Ha Noi-Sapa link road gets Lao Cai approval The People's Committee of the mountainous Lao Cai Province has approved a plan to build a link road from Noi Bai – Lao Cai Highway to Sapa district, officials said last week. Chairman of the committee Doan Van Huong asked relevant units and locals to complete the necessary procedures to start the construction work soon, an official said. The 27 km-long link road is expected to be constructed with technological standards suitable to mountainous areas. According to the plan, the entire route will have nine bridges, including five viaducts, and four flyovers over streams. About 275 households will be shifted from 104 ha that will be used to build the road. The total investment under a BOT model (build-operate-transfer) is expected more than VND2.5 trillion (US$116.6 million). The payback period of the project is expected to be 24 years and eight months via toll collection. The construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of … [Read more...] about Social News 6/7
Volunteer tourism negative impacts
Social News 21/6
HCM City gets high-level People's Procuracy A high-level People's Procuracy in HCM City has been established under a resolution of the Standing Committee of the 13th National Assembly. The NA on May 28 passed Resolution 953, based on the 2014 People's Procuracy Organisation Law. Under the resolution, the Supreme People's Procuracy appointed Nguyen Van Quang as the director of the high-level People's Procuracy. The Procuracy exists on four levels: district, province, high-level (for three centrally governed cities – HCM City, Ha Noi and Da Nang) and supreme. Also appointed were four deputy directors of the high-level People's Procuracy: Vo Van Them, Nguyen Thanh Son, Nguyen The Thanh and Le Xuan Hai. Nguyen Van Quang, director of the high-level People's Procuracy in HCM City, said the high-level People's Procuracy in HCM City had been established on the basis of Appeal Procuracy 3. In addition to exercising the right of prosecution and supervisor of judicial activities for cases … [Read more...] about Social News 21/6
Key solutions for realizing socio-economic development plan
RESOLUTION Key solutions for directing the implementation of the social-economic development plan and State budget estimate in 2012 Despite many difficulties and challenges in 2011, the national economy has, as guided by the sound leadership of the Communist Party and drastic measures taken by the Government, as well as fuelled by efforts exerted by sectors and agencies of all levels, the business community and people, moved positively and obtained an array of significant achievements in curbing inflation, stabilizing the macro-economy, and ensuring social welfare. These included an economic growth rate of at about 6%; agriculture developing stably; food output making a new record high; industrial production increasing fairly; service and tourism sectors continuing with their growing trend. Export turnover saw a three fold rise over the preset target; trade deficit went down sharply; State budget overspending dipped; the currency and credit balance were put under control; the foreign … [Read more...] about Key solutions for realizing socio-economic development plan
Thai police grapple for firm clues to Bangkok bomb suspects
Forty-eight hours after a bomb blast tore through a shrine teeming with tourists in central Bangkok, Thai police appear to have few firm clues about who was responsible for the bloodiest attack the city has seen. Making their job all the harder, crucial forensic evidence may have been lost or compromised in the chaotic aftermath of Monday evening's blast. The strongest evidence the police have so far is grainy CCTV footage of a man who left a backpack at the Erawan Shrine shortly before the explosion, which killed 20 people and injured more than 120. Police on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for a "foreign" man, apparently basing this only on the fair colour of his skin, but senior officers publicly disagreed over whether or not he was wearing a disguise. Two other men seen in the CCTV footage are also suspects, police said, without giving details of their appearance. Police don't know whether the suspects belonged to a homegrown or foreign militant outfit. Experts say the … [Read more...] about Thai police grapple for firm clues to Bangkok bomb suspects
Financial crisis, swine flu blamed for tourist fall
Global financial crisis and swine flu are blamed for the recession of the world tourist industry, experts said at a tourist seminar held in HCM City on Sep. 11. The seminar, “Capacity building for Vietnam’s tourism businesses against the backdrop of the global financial crisis,” was held to discuss lessons and recommendations for local tourism businesses to improve their capacity. It welcomed presentations by various well-known and experienced lecturers from regional countries. The morning schedule included a seminar “Asia Pacific’s tourism trends” by Kris Lim, Associate Director of the StrategicIntelligenceCenter (SIC) under the Pacific Asia Travel Association. This was followed by a discussion about innovation in product development by Dr. Victor Wee, Chairman of program Committe of the UN World Tourism Organization. In the first presentation, Mr. Lim highlighted the case that most countries in the world have experienced a negative drop in their … [Read more...] about Financial crisis, swine flu blamed for tourist fall