ASEAN promotes Singapore-Kunming rail project

The ASEAN plans to woo investors for an ambitious rail project linking Singapore and Kunming in southern China early next year.

A conference and exhibition on the project will be held to “publicise, promote and attract investments for the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link in early 2009,” ASEAN economic ministers said on August 29 in a joint statement.

A special working group on the railway project will also meet in November in Malaysia, it said.

To complete the link, 550 kilometres of “missing links” still need to be built at an estimated cost of 2 billion USD, at 2006 prices, ASEAN ministers said.

Once completed, the railway line of 5,000 kilometres will link major cities in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and China.-

MRC member countries discuss recent flooding

Vientiane (VNA) – More than 50 delegates from member states of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) have gathered in Vientiane ( Laos ) to discuss measures to cope with recent flooding in the region.

It is necessary for the MRC members to improve their flood-warning systems, said the delegates at the 28th meeting of the MRC Joint Committee on August 27-28.

They also discussed impacts resulting from the fast development of hydropower programmes along Mekong River.

At the meeting, Chairman of the MRC Joint Committee of the 2007-2008 term Nguyen Hong Toan from Vietnam handed over his post to Dr. Saksit Tridech from Thailand.

MRC member countries include Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. –

ASEAN, India back Laos’ efforts to join WTO

Vientiane (VNA) – ASEAN member countries and India have pledged to continue to support Laos’s efforts to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

This was confirmed by Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Nam Viyaketh who headed the Lao delegation to the 6th Consultations between the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) and the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India, held in Singapore on August 28.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. –

Japan, ASEAN to step up info, telecom cooperation

Tokyo (VNA) – Japan and ASEAN have agreed on an action plan to reinforce their cooperation in the field of information and telecommunications, Kyodo news reported.

Under the plan reached on August 29, Japan will dispatch experts on the IPv6 next-generation Internet protocol to ASEAN meetings and will host a conference on the safe management of information, the news agency quoted the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as saying.

The plan, which will be updated every year, was proposed by Japanese Communications Minister Hiroya Masuda during a meeting with his counterparts from the 10 ASEAN member countries in Bali, Indonesia.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. –

Thailand’s parties exert efforts to end turmoil

Bangkok (VNA) – The coalition parties comprising the current government of Thailand have agreed to convene an urgent special parliamentary meeting on August 31 to grapple with the political crisis and find a solution to end the seeming impasse that has developed as a result of over three months of anti-government protests.

The six parties meeting at Chart Thai Party leader Baharn Silpa-archa’s home in Bangkok late August 30 also agreed to not put any pressure to Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to resign from the post.

According to latest sources from the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Samak Sundaravej flew from Bangkok around midnight to Hua Hin town, southern Thailand, to meet King Bhumibol Adulaydej, reporting the country’s current situation.

Meanwhile, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is holding its ground at Government House for the fifth day, demanding Samak to step down.-

Flights resume at Thailand’s Phuket airport

Bangkok (VNA) – Phuket International Airport in southern Thailand has resumed services after two days of suspension, local media reported.

The resumption of domestic and international flights started on August 31 afternoon after anti-government protesters dispersed from the airport entrance, Director of the airport Wicha Nernlop told the Thai news agency (TNA) at a press conference on August 31.

The protesters said they dispersed after having succeeded to pressure the Thai government and help People’s Alliance for Democracy ( PAD ) demonstrators in Bangkok to continue their protest, TNA said.

Earlier, the police had tightened security at the airport but could not disperse the crowd of protesters, and airport staff had to open another entrance for both international and domestic passengers to access the airport, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Pol.Maj-Gen. Pisan Jundilok said.

There are about 15,000 tourists using Phuket’s airport each day. –

Singapore to open more consulate in Indonesia

Jakarta (VNA) – Singapore is planning to open a consulate office in Batam, Indonesia’s Riau Island province, on December 1, 2008, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported.

The opening of the consulate office is expected to further increase the two countries’ relations in the fields of trade, health, tourism, and administrations, Singapore Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan was quoted by Antara as saying.

The opening of the Singaporean consulate office was also intended to support the implementation of Indonesia-Singapore cooperation in developing the Indonesian Special Economic Zone (KEKI) in Batam, Bintan and Karimun islands, the Singaporean official added.

Singapore’s investment in Indonesia reached 3.75 billion USD which was the biggest foreign investment in the country in 2007, according to Antara. –

Thai parliament convenes emergency session

Hanoi (VNA) – Both houses of Thailand’s parliament on August 31 convened an emergency session to sort ways for the solution of the ongoing political crisis, according to news reports.

