The President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium, Stéphanie D’Hose, will pay an official visit to Vietnam from August 21 to 25, according to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Vietnam.
 
The invitation has been made by the Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue, the committee said in a press communique released on August 18.

Waste threatens Sa Huynh coastal area

Tens of tonnes of waste covering the Sa Huỳnh saltwater lagoon. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Cường

A waste treatment plant has been inactive for years due to local residents' protests, causing a build-up of waste that is decaying at the seaside, saltwater lagoons and residential areas in the Sa Huỳnh coastal region, Quảng Ngãi province.

Covering an area of 210 hectares, the Sa Huỳnh estuary in Phổ Thạnh Ward, Đức Phổ Town is an ecosystem where local residents raise various aquatic species and provide water for salt fields.

However, the accumulated waste in recent years is currently affecting the lives and health of the local people, Nhân Dân (People) newspaper reported.

With nearly 50 square metres in the large salt field, Nguyễn Thị Huyền, a local farmer in Thạnh Đức residential area, has divided it into four smaller parts for salt production.

In the last two years, she has only worked on three sections, while the remaining part has been abandoned due to the overflow of wastewater and decomposing waste.

Next to the salt fields are small piles of waste that have been burned, mixing with decomposing waste.

The water in the abandoned salt sections has changed colour, formed bubbles, and carries a foul stench that spreads across the entire salt field.

"The waste fills the entire lagoon area and is scattered everywhere. Every afternoon, we gather the waste and burn it," Huyền said.

On the main road of Thạnh Đức residential area, one side is the saltwater lagoon, while the other side is the salt field.

Waste floats all over the water surface of the lagoon. Domestic waste and debris from fishing boats are piled together over an area of thousands of square meters on the water surface. Decaying waste clings to the concrete banks of the road that stretches for over a kilometre.

During low tide, tires, metals, and construction materials at the bottom of the lagoon become visible.

Plastic bottles, food, and household items are carried by the tides, flooding the area around Thạnh Đức bridge and the aquaculture and seafood cultivation zones.

"When the tide is high, we don't see much waste in the aquaculture area, but during low tide, it becomes more apparent. In the past, this area used to support a lot of aquaculture. Now, due to excessive pollution, we are raising fewer fish," local resident Nguyễn Văn Thành said.

Phổ Thạnh Ward covers an area of nearly 30 square kilometres and is home to 26,000 residents, making it one of the most densely populated areas in Quảng Ngãi Province.

Sa Huỳnh coastal area witnesses the constant movement of fishing boats entering and leaving the port. As a result, there is a substantial amount of household waste and waste from boats and seafood processing operations.

Both new and old waste, as they decompose, emit strong foul odors, polluting the air in residential areas, neighbourhoods and groundwater sources, especially impacting the aquaculture and salt cultivation areas.

Residents collect rubbish to bury and burn it around their homes, empty plots within communities, port areas, and roads, posing risks for the development of diseases, the newspaper reported.

A waste treatment plant was constructed in Phổ Thạnh Ward in 2018 with an investment of VNĐ52 billion (US$2.17 million).

However, after operating for just three months, the plant had to close due to opposition from the local residents, who cited that it was too close to residential areas.

After inspections, it was found that there were some irregularities in terms of planning assessment, distance regulations, and environmental impact assessments.

The provincial authorities engaged in many dialogues with the locals, suggesting that the plant should continue operating to address the accumulation of waste.

But they did not have a common voice and the factory had to stop working and people live with pollution.

Damaged boats are abandoned at Sa Huỳnh port, causing environmental pollution and hindering fishing vessels' access to the port.

Moreover, abandoned fishing boats have remained at the Sa Huỳnh fishing port for many years, making the environment here become cluttered and affecting the operation of boats in the port, Vietnamplus.vn reported.

All the fishing equipment on the boats has been removed, leaving only the empty boats along the Sa Huỳnh coastline.

Hồ Hoàng, a local fisherman, said he bought a boat in 2014. After several years of operation at sea, the boat became old and deteriorated.

He planned to dismantle and bring the old boat remains home. However, due to financial difficulties, the process of dismantling the old boat cost VNĐ4-5 million, so he just left it at Sa Huỳnh lagoon.

According to statistics from the People's Committee of Phổ Thạnh Ward, there are currently 26 damaged boats left along the Sa Huỳnh fishing port, Thạnh Đức 2 bridge, and the Sa Huỳnh saltwater lagoon.

