Tien Giang bans sale of fake votive currency

Vo Thanh Nha, director of the office of the State Bank of Viet Nam in southern Tien Giang Province on Monday ordered markets in the Mekong Delta province to stop selling fake VND50,000, VND100,000, VND200,000, and VND500,000 currency notes of the same and colour as real notes that are used as votive offerings.

The bills are burnt as offerings to dead family members during Tet (the lunar New Year) and are sold in huge quantities at markets across the province. Tet falls on February 14 this year.

NHAN DAN (THE POEPLE)

Ha Noi starts Tet crackdown on buses

Ha Noi police started inspection of passenger buses this week to check violations in the lead-up to Tet, according to the city Traffic Police Department.

The inspections focus on bus stations and areas prone to accidents.

They will slap fines on buses found carrying more passengers than permitted before and after Tet.

THANH NIEN (YOUNG PEOPLE)

HCM City to need 50,000 workers after Tet

HCM City would need 50,000 workers after Tet, the Centre for Human Resources Forecast and Labour Market Information said after a poll of 1,810 businesses.

Just until Tet, 3,000 workers are needed in the engineering, electric, and electronic sectors.

NGUOI LAO DONG (THE LABOURER)

Land prices drop after pageant withdraws

Land prices returned to earth in Thoi Thuan hamlet on Tien Giang Province's Thoi Son Island after the US-based RAAS Group announced it was pulling out of the Miss World pageant to be held in Viet Nam this year.

The prices had skyrocketed a few months ago when RAAS Group and Tien Giang Tourism Co were buying large tracts of land to prepare for the event: A 1,000sq.m plot cost more than VND1.5 billion, 10 times the price elsewhere in the hamlet.

Around 14ha were sold to them in recent months.

The prices are down to VND300 million – VND500 million this week.

TUOI TRE (YOUTH)