Day: April 13, 2023

The fourth Global Conference on Sustainable Food Systems Programme will take place in Hanoi from April 24-28, with over 200 foreign delegates from member countries and organisations taking part, announced the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The event will examine the major barriers related to the transformation of food systems, as well as put forward actionable recommendations, focusing on the global model and architecture of the food system, national and local policies and governance, production and consumption models, and implementation methods.

It will also introduce good models and exemplary initiatives regarding the implementation of national plans for the transformation of food systems at the national and local levels, and initiatives from the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS).

The first edition of this event took place in June 2017 in South Africa, the second in February 2019 in Costa Rica, and the third was held online in November – December 2020.

The Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) is a global partnership programme aimed at accelerating the process of transforming food systems towards sustainability by building capacity, creating synergies, and enhancing cooperation among partners at all levels.

The programme was initiated in October 2015 by Switzerland, Costa Rica, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Vietnam, with the support of the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee (MAC) comprising 20 members from different stakeholder groups. Since 2021, the MARD has been a member representing the Asian region in the MAC./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The number of new COVID-19 cases is on the rise again, with those infected with Omicron variant making up the majority, and mainly concentrating in the northern region – where the season is changing, Prof. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine reported at a press conference on April 13.

Statistics last week showed the number of cases had increased by nearly four times compared to the previous week. In addition, the current weather is favourable for the development of the virus, Lan said.

Based on the number of cases, COVID-19-affected areas are assessed at level 1 (low risk), Prof. Lan said. He spoke highly of the involvement of localities in handling outbreaks, noting that there were two outbreaks in Lao Cai province but the local authorities and relevant forces handled those thoroughly, preventing the virus from spreading.

Hanoi has also taken strong measures to reduce the infection, he added.

He underlined the need to closely monitor the data to have timely response measures, while suggesting localities nationwide strengthen the review of the “pandemic level” and clearly publicise in the community.

According to the forecasts of scientists and the World Health Organization, the SARS-CoV-2 virus still exists, Lan said, stressing that it is necessary to focus on protecting high-risk groups and frontline health workers, and prevent overloading of the health system.

More efforts should be undertaken to reduce the number of hospitalised patients, those with severe diseases, and death, the official said.

Recently, Vietnam’s COVID-19 prevention and control activities have proven effective thanks to the mass vaccination campaign, he said, adding that the efficiency of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing the spread of the Omicron variant is limited, but their ability to prevent severe symptoms, hospitalisation, and death is effective.

The elderly and people with underlying diseases, those are immunocompromised, and pregnant women are prone to severe changes and are at risk of death when infected with COVID-19, so it is necessary to get vaccinated against COVID-19 timely in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations of the MOH, he noted./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City organised a ceremony on April 13 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and France (April 12, 1973-2023).

In his remarks, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said that in the past 50 years, the relationship between Vietnam and France has made significant strides, covering many fields from politics, economy, education and people-to-people exchanges.

The two countries have actively supported each other during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting their close friendship.

HCM City is often chosen as the destination of many high-ranking French delegations during their visits to Vietnam. This shows the interest of the French government in promoting cooperation with Vietnam in general and HCM City in particular, he said.

The health sector has continued to be a bright spot in the cooperation between the city and France with many training sessions and cooperation programmes being implemented.

The city leader went on to say that cooperation activities in the field of education and culture between HCM City and its French partners have been carried out with French language education programmes, student exchange and conservation projects.

He attributed the fruitful cooperation to the contribution of the French Embassy and Consulate General of France in HCM City for the development and prosperity of the two countries.

Emmanuelle Pavillon-Grosser, Consul General of France in HCM City, said that the 50-year mark is an ideal time to review and make plans for future relations. France continues to cooperate and support Vietnam in implementing low-carbon growth targets, helping Vietnam improve its adaptability to climate change, she said, adding that the two countries are also cooperating effectively in the field of health, human resources training for the health sector and law building.

