Switzerland will grant US$1.3mil to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Trust Fund for Forests to help develop Vietnam 's forestry sector.

An agreement to this effect was signed in Hanoi on December 8 between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Swiss International Development Agency (SIDA).

Established in June 2004 by MARD and 22 international partners, the Trust Fund for Forests aims to fund major activities and prioritised projects of the country's forestry sector.

Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden have pledged to contribute around US$28mil to the fund in the 2004-207 period. Accordingly, the fund had already received Eur4mil from the Netherlands and expects to receive $3.8mil from Sweden in late December 2004.

Moreover, the German Government has provided the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with technical assistance through a project on the Reform of the Forestry Administration System (REFAS) to help manage the fund.

(Source: HNM, VNA)

The ninth negotiation round (first bilateral round) on Vietnam ’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will begin on December 8 in Geneva , Switzerland .

According to the National Committee for International Economic Cooperation, Vietnam will continue its bilateral negotiations with some countries, including the US and the Republic of Korea , on the widening of goods and service markets and legal reforms.

Multilateral negotiations between Vietnam and WTO members will take place between December 14 and 17. They will focus on the draft report of the Working Group on Vietnam ’s Accession to WTO.

The negotiation itinerary for Vietnam ’s WTO bid is gathering speed, said Deputy Trade Minister Luong Van Tu.

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

Hanoi licenses 95 new projects

Hanoi has licensed 95 new foreign invested projects since the beginning of the year, with total registered capital of more than US$1bil.

This is 52.6% growth compared to the amount of foreign invested capital it got in the same period of 2003.

Two of the biggest projects are in mobile phone networks and a high-rise building.

The city has improved its investment licensing procedures and is offering more incentives to foreign investors. It has organized a number of investment promotion conferences in Switzerland, Thailand, Spain, China, Hungary and Italy.

(Source: Econet, Nhan Dan)

The Francois Lindermann Jazz Band.

VietNamNet – The Francois Lindermann Sixtet Jazz Band from Switzerland opened the European Jazz Festival in Hanoi on November 26.

The band features Christophe Schweizei (trombone), Yannick Barman (trumpet and flugelhorn), Guillaume Perret (saxaphone), Marcello Giulliani (bass), Cyril Regamey (drums) and François Lindermann (piano).

The festival continued on November 27 with performances by Jazz Ahead and Ginman de Luxe in Hanoi and HCM City.

Francois Lindermann will play in HCM City on November 28.

The Performance Arts Administration of the Ministry of Culture and Information, the European Union Delegation in Hanoi, and L’Espace Centre joined forces to organise the festival.

PV

The Switzerland Red Cross (SRC) will grant its Vietnamese counterpart around US$450,000 to help carry out a project on relocating and resettling people at natural disaster-prone Ho Gui village in the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

The project, signed in Hanoi on November 1, aims to build new houses, infirmaries and schools to help Ho Gui villagers living along the coast prevent erosion caused by tides. It will be carried out in the 2004-2005 period.

Since 1980, the SRC has helped Viet Nam carry out many projects, including building houses, hospitals and humanitarian clinics for people in calamity-prone areas; improving abilities for provincial Red Cross branches; assisting disabled children and Agent Orange victims; and providing free surgery for blind people from poor families.

On this occasion, VRC President and General Secretary Nguyen Van Thuong presented a Medal for the Cause of Humanity to Antonine Weber, Coordinator of SRC, in recognition of his contributions to the cooperation and development between the Red Cross of the two countries.

(Source: VNA)

The Trade Ministry’s Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) has launched a training course on market analysis for trade promotion organisations and exporters.

The VIE/61/94 programme, which is part of a project to support trade promotion and export development, receives funding from Switzerland and Sweden. It works to strengthen market analysis and design export strategies for associations, trade promotion organisations and exporters.

 

The first training courses to develop skills with market analysis tools available through ITC and Internet, including Trademap Vietnam and Producmap Vietnam were held in Hanoi, HCM City and Da Nang on October 14-15.

