PM urges move to greater local powers

Wed, 02/19/2003 - 15:44

(Viet Nam Ne­ws, February 19, 2003)

HA NOI — Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has described a further devolution of power to the local administration as a cornerstone of the current process of reorganising the administrative system.

Speaking at an Interior Affairs Ministry conference on Monday in Ha Noi, he told officials that decentralisation of power to the provincial level down to the grassroots was an urgent and important task at the moment.

Viet Nam resolved to observe child convention

Wed, 02/19/2003 - 15:42


HA NOI— Viet Nam has renewed its firm commitment to implementing the United Nations’ International Convention on the Right of the Child, said the Committee for Population, Family Planning and Child Care at a press briefing here on Wednesday.

"The country has made strenuous endeavours to reconcile the convention and the national law, including amendments and supplements to children’s rights codes," the conference was told.

Gov't permits private sector to produce films

Wed, 02/19/2003 - 15:34



Ha Noi, Feb. 19 (VNA) - Viet Nam's government has allowed private organisations and individuals to establish film studios in line with the Enterprise Law that took effect in the beginning of 2001.

Under a decision freshly issued by the Ministry of Culture and Information, the establishment of film studios must be qualified for the following conditions:

The owners or directors of film studios are Vietnamese citizens, who have their own office buildings and behaviourial capability according to law.

Central city lengthens priority list of foreign invested projects

Wed, 02/19/2003 - 15:31


Da Nang city, Feb. 19 (VNA) - The central coastal city of Da Nang is offering foreign investors incentives in 54 projects mostly in industries and tourism in an effort to woo an estimated 432 million USD for 2003-2010.

The list is to be announced at a conference scheduled for March 6-7 of which the agenda will focus the local preferencial taxes on land use rights and other favourable policies and administrative reforms.

Reorganizing state-owned corporations

Wed, 02/12/2003 - 12:32

Ha Noi, Feb. 12 (VNA) -- Three State-owned corporations - Plastics, Leather and Shoes; and Glass and Ceramics - will be disbanded from Wednesday to let its member enterprises start operating in the form of parent-and-son company.

The three corporations have not met the corporation criteria such as capital, active role in their sectors, and proportion of products in the market.

Government's staff cuts behind schedule

Wed, 02/12/2003 - 12:30


Ha Noi, Feb. 12 (VNA) -- The Government's plan to cut 69,000 jobs before 2002 has fallen short of its target because of poor handling by State agencies and businesses, a senior government official said.

Deputy Minister of the Interior Thang Van Phuc said more efforts were required from the central Government, local authorities and State employees to implement the staff cuts, which are necessary to slash Government spending and reform its administrave system.

Viet Nam sets up 5th HIV testing center

Wed, 02/12/2003 - 12:25

Ha Noi, Feb. 11 (VNA)-- Ha Noi has become the fifth to set up a voluntary HIV consultation and testing centre, which is expected to expand to 35 other cities and provinces nationwide.

The centre is capable of servicing 100 people a day and fully meet their needs for consultation on prevention and treatment as well as blood tests, said the centre director.

Vietnamese missions assigned to assist economic development

Wed, 02/12/2003 - 11:22

Ha Noi, Feb. 11 (VNA) -- Vietnamese representative offices abroad have been assigned tasks to serve the homeland's economic development.

In this regard, a decree to specify these rep. offices' operation was issued by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Monday.

The four-chapter 16-article decree aims at raising these missions' capacity to serve the national economy in the new stage and to help the Government promote external trade activities and cooperation in investment, development, science and technology, tourism and services.

Revised tax policy to meet ASEAN and WTO standards

Mon, 02/10/2003 - 16:15

REVISED TAX POLICY TO MEET ASEAN AND WTO STANDARDS


Ha Noi, Feb. 10 (VNA) -- This year will see a massive revision of the tax system, stressing transparency, in line with GATT/WTO principles, said Deputy Finance Minister Truong Tri Trung.

The senior tax policy maker said the revision would target seven major policies, including value added tax (VAT), the enterprises' revenue taxes, high income taxes, and import-export tariffs.

Poverty reduction program contributes to economic development

Mon, 02/10/2003 - 16:11


Ha Noi, Feb. 10 (VNA) -- The National Programme on Hunger Elimination and Poverty Reduction (Programme 135) has contributed to socio-economic development, markedly improving the living conditions of the poor in more than 2,300 poor communes.

In 2002, through the programme, more than 890 billion VND from the central budget were channelled to 2,233 communes with special difficulties and 51.6 billion VND from the local budget to 129 communes.

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