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The 2004 Baseline Survey on Millennium Development Goals in AACs
Chapter 8  Danang, Vietnem

CONTENTS

1. DANANG CITY GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

1.1. City Administrative Mechanism

Law and documents related to the local administration

  • The Law on the Organisation of People's Council and People's Committee (2003)
  • The Law on People's Council Elections (2003)
  • Regulation 114/2003/ND-CP issued by the Government on 10 October 2003, dealing with cadres, public employees at the village, ward and township levels.
  • Regulation 79/2003-ND-CP issued on 7 July 2003 on produre of exercising of democracy at the village level.
  • Regulation 13/2002/QD-BNV issued on 6 December 2002, on the promulgation of procedures on organisation and operations of hamlets and residential quarters.

Head of Danang City is titled Chairperson of the Municipal People's Committee

The People's Committee Chairman (Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan is currently holding the post), is also the Municipal People's Council Deputy who is elected by the Municipal People's Council, in line with the Law on Organisation of the People's Council and People's Committee.

Municipal People's Council function, Municipal People's Council elections, and deputies to the Municipal People's Council

  1. Function of the Municipal People's Council
    The People's Council has the right to decide on long term policy and to supervise the administration of the city. A detsailed list of some 17 areas spellls out the decision-making and supervisory rights of the Council.
  2. People's Council elections
    General rules: People's Council elections are held on the principle of popular, equal, direct and ballot-casting voting.

The citizens of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, regardless ethnic group, sex, social class, religions, education, professions and residential terms, who are above 18 years old, have right to run for the People's Council seats.

Danang is a city with a population of an approximate 800,000 directly under the Central Government. Under the Law on the People's Council Elections, a city directly managed by the Central Government with a population of under 1 million is allowed to elect 50 deputies to the People's Council.

Deputies to the People's Council at the municipal as well as precinct, district, village or ward levels will be elected on the basis of constituencies and of more than five representatives. The exact number and the list of names of constituencies and of the deputies for each constituency in a city under direct management of the Central Government are decided by the Municipal People's Committee and approved by the Central Government.

The People's Council term is fixed at five years from the first session of the under-reviewed legislature to the first session of the following legislature.

Public involment in municipal administration

People can engage in the municipal administration through electing the People's Council. The People's Council is a state authority at the local level, representing the will, aspirations and the rights to self-mastery of the people. The people's Council is elected by the local people and holds reponsibility before local population and higher-ranking authorities. The People's Committee is elected by the People's Council  to execute the People's Council decisions. The People's Committee is a state administrative agency at the local level, which holds  reponsibilities before the People's Council at the same level and higher-ranking state agencies.

Areas under management of the municipal administration (People's Committee)

  1. Socio-economic development in general
  2. Agriculture, forestry, fisheries, irrigation and land
  3. Industries, handicrafts and small industries
  4. Transportation and communications
  5. Construction, urban management and development
  6. Trade, services and tourism
  7. Education and training
  8. Culture, information and sports and games
  9. Healthcare and social affairs
  10. Sciences, thechnology, natural resources and environment
  11. National defence, security and public order
  12. Implementing policies on ethnic groups and religions
  13. Legal observation
  14. Administrative building and territory management
  15. Management of other special areas in a city under direct management of the Central Government

Figure 8.1. Map of Vietnam showing Danang


Citizens' rights
(according to Regulation No.79/2003/ND-CP on 7 July 2003)

Citizens rights are spelled out in great details, giving them rights to information, decision-marking, a voice in local affairs, and responsibilities in supervision. There four subheading under which are listed 30 specific items of citizens' rights.

Policies towards private economic sector

The city government has an extensive authority over the private economic sectors and can act to encourage investment and development. The long list od specific areas od activity are spelled out in an appendix.

1.2. City Administrative Management Mechanism

Organization Chart of the Danang Municipality


Strength of staff working for a city's administrative mecanism
(From the municipal down to precinct or district levels)

  • Permanent staff: 1,302 members
  • Long-term contract staff: 69 members
  • Drivers and service staff (contracted): 26 members
  • University graduates with good and excellent academic records hired by departments and services of the district and precinct People's Committees:95

Municipal budgets and other financial sources

  1. Allocated from state budget
    Infrastructure construction
  2. Fees collected fron the city's property
    • Land lease
  3. Tax collection:
    • Import-export tariffs
    • Value Added Taxes
    • Taxes on state-owned enterprises based in the city
    • Foriegn invested enterprise taxes
    • Taxes on non-State enterprises
    • Registry taxes
    • Income taxes
    • Real estate taxes
    • Lottery revenues
    • Other financial sources
    • Surplus from the previous year

1.3. Some Local Projects Having Positive Impacts on Local Living Conditions over the Recent Years

Ba Na-Suoi Mo tourist project

  1. Investment: 154 billion NVD, including
    • 68 billion VND for infrastructure construction
    • 86 billion VND for services facilities
  2. Location: Hoa Quy village, Hoa Vang district
  3. Operations:
    The Ba Na-Suoi Mo tourist site has so far attracted seven tourist businesses. It now boasts 161 rooms, restaurants, bars, and several facilities in the communal interest such as post and telecommunications, electricity and clean water supply, and other entertainment services.
  4. Socio-economic outcome:
    The number of arrivals to the Ba Na-Suoi Mo tourists sites increases by 25 percent annually, earning between VND 12 and 13 billion a year.
    Investment in the Ba Na-Suoi Mo tourist site has proved economically and socially effective to the western region of the city. It has generated a number of jons and production and boosted production and services, improved living conditions, travel and education for the populations of Hoa Ninh, Hoa Phu, Hoa Son villages, Hoa Vang district. The local material living conditions have been greatly improved and citizens' knowledge has been increased. The site hah helped meet both local and national demands for tourism and entertainments.