 

With total funding of US$3.165mil, the project is the continuation of a preparatory period from 2000-2002, which was sponsored by Switzerland and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

 

The 36-month project will focus on several major activities: suggesting a national export development strategy and export strategies for selected products and services; developing an effective trade assistance network between the Government, trade support organisation and exporters; developing capability for selected organisations to provide training and consulting services related to trade for trade promotion organisations and exporters nationwide; developing effective commercial information ability to meet the needs of the Government, trade promotion organisations and exporters.

 

(Source: TBKTVN)

VietNamNet – The Vietnam Opera and Ballet Theatre will stage a performance on October 19 to celebrate Vietnamese Women’s Day (October 20) at the Hanoi Opera House.

The Hanoi Rendezvous show will be an annual international chamber-music performance in celebration of Vietnamese Women’s Day.

 

Last year, a group of five wind instrumentalists from the US, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland and Vietnam brought a unique performance for Hanoian audience with classical music pieces and dances.

 

This year, under the baton of conductor Rosemary Barker, and joined by soprano singer Ann Corrigan from the US, the symphony orchestra of the Vietnam Opera and Ballet Theatre will perform with string instruments. The orchestra will perform works by Mozart, Schubert, and Haydn.

 

Thang Long, one of the theatre’s prized vocalists, will perform Rachmaninow’s Flood of Spring. She is then due to enter the Paul Robeson classical operatic competition in the US this November. Ann Corrigan will train Thang Long during her time in the US.

 

H.T

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and four international partners have set up the Trust Fund for Forests, which will operate until 2007.

The fund has pegged out initial operating capital of US$10-12mil of non-refundable aid from foreign partners, namely the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland.

The fund was established with the aim of improving management and allocation of official development assistance (ODA), and for the actual implementation of forest protection projects.

Between 2004 and 2007, the Forest Sector Support Programme Co-ordination Office, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, will manage the fund. Technical support will be provided by the fund’s international partners.

(Source: Econet)

TGL – Flying high with those legal eagles from Switzerland, Capital D Dan Cooper is saying thanks giving and offering a shot in the eye to those ground dwelling turkeys.

1: The ‘local knowledge’ section:

What brought you to Vietnam?

A café, a brother and a love of snarlers

What keeps you in Vietnam?

Umm…. I left…. twice

What should your friends send you from home?

Sleep.

Do you have a mantra for the streets?

If ya wanna fly high with the eagles then don’t hang around with the turkeys.

2: The ‘what’re ya like’ section:

What was the last album you bought?

Starsailor something or other.

Why do you stand out in a crowd?

Because I am a birdman.  Actually I am the Birdman of Battersea, but I don’t expect you to know where that is.

What was the most rock n’ roll thing you did last week?

I have this 5-hour period where I can’t remember anything but I ended up10kms away, its rock and roll because I was also wearing leather and I had a badge with a conker on it.

What’s your poison?

Tequila stuntmen, Nuf said.

If The Good Life could arrange someone to cover you at work on Monday, what would you do?

I’d go and do the chap’s job who was doing my job.  

3: The ‘why the in-laws like you’ section:

What are you going to be when you grow up?

I am now and always will be capital D

How do you keep fit?

I play girls sports like netball and hopscotch and I prance.

What are you reading at the moment?

Save trees, eat beavers.  By Theresa Good.

Do you have any words of advice for young people?

Because that’s just the way it is.

!: Bonus questions for extra smart-alec points:

What’s your special move/unstoppable tactic?

The double leg jut, a wee twist to the left, pump it, pump it and down now GO GO GO!!… gooood…. now repeat. 

Kryptonite is to Superman, as anything with a shell (except snails) is to me.

The Good Life

Vietnam's annual jewellery fair kicked off in HCM City on Wednesday amid traders' worry about falling retail sales because of the high price of gold.

The five-day fair showcases 100,000 gold and silver jewelry items and gem products with new designs. The event is double the size of last year's exhibit, said fair organiser, the Sai Gon Jewelry Holding Company (SJC).

The 12th jewellery fair shows products of 41 local and 15 foreign companies of Thailand, Hong Kong, Germany, the US, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, Italy and Israel. At an opening ceremony, the SJC announced that several websites have begun to sell 400 jewellery designs. The gold objects are available at www.sjc.com.vn, www.jewelry.com.vn, www.sjcvn.com, or www.sjcjewelry.com.vn.

