Vietnam News Agency (VNA)

Press highlights Mar. 19

19/03/2008 -- 10:32 AM

Ha Noi (VNA) -

Current Events

· Viet Nam ’s National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong met with Japan ’s Diet Speaker Yohei Kono and Upper House Speaker Satsuki Eda. Viet Nam will create favourable conditions to welcome foreign investors including those from Japan ( All dailies, page 1).

· People-to-people friendship activities bolster Viet Nam and Laos ties (Nhan dan, page 1).

· Viet Nam and the Netherlands boost cooperation (Nhan dan, page 8).

· A delegation of US lawyers arrived in Viet Nam to help Agent Orange/Dioxin victims pursuit their lawsuit against US chemical companies (Quan doi Nhan dan, Ha Noi Moi, and Saigon Giai phong, page 8).

Socio-economic Affairs

· Stock market continues slipping in prices and trading (Nhan dan, page 2).

· Additional 122 billion VND is granted as price subsidy to bus’s operations (Nhan dan, page 7).

· Viet Nam becomes a member of the OECD (Nhan dan and Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· Viet Nam Microcircuit Designing Centre was inaugurated (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 1).

· How will State support seafood exporters that have foreign currency surplus but run short of VND? (Ha Noi Moi, page 1).

· The National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development: a leg-up for creation (Ha Noi Moi, page 5).

· Viet Nam will have an energy-saving equipment plant (Ha Noi Moi, page 5).

· What are solutions for vocational training at enterprises’ requests? (Ha Noi Moi, page 6).

· Construction contractors face bankruptcy as building material prices spiral (Lao dong, page 1).

· Ho Chi Minh City : prices of hundreds of commodity items in supermarkets will be adjusted (Lao dong, page 1).

· Prompt actions should be taken to tackle the possible outbreak of severe diarrhea epidemic (Lao dong, page 1).

· The George Washing University in the US forges cooperation with two Vietnamese universities (Lao dong, page 3).

· The State devised policies to support fishermen and the poor in the wake of the petrol and oil price hike (Saigon Giai phong, page 1).

· Gold prices swing drastically, resulting in the price increase of more than 300 other goods items (Saigon Giai phong, page 1).

· State-owned property worth from 10 million VND and more will be made public (Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam [Viet Nam Financial Review], No. 33, page 1).

· Measures to bring the country’s accounting and auditing sector to be on par with the regional level (Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam, No. 33, page 3).

· Securities market moves towards recovery while facing big challenges (Thoi bao Tai chinh Viet Nam , No. 33, page 3). The VN-Index reached the peak of 1,170.67 points on February 12, 2007. One year later, the index reduced 527.17 points, equal to a 45 percent decrease. Due to a series of measures to “save” the bourse implemented by the State Securities Committee, the VN-Index has seen a trend of recovery.

· Prices of real estate are “going down” (Thoi bao Tai cinh Viet Nam , No. 33, page 15). That was a good news for people who are in need of housing. The Ministries of Construction, Finance and Natural Resources and Environment prepared to promulgate policies to lower the real estate fever by taxation and credit measures. Moreover, many people, who borrowed banks’ money to invest in land have been alarmed and sold land in a hurry.

· Equality and detail in preference (Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam [Viet Nam Economic Review], No. 67, page 5). Plans to revise the Law on Corporate Income Tax have been discussed at a seminar held by the National Assembly’s Committee for Finance and Budget. New tax regulations are expected to create big changes.

· The Viet Nam Oil and Gas Corporation successfully fulfilled its tasks (Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam , No. 67, page 12). Tran Ngoc Canh, General Director of the Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group, granted an interview to the media.

· Airlines in competition (Tuoi tre [Youth], No. 72, page 14). Customers will have many choices as there will be at least five airlines to operate in the domestic market.

· Challenges to woodwork producers (Thanh nien [Young People]. The Vietnamese wood production sector affirmed their niche at the International Furniture Fair in Singapore from March 9-12, but worried about their own disadvantages.

International Events

· The US : Florida will not redo its presidential nominating primary (Nhan dan, page 8).

· A joint statement on new Asia-Africa strategic partnership was signed (Nhan dan, page 8).

· Russia and the US hold negotiations a the missile shield plan (Nhan dan and Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· Violence runs high in Kosovo (Nhan dan and Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· China : other countries should have a correct understanding of the riot in Tibet (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).

· The five-year Iraq war in retrospect: disappointed black holes (Ha Noi Moi, page 8).

· Serbians in Kosovo caused provocations against the international forces (Lao dong, page 7).

· Iraq: bomb blast in a shrine resulted in more than 100 persons dead or injured (Saigon Giai phong, page 8).

· Pakistan : the new parliament started meting out “blows” at President Pervez Musharraf (Saigon Giai phong, page 8).

· Serbian President asked the UNMIK and KFOR not to resort to violence (Saigon Giai phong, page 8).-Enditem

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