Danang Water Park

  1. Location:
    The water park covers an area of 6.9 hectares of land close to the Sports and Games Center and the Multi-functional Symposium.
  2. Investment:
    • Total investment: almost VND 65 billion.
    • Investors: the municipal budget.
    • Operations: began in early 2002.
  3. The park's operation scale:
    • Leasure wave: 500 meter long. Long artificial waves lake: 2,400m². Two body-length water slide-lanes, three buyo water slide-lanes, and three multi-functional water slidelanes.
    • Water-refineray and circulating systems, and other facilities in service of restaurants, sourvenir shops and vehicle parking lots.
  4. Socio-economic impact:
    • The park has recieved an average of 200,000 visitors in each of the last two years.
    • The construction of the Danang Water Park has created a botanic park and other facilities that help meet the uergent demand of the local people and tourists for vacation and entertainment.
    • The project has helped boost the local hospitality industry and supported other industries and services in the city.
    • The park has launched a new kind od sport and a new, high technology for entertainments.
      It has also creatd an attractive ecology of the tropic zone, meeting one of the cultural demands by the municipal population.

Danang Supermarket

  1. Location: Thac Gian ward, Thanh Khe precinct
  2. Investment scale:
    • The project's designed territory: 51,000m²
    • The territory of the two blocks of buildings: 22,400m²
  3. Investment capital: VND 53 billion in total
  4. Business organization:
    • Block of buildings A: consists of four stories. Three stories from the ground floor are used for opening businesses and the fourth floor is reserved for entertainments
    • Block B: shopping areas.
  5. Socio-economic impact
    • Society: generationg over 2,000 jobs
    • Urban enveronmental upgrading in the supermarket area (in past the area was a cemetery and surrounded by dense slums).
    • The Danang Supermarket is a high-grade general department store that has therefore helped meet local demand for shopping.
    • Its annual revenue reaches an estimated VND 10 billion (an unofficial figure), sales revenues in the first nnine months increased by over 40 percent year on year.

Figure 8.2. Map of Danang City and local of three projects



2. POPULATION OF DANANG CITY

2.1. Danang's Population since 1997 to Date

General remarks

The population of Danang City is rather young. According to the figures from a population survey on 1 April 2004 roughly summed up by the Danang Statistics Department (still unpublished), the average age of the city's population is 30.4 and the median age 28.7.

  • The low and continually reduced birth rate has reached replacement level (TFR 2.1) some years ago.

Table 8.1. Danang crude birth rates 1998-2002

It is forecasted that the natural increase rate will continue to drop in many years to come and will be stabilized by 2005.

Figure 8.3. Annual population growth and female population growth

  • Population structure: the urban population accounts for 80 percent of the city’s population; 61 percent of the population are within work age; the workforce represents 47 percent of the population, of whom skilled labour represents 37.3 percent.
  • The net migration rate is positive. In general, Da Nang attracts inhabitants coming from other places to study, work and live, therefore the ratio of incoming population is rather high compared to the region. However, there is a corresponding number of out migrants, consequently the net migration rate is not great. It is estimated at present that about 2.5 percent of the population are people who have come from other localities in the recent five years.
  • The migration flow to the city comes mainly from northern central and Quang Nam provinces.
  • Most of the migrants are within the age of 25-35. The number of inhabitants who migrate within the inner city is high.

Table 8.2. Number of birth and death

Figure 8.4. Annual population growth compared with figure of 1996

Figure 8.4 shows that urbanization is a contining process. The rural population has slowed its growth, but the urban population of the city continues to grow more rapidly. The chart below of growth rates shows the same thing. The rural growth rate has virtually stoipped, but the urban population is growoing at an increasing rate.

Figure 8.5. Annual population growth

Figure 8.6. Danang population pyramids by year
(Based on data from Survey of Annual Population Dynamics)

The migrant population fluctuation rather than the natural (births and deaths) fluctuation mainly affects changes in population structure. On the other hand, the data collected through surveys are sample data, hence some certain errors can be expected. However, this fluctuation that took place within only four years has reduced the under-10 population and tended to increase the population within the 20-35 age bracket.

2.2. Projection of Danang City's Population Through 2015

The growth of the city’s population in the future can be projected according to the following patterns:

  1. Decreased population: with the continually fallen birth rate, the population in the future will be proected by the following recurrent equation with the log function:
    in which x is the year of forecast with x = 1 for 1997, x = 2 for the year 1998, etc.
    The correlation co-efficient of the pattern is R²= 0.936
    Accordingly, the population projection of Da Nang city for 2015 is 797,000 people.
  2. Stable population: with the stable value of birth, death and migration rate fluctuations in a long period such as from 1997 to date, the population in the future will be projected by the following recurrent equation with the exponential function:
    in which x is the year of forecast with x = 1 for 1997, x = 2 for the year 1998, etc.
    The corresponding co-efficient of the pattern is R²= 0.9928.
    Accordingly, the population projection of Da Nang city for 2015 is 932,000 people.
  3. Figure 8.7. Graph of population projections

  4. Quick increasing population: projection techniques by age-shifting method will be applied in coordination with the requirements for delineating the city’s development strategy. Supposing the development requirements were laid out with the following fundamental parameters:
    • Crude birth rate of 15%o by 2004;
    • The city’s population of about 1 million by 2010;
    • As such, the city’s population projection is expected to be 1,204,000 by 2015.

    Nevertheless, this pattern is based on the in-migrants’ population. With the control of birth and death rates, the rapid increase in population is attributed to migration. With the net migrant population of 100,000 in 2004, the migrant population of the following year must be 3,000-5,000 higher than the previous year.