The organising committee also awarded prizes to 15 of the best jewelry pieces among 109 entries in a jewelry contest. Total prizes were worth VND100mil. The jewelry fair at Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan Boulevard, District 1, which runs till Sunday, is expected to attract 25,000 visitors.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

Helvetas, a non-governmental organisation from Switzerland, has coordinated with the agriculture and rural development sector of the Central Highlands Dak Lak Province in conducting a project to help improve techniques used for agriculture and forestry by ethnic minority people in eight communes in the 2003-2006 period. 

The project was launched in Dac Tich and Quang Tan communes in Dac R'Lap District with an investment capital of more than VND1.8bil per year. 

Beneficiaries have been provided with new techniques for agro-forestry encouragement, agricultural services and guidance about using investment capital sources to breed animals and grow crops while at the same time protecting forests. Local authorities' role in forest management and development has also been improved. 

Ethnic minority people's awareness about forest protection for natural sustainable development has been raised. Their material and spiritual life has also been improved.

(Source: VNA)

Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao film makers at Locarno film festival.

Ten Vietnamese films were shown to European film buffs at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland from August 4-14.

Deputy Head of the Vietnam Film Administration Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, who is attending the festival, said that the delegation brought films to show to European movie producers, in an effort to drum up interest in the Vietnamese movie market.

At the festival, seven Vietnamese film directors presented their film projects at a meeting with European film producers. Most of the films focus on the contemporary issues.

Twelve feature films and documentaries were screened at the festival, including Sandy Life, Return to Ngu Thuy, Golden Key, Bar Girls, Hanoi, Winter 1946, King of debris, The deserted valley, Wharf of Widows, Dormitory, Hanoi – 12 days and Nights, The season of Guavas. Locals seemed curious about the films.

The festival organisers put particular praise on two films, Bar Girls and the King of Debris, which are reflective of the reality of day-to-day life in Vietnam, rather than propaganda films.

(Source: Lao Dong, Tuoi Tre)

“We wish to further contribute to the development of Vietnam and its physics,” said overseas Vietnamese scientists, who are participating in the fifth Recontres du Vietnam in Hanoi.

Vietnam’s physics is developing fast: Prof Pham Quang Hung from the US.

Prof Tran Minh Tam, who teaches particle physics at the Swiss Polytechnic University, applauded Vietnam’s policy to facilitate the return of Vietnamese to teach, research, and transfer the world’s advanced technology and techniques. “The move is necessary as OV scientists will act as a bridge linking domestic scientists with international ones,” he said.

 

Tam said he will promote multilateral cooperation between French-speaking colleges in Switzerland, the Swiss Polytechnic University and the Hanoi-based Natural Science University, where he is participating in teaching, to bring scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in Switzerland.

 

Two young professors in the US, Nguyen Trong Hien and Dam Thanh Son, who work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and teach at the Washington University, expressed their wish to work with domestic scientists.

 

Prof Pham Quang Hung, also from the US, said he plans to ask the Virginia University to sign co-operative programmes with Vietnam to exchange scientists and provide training for Vietnamese students majoring in physics.

 

“Vietnam’s physics is developing fast, and its students are quite intelligent and hard-working,” he said.

 

(Source: VNA)

WHO assists Vietnam to control Avian Influenza

A group of 5 experts of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is ready to travel to Vietnam to help the country control the return of avian influenza, said Hans Troedsson, WHO’s representative in Vietnam .

According to the WHO headquarters in Geneva , Switzerland , the organization has begun rigorous testing on blood sample extracts from Vietnamese patients suspected or carrying the H5 type virus.

 (Source: TBKTVN)

A delegation of the Vietnam Administration of Tourism (VAT), led by General Director Vo Thi Thang, is attending the 2004 Geneva Festival in Switzerland from July 30-August 8.

The Vietnamese delegation and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Geneva led a six-hour parade of nearly 200,000 people at the festival.

Vietnam is the unique honorary guest at the 2004 Geneva Festival, the biggest annual festival of Switzerland . This is an opportunity for Vietnam to introduce itself to the people of Geneva and around 2mil visitors to the festival.

