods and services in mountainous, remote, and island areas by 9-11 percent a year in the period, and develop specialties as well as potential and typical products into branded goods.

The programme will encourage capable traders and enterprises of all economic sectors to engage in commercial activities in mountainous and remote areas and islands, and ensure the balance of goods supply and demand in the market.

It will mainly focus on building a development model of potential commodities; forming establishments for buying and selling specialties, and goods serving production and consumption activities in mountainous, remote and island areas, and developing and key distribution models to connect supply and demand, and production and consumption.

The programme will also accelerate the registration of geographical indication (GI) and appellations of origin for potential goods, and encourages the research and development of commerce-service models to connect production-processing and distribution in mountainous, remote and island areas.

Systems of enterprises providing all kinds of services for production and business activities will be developed, while e-commercial applications will be promoted in the framework of the proramme

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh has failed to defend his title in the men’s 10m air pistol at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Vinh scored 573 points in the qualifying round on July 24 morning, ranking 22nd and failing to advance to the final round.

At the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil, he secured the country’s first Olympic gold in the 10m air pistol.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced many tournaments to be cancelled or delayed, Vinh and his teammates failed to secure a berth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

But Vinh was nominated by the Vietnam Shooting Federation to compete in the Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) offered a slot to Vietnam in the men’s 10m air pistol category. Meanwhile, Truong Thi Kim Tuyen obtained her first Olympics win in the women’s 49kg taekwondo.

The Asian champion had no difficulty thrashing Canadian Yong Yvette 19-5 in the first round.

However, in the quarter-finals, Tuyen lost 11-20 to Panipak Wongpattanakit of Thailand.

Wongpattanakit is the No 1 title holder and is the favourite. She won gold at the World Championships in 2015, silver at the World Championships in 2017 and bronze at the previous Olympics. Wongpattanakit is also the Asian Games and SEA Games defending champion.

If Wongpattanakit advances to the final, Tuyen will compete in another game to secure a berth in the bronze medal contesting game. Earlier, Vietnamese rowing duo Dinh Thi Hao and Luong Thi Thao finished fourth in the women’s lightweight double sculls heat number two in a time of 7 minutes 36.21 seconds. They will take part in a repechage to vie for a berth in the semi-finals on July 25./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi has suggested the Federation Council of Russia further promote bilateral cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control, especially the transfer of vaccine production technology and supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam as soon as possible in the context that Vietnam is struggling with the fourth wave of infections.

Khoi made the suggestion during his meeting with Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin and head of the Friendship Parliamentarian Group of the Federation Council of Russian with Vietnam Victor Abramov on July 22.

For his part, Karasin expressed his appreciation when Vietnam provided Russia with medicines and face masks when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Russia. He said he was glad to known that Russian and Vietnamese experts have worked closely and actively shared experience in preventing and controlling the pandemic.

The official promised to accelerate the delivery of vaccines to Vietnam soon, affirming that Vietnam can count on the support and help of the Russian side.

They had an open discussion on relations between the two countries and their legislative bodies, as well as cooperation between Vietnam and Russian at international and regional forums.

They affirmed that Vietnam and Russia consider each other a reliable and priority partner in their foreign policies.

Khoi highly valued the operation mechanism of the Vietnam-Russia High-level Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, affirming that this is the highest and only cooperation mechanism between the National Assembly of Vietnam and a parliament of another country.

The two sides also emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation, especially in key projects, in order to further boost two-way trade turnover in the coming time.

Khoi and Karasin affirmed that the two sides are willing to jointly promote the exchange of high-level delegations when the situation allows.

The Russian official said that he will create the best conditions for the Vietnamese diplomat to fulfill his duties, helping to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Legislators discussed in groups the medium-term public investment plan in the 2021-2025 period as part of the first session of the 15th National Assembly on July 24 morning.

Earlier, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung presented a proposal on the medium-term public investment plan in the 2021-2025 period. He said it is necessary to make the investment synchronously, focusing on prioritised sectors, areas playing a motivation role in economic development, poor areas and areas affected by natural disasters and pandemics.

Dung said that the ministry will continue to complete mechanisms, policies and legal regulations related to public investment, while reviewing investment projects to eliminate ineffective ones.

Chairman of the NA Budget – Finance Committee Nguyen Phu Cuong said that the public investment in the 2021-2025 period expected to rise 1.43 times compared to that in the 2016-2020 period is a positive sign.

The committee agreed on the allocation of about 104.53 trillion VND for national major projects, he said.

In group discussions, the majority of deputies held that amid complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget and finance allocation has been conducted effectively, contributing to boosting socio-economic development and ensuring defence-security. However, Lai Xuan Mon, a representative of northern Cao Bang province pointed out that there are still shortcomings in the work. He stressed the need to make investment basing on the real situation in each region, with priority given to infrastructure and transport projects, which will help create sustainable incomes for localities.

Deputy Tran Hoang Ngan from Ho Chi Minh City pointed to the need to focus on improving the efficiency of site clearance for projects by strengthen communications and information supply to reach public consensus, while adjusting the bidding procedures and increasing supervision over the disbursement of public investment.