    In projecting the migrant population mainly for economic purpose, the main migrant flow usually moves from a less developed area to an economically developed area for studying and seeking employment. This trend has increased the number of inhabitants in the age bracket 20-45.

    The consequence of this pattern is that the population will age rapidly and the rate of dependence on society will rise. The social burdens in dealing with the issue of the elderly will increase quickly. The following description of population pyramids will demonstrate that:

    Figure 8.8. Population pyramids of Danang (projection)


3. UN MILLIENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS)

3.1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Table 8.3. MDG Target for 2015: Halve the population of peopel liveing on less than a dollar a day and those who suffer from hunger

Issueses of poverty and the living standard

According to the results of a survey on living standards conducted in 2002, 64.5 percent of the population live on less than USD 1 /day and 91.8 percent of the population live on USD 2/day in 2002. This is a rather high proportion and a difficulty from the starting point to achieve the MDG. At the same time, the proportion living under the Nationally defined Poverty Line has declined steadily from near 7 percent in 2000 to less than 2 percent in 2003. This indicates that the USD 1 or USD 2 per day criteria are not applicable in Danang. Even with very small amounts of money, people are still above the nationally defined poverty line.

Moreover, there are problems with the calculation of exchange rates. In the Human Development Index (HDI) calculation made by the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences, the GDP calculating technique by the proportionate purchasing power (PPP) has been applied. If a change coefficient is applied, 2,807VND will correspond to USD 1. Supposing that price fluctuations in Da Nang city corresponds to those of the country and this coefficient did not change from 1999 to 2002 (in reality, the consumer price index in Da Nang city fluctuated more slowly than that of the country), so, according to the above-said calculation method, only 0.2 percent of the population lived on less than USD 1/day and 7.9 percent of the population lived on less than 2 USD/day in 2002.

According to the annual report of the municipal Board for Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction, the number of poor households by criterion 1143 (150,000 VND/person/month for urban area and 100,000 VND/person/month for rural areas in the low land) has continually dropped every year and since the end of 2000 so far, there has been no hunger households and by the end of August 2004, there were only 1,288 poor households, accounting for 0.9 percent. In this proportion, only poor households were included and not counting small-sized households short of manpower.

At present, this poverty criterion 1143 is considered not appropriate to a developing city and the city is formulating a new, more appropriate poverty criterion in order to enhance the community and administration’s responsibilities towards the urban poor.

Data on the monthly income per capita are based on the results of the surveys of household’s economy in 1999 and 2002. The data for 2001 and 2003 were not available as no survey was made. However, the unofficial results of a household survey in 2004 show that the monthly income per capita in Da Nang is 585,260 VND

Da Nang city’s income per capita in 2002 ranked sixth nationwide. The annual average growth rate recorded in the 2002-2004 period is 11.61 percent (urban area: 9.8 percent and rural areas: 20.8 percent).

Figure 8.9. Annual index of GDP & income per capita

The indicator “the consumption level of 20% of the poorest compared to the consumption level of the country at present” is calculated on the results of the household economy surveys in 2002 and 2004 while the figures for 2002 and 2004 are 11 percent and 10.1 percent respectively.

Employment issue

Da Nang city’s unemployment rate was considered stable and reasonable (if one does not want to call it normal) for a developing city. This rate is based on the results of the annual surveys on labour and employment (whose calculations covered seven days before the time the survey was made) and was calculated for the urban areas.

The rate of underemployment still stands at a high level.

Table 8.4. Annual data on employment in Vietnam

An unemployed person is one who is 15 and above years of age belonging to the group of population engaged in economic activities who in the week the inquiries were made was jobless but had a requirement and was willing to work but unable to find employment.

In some other documents such as the Census and Housing Survey conducted on 1 April 1999, unemployment is stipulated as encompassing those, who in the 12 months before the survey, were unemployed and had declared that they had a requirement for employment.

For this reason, there is a great difference between the unemployment rate accoring to the Census and Housing Survey and the one made public in 1999. As such, the unemployment rate according to the Census and Housing Survey cannot be used for comparison with the unemployment rate found by the annual survey on labor and employment.

There are two sources for unemployment rates from 1997 to 2004 and though both data use the results of the annual survey on labor and employment, they are different because the General Statistics Office made a quick synthesis of the results regarding the urban while the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) also made another synthesis (with regional adjustment). The data published by  the General Statistics Office are lower than those by the MOLISA and were used to work out the above-mentioned target "rate of employed laborers."

Underemployed laborers (who are still called laborers with irregular work) are defined in the annual surveys on labor and employment in accordance with the following stipulations:

  • People aged 15 and above that are employed in the week of the survey;
  • Having actual working time lower than the stipulation (which is 183 days/year before 2002 and backward; after 2002, this target was not worked out).

At present, in the above-said table, underemployed labourers are those who were underemployed during seven days before the surveys (1/7) with the stipulation for the actual working time for the past seven day as 40 hours before 2003 and 35 hours after 2003.

  • Having the requirement for work and are able to work when provided with employment.

The calculation of the number of underemployed people is based on the proportion of the number of underemployed people in the total number of working labourers drawn from the results of the annual survey on labour and employment made public by the MOLISA. Due to a change in the stipulated working time, there is a sudden change in the proportion of underemployed in 2003 compared to the previous years.

Issues of children’s health and nutrition

The targets on children’s malnutrition are based on the data collected from sample surveys conducted by the Da Nang Health Department in coordination with the Ministry of Health’s Nutrition Department through the years. This proportion keeps decreasing continually with years.

Figure 8.10. Under-five children malnutrition

In regard to the indicator “proportion of population living under the minimum nutrient consumption level”, reference can be made to the proportion of households poor in food and foodstuffs. According to official note No. 560/TCTK-XHMT dated24 August, 2003 regarding the synthesis of a survey of the living standards in 2002, the proportion of poor households by the norm of food and foodstuff poverty gathered in the year of the survey is 1.83 percent. It should be added that at present, there are no hunger households in Da Nang city. The eradication of hunger households was completed by the end of 2000.