The joint session was held at the request of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.

The Thai PM asked the parliament for help, saying his administration cannot control spiraling anti-government protests. “Since the government cannot resolve the problem, the joint session of parliament is the best choice for finding a solution,” he was quoted by news reports as saying.

However, PM Samak reiterated he would not be intimidated by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters who have occupied the Government House for six days to call for his step-down.

Speaking at his weekly TV and radio address programme on August 31 morning, the Thai PM affirmed that he would not resign despite the pressure mounting on his government. –

Delays add 100m USD to sanitation project costs

HCM City (VNA) – A major sanitation project in Ho Chi Minh City may require an additional 100 million USD after delays have caused cost overruns, its managers have said.

At a meeting with the National Assembly’s Finance and Budget Committee on August 25, the management board of the HCM City Environmental Sanitation Project said the budget may be “adjusted” again. It was increased once already from 200 million USD to 251 million USD in March 2008.

The project, which kicked off in September 2003, was scheduled for completion in late 2007.

It is aimed at sustainable improvement in public health and well-being through reduction in pollution by waste-water and flooding.

Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Marketing) newspaper reported that packages for construction of the drainage are being executed at a snail’s pace.

Work on Package No.7 was scheduled to be completed in November 2006. But, as of August 25 this year, only 66 percent of the work was finished.

Only 19 percent of work on other packages to replace and extend sewers to reduce storm water runoff has been completed so far.

The project’s deadline has been extended to 31 December 2009.

But the management board said much of the work remains incomplete and would not be complete in time.

The HCM City Environmental Sanitation Project involves work on 3,046 hectares in districts 1,3,4,5,6,8,10,11, Tan Binh, Binh Thanh and Binh Chanh. It is funded by a 40-year concessional loan of 166 million USD from the WorkBank.-

Health sector to boost services at grassroots

Hanoi (VNA) – The health sector plans to improve its services at the grassroots level and to introduce greater self-determination in a bid to raise standards, a two-day workshop in Hanoi heard on August 27.

“Selecting priorities in making health policy” was organised by the Institute of Health Strategy and Policy and the Ministry of Health (MoH).

“There are many out-of-date healthcare policies that are not appropriate to the new market-driven economy. In the coming time, the health sector will focus its activities on resolving urgent issues in an effort to provide high quality healthcare services for everybody,” said Health Minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu.

By opening up the market, additional competition has led to improved healthcare, said Trieu, adding that, allowing hospitals to control their own budgets the Government had improved efficiency levels.

The healthcare system in Vietnam is divided into four levels – central, provincial, district and grassroots. Grassroots healthcare covers commune, wards and hamlets.

Grassroots level hospitals and health centres play an important role in detecting early signs of epidemics.

According to MoH statistics in 2007, Vietnam had 11,004 communes, wards medical personnel, of which 97.7 percent worked in health clinics. Nearly 60 percent of communes and wards have doctors; more than 92 percent of communes and wards have both midwives and doctors, while more than 83 percent of hamlets had medical staff. More than 48 percent of communes, wards and townships met national health standard, the MoH said.

Priority should be given to improving healthcare services at the grassroots level, said director of the Human Resource Department of the MoH Trinh Dinh Can. Local people would have access to quality health care, which relieves the pressure on central hospitals, said Can.

Deputy Director of Thanh Hoa Health Department Nguyen Ngoc Thanh said there were still many problems at the grassroots level that needed to be resolved such as a lack of investment in infrastructure and facilities, as well as staff shortages.

Thanh Hoa has 4.5 medical personnel per commune, but nearly 50 percent of health clinics have no doctors, while 60.6 percent of health clinics have no pharmacists and 7.5 percent of hamlets have not medical staffs, said Thanh.

Thanh Hoa province also has an epidemiology centre and six commune clinics. There are also 76 rundown health centres, while another 126 do not meet national standards, said the MoH.

“The Government should increase State budget investment in the health sector, especially for epidemiology, and for district general hospitals and commune clinics,” said Thanh.

According to MoH statistics, the number of medical staff increased from 26.5 per 10,000 people in 1990 to 32 per 10,000 people in 2006. However, the health sector still needs another 6,000 doctors, 1,500 pharmacists, more than 10,000 nurses and more than 7,000 medical and technical staff, the ministry said.

The population increases by roughly one million people each year, while demand for health care had doubled, officials said.

The MoH says there should be at least 40 medical staff per 10,000 people by 2015 and 50 medical staff per 10,000 by 2020.-