'Hot' last week: Prime Minister inspects key projects; festive atmosphere across the country

The week from February 12 to February 18 saw notable events such as: the President attending the launching ceremony of the Tet tree planting festival "Forever grateful to Uncle Ho"; the Prime Minister inspecting important traffic projects in Hanoi and the Southern region; tourist and cultural destinations crowded with visitors during the Lunar New Year; businesses launching production at the beginning of the year...

President attends the launching ceremony of the Tree Planting Festival "Forever grateful to Uncle Ho" On the morning of February 15, in Kim Phu commune, Tuyen Quang city, President Vo Van Thuong attended the launching ceremony of the Tree Planting Festival "Forever grateful to Uncle Ho" Spring Giap Thin 2024. The movement "Tree Planting Festival, Forever grateful to Uncle Ho" on every Lunar New Year not only contributes significantly to tree planting but also creates a spread for the Project "Planting one billion trees". In the three years of implementing the Project from 2021 to 2023, the whole country has planted nearly 770 million trees, reaching over 121% of the plan. The total capital mobilized to implement the Project in the past 3 years is nearly 9.5 trillion VND; of which the state budget capital accounts for 23.8%, the remaining capital comes from socialization and other capital sources. Speaking at the launching ceremony, President Vo Van Thuong emphasized that, following the teachings of beloved Uncle Ho: "Spring is the Tree Planting Festival - Making the country more and more Springy". More than 6 decades have passed, "Tree Planting Festival forever remembers Uncle Ho" has become a tradition, a custom, a cultural beauty, a widespread mass movement that brings great benefits to the country. Tree planting and afforestation have contributed to protecting and improving the ecological environment, improving the landscape, proactively preventing and combating natural disasters, responding to climate change, making an important contribution to socio -economic development, improving the quality of life of the people. In 2023, the forest coverage rate was maintained at over 42%. Forest protection work has had positive changes. For the first time, our country successfully transferred the amount of carbon emission reduction of 10.3 million tons, worth nearly 1,200 billion VND. Prime Minister inspects important transport projects in Hanoi and the southern region. On the occasion of the beginning of spring, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and wished a happy new year to workers and laborers at important transport projects in Hanoi and the southern region. On the morning of February 12 (the third day of the Lunar New Year), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the construction site of Station S12 (Tran Hung Dao Street) of the Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station urban railway construction investment project. After 13 years of construction, with many adjustments, the Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station urban railway project has only completed about 78%. Of which, the elevated section has completed about 99%, the underground section has only completed about 40%. According to the latest adjustment decision, the project will be completed in 2027. Visiting the construction site of Station S12, the Prime Minister requested timely and effective handling of arising problems, with higher determination, greater efforts, more drastic and effective actions; Affirming that the Government and Hanoi City will continue to analyze the causes and find solutions to remove them, creating the best conditions to promote project implementation.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects the progress of the T3 passenger terminal construction project at Tan Son Nhat Airport. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

On the afternoon of February 12 (the 3rd day of Tet), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the implementation and construction of the T3 Passenger Terminal Project, Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the 4th time the Prime Minister has inspected, urged, and directed the removal of difficulties and obstacles, and promoted this national key project. The Prime Minister requested contractors to rebuild the progress chart; launch an emulation movement, mobilize vehicles, equipment, and human resources; research and improve construction methods to speed up the project's progress, striving to complete the project before April 30, 2025, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025). Continuing the program of inspecting the implementation and construction of important transport infrastructure projects in the Southern region, on February 13 (the 4th day of Tet), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspected the implementation of the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 3 Project; Long Thanh International Airport Project (Dong Nai); Bien Hoa - Vung Tau Expressway Project. In particular, for Long Thanh International Airport, Dong Nai, the Prime Minister requested units to speed up the progress, identifying 2024 as the acceleration year, and completing the project by 2026. Tourist and cultural destinations crowded with visitors during the Lunar New Year During the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024, tourism activities across the country took place bustlingly, attracting a large number of domestic tourists to travel, visit and enjoy spring, many international delegations chose to come to Vietnam to celebrate the New Year and experience traditional culture.

