NA committee debates draft law on real estate

A high-class vilas in the Linh Dam Residential Area in Ha Noi. — VNS Truong Vi

HA NOI — The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee yesterday discussed the draft laws on real estate registration and guaranteed transactions, with legislators asking for more revisions to the laws before they are submitted to the NA in October.

Director of the NA Legal Committee, Nguyen Van Thuan said it would be a mistake if the draft law on real estate registration regulated transactions of all forms of real estate.

“Real estate under the current laws include land, housing, constructions, mines, forests, and bodies of water for aquaculture production. These are governed by different laws and different ministries. Therefore, applying a transaction certificate for all of them, as the draft law regulates, will be unsuitable,” said Thuan.

Thuan added that the common international concept of real estate was land and residential houses, so it would be a complicated issue if the draft law required the registration of transaction of factories and mines.

Registrations of property rights and property transaction are two different legal institutions, therefore, the processes will also be different and can not be governed by the same law and the same agency.

Other deputies also warned that the draft would cause more red tape as it requested real estate owners to have both a certificate of use rights and a permit in order to engage in civil transactions.

The draft law has six chapters and 76 articles, regulating trading, exchange, gifting, inheriting and capitalisation of real estate in Viet Nam.

Regarding the law on guaranteed transactions, deputies agreed that the draft law could confuse people and even State agencies as it’s articles overlapped with other existing laws such as the laws on Land, Housing, Maritime and Civil Aviation.

Thuan said that there was no convincing reason for the introduction of the law as it stood at the moment. —

HMAS ANZAC on visit to HCM City

HCM CITY — The Australian Navy warship HMAS ANZAC arrived at Sai Gon Port yesterday for a five-day visit to Viet Nam to mark the 35 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The warship is one of three ships in the Australian Navy to carry the name of both the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

The crew of 30 Australian navy officers and 160 sailors is headed by Captain Stuart Mayer. During its stay in HCM City, the crew will meet senior officers and sailors from the Viet Nam’s People’s Navy as well as join outdoor sports games with Vietnamese youth, including cadets at the Naval Technical College and students at the HCM City-based Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Besides entertaining activities, the crew also expects to explore the country’s natural beauty and participate in charity works. This is the second time the navy ship has visited the city. The first visit was in May 2000. —

Rural people provided with water filters to prevent arsenic poisoning

Hanoi (VNA) – Some communes of northern Ha Nam province have been provided with free-of-charge water filters to reduce the risk of arsenic poisoning for the local population.

Sixty filters were installed in the communes of Binh Luc and Ly Nhan districts where the average arsenic level in water sources reaches to 100-200ppb or even 300ppb, 30 times higher than the accepted.

Besides arsenic, the filters are also able to remove manganite and other toxicants while retaining useful minerals.

The project was carried out by the National Centre for Safe Water and Environmental Hygiene with the assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in coordination with the HCTH Ltd. Co, a Swiss wholly invested company in Vietnam specialising in water treatment technologies.

Vietnam is facing an alarming threat of arsenic pollution in water sources with the toxicant found in tap water, underground water, ponds and lakes and even bottled water.

According to the Health Ministry, up to 21 percent of Vietnam’s population are exposed to arsenic in drinking water at a level above the acceptable 10ppb (or 0.01mg of arsenic per litre) recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Also according to the Health Ministry, water containing arsenic at the 300ppb level would cause serious cancers within only 3-4 years of using while the toxicant’s presence in water can be found only by testing equipment and symptoms of poisoning will not show until 5-15 years later.

Research has shown that arsenic-poisoned water is the cause of many diseases including skin cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and inborn deformities.

Vietnam now is using mainly manual methods, including diluting arsenic-containing water to reduce the arsenic level.

HCTC has put on the market arsenic test kits and water filters under the licensing of the Hanoi Preventive Medicine Centre.-

Vietnam strengthens fight against software copyright violations

Hanoi (VNA) – An agreement on software copyright protection was reached in Hanoi on August 26, marking a step-forward in cooperation between government agencies and local and foreign professional associations in the fight against copyright infringement.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by Tarun Sawney, Business Software Alliance (BSA)’s Director for Anti-Piracy in Asia; Pham Tan Cong, General Secretary of the Vietnam Software Association; Vu Manh Chu, Director of the Copyright Office of Vietnam; and Vu Xuan Thanh, Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Under the MoU, a campaign will be launched to increase the business community’s awareness of computer software copyright along with more frequent inspection and stricter punishment of violations.

Chief Inspector Thanh said his task mission is proposing to increase the maximum fine level on a software copyright infringement to 500 million VND from the current 30 million VND.

According to the MoU, BSA will assist government agencies in enforcing the Law on Copyright by training personnel and sharing experiences in making and implementing policies on protection of software copyright.

BSA will also help in setting up a hotline to provide information and create favourable conditions for the public to denounce software copyright violations.

Thanh said the rate of computer software copyright violation has dropped markedly over recent years but remained high. It is expected to drop to 82 percent in 2008 from 85 percent in 2007, 88 percent in 2006 and 92 percent in 2004.

