New laws come into effect in July
Eight new laws taking effect on July 1, the launch of Vietnam’s competitive energy market were among the most prominent events of the past week.
Competitive energy market makes its debut
Vietnam's competitive energy market (CEM) was launched in Hanoi on July 1, with 48 of the country's 73 power plants already signing up to take part.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong said CEM is expected to create an equal playing field by removing the monopoly that EVN holds over the market, leading to lower costs and ensuring a better balance between demand and supply.
 |
Dang Huy Cuong, head of the ministry's Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam, said the market is part of the sector's long-term development strategy.
The market will be developed into a competitive market by 2014, a wholesale CEM from 2015-22, and a retail CEM after 2022, he added.
Director of the National Load Dispatch Centre Ngo Son Hai said the market would operate with cost based pricing. Plants and suppliers will actively alter costs to remain competitive on the market based on various factors including water levels and input costs.
CEM will not affect the management of existing power plants as the State will continue to manage electricity retail prices with the aim of ensuring economic targets and social security. EVN plants will be reorganised into independent generators to increase competitiveness.
EVN plants currently account for 61 percent of the sector's capacity. Hydropower plants such as Son La, Hoa Binh and Yaly will not participate in CEM as they are designed for social tasks such as flood prevention and drainage.
Nearly 1 million candidates enroll for university entrance exams
On July 3, about 700,000 candidates registered for university and college entrance exams for ‘subject groups’ A and V. These candidates account for 70 percent of the total registration files sent to universities and colleges for these subject groups.
‘Group A’ includes mathematics, physics, and chemistry, while ‘group V’ comprises mathematics, physics and drawing.
 |
From early in the morning, traffic police and young volunteers in Hanoi were standing at crossroads to divide the traffic flow and prevent jams. VOV reporters saw five police officers at each university where the exams will take place.
Despite the hot weather, the young volunteers enthusiastically assisted the candidates and their relatives, many of whom come from other northern provinces.
Nguyen Thanh Tu, a volunteer at the Hanoi National Economics College, said her team had 30 members who were assigned to many points to assist candidates and police officers in easing the flow of traffic. Tu said they also helped candidates’ relatives find boarding houses.
Today, candidates for university courses had to bring along their high school diplomas or graduation certificates, identity cards, letters of registration information sent by universities or colleges, and some passport photos. When they arrived at the university for registration, they listened to the exam regulations and instructions read by the exam monitors. Then they were given exam entrance cards which allow them to sit for the exam the following day.
Nguyen Dinh Trung, a member of the Exam Board for the Hanoi National Economics College, told VOV that his college will be holding the exams in 749 exam rooms at 34 locations inside the college and at some alternative places.
Candidate Hoang Trung An from Thai Binh province said he and his peers were given careful instructions, which strictly ban the use of study materials, mobile phones, recorders and cameras inside the exam rooms.
Each exam room will have 30-40 exam takers.
Many parents of candidates were worried about the logistics for their children. Tuan, from Haiphong, said: “This is the first time my child has taken such an exam and he is quite new to accommodation, and the roads and food in Hanoi. I just encouraged him to maintain his good health for the exam tomorrow.”
Other cities across the country such as Thai Nguyen, Danang, Hue, Quy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh City are also preparing carefully for the university entrance exams that will be held tomorrow (July 4).
Danang University helped candidates correct any errors in their registration information letters quickly and efficiently.
Quy Nhon University provided a digital satellite map so candidates could easily locate where they needed to go to register for the exams.
Hue University joined hands with businesses to provide cheap or free accommodation for 10,000 candidates and 9,000 free meals for candidates and their relatives who accompany them to the exams.
Eight laws take effect since July 1
Consumer rights protection law came into effect on July 1, which will be an effective legislative tool for protecting consumer rights.
This was emphasized by Bach Van Mung, Director of the Vietnam Competition Administration Department (VCAD) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
 |
He said that unfavourable articles for consumers mentioned in the contracts of goods and service traders are no longer valid as of July 1.
Business individuals and organizations trading in the list of essential goods and services are asked to register a sample of standard contracts with the State agency.
In addition, a series of laws also took effect the same day including the Law on Criminal Enforcement, Law on Investigation, Administrative Procedural Law, the Mineral Law, the revised Law on Securities, the revised law of the Insurance Business Law, the Law on consumer rights protection law and Law on Food Safety
Tropical storm Haima cause heavy consequences
The second tropical storm, Haima, has killed 22 people and left five others missing, announced the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control on June 28.
Currently, Phu Tho, Nam Dinh, Hoa Binh and Nghe An province are implementing urgent measures to cope with the aftermath of the natural disaster.
The central steering board asked storm-hit localities to provide relief to victims and intensify rescue work.
Three of the victims were struck dead by lightning while they were working in their rice field on the afternoon of June 23 in Nam Truc district, said Do Van Khanh, Head of the provincial flood prevention, storm control and rescue committee. They were hit by the lightning during a sudden, strong whirlwind.
Local authorities also asked local radio stations to urge farmers not to work in the fields when there is thunder and lightning.
French Finance Minister named IMF chief
France's Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, 55, has been named the first woman to head the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Ms Lagarde fought off Mexico's Agustin Carstens for the job, although an IMF statement said that both candidates "were well qualified".
 |
She received backing from America and Europe and key emerging market nations, including China, India and Brazil.
The post became vacant following the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.In a statement, the IMF said that its 24-member board regarded both candidates as highly suitable for the job, but had decided on Ms Lagarde "by consensus".
Although Ms Lagarde is the first woman to become managing director since the IMF was created in 1944, she maintains the tradition that the post is held by a European.
It has been convention that Europe gets the IMF, while an American gets the top job at the World Bank.
However, when Ms Lagarde begins her five-year term on July 5, her immediate task will be to deal with the efforts of the IMF and European Union to resolve the Greek debt crisis and prevent contagion to other eurozone economies.
In a television interview minutes after her appointment, Ms Lagarde pressed Greece to move quickly to push through unpopular austerity measures that the IMF and EU have said are a prerequisite for further aid.
Before becoming France's finance minister in June 2007, she was minister for foreign trade for two years.
Cambodian court opens Khmer Rouge trial
Cambodia's UN-backed war crimes tribunal on June 27 opened a trial for four top former Khmer Rouge leaders on charges of genocide and atrocities in Cambodia in the 1970s.
The elderly defendants are "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, Khieu Samphan, Ieng Sary and his wife Ieng Thirith.
 |
They face charges of genocide and war crimes, crimes against humanity and related crimes over the deaths of around 1.7 million people during 1975-79 period. However, all four defendants deny the accusations.
The trial is scheduled to last four days and will focus on hearing accusations of experts, witnesses, civil organisations and representatives of the victims.
This is the second trial of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) following the landmark conviction of Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, former chief of the Toul Sleng prison (S-21), who was sentenced to 35 years in jail in July 2010.
The ECCC was established in 2006 after nearly a decade of negotiations between Cambodia and the United Nations.