Press digest – August 20

Cambodian NA leader wraps up VN visit

President of the Cambodian National Assembly (NA) Samdech Heng Samrin left Ha Noi on August 20, successfully completing his three-day official visit to Viet Nam at the invitation of NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung.

During his stay, Heng Samrin held talks with the Vietnamese NA leader Nguyen Sinh Hung, paid courtesy visits to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, and met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

President Sang attends death anniversary of national hero

President Truong Tan Sang on August 20 attended a ceremony marking the 150th death anniversary of Truong Dinh, a national hero in the war against the French invasion, in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

On the night of August 19, 1864, the French launched a surprise attack on Truong Dinh’s base located in Tan Phuoc and Gia Thuan communes. As the enemy troops outnumbered his soldiers, Truong Dinh was seriously injured. He used his own sword to commit suicide to avoid falling into enemy hands at August 20’s dawn.

DPM asks for tougher measures against trafficking

Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc demanded harder measures to prevent trafficking, trade frauds and counterfeit products.

The Deputy PM made the request at a meeting on August 20 in Ha Noi between the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Smuggling, Counterfeit Goods and Trade Fraud and the Ministry of National Defense.

Addressing the event, Deputy PM Phuc who is the Head of the Central Steering Committee asked the Ministry of National Defense, related ministries and agencies to enforce resolutions and instructions of the Party and State on anti-drugs and crimes; prevention of trafficking, trade frauds and counterfeits.  

Deputy PM asks local authorities to assist immigrants in Central Highlands

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed ministries, sectors and localities to ensure stabile lives for immigrants while controlling the unplanned migration influx to the Central Highlands region.

He has asked the local authorities in northwestern and Central Highlands regions to actively carry out policies on healthcare, land allocation and education for immigrants. The local authorities were asked to immediately allocate land to 10,000 households who had no land to farm in Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Gia Lai provinces in 2014.

The provinces were also urged to give priority to implementing residential stabilisation projects in 2015 and the following years.

Deputy PM urges enhanced communication on flood prevention

Stepping up communication work is one of the most important measures to reduce damage caused by floods, flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has said.

Chairing an August 20 video conference on flood, flash flood and landslide prevention and control in 2014, the Deputy PM said that it can never be enough for mountainous localities, which are home to most ethnic minority people, to conduct educational campaigns to raise public awareness of disaster prevention.

Localities need to build maps of areas with high risk of flash floods and landslides and deploy response plans for residents such as evacuating people out of dangerous areas and building disaster observation and early warning stations, he said.

Five levels of natural disasters announced

Under the PM’s Decision 44/2014/QD-TTg, natural disasters were categorized in five levels featured by different colours and measurement.

Accordingly, level 1 in light blue tells small risk; level 2 in light yellow is medium risk; level 3 in orange is high risk; level 4 in red alerts extreme risk and level 5 in violet features a catastrophe.

VN to cut tax paperwork to 171 hours in 2015

Government Resolution 19 enacted March 18, 2014 aimed at improving the business environment and national competitiveness should cut the time for completing tax procedures by 629 hours.

The Governance for Inclusive Growth Programme funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) released the information at a conference held in Ha Noi on August 20.

The reduction will bring the time for completing tax information on a par with other ASEAN member countries in complying with tax laws, which on average approximate 171 hours as well.

VN calls for immediate end to Gaza violence

Viet Nam has voiced its opposition to the use of force against civilians in the Gaza Strip, and urged the parties concerned to immediately halt it and hold negotiations for a solution to the conflict.

President of the Viet Nam Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian People Ho Anh Dung said at a talk on Gaza situation held in Ha Noi on August 20.

Dung also stressed that in July his organisation and the VietNam Committee for Solidarity and Cooperation with Asia, Africa and Latin America, the Viet Nam Peace and Development Foundation and the Viet Nam Peace Committee issued a joint statement calling on all parties to abide by international law and cooperate with the international community for prompt restoration of peace and stability in the region.

Localities prepare measures against Ebola

Localities are preparing all necessary measures to deal with the Ebola epidemic, which is raging in West Africa, once it hits the country.

The northern province of Bac Giang has issued an action plan directing all sectors and departments to stay ready for any case of emergency, promptly update on the latest developments of the disease, and soon detect any suspected cases to isolate them and give timely treatment.

Besides keeping a close watch on the health of passengers from the Ebola-hit region, local authorities have opened training courses for medical staff to guide them how to recognise the virus and treat patients.

Earthquake jolts Son La, no casualties

A 4-magnitude earthquake rattled Muong La district, the northern mountainous Son La province in the morning of August 20.

The National Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre under the Institute of Geophysics reported that the quake struck Muong La at around 6:50am (local time) at a depth of about 10km.

There have been no reports on casualties. The Institute of Geophysics is strictly monitoring the disaster.

Da Nang launches tourism advertising campaign

Da Nang has launched a new advertising campaign touting its new slogan “Da Nang City – a friendly, safe and hospitable community” aiming to attract more domestic holiday and foreign tourists from traditional markets. 

According to the Danang Tourism Promotion Centre, around 90 units have registered to take part in the programme with many new products and promotional tours.

1,328 Vietnamese labourers safely evacuated from Libya

As of August 19, as many as 1,328 Vietnamese workers in war-torn Libya have been successfully evacuated to the homeland, according to the Department for Overseas Labour Management.

The evacuation faced a number of obstacles due to the fact the workers were divided into small bands spread out throughout the war torn nation of Libya.

Flash floods, landslides cause over VND3 trillion losses

Though Vietnam has extensive experience dealing with natural disasters, their frequency and intensity are on the rise, inflicting great loss of life and property. 

The Central Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control also disclosed at an online meeting on August 20 that since 2000, over 250 flash floods and landslides have left 646 dead or unaccounted for, and injured nearly 351 others./.

(Source: VGP/VOV/VNA)