65 individuals arrested for drug smuggling into Vietnam
| One of the four flight attendants detained in mid-March for allegedly smuggling drugs into Vietnam. Photo: The Hanoi Times |
Some 65 individuals have been arrested and prosecuted for smuggling drugs into Vietnam, and some 50 kilograms of drugs have been seized, the police reported on April 26. An overseas Vietnamese in France stuffs the drugs in small packages such as toothpaste tubes and food boxes and hires other oversea Vietnamese individuals to transport the packages into Vietnam for delivery and distribution.
The case was opened following the arrest of four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants who were caught smuggling 11.4 kilograms of drugs stashed in 327 toothpaste tubes from Paris to HCM City on March 16. The flight attendants were subsequently released as there was no evidence that they knew about the drugs.
Land clearance cost for HCM City’s ring road hits US$3,100 per m2
HCM City's authorities have approved the maximum compensation for clearing land for constructing Ring Road 3. Accordingly, it may cost Thu Duc authorities a maximum of VND73 million (US$3,100) to clear one square meter of land for the ring road project. In the three districts of Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and Binh Chanh, the maximum clearing cost ranges from VND19.5 million-42.7 million (US$830-1,800).
Local authorities are expected to hand over 70-85% of the required land for the project by June 15. Ring Road 3, which connects HCM City with Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Long An provinces, is 76 kilometers long. The HCM City section is 47 km long, covers 397 hectares of land, and requires the relocation of nearly 1,700 families.
Vietnam approves agreement on social insurance with Korea
The Vietnamese Government has approved an agreement on social insurance signed with the Republic of Korea on December 14, 2021. The bilateral agreement, consisting of five chapters with 24 articles, will boost the number of workers exchanged between the two nations and protect their rights and interests by social insurance rules.
Furthermore, the agreement assures Vietnamese and Korean citizens avoid double social insurance payments when working abroad. According to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, more than 9,900 Vietnamese people were sent to the Republic of Korea in 2022, bringing the total number to around 40,000.
Vietnam to host the 1st Vietnam-Southeast Asia culture and cuisine festival
The first Vietnam-Southeast Asia Cuisine and Culture Festival will take place from May 25 to May 28 at the Hoa Lu Sports Center in HCM City’s District 1. The festival will feature more than 200 booths that introduce traditional foods and specialties from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations.
During the festival, other activities will be showcasing outstanding cultural traits, conferences discussing ways to promote Vietnamese cultural traits and cuisines, and assisting local firms in signing up for brand protection. The festival will also contribute to celebrating the 56th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN, which falls on August 8, and promote the Vietnam-ASEAN relations.
Shopee, FoodMap initiate supportive project for local farm produce
E-commerce platform Shopee and safe agricultural product distributor FoodMap on April 25 launched a project to support sustainable operations for Vietnamese farmers. The project, lasting until December 2023, will strengthen local brands and propel local socio-economic development.
During the project, the two companies will assist farmers in preserving local crops and revamping their production lines to meet VietGAP standards, collecting seasonal farm products, providing proper transportation, and offering agricultural products for sale on the Shopee platform.
Vietnam, USAID introduce guidance for businesses’ digital transformation
The Enterprise Development Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment on April 25 released the Yellow Book for Digital Transformation in cooperation with the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The publication aims to provide proper solutions for 40% of all enterprises that lack information about digital transformation solutions, thus saving their time and expenses.
In its first edition, the guide will review and update the business community with useful solutions and set up a database to instruct local companies to pursue digital transformation through various resources.
