The Prime Minister has approved the restructuring of Vietnam Railways (VNR) to reduce the number of its subsidiaries. (Photo: baodautu.vn)The Prime Minister has approved the restructuring of Vietnam Railways (VNR) to reduce the number of its subsidiaries.According to Official Letter 303/TTg-DMDN issued by the Prime Minister on April 7 to approve this restructuring plan, branches of VNR's locomotive enterprise will reduce from five to three units.Meanwhile, the railway project management boards of Regions 1, 2, and 3 will carry out a merger to become the sole railway project management board with the role of representing VNR as the investor in projects for VNR. VNR will urgently complete the plan for the merger of Haraco and Saratrans to submit to the CMSC for approval. "This work is complicated, but VNR will try to complete the merger in the third quarter of 2022," Minh said.According to VNR, Haraco and Saratrans operate freight and passenger transport services on the same railway line, leading to unfair competition. This project was expected to be implemented in 2017-2020, with the goal of restructuring and divesting capital at its subsidiaries nationwide.Accordingly, the corporation will have a more reasonable production and business model focusing on three core industries of railway transport, railway infrastructure and railway mechanical engineering./.

Vietnam’s GDP grew by 5.0 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, comparable to the growth rate in Q4-2021, yet still two percentage points below pre-pandemic rates. Industry and construction and services sectors grew 6.4 percent year-on-year and 4.6 percent year-on-year, respectively, contributing 4.3 percentage points to quarterly GDP growth. Growth of industry and construction was driven by strong external demand for manufactured products, while services sector performance varied across sub-sector. This is the highest inflation rate in seven months but remains well below the 4.0 percent target. The World Bank said the authorities should consider structural reforms to help the economy become more productive and increase aggregate supply.

Coach Park Hang-seo (right) attends the press conference held by the VFF prior to the first friendly between Vietnam's U23 national team and the Republic of Korea’s U20 on April 19. (Photo: VNA)Coach Kim Eun-jung of the RoK’s U20 speaks to reporters at the press conference. (Photo: VNA)The first friendly between Vietnam's U23 national team and the Republic of Korea’s U20 in Phu Tho on April 19 will offer an opportunity to test some new players, Coach Park Hang-seo told reporters on April 18 morning.“There have not been many chances for them to make appearances, so the April 19 match will be an opportunity for me to evaluate their competency,” Park said at a press conference held by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) at Phu Tho’s Viet Tri Stadium.He noted that the Vietnamese squad includes three over-aged players who will help fill the gap.These players have all been tested for their ability, Park noted further, saying they fit in well and are able to lead their juniors in the road to the SEA Games 31.“I hope they will help improve Vietnamese U23 squad’s scoring ability,” he said.Coach Kim Eun-jung of the RoK’s U20 showed his determination to win, saying he and his team are honoured to play with Park’s. “It is an important match for both teams, particularly Vietnam’s U23 as they are gearing up for SEA Games 31,” he said.He unveiled that his team has six to seven players who are students and will probably turn professional so the game will enable him to confirm their competency.The Korean coach said though the match can be very difficult for his players, they will do the best they can before Vietnam.The Vietnam U23 team will take on the RoK’s U20 in two friendlies with the first taking place at Viet Tri Stadium at 7:00pm on April 19 and the second at Hanoi’s Hang Day Stadium at 7:00pm on April 22.Tickets have been priced between 150,000 VND and 300,000 VND (7-13 USD)./.

