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| Thang Long high-speed ferry docks at Cau Da port in Vung Tau city (Photo: VNA) |
The three-storied high-speed boat, named Thang Long, which is 77.46m in length and 9.5m in wide, will better serve the travelling demand between Con Dao island and the mainland.
Vu Van Khuong, director general of Phu Quoc Express JSC, said as the biggest express boat in Vietnam, Thang Long can carry up to 1,017 passengers.
The ferry will set out on its first trip from Cau Da port in Vung Tau city on March 9 and return the next day, he continued, adding that all tickets have been sold out.
Con Dao is an island located 180km from Vung Tau city, and about 230km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. It is well known for beaches with white sand, deep blue water and colorful coral reefs. French colonialists and the Americans turned the island into a prison to jail Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers in wartime. The island has attracted many local and foreign visitors in recent years.
Construction of 5.5 million USD grease plant kicked off in Ninh Thuan
The Top Solutions Joint Stocks Company held a groundbreaking ceremony for its grease plant with an investment of 5.5 million USD at Phuoc Nam Industrial Park in Thuan Nam district, the south-central province of Ninh Thuan on March 8, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The project with an investment of 5.5 million USD from Thai and Australian investors is the first foreign-invested one that has been implemented in the province this year.
Doan Ngoc Tu from the company said the project, aiming to produce and import kinds of grease used for industrial machines, is expected to go operational by the end of this year.
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| The project with an investment of 5.5 million USD from Thai and Australian investors is the first foreign-invested one that has been implemented in the province this year. (Photo: VNA) |
Head of the Management Board of Industrial Parks of Ninh Thuan province Su Dinh Vinh said that the project is hoped to bring great benefits to investors, and positively contribute to improving industrial production value and commodity export revenue of the province.
Moreover, it will create more jobs for local workers, increase revenue for the provincial state budget, and contribute to the socio-economic development of Ninh Thuan province in the coming years.
He urged investors to focus resources to implement the project and comply with the laws on planning, land, investment, construction, environmental protection, and other relevant laws.
The investors, consulting units, and contractors were also asked to strictly comply with construction standards and regulations, and ensure work safety and environmental sanitation.
China approves 27 more durian growing area codes for export
The General Administration of Customs of China has just approved 27 more durian growing area codes for export in Vietnam’s southern Binh Phuoc province, said Radio the Voice of Vietnam.
The licensed growing area covers 701.5ha of durian under cultivation with an estimated output of 14,030 tonnes.
Binh Phuoc now has 65 durian growing area codes licensed by China, ranking fourth in Vietnam in terms of the durian growing area codes.
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| Durian is one of the major hard currency earners for Vietnam. (Photo: VGP) |
The province strengthens the supervision and management of the codes for export every six months. The results will be reported to the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to inform importers and maintain the codes of growing areas and packaging facilities.
About 95% of Binh Phuoc’s fresh durian output is exported to the Chinese market, while the rest is consumed in the domestic market, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Currently, Vietnam has 876 durian growing area codes and durian packing facility codes eligible for export to China.
Vietnam exports durian to 23 markets worldwide, with China emerging as the biggest consumer. Last year alone saw China import more than US$2 billion worth of Vietnamese durian, accounting for 91% of the total export earnings from this fruit.
Over 5,000 people join ‘Ao dai’ parade in HCM City
Over 5,000 people clad in "Ao dai" (Vietnamese traditional gown) joined a parade in Ho Chi Minh City on March 8 as part of the city’s ongoing 10th Ao Dai Festival, said the Vietnam News Agency.
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| Vietnamese women wearing Ao dai (Photo: VNA) |
Head of the city Women’s Union Nguyen Tran Phuong Tran said that the annual festival has been held for a decade on the occasion of the International Women’s Day (March 8), with an aim of honouring the traditional costume as well as the beauty of Vietnamese women.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung expressed his belief that the women movement will develop further, helping the city successfully fulfil its socio-economic and cultural targets.
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| Vietnamese women wearing Ao dai (Photo: VNA) |
Held from March 7-17, the festival includes a variety of unique activities such as an art programme themed “Ao Dai – Colours of Ho Chi Minh City”, an Ao dai exhibition and interaction space, and an online competition./.