Agreeing with Ngan, deputy Nguyen Van Huy of Thai Binh province held that the Government should roll out more effective measures to remove obstacles in disbursement, including those from dispensation, resettlement and site clearance.

He stressed the need to deal with the overlapping in land use planning and planning schemes of construction and sectors.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will pay an official visit to Vietnam on July 28 and 29 at the invitation of Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang.

The visit will contribute to strengthening friendship and trust between the people and armies of the two countries, and implementing defence cooperation contents signed between the two defence ministries and agreements reached by the two nations’ high-ranking leaders, thus contributing to the framework of the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee will present a nomination list for the legislature to elect the State President in the 2021-2026 tenure on July 24 as part of the ongoing first session of the 15th-tenure NA.

NA deputies will then discuss in groups on the personnel plan for the election of the State President in the 2021-2026 tenure.

Earlier on the day, the legislators will listen to a proposal on the middle-term public investment plan in the 2021-2025 period delivered by Minister of Planning and Investment in the 2016-2021 tenure Nguyen Chi Dung, along with a verification report on the plan by presented by the Chairman of the NA Finance-Budget Committee. They will discuss the matter in groups latter.

In the afternoon, the NA deputies will discuss in groups a report on thrift practice and wastefulness prevention in 2020 after listening to a report on the issue presented by Minister of Finance in the 2016-2021 tenure Ho Duc Phoc and a verification report delivered by the Chairman of the NA Finance-Budget Committee.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The COVID-19 pandemic has created motivation for digital transformation process and sped up the adaption of cloud computing in organisations and businesses.

According to Conor McNamara, Amazon Web Services (AWS)’s Managing Director for ASEAN, the cloud computing market is predicted to thrive, especially after the outbreak of COVID-19 that has led to rising demands for IT application in businesses.

The number of firms applying cloud computing has been on the rise, according to service suppliers.

McNamara said that AWS has seen stable and expanded operations in the Southeast Asian region. AWS has partnered with VIB in Vietnam, Singtel in Singapore, Maxis in Malaysia, and Globe Telecom in the Philippines.

Particularly, some start-ups have used AWS cloud computing services for a long time and become technology giants, including Grab, Traveloka and Gojek, he said.

He held that the computing environment will help businesses speed up the transformation of their business models, while enhancing their level of stability. For example, TNEX Vietnam has not been affected by COVID-19 thanks to the application of cloud computing, maintaining their service supply, he said.

Meanwhile, cloud computing can help businesses cut costs, especially maintenance expenditures. Not A Basement Studio – a Vietnamese start-up, is an example. It has reduced the content design process from four days to just several hours with costs for the maintenance halved.

Vietnam is considered an important and promising market of AWS, stressed McNamara, adding that its policies on digital transformation and digital economic development have created a favourable environment for the growth of the ecosystem, including factors related to the growth of digital firms.

In this process, cloud computing is one of the prominent and key technologies supporting businesses. Big names that have been successful with cloud computing such as Netflix and Grab are expected to inspire more Vietnamese firms.

In order to support the application of cloud computing in Vietnam, AWS has invested in seeking partners and developing services and infrastructure for this market, said McNamara.

Along with more than 200 different services and a network of Availability Zones and AWS Regions across the globe, AWS plans to launch its Edge Location and OutPosts systems in Vietnam to provide new services for Vietnamese customers, he revealed.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception on July 24 for a delegation of 50 revolution contributors and relatives of martyrs, who represented nearly 10 million people who rendered services to the revolution across the country, on the occasion of the 74th War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

The revolution contributors highly valued the Party and State’s efforts to care for them, expressing their determination to continue aserving as good examples in the society.

PM Chinh expressed deep gratitude towards revolutionary veterans, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, wounded and sick veterans, relatives of martyrs and revolution contributors.

He said that although the war ended a long time ago, there remained the pains it caused. Millions of people left their youth, dreams and desires under the soil, while millions of others left parts of their bodies in the battlefields, he said.

“Everywhere across the Vietnamese nation, their great sacrifice for the cause of national independence and reunification is always being remembered,” PM Chinh stressed.

The Government leader affirmed that taking care of the health as well as the living conditions of the revolution contributors is a special matter as well as an important and regular political task of the Party, State and the entire political system. Policies related to revolution contributors have been completed, while priority in resources has been given to the work, he said.

PM Chinh noted that last year, the National Assembly approved an ordinance on the completion of policies and support for them.

Currently, more than 9.2 million people who rendered services to the nation have benefited from the policies, while thousands of Heroic Vietnamese Mothers are living with the care of the society. Their living conditions are ensured to be at least equal to those in their residential areas, he added.

At the same time, the Government is making efforts to effectively implement policies stated in the 13th National Party Congress’ Resolution and the Party Central Committee Secretariat’s directive regarding the enhancement of the Party leadership over the caring for revolution contributors and social policy beneficiaries, said the PM.

He requested the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to continue to complete policies related to revolution contributors and social policy beneficiaries, and give solutions to remove difficulties in the work.

Relevant agencies should continue to mobilise resources for the search and repatriation of martyrs’ remains, while stepping up the application of science and technology to define their names, PM Chinh added.

Source: Vietnam News Agency