A bird's eye view of Da Nang. (Photo: VNA)The newly-launched high-speed boat to Ly Son Island docks on Han River for passengers to board. (Photo: VNA)The central coast city of Da Nang plans a variety of new tourism activities and events to boost travel demand and revive the smoke-free industry which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.The district of Ngu Hanh Son will launch the An Thuong Tourist Streets connecting night-time beach activities at My An Beach at 6:30pm on April 28, said Ta Tu Binh, Vice Chairman of the district’s People’s Committee.The district will also host a street carnival to welcome the Visit Vietnam Year 2022 and plentiful promotional deals and discounts will be offered to tourists during the “Happy Hours” programme, he noted.Ngu Hanh Son will develop new products at the An Thuong Tourist Streets toward creating a highlight to attract both domestic and foreign visitors, he added.Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Nguyen Xuan Binh said all activities, particularly in tourism, in Da Nang have been resumed. The launch of travel demand stimulus programme s aiming to provide visitors with new and distinctive experience will give a push to the tourism industry and create a spillover effect for other sectors, he stated.The city’s newly-launched travel demand stimulus programme has engaged more than 200 service providers, offering various exciting products at promotional rates as well as high service quality, he said.Da Nang is offering free admission to Ngu Hanh Son landscape complex, Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, Da Nang Museum and Da Nang Fine Arts Museum.During the 3-day public holiday to commemorate the Hung Kings’ death anniversary, the city welcomed close to 78,000 tourist arrivals./.

MV of 31st SEA Games’ official song to make debutThe music video of the official song for the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), “Let’s Shine”, will officially make debut at 8pm on April 18, according to the regional sports event’s organising committee. Inspired by memorial moments of the 22nd SEA Games in 2003 - the first of its kind to be held in Vietnam, the MV recounts the feeling of pride at that time and then gradually rolls out a picture of Vietnam on the thresholds of the 31st SEA Games. Send-off ceremony for Vietnamese delegation to SEA Games 31 slated for April 28A ceremony will be held on April 28 in Hanoi to see off the sports delegation of Vietnam to the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) slated for May 12 – 23 in Hanoi. According to the registered preliminary list, 965 athletes of Vietnam will compete in SEA Games 31 (534 men, 431 women). Vietnam tops test shooting event - road to SEA Games 31Vietnam ranked first at the test shooting event - road to the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), with 11 gold medals, 10 silvers and 13 bronzes.

A sixth grade boy receives COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre set up at Le Ngoc Han Middle School in downtown Hanoi on April 17 morning. (Photo: VNA)A total of 14,660 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours from 4pm April 16 to 4pm April 17, according to the Ministry of Health.Hanoi continued to report the highest number of infections on the day with 1,253 cases.The national tally now reached 10,432,547.A total of 5,472 COVID-19 patients were given the all clear on April 11, bringing the number of recoveries so far to 8,936,846.An additional 10 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the total fatalities to 42,944, equal to 0.4 percent of the total caseload.By April 16, the country had injected 209,483,478 doses of COVID-19 vaccines./.

A sixth grade girl receives COVID-19 vaccine at Le Ngoc Han Middle School in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung District on April 17 morning. (Photo: VNA)- Nearly 1,000 sixth grade students aged 11 years old to 11 years and 10 months old in Hanoi’s districts of Ha Dong, Phu Xuyen and Soc Son were vaccinated against the COVID-19 on April 16.They were the first in the capital to receive the inoculation as the city has kicked off the vaccine rollout for children aged 5 to under 12. The campaign began in other districts the following day.The second dose will be provided 28 days after the first dose.Priority is being given to those with congenital and underlying diseases, malnutrition, obesity and others, according to Director of the municipal Department of Health Tran Thi Nhi Ha.It is estimated that Hanoi has more than 1 million children in the targeted age group./.

The discussion covered view exchange on the defense industry, the French Navy making port visits to Vietnam, military medicine, and peacekeeping operations. On the last point, a French officer appointed by the EU has been working in the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations since 2020. 26/2022/ND-CP prescribing conditions for appointing foreign honorary consuls in Viet Nam. 2- Permanently residing in Viet Nam or living and working in the consular district for at least one year. The move came following high vaccination coverage rate in Viet Nam, sharp drops in the number of critically ill patients and fatalities, and the successful disease containment.

The plan will be developed in accordance with the existing infrastructure, as well as the capacity of the public transport system. The cities’ People’s Committees are also instructed to work with their People’s Councils on the development of mass public transportation, which is aimed to account for 30 to 35 percent of the total traffic by 2025. The objective is to have no traffic jam that lasts longer than 30 minutes. The Ministry of Transport will continue implementing additional measures to improve traffic safety on roads. The Ministry of Public Security will also implement the project on installing traffic monitoring cameras, and proceed to the second phase of building a common database for public safety and order./.