Among them, some boats were damaged at sea and towed back to the port, some were burnt, some had their owners missing at sea, and others shifted their operations due to losses in the fishing business.

During hot and sunny days, the boat remains are clearly visible for fishermen to avoid, while during rainy and stormy seasons, the boat remains are submerged, posing a danger to fishing boats entering and leaving the port.

To completely address the issue, the provincial People's Committee has requested that this situation be handled urgently in the area of Sa Huỳnh fishing port and some localities before October 15 to ensure environmental sanitation and operation of boats accessing the port as the stormy season is approaching.

Kazakh President to pay official visit to Vietnam

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will pay an official visit to Vietnam from August 20 to 22, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit will be made at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong.

Commission looks into violations by Party members

The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission met in Hanoi on August 16-17, during which they decided to propose the Politburo impose disciplinary measures on some individuals.

The commission looked into the case of Le Duc Tho, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre. 

It concluded that Tho seriously violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws, as well as rules set for Party members, saying he declared assets dishonestly and not in accordance with regulations.

His violations have affected the reputation of the Party and other individuals, the commission said, suggesting the Politburo consider disciplines against the official.

The commission also asked the Party delegation to the State Bank of Vietnam and other relevant organisations to review the responsibility of some Party organisations and members involved in the case, decide disciplines against them, and make a report on the work. 

For the case of Dieu K'ré, member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Party Committee of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, the commission said the official showed degradation of morality and lifestyle, and violated rules for Party members. 

It also proposed the Politburo consider and decide disciplinary measures against the official.

The commission mulled over wrongdoings by Pham Gia Luat, former member of the Party Committee of northern Ha Nam province and former Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

It said Luat displayed degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle, violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws, and rules for Party members during the implementation of investment projects, as well as in financial management and use, and the exploitation and sale of minerals, causing serious consequences and great losses to the State budget.

His acts also caused many officials and Party members to be punished, and affected the reputation of Party organisations and State management agencies in the locality, it added.

The commission asked the Party Central Committee's Secretariat to consider disciplinary measures against Luat.

Volunteers help protect Danang coral reefs

Dao Dang Cong Trung and a group of friends arrived at Nam Beach on the central city of Danang's Son Tra Peninsula early on Monday morning with lots of diving equipment. They quickly put on their diving suits, and jumped into the sea and started collecting rubbish around the coral reefs. Two hours later, the group gathered over 200 kilos of rubbish that were stuck between the coral reefs.

The Danang Free Diving Group collect rubbish around Nam Beach in Danang City on August 15.

"We have 40 members collecting rubbish today," Trung said, "We're all happy to see the seabed clean again."

Trung, who works for a local travel company, has been seen collecting rubbish around Son Tra’s beaches for the past decade. With a special love for the sea, he was also the first to dive and clear the waste from the local coral reefs. Thanks to the support of some friends, Trung set up the Danang Free Diving Group in June this year to call for more people to help make the sea clean.

Dao Dang Cong Trung has been seen collecting rubbish around Son Tra’s beaches for the past decade.

"We now have over 80 members who all share the love for nature, the sea, and especially the beautiful coral reefs in Danang," Trung said. "Besides the love and willingness to help, members should be good at diving."

"The coral reefs in our areas are being threatened by various rubbish created by human activities including fishing nets, and plastic bags," he said. "The reefs can only grow by about a centimetre a year and may easily die from pollution. They are valuable natural resources that we must protect."A group member, Nguyen Thi Tra My, said that the group usually dive between 3-12 metres deep to gather the waste.

"We divide the work based on the diving skills of each member and have to closely co-operate to properly perform the task," she said.

A South Korean woman, Rally Lee, said that she has been living in Danang for seven years and really loves the local beautiful beaches.

"I immediately joined the group after hearing from Trung," she said. "We can’t stand seeing the graceful coral reefs dying from pollution here."

The rubbish collected from the seabed.

Duong Thi Xuan Lieu, head of the Tourism Management and Operation Department, said that local authorities really appreciate the work of the Danang Free Diving Group to protect the local beaches.

"Those are very meaningful activities to protect the coral reefs," the official said. "Their activities are part of the Clean Up Son Tra campaign that we are carrying out with the support of many volunteers.

Trung said that they would co-operate with local authorities to have more useful activities to protect the environment on the Son Tra Peninsula. 

