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The controversial provisions issued in 2012
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Restaurants only host weddings with marriage registration

In early December, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City collected opinions of more than 60 restaurants that offer wedding service in the inner districts about how to implement "standards on restaurants with cultural wedding services in 2012 - 2015 ". The standards for being recognized as a restaurant with cultural wedding services consist of the contents: "restaurants only organize wedding for clients who can show the marriage certificate."

This "standard" has been criticized by a lot of people because wedding is wedding and marriage is marriage. Restaurant managers said that a restaurant is the place to hold weddings, not a state management agency to have the right to ask the customer to submit a certificate of marriage.

According to an official of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the organization of a legal wedding is necessary. Many customers are willing to accept a few conditions to have their weddings held at good restaurants. However, the standard is voluntary, not mandatory.



Hanoi set restriction on the number of wedding party guests

To realize a civilized lifestyle in organizing weddings, the Hanoi Party Committee in October issued regulations on culture in organizing wedding parties. Accordingly, the maximum number of guests that officials and Party members are allowed to invite to their or their relatives’ wedding parties is fixed at 300. If the two families hold a joint wedding party, the total number of guests must not exceed 600 people.

Also, officials and Party members are not allowed to organize weddings many times, in many days and at 5-star hotels or luxury resorts. They are encouraged to send wedding announcement cards instead of organizing wedding parties.

The Hanoi Party Committee also assigned the Inspection Commission to supervise the implementation of the instruction among officials and party members.

This provision has received mixed opinions. Some said that this provision is to practice thrift while others said that it interferes too deeply into personal lives and it is unfeasible to count the number of guests at wedding parties.



Selling meat within 8 hours after slaughter

According to a circular of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, from September 3, raw meat preserved at room temperature is only allowed to be sold within eight hours of the time of slaughtering. In case the meat is preserved under 0 – 5 degrees Celsius, the time limit is 72 hours.

Food by-products such as pig’s tripe and stomach should be sold within 24 hours after slaughtering, and no preservative chemicals are allowed to be used on fresh meat.

In Vietnam, it is common for pig and poultry products to be sold on street stands. In some areas they are sold from early morning to late in the afternoon, with almost no adequate preservation methods used.

Immediately after the circular was issued, the public questioned about its feasibility. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had to cancel the circular.

"In terms of science and international standards, this provision may be appropriate, but in the actual conditions in Vietnam it is inappropriate," admitted Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.



Mobile phone users at gas stations to be fined

According to a new regulation that took effect on August 5, users of cell phones at petrol stations will be fined up to VND5 million (US$250,) 10 times higher than the previous provision.

Fire-fighting police will be in charge of catching "red-handed" violators and imposing the fines.

Whatever fine is necessary, the new provision is doubted about its feasibility. Shortly after the regulations took effect, Dr. Le Hong Son, Director of the By-law Document Checking Department of the Ministry of Justice proposed the Ministry of Justice to review the reasonableness and possibility of the regulations.

Compiled by Tran Cham