Cold air to hit northern Vietnam this weekendTwo subsequent cold air waves are forecast to strike northern Vietnam, starting this weekend, according to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre. A cold spell is making its way through China into northern Vietnam and is expected to reach border localities on April 16, said the centre. On the occasion, the embassies of 10 Spanish-speaking countries in Vietnam presented books to the National Library of Vietnam. Volunteers ready for SEA Games 31: organiserSome 3,000 volunteers serving the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) have completed training, a representative of the organising board for the regional sporting event said on April 15. Hosted by the Cambodian SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), the meeting focused on updates regarding preparations for the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Amid the strong growth of the fisheries sector, the preservation and restoration of fisheries resources and the protection of biodiversity have become a focus of the sector and coastal localities towards developing a sustainable, modern and responsible fisheries sector. Tran Dinh Luan, Director General of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development noted that recently, the Vietnamese fisheries sector has expanded greatly, with export revenue reaching nearly 9 billion USD per year. Efforts to regenerate fisheries resources and protect the environment will also contribute to enhance the prestige of the sector and maximise its potentials and advantages, Luan said. He took Soc Trang, a production hub of aquatic products, especially shrimp, as an example of effective restoration of fisheries resources. Luan stressed that along with releasing young fish and shrimps, it is necessary to protect natural fisheries resources.

The planning of a second booster shot is one of such efforts, especially as the Hari Raya Festival - Islam's biggest festival – approaches, he said. The ProtectHealth’s CEO advises high-risk individuals to protect themselves against the coronavirus by obtaining their second booster dose. The vaccine that will be used for the second booster dose is the Pfizer-BioNTech (mRNA Comirnaty). Anas said that the elderly who are healthy and above 60 years old without comorbidities could only opt for the second booster dose on the advice of a medical professional. Malaysia recorded 10,413 new COVID-19 cases on April 14, raising the total caseload in the country to 4,363,024.

Among the special activities held by the Vietnam News Agency at the festival, quizzes and game shows help players gain a deeper understanding of the history and development of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association, the Vietnam News Agency, and the Journalism Law. In particular, these also raise public awareness about fake news. A wide range of journalistic works developed by the Vietnam News Agency are on display at the festival, affirming the agency’s position as a leading provider of mainstream news. Through the festival, the Vietnam News Agency contributes to increasing the profile of Vietnamese journalists while enhancing the role of the press in society./.

The Tan Nam international border gate, located in Tan Bien district’s Tan Binh commune, is opposite to MeanChey border gate in Cambodia’s Pray Veng province. After nearly five years of preparation, on May 31, 2021, the Tan Nam - MeanChey international border gate pair officially came into operation. The programme is designed to help Vietnam upskill its workforce – a crucial ingredient for Vietnam to meet its ambitious 2045 target of being a high-income country. Vietnam will play the Philippines, then Myanmar and Timor Leste on May 8, 13, and 15, respectively. Regarding futsal events, Vietnam will play Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar in both men’s and women’s tournaments in Ha Nam province’s Gymnasium.

According to the draft, the payment of value added tax (VAT), corporate income tax (CIT), personal income tax (PIT) and land and water surface leasing fees in 2022 will be extended. Regarding VAT, it proposes a six-month extension for VAT from March to May 2022 and the first quarter of 2022; five-month extension for VAT in June 2022 and Q2 2022; four-month extension for VAT in July 2022; and 3-month extension for VAT in August 2022. For CIT, MoF proposes extension of the tax payment that enterprises have to pay temporarily for the second and third quarters of 2022. In addition, MoF has proposed a six-month extension for the payment of fees for leasing land and water surface in 2022, starting from May 31, 2022. The tax payment extension is seen as an interest rate-free loan provided by the State, which helps enterprises and individuals have more financial resources.