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| The Amazing Binh Dinh Festival 2024 to be held in Binh Dinh from March 22-31. (Photo: VNA) |
The festival will run from March 22-31 with many events, particularly the UIM-ABP Aquabike international jet ski race with about 70 riders from 30 countries around the world, and the UIM F1H20 international professional motorboat race with the participation of Binh Dinh motorboat team of Vietnam to compete with about nine foreign teams.
Tran Viet Anh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Binh Dinh F1 Joint Stock Company, the organiser of the competition, said that preparations have been 90% completed. The provincial People's Committee has also established sub-committees on logistics, health, culture, sports, and tourism .
The festival is expected to welcome about 35,000 visitors, both domestic and foreign.
Huynh Cao Nhat, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism, said that the department has instructed organisations and individuals providing tourism services in the area to prepare well for the race and called on relevant localities and authorities to coordinate with the department to ensure security and safety for tourists.
In addition, the department has asked accommodation facilities to improve service quality as well as applying discounts for athletes and tourists when coming to the locality.
Binh Dinh welcomed more than 5 million tourists in 2023, earning more than 16 trillion VND (650 million USD), an increase of 25% compared to 2022. The province targets to lure 6 million visitors this year.
Argentine media highly values Sapa's beauty
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| Infobae describes the beauty of Sapa with verdant green mountains, deep valleys, and cascading rice terraces. (Photo: Screenshots) |
Infobae, a renowned newspaper in Argentina, reported that Sapa resort town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai is one of the 16 most beautiful small towns in the world, reported Vietnam News Agency.
In its March 10 new trends column, Infobae cited the voting results of British travel magazine Time Out, describing the beauty of Sapa with verdant green mountains, deep valleys, and cascading rice terraces.
Visitors can reach Sapa by a train or coach, the magazine said, adding that from the local town square, tourists can see Mount Fansipan - the Roof of Indochina, and find markets selling delicious and unusual ingredients.
The surrounding area is scattered with tiny villages home to ancient Vietnamese tribes and hiking trails that wind up into the clouds, the magazine said.
Along with Sapa, which ranked 14th in the list, there are other towns in Asia including Wae Rebo of Indonesia, Ogimachi of Japan, and Ghandruk of Nepal.
Vietnam imports meat products from 37 markets
Vietnam is importing meat and meat products from 37 markets, of which India is the largest supplier, reported the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Import and Export Department.
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| Vietnam imports meat products from 37 markets |
The department, quoting figures of the General Department of Customs, said that in January 2024, Vietnam imported nearly 62,440 tons of meat and meat products, worth 127.52 million USD, down 3.5% in volume and down 1.8% in value compared to December 2023, but up 76.2% in volume and up 72% in value compared to the same period last year.
In January 2024, imports of meat and meat products from India reached nearly 18.440 tons, worth 55.36 million USD, up 16.9% in volume and up 11.8% in value compared to December 2023; up 184.9% in volume and up 190.7% in value compared to the same period last year.
This month, Vietnam mainly imported categories such as: meat and by-products after slaughter, frozen fresh buffalo meat; post-slaughter by-products of chilled or frozen pigs, buffaloes and cows; fresh chilled or frozen pork; and fresh chilled or frozen beef.
In January 2024, Vietnam imported 5,860 tons of fresh chilled or frozen pork, worth 13.01 million USD, down 22.9% in volume and down 25.2% in value compared to December 2023.
Vietnam imported fresh chilled or frozen pork from 14 markets, the majority imported from Brazil, accounting for 44.63%. It was followed by Russia (25.29%) and Canada (8.36%).
Measures sought to speed up WB-loaned projects
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has chaired a meeting to discuss solutions to resolve difficulties and obstacles so as to accelerate the implementation of projects using loans from the World Bank (WB) in the Mekong Delta region, Ho Chi Minh City, and the southern province of Binh Duong, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| The Nhon - Hanoi Station metro project in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) |
According to Pham Hoang Mai, Director General of the Department of Foreign Economic Relations under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Vietnam has 13 WB loan agreements worth 2.42 billion USD currently being implemented.
There are 40 projects currently in preparation for implementation, with a total capital of 3.22 billion USD. Among these, those prioritised by the WB are mainly in the fields of energy, renewable energy, and railway, digital transformation, emission reduction, and urban development.
However, he noted that the implementation of projects using WB loans still faces some difficulties such as poor project preparation quality; ambiguity in determining the responsible agencies due to legal gaps, especially for projects implemented in many localities; limited expertise and capacity of investors; insufficient qualified personnel; and delays in compensation, land clearance and resettlement.
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| Participants at the meeting (Photo: VNA) |
Kathleen A. Whimp, Operations Manager for the WB in Vietnam, East Asia and the Pacific, underlined the need to shorten the time for implementing projects.
She said the WB Vietnam also faces challenges in flexibly adjusting the scope of projects as it must adhere to decisions by the Boards of Directors of the WB. She expressed the hope that Vietnam's partners, including the Ministry of Justice, project leading units, investors, and relevant ministries and sectors, will engage in specific discussions with the WB on challenges and discrepancies between the WB’s regulations and Vietnam’s laws, thus finding solutions.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said regarding procedures, regulations, and legal provisions related to official development assistance (ODA) projects, Vietnam is currently undergoing the process of amending relevant laws.
To overcome difficulties and expedite project progress, ministries, sectors, and localities suggested the WB coordinate with the MPI and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to review ongoing projects with proposed adjustments, evaluate, and provide feedback on proposals from agencies and localities.
For new projects, the WB was urged to collaborate with the MoF and relevant agencies to speed up the completion of negotiations and the signing of loan agreements.
Delegates proposed that the WB collaborates with the MPI and the MoF in building potential projects, simplifying procedures, and ensuring harmony with Vietnam's reality./.