Association established to gather former public security officers

A congress establishing the Association of Former People’s Public Security Officers of Vietnam was held in the presence of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on August 17.

With permission from the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, the Ministry of Home Affairs signed a decision on the association establishment on August 1.

The establishment is considered a major landmark in the 78-year history of the people’s public security force, an affirmation of the importance of former public security officers and the association, and a contribution to the development of the public security force as well as national construction and defence.

The association operates basing on the principles of voluntariness, self-management, democracy, equality, transparency, solidarity, and mutual assistance in line with law. Its activities are under the leadership of the Central Public Security Party Committee, leaders of the Ministry of Public Security, and all-level Party committees of the public security force. It is also managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs and local administrations.

The congress, attended by 219 delegates, elected the executive committee, standing board, and inspection board of the association. Sen. Lt. Gen. Le Quy Vuong, former Deputy Minister of Public Security, was elected Chairman of the association for the 2023 - 2028 tenure.

The congress organising board reported that the number of former public security officers has increased over years, nearly 10,000 annually, to reach more than 110,000 at present. Most of them wished to have a national-level association set up to gather and give support to members.

Addressing the event, PM Chinh said the people’s public security is a crucial armed force of the Party, State and people and plays the core role in safeguarding national security and social order and safety. Over the 78 years of development, the force has surmounted countless hardships and bravely fought to achieve various feats of arms.

The Party and State always respect and appreciate the substantial contributions by former public security officers to the national construction and defence. Many policies have been issued to mobilise the strength of the former officers for national development, he went on.

He noted the establishment of the association reflects the Party and State’s care for the force, including the former officers.

In his speech, the Government leader also gave directions for the association’s activities./.

Ministry announces hotlines for tourism activities on upcoming national holidays

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on August 15 announced the launch of two hotlines to timely receive complaints and quickly respond to reports related to tourist activities on the occasion of National Day (September 2).

Accordingly, the rapid response team will receive reports on two phone numbers 024.39437610 and 0904342536, and mailbox duongdaynong@bvhttdl.gov.vn. during the four-day holiday from September 1-4 to celebrate National Day.

Inspectors of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recommended that visitors need carefully learn about tourism programs and choose prestigious travel agencies with essential certificates, such as business registration certificates, domestic and international travel service business licenses, evaluation and decision on recognition of tourist accommodation establishment class, inspection result of technical infrastructure and services of tourist accommodation establishments.

In addition, they have to confirm information on travel contracts, find out information about travel agencies at the website http://csdl.vietnamtourism.gov.vn.

Travelers must refuse enterprises that are not eligible for business activities, travel agencies with false advertisements and businesses that scramble to lure visitors or force tourists to buy goods and services.

HCMC proposing pilots of new technological solutions for socio-economic growth

The HCMC Science & Technology Department yesterday held a formal discussion about regulations on controlling tests for new technological solutions in the hi-tech park, centralized IT zone, and innovation centers in HCMC.

The draft regulations are for the two categories of technological products and solutions with controlled participation (LoRaWAN and Wifi-Halow wireless technologies, unmanned electric vehicles, digital technology using drones); and technological fields/solutions (AI, cloud computing, grid computing, edge computing, Internet of Things, wireless technology, virtual reality, enhance virtual reality, Blockchain). These fields all aim at socio-economic growth and scientific-technological growth in HCMC.

New technological solutions must be those bringing about positive socio-economic effects to HCMC but never appearing in any legal documents or having already been specified but then having its license procedure limited to the piloting scope.

HCMC is going to help with location and infrastructure provision inside the corresponding hi-tech park, centralized IT zone, and innovation centers in the city to pilot those solutions. Piloting units are exempted from obtaining permission as long as the testing product uses approved technologies. Meanwhile, there will be a financial aid of 30 percent at max of the piloting cost, taken from the science-technology budget of HCMC.

Dr. Duong Nhu Hung – Dean of the Faculty of Industrial Management under HCMC University of Technology (VNU-HCM) – said that it is wise to focus on AI-related medical technologies now. There should be policies to loosen state and local regulations on novel products and services or even exclude them from those rules. However, to avoid being taken advantage of, the policies should include detailed criteria to identify truly effective products, solutions for socio-economic growth of the city. 

