Job generating centers are under way in Vietnam



Ha Noi, Nov. 27 (VNA) -- The Ministry of Planning and Investment has invested VND 18 billion in building 20 job generating centres nationwide in 2000.

Construction of eight centres has started.

Viet Nam now has 143 job generating centres with a staff of 1,500, annually providing occupational consultancy to around 200,000 people and suppling 80,000 workers for domestic and joint venture businesses. The centres have so far this year provided consultancy services to 120,000 labourers and vocational training to 150,000 others.

PM Phan Van Khai meets with Chinese, Japanese & Korean leaders



Nov. 25 (VNA) -- Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and leaders of other ASEAN countries met with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Kim Dae- Jung in Singapore on Nov. 25.

PM Khai is head of the Vietnamese delegation to the fourth ASEAN informal summit in Singapore.

Poor communes to benefit from WB funded rural project




Ha Noi, Nov. 25 (VNA) -- Poor communes in central coastal provinces and southern provinces will benefit from a community-based rural infrastructure construction project funded by the World Bank.

The project will be carried out in 534 poor communes in 12 provinces: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Binh Thuan and Binh Phuoc during the period from 2001 to 2005.

Citibank grants 10 scholarships to Vietnamese students


Ha Noi, Nov. 25 (VNA) -- The Viet Nam Citibank (VNC) has granted 10 scholarships, each valued at VND 2 million, to the most excellent students of the Finance and Banking Faculty of the Ha Noi National Economics University.

The presentation ceremony was held in Ha Noi on Nov. 25.

VNC General Director John Becman said that this was the first time the Citibank has granted such scholarships and its scholarship programme would be further expanded in the next few years.--VNA

Vietnam GDP growth higher than expected



Ha Noi, Nov. 25 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has posted a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 6.7 percent against the target of between 5.5-6 percent set for this year and a rise of 15.5 percent in industrial production, from the goal of between 10.5-11 percent.

This unexpected increase resulted from proper investment over the past years, analysts said, explaining investment helped boost production of various economic sectors.

Foreign tourists come to Vietnam in increasing numbers



Ha Noi, Nov. 25 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's tourism industry is set to enjoy an increase of 17 percent in foreign arrivals to 2.5 million this year, and a 6 percent rise in domestic holiday-makers to 11 million.

Improved tourist services and state policies are expected to lift revenue to more than USD 1 billion this year, wrote Pham Tu, Deputy General Director of the Viet Nam Tourism Administration for Nhan Dan daily on Nov. 23.

Vietnam ranks third in straw mushroom exports



Ha Noi, Nov. 20 (VNA) -- Viet Nam exported 40,000 tonnes of straw mushrooms a year and became the world's third largest exporter.

Its largest market is Japan, which consumed 40 percent of the total export output. It was followed by Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, the United States and Thailand.

This year's gross production, estimated at 100,000 tonnes has failed to meet demand for domestic consumption and exports.

Vietnam accelerates disbursement of ODA capital



Ha Noi, Nov. 21 (VNA) -- The whole country disbursed USD 1.25 billion from ODA capital sources in the first nine months of 2000, raising the total of disbursed ODA capital from 1993 to USD 7.6 billion.

ODA disbursement has seen a remarkable progress in recent years. If disbursed ODA capital was USD 2.775 billion in the 1993-1996 period or only 33 percent of the pledged capital, the rate of disbursed ODA capital has been raised to 60 percent since 1997 with USD 1 billion in 1997, USD 1.24 billion in 1998 and USD 1.35 billion in 1999.

FM Spokeswomen on action infringed Vietnam's airspace

Foreign Ministry's Spokeswoman, Ms. Phan Thuy Thanh answered question from correspondents on Ly Tong infringed upon Vietnam's sovereignty and national security, air safety regulations and international laws and treaties as following:

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