VNA
Vietnam, RoK co-operate in telecommunications Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has expressed his hope that the Republic of Korea (RoK) will help Vietnam produce telecommunications equipment, transfer software technologies to workers, and train cadres for the post and telecommunications sector. The prime minister expressed this hope during his meeting with visiting RoK Information and Communications Minister, Yang Seung Taik, in Hanoi on October 25. He told Minister Yang that he believed with technical assistance from the RoK, Vietnam would be able to catch up with other regional countries in information technology. Minister Yang assured Prime Minister Khai of his country's readiness to share experiences in this field with Vietnam. He said the RoK will increase investment in Vietnam and help the Vietnamese post and telecommunications sector accelerate its process of integration into the region and the world. (VNA) **** Vietnam, Sweden sign co-operation agreement An agreement on general terms and conditions for development co-operation in the 2001-2006 period between Vietnam and Sweden was signed in Hanoi on October 25 Signatories were Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc and Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Ms Marie Sjolander. The agreement sets out the overall legal framework and basic principles for the development co-operation between Vietnam and Sweden over the 2001 to 2006 period. It will be applied to all development co-operation programmes and projects between the two countries. The agreement provides a firm foundation for the continuation of the deep and close development co-operation between Vietnam and Sweden, which started more than 30 years ago. Sweden has provided Vietnam with an average annual official development assistance (ODA) amount of about US $32 million, of which more than 80% is non-refundable aid. Sweden plans to increase the average annual amount of ODA to Vietnam to US $39 million in 2002 and 2003. The Swedish-funded projects focus on hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and the building of a law-governed State and an effective administrative system in Vietnam. (VNA) **** Floods claim 322 lives in Mekong river delta Floods have killed 322 people and caused material losses worth VND 892 billion (US $ 59.5 million) in Mekong delta provinces, reported the Southern Flood and Storm Control Committee. Apart from flood relief worth VND 30 billion (US $ 2 million) allocated by the State budget, flood-hit provinces received VND 19 billion (US $ 1.3 million) relief donated by agencies, branches and individuals at home and abroad. In addition, those provinces spent VND 21.5 billion (US $ 1.43 million) from the local budget to buy food relief for flood victims. The government's provision of 3,500 tonnes of rice from the National Reserve Department to flooded Mekong delta localities has been carried out smoothly. Dong Thap received 1,000 tonnes; Long An and An Giang, 700 tonnes each; Tien Giang and Kien Giang, 400 tonnes each; and Can Tho, 300 tonnes. To date, 125,176 households in the delta have been provided with food relief. * Da Nang city has taken measures to overcome the consequences of the recent whirlwinds and downpour. The provincial agencies have helped the victim families to stablise their lives and provide relief aid to heavily hit families. Lien Chieu district alone has repaired eight classrooms and a kindergarten for pupils. * Quang Nam province has evacuated 911 households from the land slide areas to safer places. * Floods in Vinh Long province has inundated 45,657 hectares with a depth of 0.5 -1.2 metres. Initial losses are estimated at VND 22.2 billion. The province has taken measures to overcome the flood consequences. In addition, the province has asked the State to provide VND 19.4 billion to repair infrastructure works and provide to flood victims. * Floods inundated 1,342 hectares of winter-spring rice crop and nearly 1,000 hectares of sugar cane of Long An province. * Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province has raised over VND 2 billion to upgrade dyke and drainage systems. Many key works have been completed, ensuring safety for thousands of hectares of fruit trees. * Kien Giang province has spent 400 tonnes of rice to aid people in flooded areas. So far, about 10,000 households of the province have been provided with aid relief. The province�s Red Cross has received nearly VND one billion, over 200 tonnes of rice and other necessities for flooded victims. * Vietnam Red Cross Central Association decided to provide Mekong river delta provinces 165 tonnes of rice (Dong Thap, 75 tonnes, An Giang 55 toones, Long An 35 tonnes) from donations from French embassy and Australian businesses in Ho Chi Minh City. * Heavy rains in Nam Cuong commune, Cam Duong township, Lao Cai province caused losses of nearly VND 1 billion. **** Unemployment rate down The number of those who have jobs is increasing while the unemployment rate is reducing in Vietnam, announced the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) on October 25. The announcement was based on a survey conducted by the MOLISA on July 1, 2001. At the time of conducting the survey, the population of the whole country reached 78.7 million people. Of the figure, the number of under working age people accounted for 30.35%, while the number of those of working age (from 15 to 60 years old for men and 15 to 55 years old for women) made up 59.25% and the number of above working age people (over 55 years old for women and over 60 for men), 10.40%. A number of 39.489 million people aged 15 upwards have permanent jobs in Vietnam, including 9.182 million people in urban areas (accounting for 23.3%) and 30.307 million in rural areas (76.7%). The unemployment rate in urban areas nationwide over the total number of those in working age is 6.28%, 0.14% lower than that of last year. The unemployment rate in rural areas has been reduced slightly compared that of last year but still stood at a high rate, particularly in the Red river delta which accounted for 7.07%; north-eastern region, 6.73% and the northern central Vietnam region, 6.72%. The Central Highlands region has the lowest unemployment rate with 5.5% and other regions have the rate of around 6%. The unemployment rate in big cities and provinces are dropping: from 7.95% to 7.39% in Hanoi last year, from 6.48% to 6.04% in Ho Chi Minh City, from 7.76% to 7.11% in Haiphong and from 5.95% to 5.54% in Da Nang. The rate of working time in rural areas of people aged 15 upwards who have permanent jobs reached 74.37%, higher than that of last year. This rate in the Central Highlands stood at 77.16%; the south-eastern Vietnam, 76.5%; the Red river delta, 75.63%; the north-east, 73.12% and the Mekong river delta, 73.39%. However, the unemployment rate in the urban areas and lack of jobs in rural areas still remained at a high rate, requiring the State and social community to make more efforts for socio-economic development, to shift economic structure, strengthen export of labourers and experts in a bid to create more jobs. This also aims to reduce the unemployment rate in the urban areas to under 5% and increase the working time used in the rural areas to 80% as set by the Ninth Party Congre _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