At the inauguration of the Vietnam Village at the festival and a meeting with the Mayor and the Director of the Tourism Agency of Geneva, General Director Thang expressed her hope that Vietnam 's participation in the festival would open the prospect for closer cooperation in tourism between Vietnam and its Swiss partners in the future.

The Geneva authorities and the organiser of the festival praised Vietnam 's activities at the festival. Vietnamese art troupes and the Vietnam Wrestling Association in Switzerland and other Vietnamese participants gave impressive performances and introduced special dishes of Vietnamese food to visitors and the local people.

(Source: VNA)

Eleven Vietnamese films will roll at the 57^th Locarno Film Festival, which screens in Switzerland from August 4-14.

Thuong nho dong que (Longing for the countryside), Hanoi mua dong 1946 (Hanoi, winter 1946) by Dang Nhat Minh, Vua bai rac (King of debris), Ky uc Dien Bien (Recalling Dien Bien) by Do Minh Tuan, and Thung lung hoang vang (The deserted valley) by Pham Nhue Giang, are all to be entered in the festival.

The festival will also show films from Laos and Cambodia, providing an opportunity for filmmakers from these countries to present their projects for calling sponsor.

Malaysian television, which bought the screening rights for Vua bai rac last year, now has asked to buy rights for Ky uc Dien Bien.

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

Deputy US Trade Representative Josette Sheeran Shiner.

VietNamNet – Proceedings are right on track, Deputy US Trade Representative Josette Sheeran Shiner commented on Vietnam ’s negotiations for World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession.

A one-hour meeting with Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen is considered the most important point of Mrs Shiner’ working schedule in Vietnam . In a quick interview with the press after the talk with Mr Tuyen in the afternoon of July 23, she said that the focal point of the talk is Vietnam ’s process to join the WTO.

“We understand the importance of this process to Vietnam . We are focusing on assisting Vietnam to complete the set target. We have discussed the way of working together to promote this process, supporting Vietnam to complete its joining successfully,” Mrs Shiner said.

Over negotiations for Vietnam ’s WTO bid, she said that the negotiations are on itinerary.

A trade official said that the visit of Deputy US Trade Representative Josette Sheeran Shiner has brought about a new break-through in Vietnam ’s WTO accession process. This official also revealed that both sides had discussed “extremely important” issues to accelerate Vietnam ’s bid.

Mrs Shiner also met with Deputy Trade Minister Luong Van Tu, Head of the Vietnamese negotiation group for WTO accession. Some sources said that at those meetings, the US presented its viewpoints on Vietnam ’s bid and evaluated the offers on the table.

Another trade official commented, “This is a good sign of US interest in Vietnam ’s WTO bid, especially after previous negotiations”.

Mrs Shiner’s visit to Vietnam is in response to Minister Tuyen’s suggestion during a recent visit to the US , which requested the US accelerate negotiations with Vietnam .

This is the second time the US side officials have discussed the issue. Previously, the two sides met on the sideline of the 8^th round of negotiations in Geneva , Switzerland . However, at that time, the US just lodged questions with Vietnam without entering specific discussion.

Viet Lam

Switzerland and Sweden pledged yesterday (June 17) to give Vietnam US$3.2mil over three years to develop trade and exports.

State officials and representatives from the Swiss and Swedish governments signed an agreement in Hanoi, aimed at helping Vietnamese enterprises expand and develop new export markets.

Of the total pledge, $2.5mil comes from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the remainder from the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA).

Project advisor Alain Chevalier said Vietnamese enterprises must strive to develop four key areas: diversifying products according to international demand; designing and implementing export plans specific to each enterprise; increasing competitiveness with advanced technologies and marketing; and establishing trade promotion agencies.

The project's administrators with work closely with their counterparts from similar projects in Cambodia and Laos.

They will also benefit from the experience and knowledge gained by other SECO-funded projects in Vietnam, concerning intellectual property rights, the bid for World Trade Organisation membership, and development of small- and medium- sized enterprises.

SIDA has already helped develop small-sized enterprises and strengthen Vietnam's bid for the WTO.

The trade-promotion and export-development project wilt help further economic growth, the advancement of qualified personnel and commercial relations.

