Press digest – November 18

Party leader to visit Russia, Belarus

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee (CPVCC) Nguyen Phu Trong will pay official visits to Russia and Belarus from November 23-28.

The visits will be made at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, announced the CPVCC’s Commission for External Relations on November 18.

Minister talks about “hot” home affairs issues

Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Thai Binh on November 18 took part in the National Assembly’s ongoing Question and Answer session.

A series of questions on administrative reform, administrative procedure streamlining in accordance with the improvement of public service quality and labor capacity, salary reform and evaluation of staff groups were raised for the minister.

According to Minister Binh, only  0.46% of public officials failed to fulfill their assigned tasks.

He also revealed that his Ministry has already submitted a draft decree on punishment of public officials for issuance, which is likely to be made in Q1, 2015.

Minister answers queries about transport infrastructure, safety

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang responded to questions about the overall picture of infrastructure and the responsibility of the ministry and local authorities for ensuring traffic safety at a National Assembly question-and-answer session in Ha Noi on November 18.

In the aviation field, the ministry is calling for private financing, partly paving the way for equitisation, with Viet Nam Airlines as a recent success story. Its prices are lower than those offered by regional rivals, he pointed out.

Switching to the fight against corruption in the sector, Thang said together with the State comprehensive plan, a string of measures have been in place with specific tasks assigning to senior officials at all levels, from the minister to those at the grassroots, so as to ensure transparency in each stage.

Deputy PM Phuc greets Korean Group Chairman

Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has spoke highly of the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam Koo’s contributions to bolstering trade, culture, education cooperation with Viet Nam.  

At a November 18 reception for the Korean guest, Deputy PM Phuc praised Kumho Asiana Group for its positive contributions to social activities such as providing scholarships for Vietnamese students and expanding effective cultural and education co-operation in the country.

Phuc also affirmed Viet Nam’s eagerness to improve better the investment and business environment aiming to attract foreign businesses, including those from the Republic of Korea like Kumho Asiana Group.

Park Sam Koo in turn told his host that Viet Nam’s improved investment attraction policy has created more favorable conditions for foreign businesses to operate effectively.

New land price framework issued

A recently issued decree on land price framework has regulated the maximum price of VND 162 million (US$ 7,800) per square metre in urban areas in the Red River Delta and the South Eastern Region.

The new decree categorizes land as agricultural land and non-agricultural land.

The minimal rate for fifth-tier urban land in the Central Coast Region will be VND 40,000 per square meter.

National campaign addresses violence against women

A campaign was launched in Ha Noi on November 18 in response to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25).

The one-month campaign is held by the United Nations in Viet Nam in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and other relevant ministries to draw the attention of the public, especially men and boys, to ending violence against women and girls in the country.

WTO announces ruling on VN’s shrimp anti-dumping lawsuit

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) on November 17 announced the panel’s final decision on Viet Nam ’s lawsuit against the US imposition of anti-dumping tax on its certain warm-water frozen shrimp, known as case DS/429.

The panel considered 11 contents in Viet Nam ’s claims and issued rulings on seven of them which are considered conducive to the Vietnamese side, especially in administrative proceedings and dumping margins.

In the DS/404 case, the panel voiced support for two out of three issues raised by Viet Nam and demanded the US government align its regulations with the WTO Anti-dumping Agreement and the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, saying that the zeroing methodology is inappropriate to the WTO regulations and should be banned.

HN to sell bio-fuel E5 next month

Ha Noi will officially sell bio-fuel E5 at 42 petrol stations from next month onwards, according to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

In December, bio-fuel E5 will be on sale at 28 petrol stations including all stations of Ha Noi Oil and Gas petroleum Joint Stock (PVOil Ha Noi), 12 out of 72 stations of Petrolimex Ha Noi, 5 out of 38 stations of Ha Son Binh Petrolimex, one of 15 stations of the Military Petroleum Corporation, and two out of eight stations of the Military Petrochemical Joint Stock Company.

By February, 2015, bio-fuel E5 will be available in other 14 petrol stations, bringing the total number to 42.

European Music Festival to entertain VN

The 2014 European Music Festival will open in Ha Noi on November 22 and in Ho Chi Minh City on November 24, with artists from seven European countries and Viet Nam.

The festival's thirteenth year will feature well-known musical talents from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland and Sweden as well as a guest band from Viet Nam.

VN, Brazil hit record in two-way trade

Two-way trade between Viet Nam and Brazil in the past ten months has exceeded last year’s figure, hitting over US$2.55 billion, a year on year increase of 35.8%.

According to Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, in the reviewed period, Viet Nam exported goods worth US$1.28 billion to Brazil and imported US$1.26 billion, up 33.5% and 38.2%, respectively.

Viet Nam mostly shipped electronic products, mobile phones and spare parts, footwear, frozen fish fillets and synthetic fibers to Brazil. Meanwhile, the country imported maize, soy bean and by-products, cotton, and footwear and tobacco materials.

Brazil is Viet Nam’s largest trade partner in Latin America. In 2013, the two nations’ trade turnover reached US$2.33 billion./.

(Source: VGP/VOV/VNA/Nhandan)