Sealed bids how long to wait

Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh and Minister of Justice Le Thanh Long cleared up questions regarding asset recovery in corruption cases , at a Q&A session in Hanoi on March 20 as part of the 21st meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee. Binh admitted that the work has yet to be done strictly although 40% of the assets were recovered over the past decade. The roadblock lies with the process to prove that the assets are acquired from corruption cases, he said, stressing the need to raise the efficiency of investigations and quickly seal off the assets to speed up the work. For his part, Long reported that as from October 2022, competent forces recovered 17 trillion VND (720.87 million USD), up nearly 12 trillion VND year-on-year. He, however, pointed to a host of obstacles such as the assets in major … [Read more...] about Legislators scrutinise corrupt asset recovery

Foreign workers in Malaysia to exceed a million in 2023 (Photo: hr.asia) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - The Federation of Malaysia n Manufacturers (FMM) believes that the number of foreign workers in Malaysia will easily exceed 1 million in 2023. FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the recruitment of foreign workers has improved from previous years, with the government’s implementation of the Foreign Worker Recruitment Relaxation Plan from Jan 17 to March 31. According to the FMM Business Conditions Survey for the second half of 2022, more than half (59%) of the respondents said that they can meet their foreign worker needs and obtain their quota approval. The 22nd edition of the survey, released on March 16, was carried out from Jan. 18 to Feb. 28, with a total of 745 respondents nationwide. Speaking at a press conference, the official revealed that only 8%, which is a small number, were not able to meet their foreign worker needs and obtain their quota approval … [Read more...] about Foreign workers in Malaysia to exceed a million in 2023

The seriously-degraded, stinky state of public toilets has become an affliction for people in Hanoi, which has about 400 public bathrooms serving a population of more than 8.3 million. Using public toilets has become a nightmare for people and tourists in the Vietnamese capital city. At My Dinh Bus Station, one of the biggest bus depots in Hanoi handling thousands of passengers every day, many public toilets are overgrown with wild plants as observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters. A public toilet is overgrown with wild plants on Nguyen Hoang Street in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre At the back of one of those bathrooms on Nguyen Hoang Street, a beverage stall has been established. Inside the bathroom, there are two toilet compartments for males and females, with one of them being closed, accompanied by an overpowering stench. In that sole operational toilet compartment, one broken urinal was unusable and sealed with a … [Read more...] about Public toilets cause for concern in Hanoi

A view of an ABBank’s transaction office in Ha Noi. ABBank is currently the only bank that is listing interest rate of more than 9 per cent per year for 12-month deposits. VNA/VNS Photo Interest rates on the interbank market, the open market operation (OMO) channel and commercial banks have all decreased after the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) cut several policy interest rates last week. The SBV on March 15 made its first policy rate cut by 50-100 basis points since October 2020 to support economic growth and stabilise the monetary market. Accordingly, the discount rate has been reduced from 4.5 per cent per year to 3.5 per cent per year while overnight electronic interbank rate and interest rate for loans to offset capital shortages in clearance between the central bank and commercial banks have been also decreased from 7 per cent per year to 6 per cent per year. After the SBV’s move, interest rates in the inter-bank market have declined significantly. Accordingly, the average … [Read more...] about Interest rates reduce in all markets in wake of central bank’s policy rate cut

Situated in Mang Thit District of Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, the Mang Thit brick village, known as the 'kingdom of bricks' in the region, has a history of over 100 years, making it very attractive to tourists from near and far. The uniqueness of the ancient brick village lies in its kilns, with each of them having a height of 5-12 meters and a round tower shape, creating a distinctive architectural complex. Mang Thit is also regarded as a village of traditional craftsmanship and tourism. Such a perfect combination drives up the village’s economic growth. Blocks molded in clay are sunbathed before being put into a kiln for burning in the Mang Thit brick village in Mang Thit District, Vinh Long Province, Vietnam. Vinh Long Province offers supportive policies to local craftsmen and gives special mechanisms to turn the brick hub into the 'Mang Thit contemporary cultural heritage' to further boost socio-economic development. … [Read more...] about Ancient Mang Thit brick village: A nostalgic destination in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

