VNA Government's regular meeting in Hanoi Administrative reform strategy reviewed The government heard reports on administrative reform strategy for the 2001-2010 period delivered by Mr Do Quang Trung, the minister heading government personnel board during its monthly meeting held in Hanoi on March 28 and 29. Cabinet members are to contribute ideas and suggestions on the goal, perspective, scale and content of administrative reform in the next ten years and the relationship between administrative reform and the reform of the political system, the reform of law making system and the reform of justice system as well as strategic implementation period and the role of the government in directingthe process. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, addressing the meeting about the issue, said the administrative reform strategy for the 2001-2010 period is aimed at a democratic, clean, strong, professional, modern and effective administrative system on the basis of overall improvement of State employees. Over the past years, the government and its agencies and localities have been on the right track of administrative reform, having many procedures streamlined and improved, yet failing to meet the need of the people and the pace of development. He said there was a lot of work to be done and that even he himself and his deputies, as well as other government employees, had not spent adequate time on the work. He asked all members of the government to carefully study the scheme to discuss it in more detail during the May monthly meeting of the government. Land petition policy adopted to help poor farmers Cabinet members heard a report on petitions on land disputes in some localities in the Mekong river delta by the minister of agriculture and rural development, Le Huy Ngo. This was during the government's regular meeting held in Hanoi on March 28 and 29. The government laid down a policy dealing with petitions on land in order to help farmers, particularly poor households, have land for production while creating more jobs to help increase income for farmers and punishing all the wrongdoings in land management in localities. The resolutions for the petition must be based on the State¹s laws and policies. Beside the support from central agencies, local authorities at all levels are responsible for resolving disputes and petitions, focusing on encouragement of negotiation and reconciliation and educating and explaining to people to implement the State's policies on land. The government assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to co-ordinate with other ministries, agencies and localities in the Mekong delta where disputes and petitions have been raised, to find concrete resolutions for the government¹s approach already worked out at the meeting. Business Law improves investment environment The government has agreed that the application of the Business Law was an important positive change in institutionising the people's right to do business freely, thus improving the business and production environment. This was at its regular meeting in Hanoi on March 28-29 chaired by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his deputies Nguyen Manh Cam, Nguyen Cong Tan and Pham Gia Khiem. More than 18,000 enterprises have been set up under the law, thus mobilising substantial amount of investment capital for socio-economic development, creating jobs and raising income for workers. The government asked sectors and localities to push up the implementation of the law. The government discussed and contributed opinions about the promulgation of a decree for protecting service management, about draft law amending and supplementing several provisions of the Labour Code and a draft Social Insurance Law. The government also reviewed one year's implementation of the Business Law, the implementation of socio-economic development plans in March and the first quarter of this year and its management and leadership in the first three months. Remarkable socio-economic progress in first quarter Regarding the socio-economic situation in the first quarter of this year, the government recognised a remarkable development as compared with that of the two previous years. This was at the government's regular meeting in Hanoi on March 28 - 29. Agricultural production has comprehensively grown. The winter-spring crop is likely to gain a high yield. Livestock rearing and aqua-culture have also developed. Industrial production and exports have maintained high growth rate. Social issues have seen positives changes, particularly the hunger eradication and poverty reduction work. However, investment in construction has yet to see positive movement. The consumption of agricultural produce, particularly rice and coffee, is still a pressing problem. Therefore, the government asked ministries, sectors and localities to continue realising solutions set out by the government in its plenary meeting in early year and in this meeting in order to successfully implement the plan of the second quarter and make a practical contribution to the coming Ninth Party Congress. **** More care for social beneficiaries The Vietnam government and people give better care to those who rendered great service to the nation, war invalids and fallen combatants' families. The assessment was made at a conference in Hanoi on March 30 to review the implementation of government policy giving priority to those who served the nation with distinction between 1994-2000. The government provides monthly allowances to heroic Vietnamese mothers and war invalids. Children of fallen combatants studying at public educational establishments are also given funding to cover an essential part of their monthly expenditures. In addition, the government offers preferential treatment for health care, education and training, house rent and land tax and credit provision, to social beneficiaries. Activities to care for social beneficiaries