CEO Le Thanh Trung from Drone Hera Co. informed that all products in his company are developed and manufactured by Vietnamese scientists and engineers. Nevertheless, these products have not received permission to fly out of the piloting area of the company inside Saigon Hi-tech Park. It takes much time to ask for approval from the Department of Operations for each piloting flight. He therefore hoped that the city prepares suitable mechanisms and policies to support research teams and startup people so that they can confidently develop their products from research results.

Director Nguyen Viet Dung of the HCMC Science and Technology Department expressed his wish to receive more fruitful opinions from experts, scientists, businesses sited in HCMC about the regulations on controlling tests for new technological solutions. With a specific policy framework and approval mechanism, researched products can be implemented in reality more quickly.

HCMC developing digital data resource

The target for digital economy development in HCMC in 2025 is an annual 8-percent rise in its GRDP, with a contribution of 25 percent and 40 percent to its GRDP in 2025 and 2030 respectively. Digital data plays a critical role in this process.

HCMC has so far adopted several measures to transform itself into a smart urban area and establish a digital government and society with its digital transformation, where digital data is the basis. On February 6, 2023, the HCMC People’s Committee issued Decision No.328/QD-UBND, approving the city’s data administration strategy until 2025, with an orientation to 2030.

The specific missions, along with results to be achieved until 2025, are to launch the shared database and the specialized, digitized information systems; to effectively use those digitized data; to provide the community and businesses, researchers with consistent, reliable, secured data in order to create added values for the socio-economic growth of the city.

Particularly, in the 2023 plan to implement the program ‘Digital Transformation in HCMC’ and the project ‘Transforming HCMC into a Smart Urban Area’, state agencies focus on developing, connecting, sharing, exploiting, and analyzing data to serve the digital transformation process, the growth of a digital government, economy, and society.

Among different strategies are the measures to collect and then share data with the public safely via suitable support and control over current data sharing services citywide. Right now, many state departments and agencies as well as district authorities are actively developing their own digital data resources.

For instance, HCMC Social Security has integrated its data with medical institutes and the Healthcare sector to create electronic medical records for patients. Meanwhile, Binh Thanh District has updated the population data of 450,000 citizens in 120,000 households here to be the foundation for the development of a socio-economic growth plan and the management of household registration.

In District 1, the task of digitizing civil status data was completed in June 2021. The authorities are now correcting and digitizing land-related documents to boost the processing time of land-concerned administrative procedures. This standardization of digital data following the data management strategy also allows businesses and citizens to exploit shared data by state agencies to serve manufacturing and commercial purposes.

Director of the HCMC Information and Communications Department Lam Dinh Thang stated that the city’s data management strategy is adapted from international lessons to better suit the Government’s policies and the city’s development goals.

He added that the fundamental principle of data administration is to create and maintain security and reliability of critical data in the city, which are normally upgraded from specialized information systems, databases, and data centers about individuals, businesses, land, space. These information pieces are considered the core asset of the city.

Deputy Director of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications Vo Thi Trung Trinh stated that to fulfill the targets in the data strategy, it is necessary to simultaneously apply several measures, not merely the technical one. Since the data is compiled by state agencies, they are useful to improve the quality of public services, to boost work performance in state management organizations, and to boost the growth of the digital economy, innovative startup activities. therefore, these data should be open to both citizens and enterprises.

Culinary, art festival for young people to be held in October

The “Taste of Saigon” program featuring culinary and art activities will be held for the first time at the Reunification Palace in HCMC on October 8-10.

The first edition of the event themed “Set the Vibes” is expected to be one of the much-awaited programs for young people in the city in October.

“Taste of Saigon” will attract 55 display booths of domestic and foreign various culinary and art brands, including the participation of diplomatic missions in Vietnam, such as the US, France, Italy, India, and Japan.

There will be a children’s painting contest called “Draw your dream”, and cocktail and pizza-making competitions. 50 percent of the earnings from the event and 20 percent from the painting contest will be donated to community activities.

The program’s organizer, artLIVE, expected the “Taste of Saigon” will become an annual event.

HCMC sets up serum bank for controlling infectious diseases

Ho Chi Minh City sets up a serum bank - the collection and frozen storage of serum samples - to supply samples for testing and infectious disease control.

The Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) today officially put into operation the serum bank to provide a toolkit to assess the burden of infectious disease in the community and guide medical decisions in public healthcare centers in the future.

