Minister Tran Hong Ha: Environmental protection is the core of sustainable development

According to Minister Tran Hong Ha, protecting natural resources and the environment is the principle and core of sustainable development. If we ignore the environment, we will suffer pollution, resource depletion, and be in debt to future generations.

Minister Tran Hong Ha: "If we take the environment lightly, we will suffer pollution, resource depletion, and be in debt to future generations." Photo: VGP/Thu Cuc

That was the sharing of Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (TN&MT) Tran Hong Ha in an interview with the Government Electronic Newspaper on the occasion of the New Year of the Rooster.

Dear Minister, as the head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, managing 8 “hot” areas that receive public attention such as land, minerals, environment, etc., could you tell us about the highlights of the sector in 2016? What in management and operation has made you most concerned in the past year?

Minister Tran Hong Ha:I believe that the State management of natural resources and environment has had clear changes in the past year. The system of policies and laws in all fields of the industry has also been reviewed in the spirit of removing barriers, facilitating the development of businesses and each citizen. Legal documents in all fields of the industry that cause obstacles, are costly, and are not suitable for real life, if they are under the authority of the Ministry, will be amended or even abolished immediately. In cases where these documents are under the authority of higher levels, they will be recommended as soon as possible. The improvement of the system of policies and laws on natural resources and environment has initially brought positive results.

Inspection and examination work continues to be innovated, with good coordination between the central and local levels, focusing on handling hot, prominent issues that receive public attention, especially in the field of environmental protection; inspection and examination results, in addition to handling and rectifying natural resource and environmental management, also discover shortcomings and loopholes in policies and laws for further improvement.

What I am most concerned and worried about after taking on the responsibility as head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is how to control the increasing environmental pollution; deal with facilities causing serious environmental pollution, and handle the outbreak of environmental pollution hotspots occurring in many localities.

Up to now, it can be said that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has actively participated with ministries, branches and localities in overcoming risks and incidents caused by both human and natural disasters. In this work, we have done our best to minimize the consequences of those risks and incidents, protecting the rights and lives of the people. We believe that the majority of people understand our efforts and join us in sharing difficulties and overcoming challenges.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has always focused on administrative procedure reform, but in reality, there are still many problems. In 2017, how will administrative procedure reform be implemented to create the most favorable conditions for people and businesses, especially in the two complicated areas of land and minerals?

Minister Tran Hong Ha:The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment manages many fields related to all aspects of production and life, so cutting administrative procedures will certainly bring great benefits to the whole society, saving costs and efforts for people and businesses.

Currently, we have completed the construction and are testing the information system providing 15 online public services at the Ministry. Establishing an interactive mechanism to receive feedback from people and businesses on policies, laws and public service performance awareness of officials and civil servants. Localities have seriously implemented the direction of the Government and the Prime Minister on administrative procedure reform in the field of Natural Resources and Environment.

In 2017, administrative reform continues to be the key task of the sector, in which it is necessary to focus on synchronously implementing the continued review and simplification of administrative procedures in the process of drafting and perfecting legal documents, eliminating unnecessary procedures and sub-procedures, simplifying the components of records and documents; and implementing interconnection between administrative agencies in the direction of one-stop shop.

Innovation in communication culture, work resolution, and public service. Publicly announce administrative procedures at the receiving point, establish a system to receive evaluations and feedback from people and businesses to evaluate the results of administrative procedure reform and the quality of public service provision between units.

Land and minerals are inputs for production and business activities, assets of people and enterprises, therefore, administrative reform, procedure simplification, and shortening implementation time are creating a favorable environment for investment and business, saving costs for the state budget, and costs for people and enterprises. Therefore, since 2016, I have directed the review and continued reduction of procedure implementation time for these two areas, in which for land, the time for procedures on granting certificates has been reduced from 2 to 20 days. Currently, two Decrees on land and minerals have been issued by the Government. In 2017, the Ministry will urge localities to issue implementation documents according to their authority and implement them in accordance with regulations.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has clearly stated the viewpoint that "Environmental protection is a requirement throughout the development process, resolutely not to harm the environment for short-term benefits". Implementing this viewpoint as well as the Government's tasks and solutions in environmental protection, in 2017, what action plan does the Minister have, especially solutions to prevent and control pollution, to avoid unfortunate incidents such as the recent marine environmental incident in the 4 central provinces?

Minister Tran Hong Ha:Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has repeatedly affirmed: Do not trade the environment for economic growth. I believe that this extremely correct and necessary viewpoint is the principle and core of sustainable development. If we take the environment lightly, we will suffer pollution, resource depletion, and be in debt to future generations.

To implement this viewpoint of the Prime Minister, as well as the tasks and solutions of the Government in environmental protection, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has immediately started to carry out specific activities.

Accordingly, at the end of 2016, we conducted a series of inspections of production facilities with large discharge scale (200 m3/day and night or more) nationwide. The inspection results showed that many production facilities have not met Vietnam's discharge standards. In early 2017, all facilities of this type will have to complete the waste treatment system according to the requirements of the State management agency on environmental protection.

In addition, we will continue to review environmental protection for all production and business organizations nationwide, forcing them to strictly implement the solutions proposed in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report or environmental protection commitment. Any environmental violations, even those in EIAs that have been approved but have not taken into account all risks, will be handled resolutely and without tolerance according to the law.

On the other hand, the central state management agency for environmental protection will closely coordinate with local state management agencies for environmental protection at all levels in the spirit of clear division of responsibilities. The head of each level of government will be directly responsible when environmental incidents occur within the area for which they are assigned responsibility.

In the long term, in the process of restructuring the country's economy, the issue of environmental protection will also be seriously considered, with a long-term vision, inter-regional in development programs at the national or local level. We will also pay special attention to important environmental indicators (environmental carrying capacity, low-carbon manufacturing industry, etc.).

In 2017, which field will the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment choose as the focus of work, Minister?

Minister Tran Hong Ha:In my opinion, the management areas of the Ministry are all important to the issues of people's livelihood, economy, national defense and security, so we need to focus on creating changes in all areas. However, we still identify key issues and tasks that can create breakthroughs and strong changes in the management of natural resources and environment to be able to solve the pressing problems of the people and businesses.

Firstly, focus on reviewing and perfecting the legal policy system. Correct policies will create a favorable business environment, liberate natural and environmental resources for socio-economic development, protect the environment, and prevent negativity and waste.

Second is to strengthen inspection, examination and supervision of the implementation of policies and laws on natural resources and environment, focusing on pressing issues of people and businesses such as compensation, support and resettlement, granting of certificates in the land sector; projects with risks of causing serious environmental pollution; and mineral exploitation.

Third is to continue to promote administrative procedure reform; establish a mechanism to control the implementation of procedures by state agencies and a mechanism for people and businesses to respond and evaluate the service attitude of officials to gradually build a modern administration that serves the people. Deploy online public services to reduce negative harassment.

Thank you very much, Minister!

According to baochinhphu.vn