Vietnam - Vietnam relies on foreign funding for HIV/AIDS

Vietnam will remain reliant on international assistance to combat HIV/AIDS for the forseeable future, according to Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Speaking yesterday during a working session with donors in central Da Nang City, Phuc said the estimated cost for HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities over the period 2013-20 will be nearly 27 trillion dong (US$1.28 billion).

Vietnam will try to diversify its funding sources by seeking support from public-private partnerships and health insurance, but it will still require financial assistance from international donors.

Phuc asked the donors to elaborate on their future financial commitments to help Vietnam in its fight against HIV/AIDS.

He also emphasised the important role played by the international community in Vietnam's success to accomplish its National Target Programme on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Due to the donors' financial and technical assistance, as well as its own efforts, Vietnam has expanded its HIV/AIDS treatment and care services while the relevant institutional framework has also been strengthened.

He said the fight against HIV/AIDS is ongoing because although cases of the disease are declining, it still remains latent.

Deborah Chatsis, Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam and President of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Coordination Group, said Vietnam has made significant progress in fighting HIV/AIDS.

She said the international community was committed to continuing its support in helping Vietnam prevent and control HIV/AIDS, but added that as Vietnam had become a middle-income country, financial assistance will be gradually reduced while technical assistance and policy advice will remain in place.

Also yesterday, Phuc attended a meeting to review a community-based HIV/AIDS prevention programme which has just concluded its first phase. The programme was led by the Father Front, together with the ministries of health and culture, sports and tourism.

Since its launch in 2008, the programme has provided training activities for 4.3 million people nationwide and 18 million leaflets have been distributed. This awareness-raising programme has helped reduce the number of new HIV cases from 30,000 in 2006 to 14,000 last year.

As part of its second phase, the programme aims to help cut the number of new HIV cases related to sexually transmissions and drug use by half in the next three years.

Vietnam hopes to reduce the number of people with HIV to 0.3 per cent by 2020.

News Desk 

Viet Nam News

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Vietnam - Smoothing the way for better roading

Road maintenance funding issues are under the microscope.

>> Fee opposition hits top gear

Basic road-use collection level for automobiles was proposed at VND180,000 ($8.5) per month, according to Ministry of Transport’s (MoT) Financial Department.

This benchmark is applied to under 10-seat cars, ambulances, vans, hearses, trailers less than two tonnes in carrying capacity and equivalents. The MoT will develop a fee ladder for cars with more seats or bigger carrying capacity based on that basic price.

As planned, the MoT will forward two draft decrees on collection and expenditure of the road maintenance fund to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) early next week.

Vietnam Auto Transport Association chairman Nguyen Manh Hung said the fee proposal tolerable for businesses.

Under the proposal, vehicle owners can make fee contributions monthly, every six months, yearly, 18 months, 24 months or 30 months.

For cars, collection bodies will be motorised vehicles registration and quality inspection organisations on the principle that only vehicle owners will get certificates after paying off the fee.

For motorbikes, there would be four fee levels, instead of three as previously proposed.

Particularly, the fee is set at VND80,000-120,000 ($3.8-$5.7) per month for under 70 cubic centimeters motorbikes, from VND100,000-150,000 ($4.7-$7.1) for 70cc to 100cc motorbikes, from VND120,000-180,000 ($5.7-$8.5) for 100cc to 175cc motorbikes and from VND150,000-225,000 ($7.1-$10.7) to over 175cc motorbikes. Concrete fee levels will be regulated by provincial people’s committees suitable to socio-economic conditions in each locality, said a representative from the circular’s Compiling Board.

Also under the draft circular, the road maintenance funding will go towards maintaining and managing road system, as well as feeding relevant human resources.

As proposed, the fund’s Management Council will be chaired by MoT Minister and three deputy chairmen being the leadership from MoT, MoF and Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRRVN). The council members will include representatives from Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vietnam Auto Transport Association.

The DRVN is reportedly busy with devising a plan on innovating road maintenance work throughout the country under which the activities will be put on auctions slated to be open to businesses from assorted economic sectors.

“We seek to apply a market mechanism in managing and maintaining road network with people acting as supervisors conforming to international practices,” said DRVN’s deputy chief Nguyen Van Quyen.

Proposed fee levels for automobiles:

-       For cars from 10 to 24 seats, trucks and trailers from two to seven tonnes in carrying capacity: VND270,000 ($12) per month

-       For cars of more than 25 seats, trucks and trailers from seven to under 10 tonnes in carrying capacity and specialised cars: VND386,000 ($18) per month

-       For cars from 10 to under 18 tonnes in carrying capacity: VND720,000 ($34) per month

-       For above 18 tonne cars: VND1.44 million ($68.5) per month

-       For trailers under 25 tonnes in carrying capacity: VND324,000 ($15) per month

-       For trailers over 25 tonnes in carrying capacity: VND1.044 ($49) million per month.

Anh Minh | vir.com.vn

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China - Climate change funding 'at risk'

Funding by Western nations to help developing countries fight climate change is more important than ever, even though money may be short due to the financial crisis, China's top climate change official said.

The bleak global economic outlook and various policy positions held by some nations have lowered expectations for climate talks in Durban, South Africa, starting on Monday.

