VNA Ministers continue question and answer sessionAgriculture and Rural Development Minister Le Huy Ngo took his turn at the second day of the National Assembly's hearing session on Saturday, June 16, to clarify the national programmes on plant saplings and animal breeds, agricultural co-operatives, reforestation and poverty elimination. He said the programme on plant and animal varieties is one of the key programmes of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry. It has been deployed through 23 projects in 44 cities and provinces across the country. "Currently, 60% of Vietnam's rice areas and 60% of its corn regions are being planted with high-yield hybrid seeds; and 70% of its pig herds are made up of piglets hybrid for a larger lean meat proportion," Mr Le Huy Ngo told the National Assembly. "Now," he added, "the ministry and localities are concentrating their efforts on improving the quality of fruit tree varieties, especially those for export." As for re-structuring agricultural co-operatives, the minister said at present, 41% of the 13,000 co-operatives have been restructured under the co-operative Law, while 1,500 others were newly set up and more than 3,000 co-operatives were dissolved. The ministry is co-ordinating with all localities in deploying projects on personnel training for co-operatives. It has trained 500 co-operative chiefs, 3,000 co-operative auditors, and 100 owners of plantations. In addition, it has organised different study tours of Thailand for co-operative officials, and joined hands with the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission in implementing a programme on rural development in 182 communes as an effort to improve the capacity of co-operative chiefs and skills of rural labourers. Mr Ngo spent much time clarifying the programme on poverty elimination, saying "Vietnam is now at the stage where 17% of its households and 23% of its communes are considered to be below the poverty line." He added that in recent years, both central and local governments made tireless efforts to carry out the programme in various forms and through various projects such as the project to help develop infrastructure of communes described as the most difficult. "Now, five other programmes are being deployed to invest more in the national programme on poverty elimination, including VND 236 billion for the sedentary farming and re-settlement programme, VND 68 billion for the programme to provide stable lives for migrants, and VND 19 billion for the programme to support migrants' agricultural production." "The government has also invested VND 37 billion for the programme to plant forests in 182 communes and VND 470 million for the programme to build small-sized irrigation works to water 380,000 ha of rice fields and 880,000 hectares of subsidiary food crops," Mr Le Huy Ngo told the National Assembly. He stressed "besides its investment for the programme to help develop infrastructure in the communes termed as the most difficult, the government has given between VND 700 million and 1 billion to each commune of such kind." Minister Ngo has also been questioned by National Assembly deputies on the progress of the national programme to plant 5 million hectares of forests, farm produce imports and exports, change of plant cropping structure, and development of irrigation works. Also on June 16, Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Hang informed the National Assembly of the results of settling voters' petitions and National Assembly deputies' questions on issues relating to social policies. The issues dealt with treatment to those people who had rendered great service to the country during the past wars, allowances to workers involved in special occupations, the use of female workers, and the situation of labour exports and remedies thereto. Public Health Minister Do Nguyen Phuong was, on the same day, questioned by National Assembly deputies on issues relating to public health for highland and remote areas, healthcare for poor people, health insurance policy, management of private establishments involved in medical and pharmaceutical practices, as well as management of medicine production and circulation. Cabinet members are continuing answering questions by National Assembly deputies at their sessions on June 18. (VNA) **** ASEAN, Japan promote bilateral tiesDeputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung led Vietnam's delegation to the 17th meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Forum held in Tokyo on June 14 and 15 to discuss measures to boost co-operation between the ASEAN and Japan as well as the latter's support in information technology, human resource training, and Mekong Sub-region and East-West Corridor projects of ASEAN countries. The participants exchanged views on economic development of the ASEAN member countries and Japan as well as bilateral co-operation between the ASEAN and Japan in trade, investment, finance, and development. They also discussed political and security issues in the region and other issues in preparation for the eighth meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF-8), an ASEAN + 3 meeting (ASEAN and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), and an ASEAN + 10 meeting (ASEAN and 10 dialogue partners) to be held in Hanoi in July this year. They agreed to convene the next ASEAN-Japan Forum between April and June of 2002. (VNA) **** UK week begins in Ho Chi Minh CityMany activities are being held in Ho Chi Minh City to raise funds for the city's disabled children within the UK week. The week, lasting from June 16-24, was jointly organised by the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and the British Business Group in Vietnam. The week was launched by a mini-marathon entitled 'walking for handicapped children.' During the week, British dishes, films, music and fashions named 'Inspiration from Great Britain' will be introduced. An exhibition on British business and education, as well as tournaments in football, basketball, golf, tennis and swimming will be held. An estimated US $18,000 raised during the week will be channeled to Ho Chi Minh City's Charity Fund. Meanwhile, music lovers in Hanoi have a chance to enjoy the best of British music at concerts held on June 16 and 17. Old favourites like 'Greensleeves' and rousing anthems like 'Rule Britannia' will be performed at the concerts by the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of British conductor Graham Sutcliffe. The first show, named 'Greensleeves,' opened with the well-known folk song of the same name which tells the tale of unrequited love. Next the orchestra turned its hands to Gustav Hoalst's St, Paul Suite - written in 1912 for a young orchestra at a girls school where the composer taught in London's Hammersmith. Then the mood turned sombre with Edward Elgar's concerto for cello, written in 1918. (VNA) **** Summer Camp for Young Reporters opened The Thieu Nien Tien Phong (Young Pioneers�) newspaper National Summer Camp for Young Reporters was opened in June 16 in Hanoi. The camp members paid tribute to Uncle Ho at his mausoleum and visited Ho Chi Minh Museum and his working and living place on June 17. They had an exchange with writers, poets and journalists who have achieved successes in their works written for children on the same day. The children attended the plenary meeting of the ninth session of the tenth National Assembly being held at the Ba Dinh Hall on June 18. **** Artists welcome Month for Environmental Protection Over 30 singers, actors and actresses and fashion models, wearing helmets, made a procession on main streets of Ho Chi Minh City on Ego electric bicycles on June 16. They then arrived at Dam Sen (Lotus Pond) Park for a performance. This was an activity by the city artists in response to the Month for Environmental Protection and to encourage people to wear crash helmets under the title �Ego with the Surrounding Environment.� _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
