HCM City next year will focus more on attracting foreign investment to further socio-economic development, especially in the technology, education, culture and tourism fields, a city official said at a foreign affairs meeting yesterday in the city.

More than 300 people voluntarily registered to donate their tissues, organs and bodies after death for scientific purposes at the ceremony of Tissue and Organ Donation held in HCM City.

HCM City Medical University Hospital on Monday announced that its doctors removed a 7-cm-long parasite from the brain of a 52-year-old man.

About 200 families living in Hòa Điền Commune, Kiên Lương District in the southern province of Kiên Giang have had to pay VNĐ100,000 (US$4.3) for a cubic metre of clean water for daily use, 15 times higher than the general water price in the province, because of the unavailability of tap water supply to their homes.

The recent rise in ‘black credit’ has trapped individuals and families in big cities of Hà Nội and HCM City as well as other provinces. When approaching this source of funds, most borrowers fall into the high interest trap and ‘forest law’ constraints.

The HCM City People’s Committee has decided to penalise all departments or localities that end up with less than 50 per cent of their budgeted public spending for this year.

 Internal migration to the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) region has caused population concerns, security, environment protection and hindered socio-economic development.

HCM City has invited local and foreign companies to bid on waste treatment plants that are expected to reduce pollution and contribute to a greener and more beautiful urban area.

The northern port city of Hải Phòng is urgently on working clean water reservoirs in Cát Hải Island District to combat waster shortage.