Textile industry records 25% growth rate

Ha Noi, Sept. 14 (VNA)-- The garment and textiles industry has registered an annual growth rate of between 20 and 25 percent in recent years, and provided almost 1.6 workers with jobs, not accouning for those in the cotton growing and sericulture areas.

Knitwear exports alone earn around USD 25 million every year, reports the Viet Nam Corporation of Textiles and Garments.

The success has largely resulted from the industry's intensive investment in technological upgrades and expansion of raw material areas such as cotton.

Vietnam ratifies UN protocols on the rights of the child


Ha Noi, Sept.11 (VNA) -- Viet Nam has ratified two optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which were passed by the United Nations General Assembly on May 16, 2001.

These are optional protocols on the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography, and the involvement of children in armed conflicts.

Gen. Secretary Nong Duc Manh highlights national unity


Ha Noi, Sept. 8 (VNA) -- Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said that the Communist Party of Viet Nam has always considered the task of building national unity between all 54 ethnic groups in Viet Nam a crucial part of the Party's revolutionary cause.

Mr. Manh also lauded the great contributions made by all ethnic groups to Viet Nam's revolutionary cause as well as the services rendered by those who have worked to help ethnic minority groupings over the past decades.

Improve healthcare system in mountainous areas


Ha Noi, Sept. 4 (VNA) -- The healthcare sector has worked out a plan to improve the healthcare system in nothern mountainous and central highlands provinces and make medical services accessible to all local people.

To this end, the training of highly qualified medical workers for these areas is an important measure.

Though the northern mountainous and central highland provinces, home to more than 50 minority groups, have seen considerable socio-economic progess, its healthcare service is still poor.

Gov't plans to attract USD 12 billion foreign investment

Ha Noi, Sept. 4 (VNA) -- The Government has unveiled its ambitious plan to solicit USD 12 billion in foreign investment between now and 2005, considering this part of its effort to bolster the national economic development in the years to come.

In a recent regulation coded 09/NQ-CP, the Government said: "Foreign investment must be promoted to attract USD 12 billion of registered capital, with USD 11 billion to be disbursed, in the 2001-2005 period."

Hanoi plans to develop IT center


Ha Noi, Sept. 4 (VNA) -- Ha Noi plans to spend VND 400 billion (USD 26.6 million) on developing information technology, making this a key industry in the first decade of the new century.

The city's first step is to built an IT service centre and put it into use by the end of this year. The next step aims to build an IT development centre and the Nam Thang Long IT industrial zone in 2002.

MOET Minister on fundamental & comprehensive change in education



Ha Noi, Sept. 5 (VNA) -- One of the major tasks of the education and training sector in the 2001-02 academic year and beyond is to comprehensively improve education and training quality, said Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Minh Hien.

Hien was speaking in an interview with the national daily Nhan Dan (People) on the occasion of the start of the 2001-02 school year (Sept. 5).

Nearly 22.5 million pupils and students start new school year

Ha Noi, Sept. 5 (VNA) -- Almost 22.5 million pupils and students throughout the country start their new academic year on Sept. 5.

This year's enrolment includes 3 million pre-school pupils, 9.7 million primary education students, 6.2 million junior secondary education students, 2.32 million senior secondary education students, 271,600 vocational trainees and almost 1 million college and university students.

Pupils and students in some parts of the Mekong delta began the 2001-02 school year a month ago to avoid floods.

Software companies enjoy free corporate tax for 4 years


Vietnamese and foreign software businesses that are operating in Vietnam and do not fall under the adjusted objects of the Law on Foreign Investment in Vietnam will enjoy exemption from the corporate tax for four years when they have taxable income.

This was announced in a circular issued on May 21, by the Ministry of Finance, on guiding the implementation of tax preference which is stipulated in a decision by the Prime Minister on some policies and measures to boost investment and development of the software industry.

Gov't Degrees on residence prohibition and internet regulations


Ha Noi, Aug. 27 (VNA) --
* The Government on Aug. 23 issued Decree 53/2001/ND-CP guiding the implementation of residence prohibition and house arrest punishments.

The four-chapter, 21-article decree rules that residence prohibition is a supplementary punishment under which a convict is not allowed to temporarily or permanently reside in certain localities from one to five years after serving his/her imprisonment sentence.

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