La Ngoc Khue, former Deputy Minister of Transport, said that a slower train is a far better option for the country at present, instead of the superfast train that comes with a very heavy budget burden. Khue said that a train speed of 350 kilometers per hour as proposed by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) is redundant. "As the TEDI-TRICC-TEDISOUTH consultancy consortium has estimated, actual demand in 2050 would only meet 40 percent of its capacity of 364,000 people a day. This means 60 percent of seats will not be occupied, while no cargo will be transported, a huge waste of capacity," he told VnExpress. Railways should have the capacity to transport cargo, he said. The World Bank has noted that Vietnam’s logistics cost accounts for 21 percent of its GDP, twice that of Thailand. The main reason is that Vietnam is far too dependent on roads while existing railway routes carry a small fraction of the total volume, Khue noted. "Both China and Japan own the … [Read more...] about A 350 kph train is fast, but where will it get Vietnam?
How government is limited
Vietnam opens government procurement market
The Hanoitimes - Besides the CPTPP, Vietnam is also due to liberalize its government procurement market under the Europe-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which is expected to be signed this year. Vietnam to open public procurement market for foreign investors Hanoi inaugurated first public procurement centre in Vietnam 100% of regular procurement transactions to go online by 2025 The Vietnamese government procurement market has been open for the first time to meet the country’s commitments under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Government procurement contracts at Vietnamese hospitals lure foreign firms Government procurement is about how government spends public money on goods, works or services. This can range from buying everything from tables and chairs to materials and services used in large infrastructure projects. Previously, foreign firms are not permitted to engage in government tenders for … [Read more...] about Vietnam opens government procurement market
France’s Le Pen ordered to undergo psychiatric tests over IS tweets
"It's crazy," Marine Le Pen fumed over a court ruling ordering her to undergo psychiatric evaluation AFP/YANN COATSALIOU Le Pen shared the gruesome images in December 2015, a few weeks after IS militants killed 130 people in attacks in Paris, sparking widespread condemnation in France. The 50-year-old leader of the National Rally (formerly the National Front), who lost to Emmanuel Macron in last year's presidential vote, was stripped of her parliamentary immunity over the pictures and charged with circulating violent messages that can be viewed by minors. On Thursday, she tweeted copies of a court order requiring her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Dated Sep 11, it calls for the tests to be carried out "as soon as possible" to establish whether Le Pen "is capable of understanding remarks and answering questions". "It's crazy," fumed Le Pen, herself a trained lawyer. "I thought I had been through it all: well, no! For having condemned Daesh (IS) horrors in tweets, the 'justice … [Read more...] about France’s Le Pen ordered to undergo psychiatric tests over IS tweets
Government News 28/8
New Zealand Trade Ministry promotes partnerships with VN New Zealand’s Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth, Damien O’Connor, takes a photo with girls staying at the Bà Chiểu Shelter in HCM City. at the Bà Chiểu Girls Shelter in HCM City as part of his visit to Việt Nam from August 27-29. During his trip, O’Connor will further political links with Vietnamese representatives in HCM City, and then travel to Hà Nội to meet with his counterparts. At the Bà Chiểu Shelter, O’Connor said that it was his first time to Việt Nam. “We have a number of Vietnamese students in New Zealand, studying at universities and involved in other training such as how to fly aircraft,” he said. He told the girls living in the shelter that they were welcome to study in New Zealand. He announced that the New Zealand Head of Mission Fund worth NZD$25,000 (US$20,000) would be presented to the shelter to … [Read more...] about Government News 28/8
China may scrap two-child limit: report
The wide-ranging code would end a policy that has been enforced through fines but was also notorious for cases of forced abortions and sterilisation in the world's most populous country. The Procuratorate Daily said the draft code omits any reference to "family planning" -- the current policy which limits couples to having no more than two children. The report did not indicate whether the new policy would raise the limit or allow an unlimited number of children. The draft civil code, which is being discussed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress this week, is set to be completed by 2020. The Communist Party began enforcing a one-child policy in 1979 to slow population growth. The limit was raised to two children in 2016 as the nation scrambled to rejuvenate its greying population of some 1.4 billion. Concerns are mounting that an ageing and shrinking workforce could slow down China's economy, while gender imbalances could lead to social problems. Childbirths have … [Read more...] about China may scrap two-child limit: report