According to Director of HCDC Dr. Nguyen Hong Tam, a serum bank will collect, preserve, and supply samples for testing of infectious diseases for prediction or early detection of outbreaks, assessment of herd immunity, evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions, and investigation of the silent circulation of the pathogen.

To accomplish these purposes, HCDC will develop a plan to collect periodic samples for the serum bank and develop a set of procedures for storing and using samples for different purposes of pandemic control. The bank will also build data analysis models; thereby, providing orientations for public health decisions in the locality.

At first, HCDC will take samples from the serum bank to assess immunity against measles and hand, foot and mouth disease for assessment of the city’s epidemic risk and later the health sector will continue to expand the sample source and diversify the types of samples to meet the needs of infectious disease control and towards the control of other diseases.

Doctor Nguyen Hong Tam said HCDC's serum bank is equipped with 5 deep sound cabinets, 3 cold centrifuges, equipment and staff to meet the collection, processing and storage. and sample distribution. Currently, the storage capacity of the serum bank is from 4,000-4,500 samples and is expected to increase the storage capacity in the near future.

According to Assoc. Prof. Le Van Tan from the University of Oxford’s Clinical Research Unit, for a long time, countries around the world have built serum banks and serological epidemiological investigation programs. For example, the UK-based serum bank which was established in 1986 has so far collected over 200,000 serum samples from British people of different ages.

In Vietnam, several serum banks have also been established through the epidemiological investigation research program of the Ministry of Health, the Hanoi-based National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and the Ho Chi Minh City-based Pasteur Institute including surveillance programs of HIV, Zika virus, hepatitis B and C, influenza A H5N1.

In 2022, HCDC coordinated with the University of Oxford to conduct three surveys and collect serum samples to help define immunity to Covid-19 and SARS-CoV-2.

The goal of the serological investigation is to monitor the level of immunity in the population against a particular pathogen for the provision of scientific data to help inform appropriate health policies, such as vaccination policy or response to an emerging disease, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Tan.

Le Duc Phat advances 23 notches to 92nd place on BWF rankings

Badminton player Le Duc Phat from the Military Sports Club has achieved a notable advancement in his position on the global Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.

The most recent BWF global rankings, published on August 15, encompass rankings for both male and female players. Le Duc Phat is a Vietnamese badminton player who has experienced a substantial shift in his ranking, climbing 23 places to hold the 92nd position worldwide. This achievement follows Le Duc Phat's successful participation in a recent tournament held in Tajikistan, where he claimed the championship title in the men's singles category.

Nevertheless, Duc Phat is not currently the highest-ranked Vietnamese male badminton player on the BWF rankings. Nguyen Hai Dang holds the top position among Vietnamese players, currently placed at 86th in the global standings, down one notch from the previous week.

In the women's division, Nguyen Thuy Linh's ranking remains static as she has not participated in any international tournaments recently, solidifying her standing at 25th globally. This week, Nguyen Hai Dang and Nguyen Thuy Linh are the designated Vietnamese representatives at the 2023 BWF World Championships, which will be held in Denmark. The tournament is scheduled to unfold between August 21 and 27. Given the participation of only two Vietnamese players, the nation's presence will be exclusively in the men's and women's singles events.

Excellent graduates to be recruited in civil service jobs in HCMC

Good graduate students will be allowed to apply for civil service jobs under a new scheme to be rolled out this year in Ho Chi Minh City.

Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Phan Van Mai has just signed a decision to issue a plan to recruit excellent graduates and young scientists in 2023 to be civil servants and officials.

According to the plan, Ho Chi Minh City recruits 12 civil servants and 51 public employees in different fields. The recruitment period is expected to take place in September 2023. Candidates must go through two rounds of selection including reviewing academic and research results plus an interview about the qualifications and professional skills of the candidate. Interview scores are calculated on a 100-point scale.

The successful candidate must have an interview score of 50 points or more and be considered in order from highest to lowest until the end of the recruitment quota. If two or more people have the same interview score in the final recruitment criterion, the person with the higher score in the course will be recruited. Heads of agencies that are in need of recruiting employees shall decide on successful candidates.

Vacancies are published publicly. Applicants must be excellent university graduates at domestic or foreign higher education institutions recognized for equivalent degrees and certificates with excellent academic performance. Moreover, applicants’ average age upon entering the senior civil service group is 16-30 years old by the time of application submission.

