Press digest – July 7

Party Central Committee’s third plenum concludes

The 12th Party Central Committee wrapped up its third plenum in Ha Noi on July 7 after four days of sitting, completing all its set objectives.

The plenum was presided over by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

At the closing session, Politburo member and Secretary of the Party Central Committee Pham Minh Chinh, who is also head of the committee’s Organization Commission, presented the Politburo’s report on acquiring feedback on proposals of personnel for top positions of State agencies to be submitted to the 14th National Assembly for election or approval at its first session.

PM receives RoK, Sri Lankan ambassadors

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc received the Ambassadors of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Sri Lanka to Viet Nam on July 7 in Ha Noi.

Welcoming RoK Ambassador Lee Hyuk, PM Phuc affirmed that the two countries’ strategic cooperative partnership has seen progresses in security, politics, defense, international cooperation, investment, trade, and ODA.

Currently, the RoK ranks first in investment, third in trade, and second in providing official development assistance (ODA) for Viet Nam, he noted.

The free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries will promote bilateral cooperation in economics, trade, investment, and labor.

Conditions on duty-free businesses

The Government promulgated Decree 68/2016/ND-CP which stipulates conditions on issuing certificates for duty-free businesses.

The decree requires conditions on location of duty-free shops. The new decree asks for software and camera system installed to manage imports, exports, storage, and inventories.

WB supports transparent land governance

The World Bank (WB) approved a US$150 million credit for Viet Nam to enhance the efficiency and transparency of land administration services.

The credit will sponsor the Viet Nam Improved Land Governance and Database Project to renovate land management in Viet Nam.

The project will develop a national Multipurpose Land Information System (MPLS) and build a sustainable, accurate and user-friendly national land database accessible for both the Government and the public.

Farming sector attracts more FDI

Foreign investors have pledged to invest US$53.1 million in eight new projects and the same number of ongoing ones in agri-forestry and fisheries in the first half of this year, up 86.5% in invested capital and 62.5% in the number of projects against the same period last year.’

However, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said FDI in the sector remained modest, just accounting for 1.2% of the total value of foreign investment and 0.052% of the total number of FDI projects in Viet Nam.

VN’s forex reserves reach record-high

Viet Nam’s foreign exchange reserves by early 2016 had reached the record high of US$38 billion, which does not include reserves in gold.

The figures about Viet Nam’s forex reserves, including the asset structure and the in-kind gold volume kept at the State Bank (SBV) and commercial banks, have never been made public officially.

Defense ministry thanks China for help in search for CASA-212

Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh came to the Chinese Embassy in Ha Noi on July 6 to thank China for assisting Viet Nam in the search and rescue work in the incident involving CASA-212 aircraft. 

On behalf of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, the Vietnam People’s Army and families of the deceased in the aircraft accident, the Deputy Defense Minister expressed his thanks to China’s Party, State and authorized agencies, along with Chinese Ambassador Hong Xiaoyong, for their cooperation and help in the search for CASA-212 and its crewmembers. 

Painting contest launched to prevent discrimination

A contest themed “Painting and composing messages about care and anti-stigma and discrimination against children affected by HIV/AIDS in 2016” was launched on July 7 in Ha Noi.

The contest was organized by the Department of Child Care and Protection under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in collaboration with The Family and Child magazine.

The contest calls for society to protect and help children affected by HIV while raising public awareness to change attitudes, behaviors and discrimination against them./.

(Source: VGP/VOV/VNA)