Summary

With these various indicators, it is cleare that Danang has come very close to meeting the MDG of eliminating extreme poverty. The numbers of very poor are small and have declined over the past few years. There are no households living with extreme hunger. The unemployment rates are modest, and the general level of income is quite reasonable. Problems remain in the area of child nutrition, but here, too, progress continues to be made.

3.2. Achieve Universal Primary Education

Table 8.5. Achieve universal primary education of Danang

As the data of the primary education are not complete, the following related targets have been suggested for replacement or further reference:

  • The indicator “proportion of enrolment in primary school” is split into “proportion of new recruitment” and “proportion of attending primary school among the population aged 6-10” (still called “general enrolment rate attending primary education”). This proportion has been rather high in Da Nang city for many years. The latest number of the 2004-2005 school year is 99.9 percent of the population in the age bracket 6-10 going to primary schools;
  • With regard to the target of “proportion of first-form pupils continuing their schooling to the fifth form”, it is proposed that reference is made to and replaced by the target “efficiency of primary education” which is a synthesis target aimed at evaluating the education efficiency of an education level by the following calculation method:
    in which k represents first grade, second grate,..., fifth grde.
  • With regard to the indicator "proportion of literacy among the age bracket 15-24”, it is proposed that reference is made to and replaced by the target “proportion of literacy among the age bracket 15-55”.

According to the Census and Housing Survey on April 1, 1999, the proportion of illiterate population in the age bracket 15-24 is 1.52 percent (1.62 percent for men and 1.41 percent for women) and the proportion of illiterate population in the age bracket 15-55 is 2.57 percent (1.68 percent for men and 3.45 percent for women).

The average education funding per primary education pupil is a regular spending for one pupil that encompasses funding from State budget and financing and contributions from community. Besides, reference can be made to the costs for one primary education graduate. These data are based on the (draft) report of the Education Plan for All carried out by the Department of Education and Training in 2004.

With regard to the gender policy in education in general, satisfactory results have been achieved in the matter of gender equality. The following table presents the proportion of enrolment of first-form girl pupils compared to that of first form girl and boy pupils:

Table 8.6. Proportion of enrolment of girls pupils grade 1

Regarding illiteracy work: Da Nang city was recognized as achieving the national target for illiteracy eradication from Jan. 1997.

Nevertheless, some proportions of the population still lie in the scope of illiteracy eradication and continue to attend annual literacy courses. According to a report from the education sector, by August 2004, in Da Nang city:

  • 100 percent of the population in the age bracket 15-35 are literate;
  • 98 percent of the population in the age bracket 36-45 are literate; and
  • 96 percent of the population in the age bracket 46 and above are literate.

Summary

Again, the variety of indicators shows that Danang has already met the MDGs for primary education. Virtually all primary school aged children are in school, the great majority of children continue on to completion, and there are no differences between girls and boys. It is also clear that government investments in education are a high priority and funds have increased steadily through the past years. We can expect that as Vietnam achieves greater economic development, the resources provided to education will increase substantially.

3.3. Promote Gender Equaliy and Women's Empowerment

MDG Targets for 2005 and 2015: Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015.

Table 8.7. Gender wquality and woman's empowerment

Indicators on gender are not complete and not identical from years to years, therefore the collection of data met with many difficulties.

The proportion of women representatives in the People’s Councils at all levels in the 1999-2004 tenure is 24.4 percent at municipal level, 21.9 percent at precinct and district levels and 22.6 percent at ward and commune levels. The city has two out of total six National Assembly woman deputies in the 2002-2006 Legislature.

The following figures on the proportion of female students against male students at all education levels reveal that girls account for a greater proportion at higher education levels:

Table 8.8. Proportion of female students by levels

According to the Census and Housing Survey on 1 April, 1999, the proportion of illiterate population in the age bracket 15-24 is 1.52 percent (1.62 percent for men and 1.41 percent for women) and the proportion of illiterate population in the age bracket 15-55 is 2.57 percent (1.68 percent for men and 3.45 percent for women). It can be said that gender discrimination in general education in the present stage is insignificant, the present disparities are mainly caused by the vestiges of the process of discriminations left by previous generations.

However, gender disparities at tertiary education still exist with female students accounting for over one-third of students at tertiary education.

Gender disparities are also seen in the labour and employment area though their manifestation is not clear.

Table 8.9. Female employment

Summary

Although some gaps and inconsistencies exist in the data, it is clear that gender discrimination in Danang is quite low. Girls equal or slightly outnunmber boys in primary and secondary school, though they are behind boys in tertiary education. Women are in city and state lesislative offices, but they are only one-quarter to one third of males. Women are fully active in the labor force, though they are slightly disadvantaged in rural unemployment. In this rspect, Danang shares with the rest of Southeast Asia a relatrively high degree of female autonomy. Gender inequality is a far greater problem ineast or South Asia than in Southeast Asia.

3.4. Reduce Child Mortality

MDG Target for 2015: Reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five

Table 8.10. Reduce under-5 mortality

The indicator for mortality rate among under-5 children is calculated from the data of mortality among under-5 children provided by the municipal Health Department with calculation according to the following (international) stipulations:

According to assessments, the manifestation of this target in Da Nang is rather low compared with the central region and the country.

The target “Proportion of 1-year-old children inoculated with all the six vaccines” is classified in the agent target in place of indicator target. In this target, calculation was based on the actual number of children inoculated and the number of children listed; therefore the number of children actually vaccinated is greater than the number listed (due to repeated inoculation, vaccination for children with registration for temporary residence and children registered with their mothers, etc.).