Crowds of people flock to Thien Tru Pagoda and Huong Tich Cave on the main festival day. Photo: Le Son

During the Lunar New Year, from February 8 to February 14, 2024, the tourism industry nationwide is estimated to welcome and serve 10.5 million domestic visitors (an increase of 16.6% over the same period in 2023); of which there are about 3.5 million overnight visitors (an increase of 75% over the same period in 2023); the average room occupancy rate is estimated at about 45 - 50% at the tourist accommodation system (of which high-end 4 - 5 star tourist accommodation facilities in some key tourist localities have higher occupancy rates, concentrated on the 3rd and 4th days of Tet). The 2024 Lunar New Year holiday also recorded a high increase in the number of international visitors to many localities: Da Nang is estimated to welcome nearly 177,000 arrivals; Hanoi is estimated to welcome nearly 103,000 visitors, 2.2 times higher than the same period in 2023; Ninh Binh is estimated to welcome nearly 100,000 visitors; Quang Nam is estimated to welcome 97,000 visitors, up 42%; Quang Ninh is estimated to welcome 89,767 visitors; Ho Chi Minh City is estimated to welcome 75,000 visitors, up 15.4% over the same period in 2023; Kien Giang is estimated to welcome 44,370 visitors, up 4.8 times over the same period in 2023... In early spring, a series of festivals across the country were held. On the morning of February 15, 2024 (January 6), the 2024 Huong Pagoda Spring Giap Thin Festival officially opened with the theme "Safe - Civilized - Friendly Huong Pagoda Festival". This is the largest and longest-running festival in the North, lasting until the end of the third lunar month. Previously, on the evening of February 13 (the 4th day of the Lunar New Year), the 2024 Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival with the theme "The Fragrance of Tay Ninh" opened. The Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival is an annual festival activity at the Ba Den Mountain Historical, Cultural and Tourist Site on the occasion of the New Year. The series of activities under the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival lasts until the 29th day of the first lunar month (March 9). In January, it is estimated that there are about 700 festivals across the country attracting a large number of people to participate... Enterprises start production at the beginning of the year On February 15 (the 6th day of the first lunar month), many enterprises started production at the beginning of the year with a jubilant atmosphere and many expectations for the new year. For example, on the morning of February 15, more than 12,000 officers and employees of Garment Corporation 10 (May 10) in 8 provinces and cities simultaneously launched the first working day of the Year of the Dragon with the determination to successfully complete the planned targets set for 2024. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Vu Duc Giang, Chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Garment Corporation 10 affirmed that they have been proactive and made breakthroughs to find their own way, from the strategic orientation of the entire collective. This is thanks to the encouragement and support of all levels and sectors such as the Campaign for Vietnamese people to prioritize using Vietnamese goods. WinCommerce has launched early during the Tet holidays to meet the shopping needs of the 2024 Giap Thin Tet holiday. Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy General Director of the WinMart chain, said that the WinCommerce retail system, the owner of the WinMart supermarket chain and WinMart+/WIN convenience stores, has opened to serve Tet until February 9, 2024 (ie the 30th day of the Lunar New Year) and resumed operations on February 13, 2024 (ie the 4th day of the Lunar New Year). According to the synthesis of the Hanoi City Trade Union at all levels, by noon on February 15, more than 80% of enterprises had opened factories for production, with nearly 89% of workers returning to work (the number of workers returning to work at enterprises that have opened for production). The remaining enterprises are expected to open factories from Monday, February 19 (ie the 10th day of the Lunar New Year). According to the representative of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Federation of Labor, as of the afternoon of February 15, 98% of workers in the province who returned to their hometowns for Tet had returned to their workplaces safely; units and enterprises with foreign direct investment (FDI) in the province had resumed production on February 15 in accordance with regulations. According to statistics from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, as of February 16, nearly 98% of workers in enterprises and units had returned to work...

XM/Newspaper

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