Over 147,000 student dropouts in 2007-2008: education ministry

More than 147,000 students have dropped out for the 2007–2008 academic year which started last September, accounting for nearly 1 percent of all students, Vietnamese education authorities reported.

The latest statistics showed an increase in dropouts in primary, secondary and high school levels compared to the previous total figure of 119,000 students reported at a press conference held by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) in March. Primary school absentees have risen by 6,304, while secondary schools saw an increase of 7,000. High school dropouts have gone up by 14,437. The difference is caused by rising truancy and incorrect statistics provided earlier by localities, according to the ministry. Several reasons that contribute to student dropouts include overloaded curriculum and inappropriate instructional and assessment methodologies applied. In total, 0.28 percent of primary school students, 1.14 percent of secondary school students and 2.02 percent of high school students have left school this academic year. One-third of all reported dropouts belong to the Mekong Delta region. The MoET is conducting studies and making plans to eliminate truancy through various solutions including supporting underprivileged students.

Vietnam’s exports to US grow at slower pace

A customer looks at rattan-made products at an international furniture fair in February in HCMC Exports to the US slowed in the first quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, suggesting that a struggling American economy and a stronger dong may have reduced demand.

Shipments to the US rose by 23 percent in the first quarter to US$2.78 billion, according to figures from the US International Trade Commission. In the first quarter of 2007, they had risen 26 percent. The US is Vietnam’s largest market. The dong rose on March 21 to its strongest against the dollar since 2005, before weakening after the central bank said it was buying dollars to help exporters. The US economy has expanded during the last two quarters at the slowest pace since 2002. “The weak dollar has hurt,’’ said John Marron, managing director of Vietnam’s Midas Clothing Ltd. in Ho Chi Minh City. “Clothing exporters were trying to get more European business instead of American business.” Apparel shipments to the US rose 31 percent in the first quarter to $1.14 billion, slowing from the 45 percent growth rate in the first two months. “Wages have gone up and so have raw-material prices,” Marron said. Vietnam’s yearon-year inflation rate in April was 21.4 percent, the highest since at least 1992. Furniture and footwear First quarter furniture exports rose 23 percent to $332 million, again a slowdown from the 29 percent growth rate in the first two months, while footwear shipments rose 17 percent to $293 million, an acceleration from the 13 percent growth in the first two months. A US economic slump could hurt Vietnamese furniture exports more than shipments of lower-end goods like clothes or shoes, Ayumi Konishi, the Asian Development Bank’s country director for Vietnam, said last month at a conference in HCMC. Exports of crude oil to the US more than doubled in the first quarter to $177 million from $85 million. Vietnam is Southeast Asia’s third-biggest producer. Seafood shipments to the US advanced 18 percent to $164 million. “Vietnam’s aquaculture industry is thriving,” the agricultural attaché’s office at the US embassy in Hanoi said in a report last month, which predicted “continued strong growth in this sector.” Shipments of coffee to the US, of which Vietnam is the world’s second-biggest producer, fell 7 percent to $94 million. There has been a “tightness of supply seen from Vietnam,” Fortis Bank SA/NV and VM Group said in a report last month which cited a recent fall in prices as discouraging sales by coffee farmers. “The Vietnamese coffee industry has sensed its ability to withhold commercialization of its coffee to help stimulate higher prices going forward.” Car shipments surge US exports to Vietnam more than doubled in the first quarter to $774 million from $307 million, as shipments of cars surged almost sixfold to $121 million. “While yes, we’ve got a big trade deficit, our exports are coming up,” Michael Michalak, US ambassador to Vietnam, said in comments made in March to students and faculty at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hanoi. He cited the expansion of Vietnam’s middle class as a reason for the strong growth this year in US exports to Vietnam.

Supermodel Marisa Miller heads Maxim's Hot 100 list

Victoria's Secret model Marisa Miller poses during an appearance at the Victoria's Secret store in New York April 2, 2008 American supermodel Marisa Miller has knocked actress Lindsay Lohan from the top of men magazine Maxim's list of the 100 hottest women in the world, the magazine said on Wednesday.

It was the first time that Miller, 29, a Victoria's Secret model, appeared on the annual list and comes after she also graced the cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. "(Miller) embodies the official return of the all-American supermodel. Not since Cindy Crawford ruled the catwalk has a pinup born and bred on U.S. soil so thoroughly captured the imagination of the American male," noted Maxim editorial director James Kaminsky. Lohan, who topped last year's list of the Hot 100 "Ultimate List of the World's Most Beautiful Women," fell to a somewhat lukewarm No. 9. "After a tumultuous year involving a car wreck and rehab, La Lohan had Hollywood wondering if she was worth the trouble," said Kaminsky. Miller was followed by actress Scarlett Johansson, a "dangerously curvy bombshell" who, according to Maxim, also possesses "the acting chops to back up her mind-melting hotness." And while Jessica Biel may have starred on the U.S. family-friendly television drama "7th Heaven" as a preacher's daughter, the actress is starring at No. 3 on the Hot 100. Britney Spears just cracked the Top 20 in the ninth annual list, squeaking in at No.19 after a year that included stints in rehab and a notorious head-shaving incident. The rest of the list includes the usual suspects - Beyonce, Charlize Theron, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Heidi Klum, and some new faces, including 22-year-old Ashley Tisdale from the hit tween movie series "High School Musical." Rounding out the Hot 100 women in film, television, music, sports and fashion at No.100 is Tila Tequila, the self-professed bi-sexual TV reality star.