have been socialised with the launching of five major movements: building gift houses, establishing funds for paying debts of gratitude, granting savings bank-accounts, and caring for fallen combatants' helpless parents and children. Almost 147,000 gift houses worth more than VND 865 billion and 404,300 saving bank accounts worth more than VND 147 billion were presented to social beneficiaries in recent years. Ministries and localities across the country have established funds for paying debts of gratitude, which yearly mobilise about VND 100 billion. At present, all heroic Vietnamese mothers receive good care while 95% of seriously affected war invalids, who are treated at home, enjoy stable living standards. A recent survey showed that 85% of social beneficiaries' families obtain living standards higher than the local average level. (VNA) **** Army hospital marks 50th anniversary Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has sent congratulations to the Army 108 hospital on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, April 1, 1951 - April 1, 2001. Having reviewed the achievements of the cadres and doctors of different generations, who have promoted the heroic tradition of the people and army to overcome difficulties to successfully implement their tasks, the letter reads in part as follows: "On this occasion, on behalf of the Party Central Committee and government, I would like to praise the achievements and development over the past 50 years of the Central Army Hospital. I hope that in the new period of national defence and reconstruction cause, cadres and doctors of the hospital will continue to develop the heroic tradition of the People's Armed Force Hero title to accelerate the patriotic emulation, completing all the assigned tasks and always being the leading bird, striving to reach the height of army medicine and the country¹s medicine, trying its best to build a strong Party organisation, thus being worthy of the trust of the Party, State, Army and people." **** Central Highlands provinces asked to boost mass mobilisation Politburo member Pham The Duyet asked leaders of Gia Lai and Kon Tum Central Highlands provinces to pay more attention to the mass mobilisation work and to build a stronger political system at the grassroots level. Mr Duyet, who is also president of the Presidium of the Vietnam¹s Fatherland Front, told provincial leaders of Gia Lai and Kon Tum that cadres for localities should be strengthened so that they would, together with the local administrations, resolve existing difficulties and help the locals develop production and stabilise their daily life. Politburo member Duyet concluded a three day working visit to Gia Lai and Kon Tum provinces on April 30. He praised the people of the two provinces for their efforts made to the socio-economic development. Meeting with people of Bo Lo Buc and H¹Leo villages in Gia Lai, Mr Duyet expressed his sympathy with their difficulties and praised them, who helped each other overcome difficult situations and did not follow the incitement of rebels. He also introduced models of hunger eradication and poverty reduction from some localities of similar situation to the locals so that they can apply them. **** Stability, security in East Sea discussed The 11th seminar on the East Sea entitled �Retaining Latent Conflict in the East Sea¹ was held in Jakarta, Indonesia from March 26 to 29 with the participation of 100 governmental officials, experts and scholars from ASEAN countries, China, Taiwan territory and the donor, Canada. In an opening speech delivered at the seminar, the Indonesian foreign minister, Alwi Shihab, held that the seminar on the East Sea is a diplomatic channel of great significance which aimed at establishing stability and security in this sea territory. He also said that Indonesia would continue supporting the organisation of seminars on this issue between relevant countries in the East Sea, further hoping that other co-operative issues discussed at the seminar would bring benefits to relevant parties. At the seminar, the participants reviewed the activities of Technicians¹ Working Group and Experts¹ Group of the 10th seminar held in Bogor, Indonesia in 1999. They also considered proposals of these two groups and outlined the plan for the next seminar. **** ASEAN vows to crack down on cross-border crime The first annual meeting of ASEAN crime senior officials was held in Bangkok, Thailand on March 29. The meeting approved a resolution on taking common measures and plans to fight cross-border crime. The participants agreed to strengthen co-operation in combating transnational crimes among ASEAN members, between ASEAN and dialogue partners, regional and international organisations. The meeting acknowledged the suggestion of Philippines on establishing an ASEAN centre for fighting transnational crimes in Manila. This suggestion will be forwarded to the conference of ASEAN ministers on preventing and controlling cross-border crimes due to be held in Singapore in this November. The delegates also agreed that each member of ASEAN will inform the ASEAN Secretariat about its action plan on fighting cross-border crime prior to June, to prepare a report for the coming ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. **** School year-end exams prepared The senior secondary school year-end exams in the 2000-2001 school year will be held from June 5-7, including six compulsory subjects of Literature, Maths, Physics, Biology, Geography and Foreign Languages. This is according to the Ministry of Education and Training. The year-end exams for primary school children will be organised on May 29-30 with four compulsory subjects of Maths, Literature, Chemistry and Foreign Languages. The exams of secondary school students who follow the special majors will be held on June 5-7 _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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