A research conducted by IDC, a leading market forecasting company in information technology, says if the rate of software copyright violations drops by 10 percentage points in the next four years, the software industry will get additional earnings of 623 million USD.-

Senior lawmaker seeks closer ties with Indonesia

Hanoi (VNA) – A senior legislator says Vietnam and Indonesia need to increase the exchange of visits to strengthen mutual understanding, trust, assistance, and cooperation for mutual development.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son made the remark while receiving Sidarto Danusubroto, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Communication and Information, in Hanoi on August 26.

Son said he was pleased to see constant development in Vietnam-Indonesia cooperation in politics, economy and trade.

The law marker described the ongoing visit as evidence of Indonesia ’s desire to expand its friendly and cooperative relations with Vietnam .

Danusubroto, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from August 24-27, said he delighted at the country’s great achievements, particularly its economic growth, recorded during the renewal process.

He expressed his hoped that Indonesia and Vietnam will close up relation between the two legislatures and people and intensify their coordination at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums, as well as at other multilateral platforms.-

Senior lawmaker seeks closer ties with Indonesia

Hanoi (VNA) – A senior legislator says Vietnam and Indonesia need to increase the exchange of visits to strengthen mutual understanding, trust, assistance, and cooperation for mutual development.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son made the remark while receiving Sidarto Danusubroto, Vice Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission on Foreign Affairs, Defence, Communication and Information, in Hanoi on August 26.

Son said he was pleased to see constant development in Vietnam-Indonesia cooperation in politics, economy and trade.

The law marker described the ongoing visit as evidence of Indonesia ’s desire to expand its friendly and cooperative relations with Vietnam .

Danusubroto, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from August 24-27, said he delighted at the country’s great achievements, particularly its economic growth, recorded during the renewal process.

He expressed his hoped that Indonesia and Vietnam will close up relation between the two legislatures and people and intensify their coordination at regional and international inter-parliamentary forums, as well as at other multilateral platforms.-

Deputy PM praises development of Vietnam-Myanmar relations

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem praised the fine development of Vietnam-Myanmar friendly, cooperative ties, especially positive changes in bilateral economic, commercial and investment cooperation.

Receiving Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu in Hanoi on Aug. 26, Deputy PM Khiem affirmed that Vietnam has always attached importance to promoting traditional friendship and cooperation with Myanmar in terms of bilateral ties and multilateral cooperation at regional and international forums.

Myanmar Deputy FM Kyaw Thu stressed that the Myanmar government highly appreciated Vietnam ’s valuable assistance to Myanmar . He affirmed that Myanmar places importance to developing friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam .

Earlier on Aug. 25, within the fourth annual political consultation meeting of the two foreign ministries, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dao Viet Trung and Myanmar Deputy FM Kyaw Thu informed each other of the situation in their respective countries and discussed measures to boost the two countries’ cooperation, including the implementation of high-level agreements and agreements of the two countries’ joint committee for economic cooperation.

The two sides were pleased at the new positive development steps in their bilateral relations.

They agreed to promote cooperation at regional and international forums, praised the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and reiterated their determination to join other ASEAN member countries in building a strong ASEAN Community.

During his stay in Vietnam , the Myanmar Deputy FM also worked with a number of Vietnamese relevant ministries, sectors, and economic groups, and visited several economic establishment in Hanoi and Bac Ninh province.-

Vietnam welcomes Australian investors: NA Chairman

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam welcomes Australian investors to the country, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong told former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating in Hanoi on August 26.

The NA Chairman thanked the Australian Government for its cooperation with and assistance to Vietnam , saying the two nations shared good prospect for fruitful cooperation.

He also spoke highly of Mr. Keating’s contribution to boosting the two countries’ ties, expressing his hope that the former PM would continue with his efforts to help promote the bilateral ties.

Australia is now among Vietnam ’s 10 most important partners with 174 direct investment projects worth over 1 billion USD in total.

Vietnam and Australia have experienced positive changes in labour and education cooperation, NA Chairman Trong said, citing that Vietnam has sent 9,000 students to study in Australia .
Former Australian PM Paul Keating congratulated Vietnam on its socio-economic development and spoke of his concern about challenges Vietnam is coping with, especially those in finance and banking.-

PM receives deputy US trade representative

Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung received visiting Deputy US Trade Representative John Veroneau in Hanoi on August 26.

The PM spoke highly of the two sides’ efforts to carry out the agreements reached during his visit to the US in June, noting progress made in boosting cooperation in trade, education and training, and climate changes.

He also asked the US side to consider the application of the general preferential system (GPS) to Vietnam as well as to end the monitoring mechanism on garment imports from Vietnam .

The US visitor said he hoped that in the near future, the two sides will hammer out new measures to further increase bilateral trade.

The US Department of Commerce has not planned to extend the monitoring mechanism on garment imports from Vietnam , once it expires, the deputy US Trade Representative said.-