Extension of toll collection right for HCMC-Trung Luong expy proposedBy Le Anh The HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway is the first expressway project to be built - PHOTO: LE ANH HCMC - Cuu Long Corporation for Investment, Development and Project Management of Infrastructure (CIPM) has written to the Ministry of Transport proposing to continue collecting toll fees on the HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway for one year and a half after the commercial right over the expressway expires late this year. CIPM petitioned that the toll collection will continue between January 2019 and June 2020, after the road commercial contract with Yen Khanh Trade Production and Service Company expires on December 31, 2018. Yen Khanh had purchased the right to collect toll fees for five years, starting from January 1, 2014, with a transfer price of some VND2 trillion. CIPM in its petition said that the continued toll collection is meant to make the most of the public infrastructure asset to create fund for … [Read more...] about Extension of toll collection right for HCMC-Trung Luong expy proposed
Proposed 404 extension map
Health ministry proposes measures for guarding against Ebola
Health ministry proposes measures for guarding against Ebola HCMC – The Ministry of Health held a meeting on June 4, with the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC), to provide updated information about an Ebola outbreak in West Africa and map out preventative measures, Lao Dong newspaper reports. A report from PHEOC indicates that 58 people contracted the Ebola virus, with 27 of them reported dead in the Central African Republic of the Congo. The General Department of Preventive Medicine, under the Ministry of Health, has worked with the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor and evaluate the exposure and current status of the disease. The ministry issued a document to ask leaders of provinces and cities, which are home to international airports, to expand activities to prevent the spread of Ebola . In addition, provincial health departments and cities have been required to inspect and supervise … [Read more...] about Health ministry proposes measures for guarding against Ebola
Govt Inspectorate clarifying missing Thu Thiem zoning map
Govt Inspectorate clarifying missing Thu Thiem zoning map An artist’s impression of Thu Thiem new urban area in HCMC’s District 2 – PHOTO: TL HCMC – The Government Inspectorate has completed a draft conclusion of an inspection of land planning and use in HCMC, including a clarification of whether or not a zoning map of Thu Thiem new urban area is missing. The draft inspection conclusion has been sent to the HCMC government and relevant agencies for further explanation and clarification. A source told news website Dan Tri said that what Vo Viet Thanh, who served as HCMC chairman in 1996-2001, had shared with the media in the past few days is accurate based on evidence the Government Inspectorate had collected and included in the draft conclusion. Thanh told the local media that when presenting a Thu Thiem development proposal to the then Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, Thanh used 13 maps. Thanh is still keeping all the files related to the Thu Thiem … [Read more...] about Govt Inspectorate clarifying missing Thu Thiem zoning map
HCM City proposes visa exemption extension
Foreign tourists enjoy a cyclo tour in HCM City (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - The HCM City Tourism Association has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on further extension of visa exemption for tourists coming from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. The visa waiver programme for the five European countries will expire at the end of June. It remains unclear if the Government will extend the visa waiver, causing uncertainty to the tourism industry and making it difficult for tourism agencies to develop marketing plans for these markets, the association said. The visa waiver for tourists, which began in mid-2015, has helped increase the number of foreign visitor arrivals. The association has asked the government to approve exemptions for five years instead of making renewal every year, and to increase the maximum stay to 30 days from the current 15. The association chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Khanh, also asked the government to … [Read more...] about HCM City proposes visa exemption extension
HCMC proposes extending visa waiver
HCMC proposes extending visa waiverDao Loan HCMC – HCMC authorities have suggested the central Government extend the visa exemption for key source markets for the tourism sector to lure more tourists. The HCMC government proposed extending the visa-free stay from 15 days to 21 or 30 days for visitors from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Russia, South Korea, the U.K., Germany, France and Spain so that tourists can take longer tours in Vietnam. The city also proposed extending the visa waiver for five European countries including the U.K., France, Germany, Spain and Italy from one-year to five-year validity and allowing for a visa-free stay of 30 days for tourists re-entering Vietnam. The municipal government said the visa waiver extension would help boost tourism development in the city and the country as a whole and contribute to making the tourism sector more professional, effective, competitive and sustainable. The number of visitors from Eastern Europe has risen 14% a year … [Read more...] about HCMC proposes extending visa waiver