(Source: Viet Nam News)

More than 4,000 poor and ethnic children with harelips, cleft palates and eye diseases in central highland Dak Lak  and southern Dong Nai provinces have been provided with free surgery. 

Dak Lak Province since 1993 has provided 3,500 ethnic children with access to complementary facial, eye and orthopaedic surgery. In 2004, the province plans to help 420 disabled children get such free surgery. 

Meanwhile, Dong Nai Province with the assistance of Children Action of Switzerland and HCM City has so far this year provided medical services and free surgery to 533 poor children.

The province will help 341 children with congenital heart diseases receive surgery and build 22 houses for children with special difficulties during a fortnights drive to give a helping hand to children which will end on May 28.

(Source: VNA)

Some 250 companies from 15 countries, including China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, India, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan are touting their wares at an international exhibition in HCM City.

The International Exhibition on Machinery and Industrial Equipment (IIME 2004) opened at the HCM City Centre for International Exhibitions and Conferences on May 18, specialising in plastic, mechanical engineering, printing and packaging.

The 12th IIME' 2004-Vietnam is jointly organised by the Mechanical Import-export Company (Mecanimex), Hong Kong’s Top Repute International Exhibition Company and some others.

The exhibition will run until May 21.

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

VietNamNet – The Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) has announced the signing of a framework credit agreement with Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) Bank of Switzerland.

Vietnamese enterprises will have import support in trade with OECD

The agreement aims to facilitate import of goods, machinery, production materials and services of Swiss origin or that hail from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

 

Based on the agreement, as of June 19, 2003, Vietnamese enterprises may access loans to finance up to 85% of their import contracts with Swiss exporters and OECD nations. Loan terms range between two and 10 years, facilitated by Vietcombank at competitive interest rates.

However, to approach to such loans, exporters must be accepted by CSFB or be insured by an export credit agency in Switzerland or another OECD nation. Vietnamese importers must also satisfy financial criteria and business-planning conditions as set by Vietcombank. The minimum value of import contracts is 500.000 CHF for contracts signed in Swiss francs or 1mil USD/EUR for those propped up by US dollars or the Euro.

 

OECD has over 20 member countries including the US, Japan, Canada, Australia and western European countries.

 
Hong Phuc 

Vietnam Television would broadcast live all 31 matches of the Euro 2004, said Vu Huy Hung, deputy head of the Channel for Sports, Entertainment and Economic Information at a press conference held on June 8.

Accordingly, VTV Channel 3 will broadcast live interesting games, which will be replayed at 6am while VTV Channel 1 will broadcast live matches, which take place at the same time with matches broadcast live on VTV Channel 3. Also, VTV will have a 20-minute programme “Euro Panorama’ on VTV Channel 3, which will provide information about matches.

Broadcasting schedule

(Source: Nhan Dan)

The Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Trade Luong Van Tu left Hanoi on June 8 for Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the 8^th negotiation round for Vietnam’s WTO accession bid, which will open today, June 9.

The only multilateral negotiation session will take place on June 15 between Vietnam and over 20 countries.

The 8^th round will start with bilateral negotiations between Vietnam and Uruguay this afternoon. Other talks between Vietnam and China, Japan, the US and the European Union (EU) will be ongoing until June 19.

 

The only multilateral negotiation session will take place on June 15 between Vietnam and over 20 countries.

 

A member of the delegation revealed that the talks would focus on the opening of service markets, such as finance and banking, insurance, post and telecommunications, and the itinerary for tariff reduction for various categories of goods.

 

“Vietnam’s wants to wrap up negotiations with several countries this year, which is largely dependent on this round of negotiations,” the official said.

 

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

The Trade Ministry is to receive a grant of US$3.165mil from the governments of Switzerland and Sweden to promote local exports.

Part of the fund will be injected in trade and export promotion of the country’s more advantageous products, such as coffee, software, and spices.

Foreign advisors will conduct supporting surveys and provide experience and consultancy to boost Vietnam’s exports.

The European Commission has also committed EUR200,000 in an effort to accelerate Vietnam’s negotiations for World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession.

(Source: TBKTVN)

Vietnam could wrap up bilateral negotiations about World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession with its major partners by the end of the year, according to Ngo Quang Xuan, Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland.