The city’s infant mortality rate has been low for many years.

The average agent target of budgetary funding for mothers and children’s health care per person is calculated by dividing the total budget funding for mothers and children’s health care and the budget funding for SDD prevention and control for under-5 children by the average population/year.

The average number of health workers and the average number of physicians are reference targets. In this document, due to restriction of data collection, the scope of calculation of the above-said two targets is different: the target of physicians for 10,000 people includes physicians present in the city while the target of health workers serving medical treatment only encompasses the staff under the municipal Health Department’s management.

The number of health workers in the area of mothers and children’s health care is restricted to the data collected from the Centre for Mothers and Children’s Health Care and Family Planning and teams under precinct and district’s health services.

Poverty alleviation and hunger programs

In the 2001-2003 period, the anti-poverty and hunger work took place on a large scale in Da Nang city with the following contents:

Table 8.11. Results of the hunger eradiction and poverty reducation program

Programs carried out from 2001 to 2003

  • Assisting the poor in health care: setting up a fund for medical examinations and treatment for humans and issuing health insurance cards to 68,830 people with a total budget funding of 2.66 billion VND. In addition, humanitarian and charitable organisations have conducted medical examination and treatment for 12,000 poor people;
  • Assisting the poor in education: localities have supported poor children in their study; 35,000 poor pupils and students have been either exempt from school fees or have school fees reduced and 11,000 poor pupils were provided with exercise books and text-books.
  • Assisting the poor in housing: the municipal People’s Committee has initiated the replacing of makeshift houses with new ones for the poor. By mobilising various resources such as the budget, the Fund for the Poor, contributions by communities, families’ relatives and NGOs, 2,613 makeshift houses have been replaced with a total funding of 23,3 billion VND, thus reaching more than 60 percent of the number of houses to be removed.
  • Other assistance: the city has granted 715 million VND to 715 poor households as a supplement to their capital and raise the regular relief level to 90,000VND/month for 7,832 beneficiaries of regular relief.
  • Providing ways of doing business and transferring technique and experiences to poor households. The municipal Steering Board for Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction has coordinated with various sectors, societies, mass associations and localities to hold 225 training courses for technical transfer, provide guidance on ways of doing business and 10 models for 13,100 poor people in these courses. The ten models covered high-yield mushroom, crop strains and livestock breeds, etc. that are suitable to each locality’s ecological environment. Training courses were organised in combination with providing loans for capital through mass associations.
  • In training cadres for hunger eradication and poverty reduction work, coordination has been effected between localities, the MOLISA and the GTZ in order to raise the capacity for the contingent of cadres engaging in hunger eradication and poverty reduction work from grassroots to municipal levels in terms of skill and methods for monitoring and supervising poverty and hunger;
  • Credit: at present, the Bank for Beneficiaries of Social Policies is managing 178.8 billion VND (by April 2004). Over the past three year, it has provided loans worth 226.2 billion VND to 41,885 poor households and households that had to be relocated for ground clearance.
  • Sedentary farming and settlement and building new economic zones: over the past three years the central Government has spent 3.47 billion VND on executing a project on sedentary farming and settlement and building new economic zones for 350 households in Hoa Vang district.

Summary

The millennium Development Goal for child mortality has been almost completely achieved. Child and infant mortality are very low, though they appear tohave increased in the past two years. This should be cause for concern and further study. It is also clear that the porogress made in this aspect of welfare is due to government investments in health and welfare services. There are increasing numbers of doctors and nurses and welfare workers, and there are strong programs to assue that the poor receive good nutrition, which is a major factor in reducing child and infant mortality.

3.5. Improve Maternal Health

MDG Target for 2015: Reduce by three-quaters the ratio of women dying in childbirth

Table 8.12. Imrprove maternal health

The number of women who died in childbirth in Da Nang city has been very low for a great number of years. This is an actual situation. This is the result of the satisfactory operations by the family planning work, reproductive health care and ward/commune’s health care network. According to the municipal Health Department and data from annual reports, at present almost 100 percent of pregnant women are taken care of, monitored and there was no case of delivery without skilled health workers’ intervention and assistance.

A report on the results of a survey on the actual situation of providing and using reproductive health care services in Da Nang city conducted in June 2003 produced other outcomes as follows:

  • Proportion of pregnant women having foetus check-up three times and more: 85.7 percent
  • Proportion of pregnant women having no foetus check-up at all: 0.5 percent
  • Proportion of pregnant women inoculated against tetanus: 96.2 percent
    of whom the proportion having the sufficient number of inoculations: 73.8 percent
  • Proportion of pregnant women not inoculated against tetanus: 3.8 percent
    (These data were from a sufrevey of the number of women who were pregnant and had live births during the time between June 2001 and June 2003).

References for the proportion target of disseminating birth control methods are made from:

  1. The proportions of wife and husband couples accepting birth control method (Report on results of a survey on the actual status of provision and use of reproductive health care services in Da Nang city) in 2003, which were drawn from the following information sources and objects:
    • The municipal health information system: 75.0 percent
    • Precinct/district’s information system: 78.8 percent
    • Ward/commune’s information system: 71.4 percent
    • Women (who were asked for their views in the survey): 87.1 percent
    • Men (who were asked for their views in the survey): 88.6 percent

  2. The proportion of women in the age bracket 15-49 having families that use birth control measures. This figure is calculated from the results of the annual 1/4 survey on population fluctuation and family planning.
  3. References for the target “needs that have not yet been satisfied regarding birth control measures” are made from the following contents:

    • The calculation of the proportion target of married women in the age bracket 15-49 that used no birth control measures because their needs were not met is based on a survey on annual population fluctuations. It is ascertained that there are three types of statuses where the needs for birth control measures were not met: 1) lack of knowledge; 2) high cost of supplies; and 3) difficulties in accessing and finding services. Additionally, according to results of the 2004 survey, of the 22-24 percent of married women in the age bracket 15-49 using no birth control measures, the causes of lack of knowledge, high cost and difficulties in accessing and finding account for 1.32 percent.
    • The results of a survey on the actual status of the provision and use of reproductive health care services show that for the common birth control measure of using condoms, 2.2 percent of the number of people asked said they could not find where they were sold (there was no place selling them), 1 percent said they could not afford them and 6.3 percent said the quality of condoms was not good. For the pill, 2.2 percent of the number of people asked said they could not find where they were sold (there was no place selling them) and 2.7 percent said they could not afford it.

    The indicator and agent targets have been arranged and added with indicator on care for pregnant women.

Summary

Here, again, the data show that Danang has achieved the goals for maternal health. As in other cases, this is due to rapidly expanded health, welfare and family planning services that reach virtually all of the people.

3.6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Sicknesses

MDG Target for 2015: Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and the incidence of malaria and other major diseases.

Table 8.13. To 2015, halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

The first HIV infected case was found in Da Nang city in April 1993. To date (August 2004), 563 cases of testing HIV positive have been uncovered in the city, of whom 222 were AIDS patients and 204 persons died of AIDS. The number of HIV infected cases keeps increasing annually and tends to rise sharply since 2000.

Figure 8.11. Number of cases affected HIV/AID in Danang by year

The latest report from the Da Nang Preventive Medicine Centre on HIV/AIDS reveals that

  • The infection risks come mainly from unsafe drug injections (accounting for 63.2 percent of cases);
  • HIV infected people belong mainly to the age bracket 20-39 (representing 64.5 percent of cases);
  • HIV infected people are mainly men (accounting for 81.7 percent); and
  • A large number of infected people are not the city’s residents (accounting for 36.2 percent)

The target for HIV spread in pregnant women within the age bracket 15-24 is zero for all the years, which is the practical data monitored for many years. Besides, reference documents show that among women who tested HIV positive, those infected from their husband’s account for 27.2 percent. HIV infection through pregnancy recorded 9 cases in 10 years and the age bracket of mothers was not known.

The proportion of degree of common use of condoms is incalculable. Reference can only be made to the fact that married women within the age bracket 15-49 use them regularly. Additionally, a study document of the Da Nang Preventive Medicine Centre reveals that 68 percent of commercial sex workers in karaoke parlours and 55.1 percent of street commercial sex workers did not use condoms on a regular basis when having sex with clients.

Following are programmes of action and measures for HIV/AIDS control:

  • The Da Nang Committee for AIDS Control that comprises 12 member units was set up on 15 August, 1997.
  • The Da Nang Steering Board for AIDS, Drug-Related Crime and Commercial Sex Work Control, which encompasses 3 permanent offices and 13 member units, was established on Nov. 17, 2000.
  • The Communication Office for AID Control has been set up.
  • Steering Boards for AIDS Control were formed in 6 out of 6 precincts and districts (not including Hoang Sa [the Paracels] district Island) and 47 out of 47 communes and wards.
  • Information-education-communication work has been stepped up, the whole society’s has been mobilised to participate in AIDS control and prevention.
  • Pair education groups have been formed since 1995.
  • HIV/AIDS consultancy networks have been developed in all precincts and districts and in some health units that have regular contacts with the masses.
  • A consultancy hall for HIV voluntary tests under the Preventive Medicine Centre was formed in October 2003.
  • Intervention actions were organised for women who have high-risk behaviour in community through consultancy, education activities and provision of friendly services.
  • Community-based management of, care for and offering consultancy to HIV infected people have been carried out with assistance from AIDS workers at commune and ward levels. At present (August 2004), officials specialising in HIV/AIDS control and prevention are conducting management of, care for and offering consultancy to HIV infected people in families and community. The city is managing 92 percent of its HIV infected people.
  • The Dermatology and V.D. Hospital is a place for treating HIV infected people.
  • Supervision and discovery of HIV infected people have been carried out since 1993 in all hospitals and precinct, district’s health centres.
  • Focal supervision of HIV infected people has been conducted since 1994.
  • HIV screening has been made in 100% of blood units before transmission.

Summary

HIV/AIDS is a rising prolem for Danang, especially in the past few years. It appears to be concentrated in a migrant drug using, male population. Government attention and resources to the problem have increased rapidly along with the prolem, an extensive educational campaign is underway and it is hoped that we will reach a stable position in the near future.

3.7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability

MDG Targets:

  • Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources.
  • By 2015, reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water.
  • By 2020 achieve significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers.

Table 8.14. MDG targets for ensuring environmental sustainability

At present, data are not available with regard to the following indicators:

  • Protected land areas with a view to maintaining biological diversity;
  • The GDP/energy consuming unit; and
  • The average, per capita volume of carbon discharged.

Forest indicators

Indicators on the rate of forest coverage are the proportion of land with forests (natural and planted forests) against the total area of natural land.

Following are the latest figures on forests according to the results of a forest inventory on 21 December, 2002:

  • Land with forests: 53,296 ha
    of which, natural forests: 67,065 ha
    planted forests: 16,231 ha
  • Specialised purpose (prohibited) forest areas: 16,553 ha
  • Protection forest area: 16,412 ha

There is no virgin forest in Da Nang. Specialised purpose forests are also prohibited ones that comprise Son Tra and South Hai Van forests aimed at maintaining biological diversity.

Indicators on water

Indicators on the proportion of population with access to safe water and budgetary funding for provision of safe water are supplied by a Report to review 10 years implementing the Prime Minister’s Directive No 200/TTg on ensuring safe water and rural environment’s hygiene for Da Nang city.

At present, there are no complete data regarding the target on the number of households having sustainable access to safe water. Some data are available but they differ, as there are various concepts on safe water. Results of the Census and Housing Survey conducted on April 1, 1999 with the concept of safe drinking water (encompassing running, rain and hygienic well water [i.e. being distanced from polluting sources, filtered, odourless, colourless and tasteless]) show that up to 92.7 percent of households have access to safe drinking water.

Figure 8.12. Map of access to clean drinking waer as of 1 April 1999

Table 8.1. From results of household economy survey 2002 and 2004

Indicators on using latrines

According to the results of the Census and Housing Survey conducted on April 1, 1999, the number of households using auto- and semi-catalytic septic tanks and suitlabs represents 63.3 percent of the total number of households, of which the rural area accounts for 22 percent.

The above-said Census and Survey also reveal that the percentage of households that have no latrines or use nonhygienic latrines is very low (mainly in the rural area and coastal fishing villages due to time-honoured practice and economic conditions). In the inner-city, a number of households still have no latrines or use nonhygienic latrines, ranging from 10% (Hai Chau precinct) to 17 percent (Thanh Khe precinct).

Figure 8.14. Map of access to durable house as 1 April 1999


Table 8.17. Results of the Household Economic Survey 2002-2004

It is also important to note that above mentioned classification of housing is not very practical. The Housing Management Company of Danang city notes that there are about 545 households living in 71 "collective residential blocks" built before 1975 and other 6 blocks built before 1980. Although they belong to durable housing, they are almost have been damaged, or lack lighting, or are unsafe or unsanitary. Some flats even have no toilets.

At present, Danang enters the final phase of elimination of slum areas, and it is projected that at the end of this year, Danang will have no more slums.

Summary

Environmental protection has become a major aim of government. This includes both safeguarding forests and providing people with safe water and sanitation facilities. Although the data differ and show some problems, for the most part the city’s citizens are well served with water and sanitation.


4. URBAN INDICATORS: TO PROVIDE CONTINUTY WITH THE FIVE CITIES STUDY

4.1. Air Quality

Table 8.18. Air Quality

Indicatoprs SPM (Suspended Particulate Metter) and API (Air Pollution Index) are not availabe as Department of Resouces and Environment (DRE) does not have collection capacities.

Other indicators such as NOX, CO2, SO2, CO are provided by DRE only data on number observations/tests, resuls of which are over beyond Natioanal standards.

The indicator on "Gasoline comsumption" is calculated based on dats of the Gasoline Company - the main agent providing gasoline for Danang City. Some other providers, ie. Airline, Train, gasoline are not included.

The indicator on Coal consumption" is calculated based on vulume consumpted for production (by prices of 1994) then, devided by 1994's price of clean coal that is VND 253,000 /ton.

4.2. Water Quality

Table 8.19. Water Quality

The indicator of BOD is not pulished (by Department of Resources and Environment). It may be inferred from the data on number observations / tests results that are above national stadards. See tables below showing various measure of water quality at different sites.

Table 8.20. Number of times above TCVN 5943-1995 (on beach)

Table 8.21. Number of times above TCVN 5943-1995 (other purpose)

Table 8.22. River water-Number times above TCVN 5942-1995 (B)

Table 8.23. Lake water-Number times above TCVN 5942-1995 (B)

Data on fecal count are not available as Department of Resources and Environment does not collect this data.

4.3. Water Quality and Waste Management

Table 8.24. Water quality

Table 8.25. Waste management

Piped water consumed has risen over the past four years from 13 millions to more than 17 millions cubic meters. On a per capita basis this implies a rise from XX to XX cubic meters in these four years. This represents a substantially, zausing a corresponding increase in funds and personnel assigned to the task. This can be considered a normal result of the city's economic development, but it also identifies a problem that the city government will have to address. Projects to promote consevation, reducing consumption and reusing or recycling wastes will come in the near future.

4.4. Traffic Flows

Table 8.26. Traffic flows

4.5. Traffic Helth

Table 8.27. Traffic health

Number of accidents is calculated on land only. Accidents on water and train lines are not included.

Number of vehicles is calculated on civic and registered ones. The vihicles of Military units and foregin agencies operating in the city are not included. Besides that, there are about 400 minitractors "cong nong" (made in localities with low quality and safety that are operating in the city, also not included. As in many developing countries, the number of vehicles is growing rapidly. Registered cars rose from 11,000 to 16,000 in just three years; motor bikes more than dodoubled from 127,000 to 258,000 in the same period. This meant greater crowding, as the vehicles per kilometers of road rose from 507 to 600, despite the 18 percent increase of road length from 385 to 456. Despite the increase of vehicles, the accidents, injuries and deaths per vehicle have declined. Danang is having some success in addressing its traffic problems.

Summary

Data are not available on air quality. The increase of motorbile and motorcycles has been substantial, but the growth of cars and trucks has been more modest. We can expect that air quality may have deteriorated somewhat. Water quality and quantity appear to pose no problems at this time. Traffic flows seem manageable, and the rate of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths has declined. It can be expected, however, that with further economic growth the number of vehicles will increase and we may face more serous traffic problems in the future, for which planning should begin now. The waste generated percapita is increasing rather rapidly, as it tends to do with economic growth. The city must now pay greater attention to conservation and recycling efforts to address this proglem.


Reference

  • The law on the organisation of People's Council and People's Committee (2003)
  • The law on People'S Council Eletions (2003)
  • Regulation 114/2003/ND-CP issued by the Government on 10 October 2003, dealing with cadres, public employees at the village, ward and township levels.
  • Regulation 79/2003/ND-CP issued on 7 July 2003 on procedure of exercising democracy at the village level.
  • Regulation  13/2002/QD-BNV issued on 6 December 2002, on the promulgation of procedures on organisation and operations of hamlets and residential quarters.
  • Danang's 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 Statistic Yearbooks.
  • 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 Statistic Yearbooks of Danang's Education Department.
  • Statistic Report on annual Population and Family Planning Work. Committee for Population - Family Plannig and Children.
  • 2004 Report on HIV?AIDS aituation in Danang. Danang's Preventive Medicine Center.
  • Report to review 10 years implementing the Prime Minister's Directive No 200/TTg on ensuring safe water and rural environment's hygiene for Danang City.
  • Results of the a survey on the actual situation of providing and using reproductive health care services in Danang City.
  • Draft Plan for education and training for the 2006-2015 period. The Department of Education and Training (August 2004).
  • Report to recapitulate the 2001 Population and Family Planning Programme. Committee for Population and Planning (December 2001).
  • Report 708/SYT on results of the survey on the population of SDD affected children in Danang City in 2003.
  • Report to recapitulate the labor, war invalids and social affairs work in 2001. The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA).
  • Report on execution of the national program and target for hunger eradication and poverty reduction in the 2001-2003 period. The Steering Board for Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction (April 2004).

Appendix: Policies towards the Private Economic Sector

1. Support for market and trade promotion operations

According to Regulation No.72/2004/QD-UB issued on 26 April 2004 by the Municipal People's Committee, stipulating the support for market and trade promotion moves for the following activities.

  1. Operations subject to support.
    • Holding pavilions at trade fairs or exhibitations abroad in an effort to promote trademarks and product quality.
    • Establishing trade promotion centers or representative offices abroad.
  2. Details of trade promotion activities subject to support.
    • Two-way airfares and stipends (at home and abroad) for one person each business.
    • Sum of money to lease standard pavilions.
    • Office rent in the first year.
    • Charges paid to resident countries to set up trade promotion centers or businesses' representative offices.

2. Some perferential policies to encourage domestic investments

According to Regulation No. 51/2004/QD-UB issued on 10 March 2004 on preferential policies to encourage domestic investment in Danang City.

  1. Administrative procedures
    • The settle \ment of procedures for domestically-invested projects is in relations with the policies on investment, locations, planning, ground clearing and hand-over, land leases or contracts on the transfer of land use rights.
    • Domestic investors who put money in Danang will enjoy the one-door procedure by receiving their business licences and certificates on investment stimuli at the office of the Municipal Service for Planning and Investment.
    • Investors are exempt from all charges on paperwork related to their investment procedures, except fees on business licences according to law.
  2. Ensuring space for production and business
    1. In regard to projects outside industrial zones
      • The city fully covers ground-clearing costs for projects listed as priority for investment or projects with investment of VND 30 billion upwards or projects which have to pay land use rights. However, investors are asked to advanced money after their projects are put into operation.
      • The city and the nvestors equally share spending on ground-clearing for projects which are not in the list of priorities for investment, nor projects with capitals of less than VND 30 billion, or projects without paying land use rights. Investors will have to advance the above-mentioned sum of money to help the city compensate costs of ground-clearing work.
    2. In regard to projects inside industrial zones under the city’s management
      • The Company for Development and Exploitation of Da Nang Industrial Zone infrastructural facilities is authorised for signing contracts for land lease or transfer of land use rights, allocate grounds inside industrial zones to project executives after receiving licences granted by the municipal People’s Committee or the Steering Board of Industrial and Export Processing Zones.
  3. Charges on land use rights
    • Investors will enjoy 10 percent discount of the charges they have to pay for their land use rights if they are able to pay the whole of the charges within 60 days since the day they receive bills.
  4. Grace period on land use charges applicable to domestic investors who por money into Danang as follows:
    • All domestically-invested projects in Da Nang will be exempt from charges on land use during the entire period of infrastructure construction.
  5. In regards to compensations
    •  Investors will receive full compensations to their losses in property, including the loss of land (just in case) and other material supports if they have to remove to other places under the municipal People’s Committee decisions. They may also receive compensations to the sum they have already spent in the locations from where they had to be removed to invest in the new places. The municipal Finance Service will recommend the compensations in every individual cases to the municipal People’s Committee for approval.

3. Some policies encouraging foreign investment

According to Regulation No. 50/2004/QD-UB by the Da Nang People’s Committee on stimulus policies to attract foreign direct investment.

  1. Administrative procedure
    • The municipal People’s Committee is fully responsible for licensing foreign-invested projects in the city through the one-door policy at the Investment Promotion Centre. Investors are fully exempt from charges related to paperwork.
    • The city sets 10 working days as the deadline for licensing those projects that need investigation and five days for those projects applying for investment licenses.
  2. Land
    • The municipal People’s Committee is responsible for arranging compensations to damages caused by ground-clearing work, completing procedure for land lease with the costs and compensations to damages in ground-clearing as follows:
      The municipal People’s Committee will fully cover the above-mentioned costs for those projects that are capitalised with 20 million USD upwards. The investors however have to advance half of the compensations and will take back after their projects are put into operation.
  3. On the grace period for land lease
    • Projects located outside industrial zones will enjoy different brace terms for land lease beginning on the day the infrastructure construction finishes and the project is put into operation as follows:
      • 12 years for those projects which are in the list of top priorities for investment;
      • 10 years for those projects which are in the list of priorities for investment;
      • 7 years for other projects.
    • The brace terms on land lease (including charges on infrastructural facilities) for those projects which are localed inside industrial zones run by the municipal administration are as follows (time will be counted from the day the infrastructure construction finishes and the projects are put into operation):
      • 11 years for those projects which are listed as top priorities for investment;
      • 9 years for those projects which are listed as priorities for investment;
      • 6 years for other projects.

Those projects with capital of 10 million USD upwards will enjoy two more brace years for land lease.


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