This is an opportunity to provide a green and cost-effective source of energy for the country's strong economic development; and at the same time, support it to achieve its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), he stressed. As one of the countries that strongly support Vietnam's green and sustainable energy transition, Denmark expects the Vietnamese government to soon issue a clear and consistent legal framework, which is essential for the development of the offshore wind industry, added the diplomat. Nguyen Duc Hien, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, said that Vietnam holds great potential and advantages for wind energy development. By the end of 2021, the total registered capacity of offshore wind power investment in Vietnam had been around 154 GW, Hien said, adding that the draft eighth Power Master Plan sets a target to develop about 16.12 GW of onshore and nearshore wind … [Read more...] about Vietnam has dual opportunity from offshore wind power: Danish ambassador

After motorbike-taxi driver Nguyen Van Nam dropped off his passenger at No. 60 Truong Dinh, he received an angry call from the person for dropping them off "at the wrong address." There was another No. 60 on the same road. He says: "It is also on Truong Dinh Street, half of which is in District 1 and the other half in District 3. Numbers are duplicated, which led to the confusion." The 50-year-old has been driving his motorbike on the streets of Saigon for over a decade. Nam says he is familiar with the main streets in the downtown area but did not expect the bizarre numbering system. It took him half an hour to finally find the right place and drop off the passenger. Motorbike-taxi drivers are most wary about Phan Xich Long Street, which spans three wards in Phu Nhuan District, due to its chaotic numbering, he says. "Each house has at least two numbers assigned to it. Two houses can be right next to each other, but their numbers can be very far apart. There can be two … [Read more...] about Saigon’s addresses are a riddle wrapped in a mystery

Thai officials searching for a radioactive cylinder missing from a power station said Monday that they had found traces of the dangerous material in a nearby steel foundry. The 25-kilo (55-pound) steel tube containing highly radioactive caesium-137 was reported missing from the coal-fired power plant in Prachinburi province, east of Bangkok, earlier this month. Officials said traces of caesium had been found at a foundry around 10 kilometres (six miles) away, though they were not sure whether the cylinder was intact. "We are not sure if the cylinder has already melted, but we found caesium at this steel melting plant," said Prachinburi governor Ronnarong Nakornjinda. He said that if it had been melted, the radioactive material would have been contained within a "closed" area, and that there was no sign of contamination nearby. A search was launched after staff at the power station reported the loss of the steel tube, roughly 30 centimetres (12 inches) long and 13 centimetres … [Read more...] about Traces of missing Thai radioactive matter located in foundry

According to the General Statistics Office, the number of foreign individuals who come to Vietnam to make investments and implement their employment contracts or assignment has continuously increased in recent years, especially after Vietnam engaged in trade agreements and applied preferential policies for attracting foreign investment. Foreigners’ right to land In Vietnam, land use rights are granted to land users by the Vietnamese government on behalf of the landowner. Under the prevailing regulations, foreigners are not land users in Vietnam, and are not eligible for land allocation, land lease, or recognition of land use rights by the state. In the event that inheritance recipients of land use rights or ownership of houses and other property on land are foreigners, they are allowed to transfer them to other objects in accordance with Vietnamese Law. However, these foreigners as inheritance recipients are still not granted the certificate of land use rights and ownership. … [Read more...] about Clarifying rights of foreign individuals to own property in Vietnam

It took a loaded pistol pointed at Lazzaro D'Auria's head for the Italian landowner to finally say yes to the country's newest and most violent mafia. The Puglia farmer had resisted their extortion attempts in the past –- the threats, the fires, the damage to his crops and property. But surprised by the early morning visit of a dozen men, including a boss with a gun, he agreed to their demand for 150,000 euros a year. Instead of paying up the next day, D'Auria went to the police, making him one of the few people to ever denounce Foggia's little-known mafia, Italy's long-ignored and today its most violent organised crime syndicate. "If more citizens pressed charges, the local mafia could be weakened," D'Auria, who has lived under police protection since 2017, told AFP. "Citizens, speak out!" implored the 57-year-old, who sees recent crackdowns by authorities as a sign the mafia can be weakened if locals overcome their fears. Its bloody clan wars were once dismissed as … [Read more...] about Italy’s ‘Fourth Mafia’, little-known but extremely violent