A court in Vietnam has given a 16-year jail term to a man who abetted the transport of nearly 200 grams of drugs concealed inside a stuffed animal despite being aware of the prohibited goods. The People’s Court of southern Tra Vinh Province on Wednesday sentenced 27-year-old Doan Quoc Chi, a local man, to 16 years in prison on charges of “Illegal storage of narcotic substances” as prescribed in Vietnam’s Penal Code. Provincial police officers, based on a tip-off, arrested Chi on October 22, 2020 after he received a post parcel of a stuffed animal in which six plastic bags of suspicious white powder were hidden, according to the indictment. A test on the powder, weighing over 199 grams, confirmed it to be methamphetamine, a highly addictive and illegal drug that is known for its euphoric effects. The defendant admitted he knew the drugs had been hidden inside the stuffed animal but he still received the parcel to get paid as per a request from an acquaintance. Chi, however, …
Socio-economic affairs and COVID-19 prevention work discussed by NA deputies
NA deputies discuss social affairs and two draft bills in groups on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo HÀ NỘI — As COVID-19 vaccines are still new, Việt Nam should exchange experience and learn from other countries when giving doses to those aged 12 to 17 this year and children below three years old next year, said Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long at a group discussion of the 15th National Assembly (NA) on Thursday. The deputies gathered in groups on Thursday morning to discuss the implementation and outcomes of the 2021 socio-economic development plan, the draft development plan for next year, the report on COVID-19 prevention and control and the implementation of Resolution No 30/2021/QH15 issued at the NA’s first session in July. Minister of health Long said: “We have to accept the fact that the coronavirus is mutating and its pathogen cannot be completely eliminated. If we want to switch to safe adaptation with the pandemic, there is no other way but to ensure vaccine …
People struggle to care for kids as offices reopen but schools don’t
One Monday morning, when Daniel Evans was in a meeting in his office in downtown Saigon, his 13-year-old son called and screamed on the phone: "The Internet is broken, I cannot attend online classes". The Briton tried calling his wife, who was also at work in an international school in District 2, but there was no answer. He had to end the meeting early and traveled 5 km to his home to help his son with the lessons. "I do not have a part-time nanny like I used to because of worries about Covid infection from strangers," he said. "We have him at home alone, and take turns to come home to have lunch and check on him". He is among many parents in the city who worry about their children and their health as people return to office and kids remain at home without being vaccinated against Covid-19. A student of Luong The Vinh Primary School in HCMC's District 7 has his online lesson. Photo courtesy of parents The city lifted its lockdown and allowed economic …
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Vietnam’s National Assembly cuts taxes and fees for businesses
Many fees and taxes will be waived for businesses and people affected by the pandemic in the remainder of the year. Taxpayers with revenue in 2021 of less than VND200 billion (US$8.8 million) and lower than the figure recorded in 2019 would be subject to a 30% cut in corporate income tax. Production at Tam Hop Company in Soc Son District, Hanoi. Photo: Viet Linh The decision was revealed in the latest resolution signed off by the Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Vuong Dinh Hue on measures to support businesses and people affected by the pandemic. The NA also decided to waive personal income tax, value-added tax, and other expenses payable by business households and individuals in the third and fourth quarters at localities facing the Covid-19 outbreaks in 2021. “The move is not applicable to revenue generated from providing software and online services, including online games, music, or advertisement,” it added. Meanwhile, the Government is set to …
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Businesses resume production as workers return
Many companies in HCM City accelerate production since the lockdown was lifted half a month ago. — Photo danviet.vn By Xuân Hương HCM CITY — Sixty per cent of companies in HCM City have resumed production since the lockdown was lifted half a month ago. The resumption in transportation to other cities and provinces has favoured them, the HCM City Union of Business Associations (HUBA) said. Chu Tiến Dũng, HUBA chairman, said enterprises have worked actively with their workers and partners to speed up production to complete order backlogs and accept new orders. Nguyễn Văn Bé, chairman of the HCM City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority Business Association (HBA), said 1,500 companies, including 500 foreign ones, in the city’s industrial parks and export processing zones have resumed operations, with 60 per cent of them going back to more than 80 per cent capacity. “Walking around the factories, we realised that the city's solution of ‘living with …
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The need for social housing in industrial zones is vital