Vogue censored

Contestants at the 2008 Vietnam Super Model Contest held last March were told by authorities to cover up with silk shawls during the swimwear competition The local fashion industry calls Vietnam’s censorship laws backward and irrational.

Local fashion designers say that archaic censorship rules are holding the fashion industry back. The “Regulation of Performing and Organizing Professional Arts Activities” prohibits all stage performers – whether musicians, singers, dancers, models or circus acts – from wearing any makeup or clothing that might be considered lewd or tawdry. The regulation, which was passed in 2004 by what was then the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, sets no guidelines for what might be considered inappropriate. Fashion show organizers must obtain approval for their shows from the municipal Department of Culture and Information before the performance takes place. All clothes to be showcased, or at least drawings of the clothes, must be submitted to the authorities for censorship. The department then asks organizers and designers to redesign clothes it sees as either scanty or immoral. Designers complain that such censorship only ensures the Vietnamese fashion industry’s provinciality. They say authorities’ decisions are often arbitrary and disrespect designers’ creative talents while disregarding international trends in beauty and style. Award-winning designer Ngo Thai Uyen calls such censorship unreasonable. “Censorship towards state-run shows is always less harsh than those organized by private companies,” she says. “I always have to remake my dresses that show models’ bare backs. Since there’s no clear explanation as to what is considered inappropriate, the censors’ views are biased and subjective, based on their own sensibilities,” she says. “I think the censors should be knowledgeable about fashion and the arts. They shouldn’t be so rigid as to shield every bit of skin that is uncovered. This is why our local industry lag behind the times,” said Uyen. While designer Vo Viet Chung says he is very happy with the local fashion industry’s recent development, he also criticizes state censorship of the art. “The censors need to differentiate between two concepts – sexiness and beauty. A trashy half-naked disco dancer is definitely different from a lady in a party dress that reveals her bare back. Designers are responsible for their products. We understand the difference between moral and erotica,” he says. “Inflexible censorship steals our creativity.” Another point of disagreement among designers and censors is swimsuits and lingerie, which are banned from fashion shows but are still a large part of national beauty pageants and contests. Hoang Ngan, designer and fashion lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City Architecture University, said “I don’t understand why swimming suits and lingerie are prohibited at fashion shows while they are still advertised by the mass media at supermarkets and other public places.” “There is a great demand for underclothes and swimsuits in Vietnam, but these products are not allowed at local fashion shows. Look at our beaches and we can see the result of such unreasonable regulations. Most Vietnamese wear T-shirts and shirts and other unfashionable clothes at the beach.” Even at some beauty pageants, contestants must wear silk shawls to cover their shoulders or chest during swimsuit competitions.

Miss Universe tickets go on sale

Tansey Coetzee will represent South Africa at Miss Universe 2008 to be held in Nha Trang from July 8-14 Tickets for Miss Universe 2008’s three main events, which will be held in Vietnam, went on sale Tuesday.

Tickets for the pageant’s Presentation Show, Dress Rehearsal and Final Show can be booked at locations across the country. “This is the first time Vietnam has hosted the Miss Universe pageant and the three shows are considered the most important events of the pageant,” said Miss Universe Organizing Board Vice Chairman Nguyen Quoc Toan. “We hope the pageant will bring everyone unforgettable experiences from the world’s leading beauty pageant.” This year’s pageant will be held at the Crown Convention Center, Diamond Bay in the beach resort town of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province. The Presentation Show will take place on July 8. Over 80 contestants will compete in swimsuits, evening gowns and traditional clothes. Based on these contests and a personal talent competition, the audience will decide which contestants will compete in the final show. The Dress Rehearsal for the Final Show will be held on July 13. Spectators are welcome to watch the rehearsal. The two events will not be broadcast but tickets for each event range US$25-500 per person. Celebrities from all over the world will attend the Final Show on July 14. Tickets are available at $50-1,800. Tickets can be bought at the Unicorp. Office, 600 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District in HCMC and other authorized agents all over the country. Though tickets can be paid for now, they will not be delivered to buyers until a later date. Online booking is also available at www.missuniverse2008.com and www.unicorp.vn/ticket. More information can be found at the Web sites or at the Miss Universe hotline: (08) 247 8898.

Property investors expect little for now

An apartment block under construction in HCMC’s District 1 Real estate investors are not holding their breath for big returns this year as the government’s tighter credit policies have pushed the property market into a slump.