Persons who have a master's degree, first-degree specialists, resident doctors, or first-degree pharmacists are those aged between 16 and 30 meanwhile those with doctorate degrees, level II specialist doctors, and level II specialized pharmacists in medicine or pharmacology should be under 35 years of age. In addition, applicants must meet other criteria.

Hanoi explores development plans in its South

 The Hanoi Institute for Socio-Economic Development Studies (HISEDS) held a conference early this week to discuss development plans for five districts in the south of the capital, including My Duc, Thuong Tin, Phu Xuyen, Ung Hoa, and Thanh Oai.

According to a report presented at the conference, these five districts share several similarities, such as extensive agricultural land, which accounts for about 60-70% of their total natural area, low urbanization, and a notable presence of recognized trade villages and historical-cultural landmarks.

Following Hanoi’s administrative boundary expansion 15 years ago, the position of these five districts became strategic, located along various transportation corridors such as highways, railways, and waterways. They are all key national arteries (Thuong Tin and Phu Xuyen), when the Ring Road No.4 will pass through Thuong Tin and Thanh Oai completed.

There are also plans for future domestic and international airports, which are expected to be built after 2030.

Meanwhile, there are also ambitious urbanization plans for these districts. The Phu Xuyen Satellite town project includes Phu Xuyen and Phu Minh towns, along with the expansion of nine more communes in Phu Xuyen and five communes in Thuong Tin.

Urban areas such as Van Dinh, Thuong Tin, Kim Bai and Dai Nghia will be targeted for ecological development and expansion. In the northern part of Thanh Oai, the Cienco 5 road corridor is witnessing the emergence of several new urban zones. Some rural areas have been urbanized and are seeking urban district status.

Ta Van Tuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, offers insight into the agricultural sector in this area, suggesting that the capital's agricultural efforts should focus on high-tech practices, particularly in selected areas such as plant production, seed cultivation, and the growth of key products.

Agriculture would be developed according to ecological principles, contributing to green and diverse landscape aesthetics while addressing climate change. The harmonious integration of agricultural zones with other functional areas, such as urban and industrial spaces, is emphasized to achieve a balanced and cohesive landscape.

"A gradual shift away from livestock farming in residential areas is proposed, with attention given to planning key products in conjunction with value chain creation. Cultural values would be linked to agricultural efforts, and special emphasis is placed on the organized spatial layout of rural residential areas to preserve their cultural identity," Tuong said.

Highlighting the importance of culture, Deputy Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Ha Minh Hai emphasized Hanoi's pioneering role as the first locality in the country to issue a specialized resolution regarding the cultural industry.

Resolution No.09-NQ/TU outlines the goal that by 2030, the cultural industry in the capital will establish itself as a key economic sector, making a strong contribution to the development of other industries and fields.

The guiding principles of the 13th National Party Congress Resolution, which outlines the nation's development path from 2021 to 2030, emphasize comprehensive human development and the cultivation of an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply rooted in national identity. This vision positions culture as an innate driving force that drives both national development and defense efforts.

Furthermore, Politburo Resolution 15-NQ/TW maps out directions and goals for Hanoi's development through 2030, with an extended vision through 2045. This resolution emphasizes the need to harmoniously combine the preservation of cultural identity with economic progress. It underlined that the synergy between economic and cultural growth should be a reciprocal relationship, where culture and its people are not only the goal, but also the foundation, resource and impetus for the capital's development.

During the seminar, experts highlighted the potential of cultural heritage as a substantial resource that can be harnessed to contribute to the overall socio-economic growth of the capital.

Hai suggested that both the districts and the consulting unit should focus on explaining the rationale for prioritizing the development of this distinctive cultural region. This effort should include the presentation of new perspectives and higher aspirations, with the goal of making the best use of the capital's resources in the planning process.

Chip-based ID cards proven effective in e-contract authentication: agency

The chip-based ID cards have facilitated the implementation of the Vietnam Electronic Contract Development Axis (www.CeCA.gov.vn) by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency.

Therefore, the agency said, its computer and digital technology centre will continue coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security in connecting and sharing data and putting into use chip-based ID card authentication solutions on the CeCA. 

The centre said chip-based ID cards have ensured accuracy of information and that people can benefit from digital transformation. Meanwhile, digital tech firms have also found it easier to access more clients.

The ministry reported that it has worked with the Ministry of Public Security to provide the e-authentication application on the CeCA.

