The exercise aims to prevent issuance of visas to people looking to overstay and work illegally in the country, Ambassador Park Noh-wan said. "South Korea’s five-year visa policy for Vietnam could result in people staying in South Korea illegally. The two countries are considering simplifying visa issuance processes to prevent interference from middlemen (third parties that provide visas unofficially)," Park said at a press meet. He was referring to a South Korean policy issued last year, allowing Vietnamese from Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC to have C-3 visas, which would allow holders to stay in South Korea for up to 30 days with no restrictions on the number of visits for a period of five years. The two countries are moving towards allowing visa exemption for their citizens, he added. South Korea is one of the largest labor export markets for Vietnam. Its Yonhap News Agency reported that Vietnamese were the third largest group of foreign nationals in the country with 196,633 (8.3 … [Read more...] about Vietnam, South Korea to curb visa brokering
Absolute insurance brokers
Prices of herbal medicines to be standardised
A farmer collects herbal plants. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The supply, price and use of herbal medicines will be tightened by strengthening policies on quality assessment at medical facilities, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has stressed. Speaking at a recent conference, Tien said that for a long time, prices of medicines in Vietnam have been higher than in other regional countries, putting a huge burden on the social insurance fund. The difference in prices of traditional herbal medicines reflects the distinguished quality of medicinal plants, according to Tran Van On, head of the Department of Botany under Hanoi University of Pharmacy. Since Vietnam has a rich biodiversity, one herbal species includes different types with various sizes. “Consumers may buy poor-quality herbal medicines at high prices if we do not set a common standard for these products,” said On. With the aim of addressing the issue, he recommended the Ministry of Health (MoH) to … [Read more...] about Prices of herbal medicines to be standardised
Vietnam has miles to go in dealing with sexual abuse of children
Pham Minh Triet "I want to kill him so bad, doctor. "I’ve wanted to do that for so many months now, but I couldn’t. "Every time I remember what happened to my daughter, I just want to find him and kill him," said a young man sitting across from me, his voice trembling. Sobbing next to him was his wife, as their four-year-old daughter sat beside them, motionless. The young couple, who ran a family business in Saigon, had not yet recovered after their daughter was sexually abused. The father showed me pictures of his child’s wounds, signs that the little girl had been violated in both body and mind. His anger was raw, anger with the fiend who abused his daughter, anger with the legal system that failed to deliver justice to his family, and anger with himself. He and his wife had come to me in the Mental Health Department, not just to heal their daughter, but also themselves. For the next 30 minutes, the man went through a rollercoaster of emotions: fear, anger, … [Read more...] about Vietnam has miles to go in dealing with sexual abuse of children
Textile industry unhappy with government plan to raise retirement age
The government is drafting a bill to raise the retirement age by two years for men to 62 and by five years for women to 60. But textile firms firmly oppose this proposal. Bui Duc Thinh, chairman of Song Hong Garment JSC, said at a recent forum that an increase of five years would cause too much stress for female textile workers, who work up to 10 hours a day in a job that requires intense focus. Many women workers in fact want to retire at 45, so the existing retirement age of 55 is already unreasonable, he said. "Some even bribe doctors to have medical grounds for early retirement." A representative of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) said women textile workers tend to retire at 35-40 and use their retirement benefits to open their own small business like a garment or barber shop. "Most of them quit before 50." Truong Van Cam, general secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said the retirement age should be increased first … [Read more...] about Textile industry unhappy with government plan to raise retirement age
WB, UNICEF call for concrete action on child undernutrition in Vietnam
Nation WB, UNICEF call for concrete action on child undernutrition in Vietnam By Thanh Thom Friday, Sep 13, 2019,10:24 (GMT+7) WB, UNICEF call for concrete action on child undernutrition in VietnamBy Thanh Thom A healthcare worker checks the health and nutritional status of ethnic minority children. The WB and UNICEF have called for concrete action in addressing child undernutrition in Vietnam – PHOTO: VNA HCMC – The World Bank (WB) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday reiterated their strong commitment to working with the Vietnamese Government to tackle child undernutrition, as some 21% of ethnic minority children are underweight. The WB noted in a statement that child undernutrition remains a significant development challenge in Vietnam, representing a staggering yet avoidable loss to the Southeast Asian nation’s human capital and economic growth potential. The worrying … [Read more...] about WB, UNICEF call for concrete action on child undernutrition in Vietnam