The support of local administrations has been contributing to the development of relations between the two countries, she said, citing as an example the relationship between HCM City and Lyon city through cooperation projects relating to urban lighting and museum.

The presence of many French brands in the city as well as cooperation activities in education, scientific research, health care and energy have demonstrated the role of HCM City in the effort to develop their ties, she added./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The World Bank (WB) on April 13 released a report on Vietnam’s macroeconomic situation in April this year.

The WB recommended that the slowing economic growth in Q1/2023 needs close monitoring. If weaknesses in external and domestic demand persists, the government could consider supporting aggregate demand through an acceleration of public investment disbursement.

According to the report, anticipated increases in electricity tariff and public sector salary in the coming months and easing of monetary policy by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) may lead to renewed upward pressure on inflation. Potential further financial tightening in the US to control inflation could create exchange rate pressures, especially as the SBV just reduced some policy interest rates to support the economy.

Close supervision of the financial sector is critical given continued uncertainties in global financial markets and a slowing domestic economy, including a sluggish real estate sector that constitutes about 20% of financial sector borrowing.

The bank reckoned that Vietnam’s economy registered low growth in Q1/2023 with only 3.3%, down from 5.9% in Q4/2022. This registers the second lowest Q1 growth rate in the past decade. This is mainly due to the contraction of the industry and the sharp drop in exports.

The low growth rate was largely due to the contraction of industry with recorded at -0.4% in Q1/2023, compared to an average of 5.3 % during 2020-2022 and weighed on growth -0.1 percentage point contribution to the GDP. The slowdown in industry mirrors the 11.8% contraction in exports.

In Q1/2023, the services sector grew by 6.8% and contributed 2.9 percentage point to the GDP. Agriculture registered a 2.5% growth rate – and contributed 0.3 percentage point to the GDP growth rate in Q1/2023.

Both exports and imports contracted by 11.8% and 14.6%, respectively, in Q1/2023, the second consecutive quarter of contraction in merchandise trade. The contraction in exports was largely due to two groups of products – computers, phones, electronics, and machinery, and their associated imported inputs.

Retail sales continued to boast a strong performance with an increase of 1.9% in Q1/2023 and 13.4% in March 2003. This was the 13th consecutive month in which retail sales recorded year-on-year double digit expansion.

Sales of services recorded vigorous growth in March 2023, with the sales of accommodation and catering increasing by 25.5% and sales of travel services increasing by 113.9%. The number of international visitors increased reached 2.7 million compared to 91,000 in Q1/2022.

Following an upward trend between March 2022 and January 2023, both headline and core inflation slowed down in February and March 2023.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth rate decelerated from 4.9 % (y/y) in January to 4.3% (y/y) in February to 3.4% (y/y) in March 2023.

Inflation was driven by higher prices of food and foodstuffs as well as housing and construction materials with the contributions to CPI of 1.3 percentage points and 1.2 percentage points, respectively. The price of transportation services decreased by 4.9% (y/y) in March 2023, helping to reduce the CPI inflation rate by 0.5 percentage point.

During the period, credit growth decelerated to 9.5% (y/y) in 2022, the lowest level since 2020, reflecting a slowdown in economic activity, especially in the industrial and real estate sectors.

In order to support the economy, the SBV reduced the operating interest rate twice in March, leading to a reduction in deposit and lending rates of commercial banks./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Cooperation between Hanoi capital of Vietnam and Toulouse city of France, especially in the conservation of UNESCO heritage values, was featured through photos at an exhibition opened at the world heritage site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel on April 13.

Jointly held by the Hanoi People’s Committee, Toulouse city’s authorities and the French Development Agency (AFD), the event formed part of a cooperation project between the two cities on technical assistance to preserve and promote typical urban heritage values and archaeological relics at the royal citadel, which has been launched since 2020 with funding from the AFD and Toulouse.

It was also a sidelines activity of the 12th Vietnam-France decentralised cooperation conference which is taking place in Hanoi from April 13-16.

The similar artifacts of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Toulouse were also on display, contributing to promoting the rich history and cultural traditions of the two cities.

