Day: May 30, 2023

The Cambodian National Assembly on May 30 ratified the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement (ATISA) to boost trade and investment in the area of services.

Some 98 lawmakers in attendance unanimously ratified the pact.

Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak said the ATISA aims to strengthen economic linkages and provide greater opportunities for economic development in the ASEAN Economic Community.

It will reduce barriers to trade and investment in services and create a predictable business environment, he told the parliament, adding that it will also narrow development gaps among ASEAN member states to achieve a more equitable, balanced and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Nin Saphon, Chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Commission on Public Works, Industry, Mines, Energy, Commerce, and Land Management, said the ATISA will underpin greater inclusion of small and medium enterprises in trade and investment activities and promote regulatory and human resource development.

The agreement will deepen the integration of the services sector and create a more liberal, stable and predictable environment for service suppliers in the region, she added.

The ATISA, which was signed by ASEAN economic ministers in Jakarta, Indonesia, in October 2020, is considered a new step in ASEAN’s integration process of service. Upon coming into force, this agreement will replace the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), which took effect in 1995, with many new contents in the direction of opening up and liberalising services./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Menstruation is too often treated as a taboo topic and this stigma is pronounced in emergencies, where the challenges of managing menstruation are amplified. Asia and the Pacific is especially vulnerable to climate change, with droughts, floods and extreme storms that will continue to devastate critical infrastructure. In disaster responses across the region, menstrual health is under-resourced, with dire consequences for the health of women and girls.

The World Bank estimates that more than 500 million women and girls around the world lack access to menstrual supplies and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management, a number expected to increase as the climate crisis intensifies.

From the flooded fields of Pakistan to the cyclone ravaged islands of Vanuatu, women struggle to manage their menstruation safely, comfortably and with dignity. In emergency situations, the lack of access to basic menstrual supplies can lead to a range of health problems including urinary and reproductive tract infections.

One of UNFPA’s core missions is to uphold women’s and girls’ dignity and protect their sexual and reproductive health and rights in any crisis. We work with partners on the ground to deliver dignity kits before and after emergencies, to help women maintain their fundamental right to health. The kits are a vital connection point that brings women into a network, with information about menstrual health, rights and raises awareness about gender equality.

During my recent visit to Vanua Levu in Fiji, I met families who were displaced by the devastating Tropical Cyclones Yasa and Ana in December 2020 and they were still living in temporary tents. Mothers spoke about how grateful they are for the UNFPA-supported midwives who talked to their daughters about menstruation, how to manage it safely, and they provided much-needed supplies of sanitary pads along with other items as part of the dignity kits.

These cyclones in Fiji were yet another reminder of how extreme weather events damage water and health infrastructure, making it harder for women and girls to access clean water, sanitation facilities and basic social services.

In emergency response plans, too often menstruation is not taken into account, which leaves women and girls even more at risk of diseases and infections. Before disasters hit, plans need to be in place so that the supplies are distributed or accessible in a way that is sensitive to the needs of women and girls, while working on destigmatizing menstruation, addressing harmful social norms, and making sure that communities have accurate information about menstrual health.

Forward-thinking governments recognize that investing in menstrual health and hygiene is crucial for promoting good health, gender equality and ensuring that women and girls can participate fully in society. To do this, we must listen to the needs of women and girls whose voices are central to disaster planning, humanitarian action and resource allocation. For this reason, to help prepare for disasters, UNFPA customizes dignity kits through consultations, including with persons with disabilities. We also ensure that solutions are community-led and that privacy is protected when distributing menstrual supplies.

Climate-related disasters are increasing in scale and frequency. UNFPA is committed to continue working with governments, partners and communities to strengthen health and social service infrastructure to face the impacts of the climate crisis on sexual and reproductive health and rights, including menstrual health. With a resilient and well-equipped network of health facilities, schools and water and sanitation infrastructure, communities will have the resources to cope with what is coming, as the climate crisis intensifies.

Source: Lao News Agency

The provincial government of Bali on May 28 warned tourists against paying for goods and services in cryptocurrencies on the popular resort island of Indonesia.

Speaking to local media at the Bali tourism development press conference, the island’s Governor Wayan Koster said that foreign tourists who behave inappropriately, do activities that are not allowed in their visa permit, use crypto as a means of payment, and violate other provisions will be dealt with firmly.

Strict actions range from deportation, administrative sanctions, criminal penalties, closure of business premises, and other tough sanctions, Koster added.

He reminded tourists that Indonesia’s law prohibits the use of currencies other than the rupiah as a means of payment, with punishments including jail term of up to a year and a fine of 200 million rupiah (13,360 USD).

Businesses which carry out illicit foreign exchange activities may also face jail terms and fines, he added.