Property traders who once thrived in Vietnam’s hottest market have set more humble targets until the new real estate freeze thaws. Though property demand looks set to climb in the long term, the inability to buy real estate on loans has cut short term demand as speculators dump property to meet higher interest rates. Eden Joint Stock Company, which scooped up billions of dong in profit from its real estate investments last year, is not optimistic about the property market’s short term future. Eden’ 2008 revenue target of VND105 billion (US$6.5 million) is a modest 12 percent increase on last year, nowhere near the kind of growth it experienced in 2007. And the company’s shareholders have said even this goal would be difficult to meet. Sleep after the storm Last year, many joint stock companies raked in major profits trading real estate even though the field was not their specialty. Eden Joint Stock, a financial service provider as its core operation, is a good example. Its eight real estate investments last year earned it VND28 billion ($1.73 million) in pre-tax profits – more than four times as much as the profits from its key line of business. Property potentials were so great that Eden has since established a real estate company to take charge of its property investments. No. 8 Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company’s President Huynh Huu Phuoc said real estate also proved to be a fertile feeding ground for his company last year. Various new urban, high-rise, and apartment projects added VND47 billion ($2.91 million) to the company’s profits, far surpassing the firm’s expectations. Phuoc said things would not be so easy this year. Since the government tightened up on credit – especially speculative borrowing – as part of a larger effort to cool the overheating economy, property sales and prices have dropped. In HCMC, prices have fallen by as much as 40 percent. Units at the Thanh My Loi residential project in District 2 are now sold at only VND25-30 million ($1,548-1,858) per square meter, down from 35-40 million ($2,167-2,477) just last December. HCMC’s 500 property projects currently under construction may lose some tens of trillions of dong to declining prices, real estate experts have said. Experts blame the current slump on small-scale and speculative investors who are dumping properties to avoid losses as banks have increased interest rates on loans. These properties have become both cheap and undesirable. But Vinacapital was quoted by Bloomberg as saying the downturn would be short-term as demand for property in Vietnam, especially hotels, offices, retail space and land for residential developments still far exceeds supply. Phuoc from No. 8 Construction and Investment agreed. He said despite tight monetary measures, his company would continue to invest in high-end apartments, industrial zones, commercial complexes and rental office this year. Specifically, Phuoc said No. 8 would build 10,000 new apartments for low-and-middle-income buyers over the next five years. “The demand for this sector is particularly great,” he said. “You don’t run the risk of losing here.”

Former investigator of PMU18 crimes could face charges

Major General Pham Xuan Quac speaking at a press briefing as head of the team investigating PMU18 for criminal activities in 2006 Filing comes one day after reporters arrested for coverage of PMU18 corruption

Police aim to press charges against a senior police officer who was in charge of investigating the PMU18 scandal that shook the country two years ago. The Central Police Department yesterday submitted proposals to the Central People’s Procuracy – the state prosecutor’s office – to charge Retired Major General Pham Xuan Quac with “abuse of power” for actions he took while heading the investigation into the PMU18 scam in 2006, police said. Quac, 62, was also the former chief of the Central Social Crimes Department. He would be put under house arrest pending further investigations, police said. Quac’s subordinate on the PMU18 investigation team, senior Lieutenant Colonel Dinh The Huynh, was taken into custody on Monday on the same count. Also on Monday, Thanh Nien correspondent Viet Chien and his Tuoi Tre counterpart Van Hai were arrested in Hanoi for their coverage of the PMU18 scam. They were also charged with “abuse of power.” Chien had used Quac as one of the major sources for his PMU18 stories. When the PMU18 story broke in 2006, Quac was tasked with investigating Bui Tien Dung, the then chief of the Project Management 18 (PMU18) under the Ministry of Transport, for illegal gambling. Dung was then arrested in 2006 on charges of gambling away US$759,800 in state funds. He was also accused of offering nearly VND1.2 billion ($75,000) in bribes to cover up his alleged crimes. Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Viet Tien was also arrested in April that year. Minister of Transport Dao Dinh Binh tendered his resignation a short while later. But the charges against Tien were dropped last March and he was reinstated as a Communist Party member this month. As the PMU18 investigation was expanded in 2007, Quac retired. Following the PMU18 investigation, several informal sources accused general Quac and his subordinate Huynh of divulging confidential information pertaining to the investigation. Others also accused Quac of capitalizing on the media to pursue personal gains. At that time, Quac denied all allegations against him, saying his actions were by no means personally motivated. Speaking with Thanh Nien yesterday, Quac said he was very disappointed over the possible charges. He said he hoped he would be vindicated soon. During Quac’s tenure as the chief of the Central Social Crimes Department, he was credited with helping to expose many of the country’s biggest criminals, including the country’s most notorious mob boss Nam Cam, who was executed in 2004. Quac was once hailed as a hero for his vital role in exposing the PMU18 scam.