PM proposes measures to solidify ASEAN-India cooperation
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposes measures to solidify ASEAN-India cooperation (Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu) At the summit, themed “Shared Values, Common Destiny”, leaders agreed to enhance their strategic partnership by fully implementing the ASEAN-India action plan until 2020. They adopted the Delhi Statement, which maps out a vision for future ties. PM Phuc urged the two sides to strengthen trade and investment cooperation to drive the ASEAN-India partnership. He pushed land and sea connectivity, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation for regional peace, and stability and coping with traditional and non-traditional security challenges. The PM urged ASEAN and India to strengthen coordination to enforce international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, build trust through joint measures to deal with maritime challenges, and develop a green sea-based economy. … [Read more...] about PM proposes measures to solidify ASEAN-India cooperation
Association proposes stopping temporary import of sugar
The Viet Nam Sugar and Sugarcane Association has proposed to the Prime Minister not to allow an extension for temporary sugar imports for re-export as the sweet industry was struggling with high stockpiles and slumping prices due to illegally imported sugar. This was in opposition to a recent proposal by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the People’s Committee of Lao Cai regarding the extension of temporary sugar import licences which expired on December 31, 2017 to the end of 2019. In 2015, the Government allowed the temporary import of 220,000 tonnes of sugar (mainly from Thailand) through certain border gates in Lao Cai Province until the end of 2017. However, a report by the province said that only 43.73 per cent of the permitted volume was imported and several companies temporarily imported sugar but had not re-exported. For this reason, the ministry and the northern province called for an extension to the temporary import licences. However, the proposal was worrying … [Read more...] about Association proposes stopping temporary import of sugar
Mai Linh Taxi plea for debt deadline extension denied
Vietnam Social Insurance Agency has turned down Mai Linh Taxi's proposal to extend their insurance payment deadline to 2038. Mai Linh Taxi incurring huge debtNguyen Thi Dai from Vietnam Social Insurance Agency said on January 18 that they had received Mai Linh Taxi's proposal.However, according to the Law on Social Insurance issued in 2014, only the government has the authority to reduce insurance debts, exempt interest or extend the deadline. Vietnam Social Insurance Agency only collected the payments.Mai Linh Taxi Company has asked for the government's help to pay insurance for employees as they have incurred more than VND180bn (USD7.9m) in losses as of October 31. They blamed the economic downturn in 2008, high interest rates and tough competition with Uber and Grab Taxi for the drop of 30% in revenue.Mai Linh asked for the terms of its debt of VND150bn to be renegotiated to extend to 2038, and are seeking to have any late payment fines wavered. It also want to exempt … [Read more...] about Mai Linh Taxi plea for debt deadline extension denied
$1bn price tag on extensions to HCMC’s Metro Line 1
The total capital needed to extend Metro Line No. 1 from Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces is about VND21.234 trillion ($943.7 million), according to figures from a Japanese research team.The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has approved the extension of Metro Line No. 1 from Suoi Tien Station to Bien Hoa city in Dong Nai and Di An commune in Binh Duong, in order to resolve traffic jams between Vung Tau and Suoi Tien.The plan to extend the Metro Line No. 1 was also approved by the Dong Nai and Binh Duong Provincial People’s Committees in late November.Metro Line No. 1 runs 19.7 km from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien and can be extended to Sac Market in Bien Hoa city and to Di An commune.With total capital of $2.49 billion, construction got underway in August 2012, passing through Districts 1, 2, 9, Binh Thanh, and Thu Duc in Ho Chi Minh City and Di An district in Binh Duong.The line is expected to open in 2020, including 2.6 km of underground line with three … [Read more...] about $1bn price tag on extensions to HCMC’s Metro Line 1
Ho Chi Minh City approves metro line extension to Dong Nai, Binh Duong
The metro line will extend to Dong Nai province’s Bien Hoa city and Binh Duong province’s Di An town as proposed by Japanese consultant joint-venture Nippon Koei – Tokyu. The cost of extending the line will be VND 21.23 trillion (nearly USD 950 million), including VND 2.32 trillion (USD 103 million) for the section from the Suoi Tien Station to Binh Duong Station. Tran Thanh Liem, Chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee, said the extension would create favorable conditions urban development and public transportation. Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro route is under construction. (photo: baogiaothong.vn) Along with preparations for the metro extension, Binh Duong has also earmarked land along the planned metro line for new urban areas under the TOD (transit-oriented development) mode.The Dong Nai and Binh Duong provincial People’s Committees have also agreed to the project, which is in line with the city’s transport development plan … [Read more...] about Ho Chi Minh City approves metro line extension to Dong Nai, Binh Duong