Partner Le Nguyen Huy Thuy and legal assistant Ton That Hoang from Indochine Counsel explain incentives for developing social housing in industrial zones As a result, millions of workers from north to south were quarantined for a long period of time in cramped quarters and lacked amenities or faced high rents in guest houses and motel rooms. This increases population density and the burden on social infrastructure. According to Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Steering Committee in Ho Chi Minh City, before October 1, IZs in Ho Chi Minh City had about 288,000 workers, including more than 70,000 using various stay-at-work models. This number has since fallen to around 45,000 people. The total number of workers in such zones has dropped by over 50 per cent, creating more obstacles for enterprises to meet orders. Therefore, the need for social housing in these IZs is vital. The regulations regarding this are scattered within many documents. …
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National Assembly expected to discuss solutions to urgent issues in second session
The second session of the 15th National Assembly which opened on October 20 is expected to discuss a series of socio-economic issues that have arisen after the fourth pandemic wave. National Assembly Deputies at the first session Since late July, when the first session of the 15th National Assembly ended to now, the country has experienced unprecedented events because of the fourth wave, especially in HCM City and neighboring provinces. Twenty-three provinces had to impose lockdowns, while most of the remaining localities had to implement social distancing. In HCM City, the GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product) was minus 24.39 percent in the third quarter and minus 4.98 percent in the first nine months of the year, figures which had never been seen before in a city that is the ‘locomotive’ of the national economy. The country witnessed the minus 6.17 percent growth rate in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, which has forced the GDP growth rate in …
Range of sectors to feel impact of new transactions
Range of sectors to feel impact of new transactions. Photo: freepik.com The new law transitioned to a notification threshold based on assets, revenues, and transaction values, which are more objective measurements and provide businesses with greater clarity about when these thresholds are fulfilled. Thus, the number of notifications received by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has increased sharply. This stands in contrast to the Law on Competition 2004, when many businesses found it difficult to be certain of their notification obligations due to uncertainties. As a result, a large number of transactions have gone unnoticed in the past. Of the 125 dossiers, approximately 30 per cent of the transactions reported to the MoIT were conducted outside of Vietnam’s borders. However, the new law clearly states that it applies to any acts by foreign individuals or entities that have or may have the effect of restricting competition in Vietnam’s markets. For some sophisticated …
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Islanders encouraged to take up organic farming
Garlic and onion farms on the Lý Sơn Islands, off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province. The islands have been turning to organic agriculture for more sustainable development. Photo courtesy of Lê Xuân Thọ LÝ SƠN ISLANDS — Organically grown crops have been designated a key part of sustainable development on the Lý Sơn Islands, 30km off the coast of central Quảng Ngãi Province. Lý Sơn garlic and onions are popular throughout the country. However, the transfer to organic farming faces hurdles from low productivity, a lack of policies supporting farmer-business partnerships and poor protection of the Lý Sơn garlic brand, which is discouraging farmers from organic farming. Although earning Geographical Indication (GI) status, organic garlic and purple onion farms occupy less than one per cent of the islands’ total 330ha of farmland. Farmers on the islands are still hesitant to transfer from traditional agricultural practices to organic farming, fearing low productivity, high …
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Welcome the great opportunity after pandemic
In the midst of a stressful time of the epidemic, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is developing a program to recover the economy after the pandemic. According to Minister Nguyen Chi Dung, Covid-19 has disrupted production and business activities of enterprises around the world and seriously affected the Vietnamese economy. Along with that, the epidemic has disrupted many supply chains in the world and Vietnam. However, when the economy recovers from the pandemic, demand will also increase. Vietnam needs to take advantage of this opportunity to bring businesses into the supply chain. Growth and opportunity The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam researched and re-evaluated the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on the supply chain of 10 industries in Vietnam. They selected three priority industries for in-depth research: agriculture, food processing and automobiles. These are the three industries …
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