" Peace village" helps many but many more need help

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 00:49




Jan. 29 (VNA) -- Excellent results have been obtained for 23 of 265 handicapped children admitted to a central Thua Thien-Hue province functional rehabilitation centre.

Results for another 69 children are described as good. But only 344 of more than 10,000 handicapped children across the province have been admitted, including many mentally handicapped children who are victims of Agent Orange.

Child protection is Vietnam's prime concern

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 00:46



Jan. 30 (VNA) -- Child care and protection are a prime concern of the Vietnamese government and people, affirmed Cabinet Minister Tran Thi Thanh Thanh, while addressing the second preparatory meeting for the UN General Assembly's special session on child care, which opened in New York on Jan.29.

Vietnam express sympathy to earthquake victims in India

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 00:42



Ha Noi, Jan. 30 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh today, Jan. 30, answered an AFP correspondent's question about the country's forms of assistance - relief, means of transtransport or expertise to India after the severe earthquake in the state of Gujarat.

Md Thanh said: "As close friends of the Indian people, we take extreme sympathy over the loss of human life and property caused by the recent earthquake. We sincerely hope that the Indian people would soon overcome the aftermath and normalize their lives."

Donation for flood victims in Mekong delta

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 00:40



Ha Noi, Jan. 30 (VNA) -- The Ha Noi-based United Nations organisations have so far received more than USD 3 million as relief for flood victims in the Mekong delta.

The aid came to Viet Nam as the United Nations last year called on the international community to donate as much as USD 9.43 million to help flood victims in the southern delta.

Vietnam increases investment in livestock breeding

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 00:38




Ha Noi, Jan. 31 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's investment in livestock breeding will continue increasing in 2001 to ensure the balance between husbandry and crop cultivation.

The number of pigs will be raised to 21 million
including 17 million lean-meat pigs for export. Viet Nam now has about more than 19 million pigs with 7 million lean-meat heads.

Survey of food consumption and nutrition in Vietnam

Wed, 01/31/2001 - 00:36




Ha Noi, Jan. 31 (VNA) -- The National Nutrition Institute is preparing a country-wide survey of food consumption and nutritional values in order to meet the nutrition standards set by Viet Nam's strategy for healthcare and protection until 2020.

The institute also plans to continue researching classic malnutrition-related diseases such as protein, iodine and Vitamin A deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia.

Rural public healthcare development

Mon, 01/29/2001 - 17:33



Ha Noi, Jan. 25 (VNA)-- Viet Nam plans to invest some USD 98.7 million to boost the development of its rural public healthcare system by 2006. The investment will be focused on building 212 medical clinics; 13 preventive medical centres, 13 hospitals and 99 general clinics in 13 provinces, as well as medical-worker training.

The Asian Development Bank has pledged USD 68.3 million in soft loans and the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, has granted USD 1 million for the programme.

New management mechanism for Ho Chi Minh city

Mon, 01/29/2001 - 17:31



Jan 29 Asia Pulse - The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has been told it should submit a proposal to Government setting up a management mechanism specific to the city's needs by March.

Nguyen Khanh, vice-director of the Government's Administrative Reform Steering Committee, said the committee believed the present management system, run from Hanoi and applied to all areas of the country, does not make allowances for the different needs of each area and has stymied Ho Chi Minh City's development.

Vietnam encourages higher Foreign Investment

Mon, 01/29/2001 - 17:28




HANOI, Jan 29 Asia Pulse - Vietnam is devising uniform solutions to both attract more foreign investment and make it more efficient.

For example, State management agencies will issue guidelines for implementing the Foreign Investment Law in the first four months of this year.

They will follow this by submitting a formula for the trial equitization of foreign-invested enterprises, FIEs, to the Government in the second quarter to help them participate in the securities and capital markets.

Urgent reform tasks

Mon, 01/29/2001 - 17:25

GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIES URGENT REORM TASKS


Ha Noi, Jan. 22 -- Eight major urgent tasks have been identified for completion this year as part of the Government's administrative reform programme for 2001.

Ratified by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai last week, the tasks range from accelerating the introduction of a comprehensive legal system more favourable to commerce to properly tune the functions, tasks and authority of ministries and agencies.

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