Vietnam has sent its application to the WTO Secretariat, and it is expected that by the end of June the country’s negotiating team will go to Geneva to begin the eighth round of negotiations.

According to Mr Xuan, it is unnecessary to complete all three rounds of negotiations this year. What matters, he said, are the negotiations with key partners about all the issues.

(Source: Thanh Nien)

The offer focuses on the opening of service markets, including the financial and banking market.

The Trade Ministry announced completion of the 8^th offer to be lodged with the Secretariat of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), based in Geneva, Switzerland.

A member of Vietnam’s negotiation group said that this offer focuses on two major contents: the itinerary and the cutting level of tariff lines for various categories of goods and the opening of service markets like finance, banking, insurance post and telecommunications.

The project will be carried out within the next two years.

The Swiss Government will contribute US$985,000 to a local project for market access support.

Representatives of the Swiss Embassy, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) signed an agreement to this effect in Hanoi on April 14.

The project aims to upgrade metrological methods and testing facilities (particularly in garment-textile and fish/food testing), and to strengthen capacity of a pool of management system auditors and trainers for ISO 9000, ISO 14,000, HACCP, SA 800 and OHASS 18000.

The project will be carried out within the next two years.

(Source: Tuoi Tre)

Bar Girls to attend Singapore 's film festival

The "Gai Nhay" (Bar Girls) film and its director Le Hoang left on April 15 for an International Film Festival in Singapore .

The film production group has also been invited to join the famous Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland in August.

Other Vietnamese films to be sent to Locarno include Golden Key, also directed by Le Hoang; Guava Season, Hanoi's Winter of 1946 and Nostalgia of the Countryside, by Dang Nhat Minh; King of Debris, by Do Minh Tuan; Sand Life, by Thanh Van; Deserted Valley, by Nhue Giang; Dormitory, by Viet Linh; Widow Wharf, by Luu Trong Ninh; Hanoi: 12 Days and Nights, by Bui Dinh Hac; and Return to Ngu Thuy, directed by Le Manh Thich.

The Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) this year plans to fund eight programmes helping Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises to export their products to Switzerland .

These programmes will provide information and technical assistance for Vietnamese businesses specialising in fruit and vegetables, herbal medicines, aquatic products, textiles, garments and footwear.

According to SIPPO's Executive Director Makus Stern, two other assistance programmes are in the making for Vietnamese software and organic honey. He said that SIPPO is negotiating with some international financial organisations over a bee keeping project to make organic honey for export.

Mr Makus Stern said that Vietnamese goods have improved significantly in competitive strength because enterprises are keener on increasing product's added value by improving quality and design.

He said he is impressed by the fact that an increasing number of Vietnamese exporters label their products with the "Made in Vietnam " trademark, adding that the possibilities of export for enterprises are much higher than what they are experiencing now.

He drew Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exporters to an effective form of marketing -  exports on the spot. That means selling fruit and vegetables inside hotels and restaurants frequently visited by foreigners, aboard airplanes and to groups of foreign travelers.

SIPPO estimates that last year the EU's import value of organic fruit and vegetables increased 10-20% to $9bil and the EU is said to have large potential of importing fruit and vegetables from Vietnam .

(Source: VNA)

Swiss fund to improve education and training

Switzerland has approved a grant of over US$2mil for a second-phase project to improve the capacity of education, training and research in North Vietnam.

As this is a non-refundable aid package, the project developer must prepare reciprocal capital.

The Government has authorized the Ministry of Education and Training to sign and manage the project.

Funds prop public finance management

The Government has approved a US$4mil project to modernise public finance management.

Of fund, $3.8mil is non-refundable aid collected from the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Canada, Sweden and the UK, provided via the World Bank.

The Ministry of Finance will provide reciprocal capital of $210,000.

EUR1.53mil earmarked for resource management

A EUR1.53mil project named “Sustainable management of the central region’s natural resources”, operational thanks to German funding, has been approved by the Government.

The project will be implemented from 2003-2006 in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien – Hue provinces.

Vissan seeks import of Australian cattle

Vissan has asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s permission to import 10,000 head of cattle from Australia to meet increased demand for beef.

The need for beef, pork and other meat is on the rise as consumers are beginning to fear chicken.

(Source: TBKTVN)