"Western countries are facing difficulties," Xie Zhenhua, vice-minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a news conference on Tuesday.

"Addressing climate change is a long-term project while the world's financial woes are temporary."

The Green Climate Fund is on the agenda for the Durban meeting and hopefully progress can be made on long-term financing, Xie said.

Xie, who will again head the Chinese delegation at the Durban meeting, called for nations to adopt an "active and constructive" attitude.

He Jiankun, a laboratory director who specialises in low-carbon energy at Tsinghua University, stressed the importance of the meeting.

"It will be hard to reach any breakthrough at the Durban meeting, but the meeting is critical as it sets the direction and regime for future international climate change negotiations." Developing countries insist on the double-track negotiation mechanism - the UN Framework of Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol - while some developed countries want to combine the two. Disputes in Durban over this particular issue could be heated.

China will firmly stick to its commitments on combating climate change despite the global financial turmoil, Xie said.

Durban will also address the fate of the Kyoto Protocol, the only legally-binding treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

China, along with other developing countries, hopes to ensure Kyoto's continuation and there should be no gap between the two commitment periods. The first commitment period is due to expire with Kyoto in 2012.

Xie called on the European Union to continue to "take a leading role" in addressing climate change and said European countries have done an excellent job in combating climate change.

But Zhang Haibin, an associate professor at Peking University, was not optimistic. As Europe is still struggling to find a way out of the eurozone crisis, the structure of international climate negotiations will be severely affected.

"If we look at previous talks, any progress that has been achieved has something to do with EU leadership," he said.

"But with its increasing financial vulnerability the EU is not likely to be really active and assume greater responsibility this time," Zhang said.

The United States did not sign up to Kyoto and it is doubtful if Washington will make any legally-binding commitment now or in the coming years, Zhang said. It is unlikely that Durban will see major progress, he added.

The European Union wants a second commitment period for Kyoto, provided China and the US seek major cuts in the coming years.

Under the principle, rich nations - with their history of industrialization, should substantially cut their greenhouse gases and provide funding and technological support for developing countries to make voluntary reductions in their emissions.

But developed countries have been pushing the leading emerging economies - China, India, Brazil and South Africa - to shoulder more responsibility as their emissions have risen in step with their growing economic clout.

China has become the world's top carbon emitter over the past several years, overtaking the US.

"But we will not let our carbon emissions grow unchecked and repeat the mistakes of rich countries during their industrialization," Xie said.

China hopes to reduce the per-unit GDP greenhouse gas emission in 2020 by 40 to 45 per cent from 2005 levels.

Xie said China is willing to reconsider its role under the UN Framework of Climate Change Convention beyond 2020, based on scientific reviews on global warming to be published in 2015.

"China is willing to shoulder its due obligations consistent with its development stage, but the fundamental principle of 'common and differentiated responsibilities' needs to be upheld," he said.

Climate talks were held in 2009 in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, but little progress was made.

Lan Lan and Li Jing

China Daily

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Laos - Laos seeks more funding to restore flood-hit areas

The Lao government will seek more funding from both domestic and foreign sources to restore flood-affected areas and return victims' lives to normal, government spokesperson Bounpheng Mounphosay said.

Bounpheng was speaking at a press conference in Vientiane on Friday to report on the outcome of the government's October 20-21 meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and attended by cabinet members.

The government has set a figure of 600 billion kip (US$75 million) as necessary for essential rebuilding in the aftermath of the flooding triggered by tropical storms Haima in June and Nock-Ten in July.

The money will be used to repair irrigation systems for the upcoming dry season, as well as schools, hospitals, roads and other necessities.

However, the government has been able to provide only 100 billion kip (U$12.5 million), which represents just 16.6 per cent of the total funding it now seeks for restoration projects.

The estimated cost of irrigation repairs is 170 billion kip (U$21 million) but the government can provide only 30 billion kip (US$3.75 million) due to financial constraints. The 30 billion kip will be used to repair irrigation systems needed for dry season crops and to buy animal vaccines, rice seeds and pesticides.

Bounpheng said the government would task local authorities with doing their best to source additional funding to mitigate the impact of the flooding. "Meanwhile, the government will seek more funding from various sources, including from all levels of society, to help affected villagers," she said.

Laos still needs much more funding to restore affected areas after severe floods this year killed 30 people and caused about 1.764 trillion kip (US$220.9 million) in damage.

The flooding devastated important infrastructure including roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, tourist sites, and electricity and water installations.

Despite economic growth of 8 per cent, one of the major concerns in Laos over the next year will be food security because of the magnitude of agricultural losses from the flooding.

Experts say that if local authorities do not have enough money to repair irrigation systems for dry season cultivation, food security in Laos could decline as more than 64,400 hectares of farmland were inundated.

Because the flooding in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia could also impact Laos and cause fluctuations in food prices, the government has urged the relevant sectors to monitor the situation closely so they can address any changes.

The government has also directed the relevant agencies to collect information and formulate long-term plans to deal with the possible impact of future flooding.

The long-term plans will include building embankments and relocating schools, hospitals and villages in areas where flooding frequently occurs. The government also plans to focus more on forest preservation to protect the environment and prevent soil erosion.

News Desk

Vientiane Times

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