HCM City hosts New Year celebration for OVs
(VOV) - More than 700 overseas Vietnamese from 30 countries and territories met in Ho Chi Minh City on January 21, celebrating the Lunar New Year (Tet).
Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan briefed them on the city’s development achievements last year, partly attributing the success to OV contributions.
As a locality with the largest number of OVs, HCM City has introduced initiatives to realize Party guidelines and State policies on Overseas Vietnamese affairs, winning their trust, Quan said.
More than 1.2 million Vietnamese nationals returned to Vietnam last year, of which 50-60% stayed in HCM City.
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The city has attracted more than US$33 billion in Vietnamese remittances for the past 10 years. In 2003 alone, it received US$4.8 billion, accounting for nearly half the country’s total.
In particular, more and more scientists and experts have returned to invest, conduct research and teach in the city.
In the future, Quan said the city will keep OVs up to date on local and national information, remove residence and business difficulties, protect their legitimate rights and encourage more OV resources to the city’s construction and development in all fields.
At the ceremony, a number of Vietnamese individuals were awarded the Prime Minister’s certificate of merit in recognition of their contributions to national development.
Participants also learnt about the city’s socio-economic development through a photographic exhibition and enjoyed art performances from well-known singers and artists.