The Vietnam Electronic Contract Development Axis (www.CeCA.gov.vn) was launched by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on June 16 last year, with the aim of supporting the attestation of e-contracts in service provision activities and to provide a portal to look up and authenticate such contracts.

Technology application – new requirement for digital newsroom governance

The Vietnam Journalists' Association in collaboration with the Post and Telecommunications Institute of Technology on August 17 organised a workshop on the application of technologies in digital newsroom governance in Hanoi.

Speaking at the event, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission of Popularisation and Education and Chairman of Vietnam Journalists Association Le Quoc Minh said that a new era of digital journalism, digital technology, converged technologies, and content has been formed and is developing strongly. Convergence of content and technologies is seen as a key to opening a new path for modern journalists and newsrooms.

He said that the integration and convergence in both content and publication form of a newspaper is necessary, whereby the "digital editorial" model becomes the inevitable trend of the world press agencies as well as those in the Vietnamese press. 

Building a digital newsroom will completely change the face of the journalism industry, which is also a premise to ensure concentration in directing and orienting information, ensuring consistent, timely and convincing information, especially on complicated and sensitive issues.

Among the technologies that will have a strong impact on press and media activities today, the most prominent is the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain in digital newsroom management as well as in production and distribution of press and media products.

According to Minh, besides providing updates on press technologies, the workshop aimed to clarify the legal corridor on digital journalism and digital newsrooms, especially the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws on digital transformation in the press, toward building a professional, humane and modern journalism and media, in line with the orientation of the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress. The event would also seek practical and feasible solutions to help develop digital newsrooms at press agencies in Vietnam.

Colourful activities to be held at Ethnic Culture Village to celebrate National Independence Day

The Việt Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism will come alive this September with captivating activities in celebration of the upcoming National Independence Day.

Visitors to the village will have the opportunity to immerse in the rich culture of Việt Nam's 54 ethnic groups through a programme themed Vui Tết Độc Lập (Happy Independence Day) to take place from September 1 to 4 to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the National Independence Day (September 2, 1945-2023).

The event promises a dazzling showcase of the rich traditional cultures through highland market space, enchanting folk dances, regional cuisines and other festive performances. All activities are aimed at fostering the enrichment of ethnic minorities’ culture and the promotion of local tourism.

More than 200 artisans, compatriots, and artists are set to participate in the festivities. This impressive line-up includes more than 100 compatriots representing 15 distinct ethnic groups, with participants ranging from village elders and chiefs to skilled artisans.

Among the participating ethnic communities are the Nùng and Tày from the northern province of Thái Nguyên, Dao from the capital city of Hà Nội, Mông and Mường from the northern mountain provinces of Hà Giang and Hoà Bình respectively, and many others from diverse regions across the country.

The centrepiece of the event is the Chợ vùng cao Vui Tết độc lập (Highland Market to Celebrate Independence Day), a reimagined marketplace reflecting the colourful tapestry of Northwest and Northeast ethnic groups.

The market is set to offer a unique experience where visitors can immerse themselves in the cultures of the ethnic communities through various booths of different ethnic groups.

These booths will proudly showcase local ethnic products, ranging from bamboo shoots, star anise, and cardamom to regional dishes like thắng cố, corn wine or roasted suckling pig with honey. Additionally, a wide array of traditional clothing, accessories, and souvenirs from different ethnic groups will also be available for purchase.

The market space seamlessly integrates festival and entertainment areas, accompanied by folk song and dance performances, traditional games, and diverse cuisines of various ethnicities.

Visitors will have the chance to participate in traditional activities such as trading, traditional dish preparation or corn wine tasting while listening to the histories shared by people of ethnic minorities.

The celebration will also shine a spotlight on traditional art forms, including the lion dance of the Nùng ethnic group, designated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. A dynamic and rhythmic performance, the lion dance embodies the martial spirit and cultural significance.

Additionally, during this time, several traditional festivals will also be recreated at the Việt Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism, including the reenactments of Nùng ethnic weddings and the Mông ethnic community’s procession of the god of fire.

Located in the Đồng Mô tourism area in Hà Nội’s Sơn Tây outskirts, the Việt Nam National Village for Ethnic Culture and Tourism is often regarded as the “common home” for all 54 of Việt Nam’s ethnic groups. Covering an expansive 1,544has and divided into seven distinctive zones, the heart of the village lies in the zone dedicated to ethnic minority communities. 

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes