HCM City asked to reduce traffic jams ahead of Tet
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged authorities of Ho Chi Minh City to devise immediate and long-term solutions to the worsening traffic congestion in the city, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year festival.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the teleconference (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged authorities of Ho Chi Minh City to deviseimmediate and long-term solutions to the worsening traffic congestion in thecity, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year festival.
During a teleconference withrepresentatives from the municipal authorities on January 23, the PM asked for moreefforts to speed up infrastructure projects.
According to HCM City officials, traffic congestions occur in many areas acrossthe city, seriously affecting locals’ daily activities.
In 2016, the city had 37 traffic jam hotspots, especially in roads to the TanSon Nhat International Airport, the Cat Lai port, the city centre, and routesfrom outskirts to the inner city. The city needs 38.3 trillion VND (nearly 1.7 billion USD) for urgent projectsto reduce traffic jams in 2017, and about 323.9 trillion VND in the 2016-2020period.
The city asked the Government to permit the municipal authorities to call fortenders for a number of projects under the programme to reduce traffic jams andaccidents in 2016-2020.
Representatives from ministries and sectors to the conference proposed a widerange of solutions to the issue, suggesting applying information technology intraffic management and developing underground transport.
The municipal authorities were requested to strictly implement Directive 18 ofthe Party Central Committee’s Secretariat on enhancing the Party'sleadership for ensuring road, railway and domestic water way traffic order and safety and addressing traffic congestion.
Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung attributed the trafficcongestion in HCM City to higher population growth than infrastructure developmentspeed, saying that Vietnam should learn from international experience indeveloping transport infrastructure in order to effectively tackle the issue.
Regarding long-term measures, PM Phuc asked the city to makegood urban planning, limit the construction of high buildings, reduce means oftransport, and promote public transport systems.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment was assigned to early outline a plan onunderground transport in HCM City and submit to the Government for approval.
The PM also required the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with themunicipal People’s Committee to reorganise the traffic regulating system, runcampaigns to raise public awareness of traffic culture and safety, and increasepenalties for traffic violations
The city must limitimmigrants to the city downtown through the building of satellite urban areasand collect fees on cars running in the centre of the city to reduce the numberof vehicles, he added.-VNA
The capacity of Tan Son Nhat International Airport will double as many projects to expand it and ease traffic congestion have been announced, a high ranking official said.
HCM City has recently called for private investment under the public-private partnership (PPP) model to kick off several key transport infrastructure projects under in the context of a limited State budget amid increasing transport demand.
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
The 22 million THB (680,000 USD) hall construction is slated for completion within three years, just in time for the 2028 centennial of President Ho Chi Minh’s arrival in Thailand.
Among those receiving reduced sentences were Tran Tung, former Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen provincial Department of Foreign Affairs, whose prison term was cut to 10 years from 12, with six years for accepting bribes and four for abusing power while performing official duties.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the teleconference (Source: VNA) 