The warning came after an investigation by Indonesia news outlet Kompas showed that a number of businesses in Seminyak, including restaurants, meditation studios and motorbike rental companies are accepting payment in crypto.

At the same press conference, the head of Bank Indonesia’s Bali Representative Office, Trisno Nugroho, said crypto assets are allowed as tradeable commodities on future exchanges, but banned as a form of payment.

Source: Lao News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha received visiting Lao Minister of Technology and Communications Boviengkham Vongdara in Hanoi on May 29.

Welcoming agreements signed between the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications, Ha expressed his wish that the two sides will actively promote cooperation and technology transfer so that Vietnam and Laos can jointly implement digital and green transformation as soon as possible.

With its potential for renewables such as hydroelectricity, wind power and solar power, Laos can become a centre of clean energy, he stated, adding that this is one of the factors that determine the level of attraction for investors in the future.

Regarding digital transformation, the Deputy PM appreciated the results that the information and communications technology (ICT) industry of Laos has achieved, with the active and effective support of Vietnam’s Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group (Viettel).

He showed his belief that in the coming time, Laos will form an effective ICT system helping people benefit from the digital government and digital economy, replacing the development model based on natural resources which are becoming exhausted. From experiences it has in Vietnam, the Lao ministry needs to “order” the Viettel Group to achieve bigger goals in digital transformation and digital society promotion.

In terms of human resources training and development, Ha asked the Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications to identify specific needs and coordinate with the VAST to develop a Government-level project to create a solid foundation for cooperation and accompany Vietnam on the path of innovation.

Boviengkham said that this visit is to promote the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with the VAST on forecasting and warning of natural disasters and tsunami; research and technology training related to the fourth Industrial Revolution; and on building a national centre for cloud computing/Big Data and application. According to the minister, the Lao ministry has a close cooperative relationship with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology and other ministries of Vietnam, thus contributing to strengthening and cultivating the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Lao News Agency

Consumers and businesses are called on to join authorities to curb counterfeit, fake, and smuggled goods on online shopping platforms, particularly as e-commerce has been thriving strongly in Vietnam.

Statistics from the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) show that in 2021, Vietnam’s retail e-commerce market size reached 13.5-13.7 billion USD. In 2022, the figure increased to 16.4 billion USD and is forecasted to reach about 38 – 39 billion USD by 2025.

According to experts, the buying trend of consumers has changed rapidly in the past three years with all items due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from consumer goods, food, drinks, fashion, and cosmetics.

However, according to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), authorities receive about 1,500 complaints via hotlines and written documents each year related to online shopping.

Tran Huu Linh, Director General of the MOIT’s General Department of Market Management, said that last year, the market management force nationwide inspected 774 cases relating to e-commerce, detected 439 violations, and collected a total fine of nearly 5.9 billion VND (over 250,000 USD).

“This is still quite a modest number compared to reality,” he said.

Nguyen Thi Minh Huyen, Deputy Director of the MOIT’s E-Commerce and Digital Economy Authority, said that violations that exist in conventional trade all appear in e-commerce. Moreover, it’s easier to conduct violations on the internet while it’s much more difficult to detect and handle them because sellers don’t set up physical warehouses/stores, or goods are stored in many places and they only accept online orders.

Moreover, online stores are easily created and closed in a short time. The product information posted online may be real, but the product delivered to buyers can be fake, she said.

Nguyen Duc Le, Deputy Director of the Operations Department, General Department of Market Management, said that acts of trading counterfeit smuggled goods, those infringing intellectual property rights, and goods of unknown origin are increasingly sophisticated and occur more often in the online environment.

E-commerce activities are based on technology infrastructure, so during the inspection, violators can hide and delete pieces of evidence quickly, making it difficult for law enforcement force.

In addition, for transactions on social networks, it is very difficult to prove them commercial transactions as sellers and buyers use personal accounts to contact each other and pay online too.

Nguyen Huu Tuan, Head of the Department of E-commerce Management under MOIT’s E-Commerce and Digital Economy Authority, said that in many cases, consumers know that the goods are fake or of unknown origin, but still buy or do not denounce them. Meanwhile, many businesses have not paid attention to anti-counterfeiting and brand protection.

Deputy Director of the MOIT’s E-Commerce and Digital Economy Authority Huyen said that to strengthen the control over online counterfeiting goods and promote the development of e-commerce, it is necessary to review and perfect relevant legal framework and increase public legal understanding, especially for traders, organisations and individuals.

It’s also a must to increase the responsibility of e-commerce platforms and social networking sites in screening, preventing, and preventing accounts that do not provide sufficient information, and accounts with signs of trading infringing goods.

Moreover, the agency has planned to offer training for businesses and owners of protected trademarks to create a favourable mechanism for complaint settlement, verifying infringing goods as well as strengthening coordination among relevant agencies.

Source: Lao News Agency