In her opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Vu Thu Ha noted that Hanoi wishes for more cooperation projects in various fields, especially in culture, tourism and heritage.

For his part, Toulouse’s Vice Mayor Jean-Claude Dardelet said the two cities have cooperated in many areas, including heritage preservation, adding that their cooperation projects have been rolled out quickly and effectively.

He said each heritage has its own value and importance, and suggested that values of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel should be carried forward in order to create economic and tourism values.

The above-said cooperation project focuses on enhancing comprehensive management tools for the citadel, improving professional knowledge for the staff of its conservation centre, supporting sustainable development strategy for the site, and promoting the French city’s capacity in heritage management./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission met in Hanoi on April 12 and 13, during which it looked into disciplinary measures against some Party organisations and members.

The commission decided to issue a warning against the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the People’s Committee of the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai in the 2011-2016 tenure for its violations of the Party’s principles and regulations, lack of responsibility, and lax leadership and direction.

The Party Civil Affairs Committee let the People’s Committee and many organisations and individuals seriously violate the Party’s laws in mining activities, and some officials and Party members declare their assets dishonestly, violate the Law on Anti-corruption, show degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle, and violate rules for Party members.

Such violations have caused very serious consequences and great loss of State assets, triggered public concern, and adversely affected the reputation of the local Party organisation and authorities, according to the commission.

A warning was also given to Vu Dinh Thuy, member of the Standing Board of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment; and Trinh Huy Dai, former Deputy Chief Inspector of the Department of Industry and Trade, for their wrongdoings.

The commission expelled other members from the Party, including former leaders of Vietnam Apatit Limited Company and former leaders of Lao Cai province.

It proposed the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee consider and impose disciplinary measures against Nguyen Van Vinh, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, and former Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and former Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

It also proposed the Politburo and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee consider and impose disciplinary measures against Doan Van Huong, former Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, and former Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and former Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; Nguyen Thanh Duong, former member of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee, former member of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and former Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; Le Ngoc Hung, former member of the provincial Party Committee, former member of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and former Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, and former Secretary of the Party Committee and former Director of the Department of Industry and Trade; Mai Dinh Dinh, former member of the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee and former Head of its Board for Information and Education, former Secretary of the Party Committee of Lao Cai city, and former Secretary of the Party Committee and former Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The commission asked the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee to handle organisations and individuals involved and make a report on the results.

Also at the meeting, the commission concluded that the Party Delegation of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance violated working rules and organisation and operation principles of the Party, especially the rules on democratic centralism, criticism and self-criticism, and solidarity and unity within the Party; and showed a lack of responsibility, and lax leadership and management, letting the alliance and many organisastions and individuals to violate the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws in the organisation, personnel, emulation and reward work, and in the management and use of land, finance, assets and investment projects.

The Party Delegation of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance in the 2013-2020 and 2020-2025 tenures, and the Party Committee of the alliance agency in the 2020-2025 term, along with some Party organisations and individuals must bear the responsibility.

The commission asked the Party Delegation and Party Committee of the alliance agency to coordinate in inspections over signs of violations by concerned Party organisations and members, and report them to the commission.

On this occasion, it proposed the Secretariat consider and discipline Nguyen Ngoc Anh, member of the provincial Party Committee and Chief Inspector of the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Anh showed degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle, received bribes, violated the Party’s regulations and the State’s laws, as well as the rules for Party members, causing serious consequences and public concern, and adversely affecting the reputation of the Party organisation and the inspection sector.

The commission mulled over violations and wrongdoings by the Party Civil Affairs Committee of the Ministry of Information and Communications and Nguyen Manh Hung, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Party Civil Affairs Committee and Minister of Information and Communications, in the building, issuance and implementation of working rules, State management, personnel work and the roll-out of some public investment projects.

They were asked to look back their mistakes, draw lessons, take actions to handle the violations and wrongdoings, review responsibility of relevant organisations and individuals and report results to the commission./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency