*** The national daily Nhan Dan says Vietnam has initiated various policies to support socio-economic development in remote, mountainous and disadvantaged areas. The move aims to raise local living standards and to narrow the development gap between regions. To speed up its poverty reduction efforts, the government has carried out program 135, which focuses on upgrading infrastructure and improving living conditions of people, especially those living in disadvantaged areas. Since the program was launched 6 years ago, 70 percent of the locals have benefited from electricity, irrigation, educational and healthcare development projects. The number of poor households has reduced by around 5 percent annually and the poverty rate is expected to fall below 20 percent by next year.

*** Kinh Te Sai Gon (Saigon Economic) newspaper reports that four new power plants with a total capacity of 3,400 MW will be established in the southern province of Can Tho, to supply electricity to the whole Mekong Delta region. Construction of the first plant will start before the end of this year and is expected to be completed in 2007. All these plants will initially be fueled by oil and later by gas.

*** Thuong Mai (Commerce) newspaper highlights the significance of the Da Nang Trade Promotion Information Center in the central port city of Da Nang. Over the past year, the center has hosted workshops on international economic integration, preferential tariffs within ASEAN and trademark and business administration. It has run training courses on trade promotion, attracting thousands of participants from the central and Central Highlands regions, and has organized many overseas tours for domestic entrepreneurs to seek business opportunities.

*** Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborers) says the first tour of Truong Sa archipelagos will begin on the 19^th of this month. A 2,000 tonne navy vessel will carry tourists to several islands, including Con Dao or Polo Condo, as well as the Bach Ho or White Tiger oil field. Philippine Foreign Minister, Delia Albert is quoted as saying: " There is nothing wrong in Vietnam's plan to make the Spratly Islands into a tourist spot. Any tourists can be eligible to visit if they don’t have other purposes. Vietnam does not violate the Declaration on the Conduct in the East Sea signed in 2002 by ASEAN member states and China."