Final article: Need to go along with solutions to ensure social security
(Baonghean) - It is undeniable that the efforts of the authorities, especially the Vinh City People's Committee, in the effort to modernize the urban area in recent times. However, up to this point, the results have not been high. One of the main reasons is that the establishment of urban order and discipline has not been accompanied by practical, synchronous, long-term solutions to ensure social security...
After more than 10 days of launching the campaign to clear the traffic safety corridor, it feels like the city's approach is lacking in fundamentality and sustainability. Because here and there, there are still complaints, grievances, and even fierce protests from the people about the way the authorities are doing things, when they have not yet thoroughly propagated the work, they have rushed to implement it, leaving the people "unable to react". In many places, the authorities are still heavy on administrative orders, only focusing on clearing encroachments as quickly as possible to meet the city's schedule, without considering the arrangement and planning of new business locations to ensure jobs and long-term stability for the people. Therefore, on many roads and markets, the vicious cycle of "clearance - re-encroachment" continues to recur.
Due to incomplete compensation, some households on Nguyen Viet Xuan Street (Hung Dung - Vinh City) are still building kiosks right on the sidewalk!
Typically, on Nguyen Sinh Sac Street - in Cua Nam Ward, just counting the section from Can Linh Pagoda to Thai An General Hospital, there are about 40 businesses, mainly selling bread on the sidewalk.
This is a road that has been repeatedly reported for encroachment causing traffic safety problems, and in fact, the authorities have also taken drastic measures many times. But today they push it away, tomorrow it returns to the same old way, and even in the recent campaign, there were clashes between the people and the authorities.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan in block 10, Cua ward
Ms. Lan said: "We are reluctant and it is not good to do business on the street, the sidewalk is dusty and dangerous, but for the poor, daily life depends on a few coins earned from a few dozen bundles of sugarcane or a few hundred loaves of bread. If we do not sell here, how can we live and send our children to school? If only the city could plan a suitable place for us to do business, it would be great." The current situation of "clearing and re-encroaching" in the Doi Cung market area is also a difficult problem for the local government to solve, because the reason given by the people is that "the market is currently damaged and seriously degraded".
Moreover, the market area is only about 600m2, not enough space for nearly 100 business households, not to mention the independent business households". Mr. Tran Xuan Hai - Vice Chairman of Doi Cung Ward People's Committee said: "Every year, the revenue from the market paid to the ward budget is not much, only about 6 - 6.5 million VND, but the ward still tries to maintain operations because the majority of people doing business in the market are poor people, policy families, and small traders.
In fact, the Ward People's Committee has known about the problem of degradation and damage of the market, but is currently "confused" about solutions because this is a type 3 or type 4 market without funding to repair and upgrade. Moreover, the market is located in the planning area of the ancient citadel park, so it is very difficult to renovate or build a new one. Therefore, it is very difficult to completely resolve the situation of encroachment on sidewalks and roads for business and trading.
In fact, along with the drastic participation of the authorities in clearing the traffic safety corridor and the compliance awareness of the city's residents, it is very necessary to come up with synchronous and long-term solutions, especially planning business locations for street vendors and sidewalk vendors to ensure social security in the process of establishing discipline and urban order in Vinh City. Looking at other provinces, it is no coincidence that Hai Phong City chose to implement the theme "Urban and Social Security" before implementing the theme "Urban and Traffic Safety".
Before launching the campaign to clear corridors, sidewalks, and beautify the urban area, Hai Phong City implemented many timely and effective social security support policies, from re-planning small businesses and trading locations, providing social subsidies for the poor, the elderly, social protection beneficiaries, low-income earners, and those with difficult lives to investing in and building model urban roads, upgrading urban infrastructure including drainage systems, environmental sanitation, and building public toilets...
According to the leaders of Da Nang City, to move towards a civilized and modern city, the most difficult thing is not urban beautification, although it is a huge task, but the most difficult thing is to establish order and discipline, which must go hand in hand with solutions to ensure social security, protect the legitimate rights of the people, share with the poor, and aim at sustainable poverty reduction. Thanks to that, we can "win the hearts of the people", receive the support of the people, thereby forming a civilized lifestyle.
In fact, in recent times, the leaders of Vinh City government have also visited and learned about civilized and modern city models in many places, including abroad. For example, they went to the Philippines to learn about the "Eco-saving" model of the City.
Returning to the issue of "establishing urban order and discipline" in Vinh City, to solve the vicious cycle of "eliminating re-encroachment", moving towards a modern civilized city is not something that can be done in a day or two, but requires the Vinh City government to have a strong determination, implement synchronous solutions and have a specific roadmap, in which it is necessary to pay attention to the issue of social security. As suggested by many business households on Le Hong Phong, Tran Phu, and Dang Thai Than streets: "Returning the sidewalk as the city propagates is a correct policy, but if done drastically, we will only be able to trade in the inside of the stalls which are very narrow, there is not even a parking space, so customers will decrease significantly, significantly affecting revenue. It would be more practical if the city would help us find a specific solution to both ensure order and discipline and ensure the business needs of the people....".
Some opinions also suggest that the city should not implement it in a rush and simultaneously, but should successfully pilot a few green, clean, beautiful urban routes, with open roads and sidewalks, and then gradually expand them to the entire city to ensure efficiency and sustainability... Should the city government leaders directly dialogue and respond to people's recommendations in the spirit of promoting democracy for the common goal of building Vinh City into a modern, civilized urban area, worthy of a class 1 urban area?
