Provincial People's Council representatives propose halting the issuance of construction permits for apartment buildings in Vinh City.

Group 2 consists of provincial People's Council delegates elected in Vinh City and Cua Lo Town, with Mr. Nguyen Van Lu - Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vinh City People's Council - as the group leader. Also present were Mr. Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; representatives of the National Assembly Delegation and provincial departments and agencies. Photo: Hoai Thu

Overcrowding and numerous shortcomings in apartment building construction.

The key issues raised by delegates from Group 2 concerned urban planning and environmental sanitation. Ms. Pham Thi Hong Toan, a member of the Provincial Party Committee and Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper, highlighted the situation in the province, especially in Vinh City, where many projects are behind schedule, deviate from planning and design specifications, particularly small-scale projects, apartment complexes, and new urban areas. Nghe An Newspaper has received numerous complaints from citizens and is working with relevant agencies to address these urban planning shortcomings. She requested that relevant departments and agencies intensify their oversight and effectively and decisively address these violations and inadequacies.

In addition, delegate Pham Thi Hong Toan also pointed out shortcomings in environmental management and protection in the province, especially in the western region, hospitals, craft villages, and industrial zones. She emphasized that "wherever a project goes, there are environmental problems," and requested that provincial People's Council delegates pay attention to discussing and proposing solutions and measures to the competent authorities to address violations and shortcomings related to the aforementioned issues.

Agreeing with the opinions of the Editor-in-Chief of Nghe An Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Propaganda Department of the Provincial Party Committee - also specifically pointed out some violations and inadequacies in apartment building planning and proposed solutions. Accordingly, Ms. Huong argued that the 40% regulation cannot be applied to allow construction indiscriminately. She suggested that for Vinh City in 2019 and subsequent years, no further apartment building projects should be approved, and planning should be reviewed to limit the negative consequences of rampant apartment building construction that does not meet regulations and to protect the rights of residents.

Regarding land management, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong stated that the handling of issues following inspections and audits has not been rigorous enough. Besides unresolved past land violations, new violations continue to occur. Ms. Huong requested that relevant agencies thoroughly and decisively address these issues and assign specific responsibilities.

In addition, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong also raised issues related to education, requesting the Provincial People's Committee to direct the resolution of two issues definitively: the implementation of Circular 16 on funding for national education institutions (the issue of socialization and the issue of surplus teachers).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Standing Committee member and Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, also specifically pointed out several violations and shortcomings in apartment building planning and proposed solutions. (Photo: Hoai Thu)

Responding to and discussing the above issues, Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction, stated that there are currently 106 apartment building projects in Vinh City, of which 69 are operational with 8,000 apartments. According to regulations, 40% of apartment buildings are permitted to be constructed, but Vinh City only has 10% of that number. Mr. Giang added that there have been some violations in apartment building construction recently, and Vinh City and relevant departments have formed inspection teams and handled several cases.

Responding to Ms. Pham Thi Hong Toan's concerns regarding the construction of apartment buildings that violated planning regulations, design specifications, and other violations, Mr. Giang stated that inspection reports are in place for handling. According to the hierarchical structure, apartment buildings of 20 stories or more are managed by the Ministry of Construction, so any violations will be reported to the Ministry for resolution. Currently, Vinh City has nine apartment buildings interspersed within urban areas. Regarding this issue, a representative from the Department of Construction explained that the construction was undertaken to address the urgent housing needs of the people.

Regarding shortcomings in handling environmental pollution issues, a representative from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that the department has already submitted a detailed report explaining the matter. Nghe An province does not have any hotspots, but still experiences serious environmental pollution with potential risks. 42 facilities have been removed from the list of those requiring remediation, while 35 facilities remain on the list of those whose environmental issues have been addressed. The province has 10 industrial zones and 50 industrial clusters, but only 8 out of 20 clusters have built centralized environmental treatment facilities due to a lack of funding.

Mr. Doan Hong Vu, Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, pointed out shortcomings and proposed solutions to address the situation of Vietnamese workers going abroad under the guise of studying, then absconding to work illegally. Photo: Hoai Thu

In 2017-2018, six inner-city apartment building projects were cut, but this reduction also requires a step-by-step process. Regarding complaints about developers failing to fulfill agreements, these are civil disputes, making it difficult for relevant authorities to resolve them. Therefore, within the department's authority, they will expedite handling; for matters beyond their jurisdiction, they will refer the issue to the ministry and relevant agencies.

A representative from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment stated that, regarding land planning, the province has 167 projects, of which Vinh City has 133 apartment and townhouse projects. Of these, 21 projects are facing land clearance issues, and the city and department are coordinating with relevant agencies to resolve them. Regarding land management, as mentioned by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, many cases have been investigated and processed, and monitoring, supervision, and inspection continue to prevent related violations.

Shortcomings in environmental pollution control.

Delegate Nguyen Van Lu - Standing Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Vinh City People's Council - chaired the discussion. Photo: Hoai Thu

Regarding household waste, especially in Vinh City with its main waste treatment facility in Nghi Yen, there are currently difficulties in wastewater treatment. If waste from other facilities continues to be withheld, it will create a critical situation in resolving this issue.

Besides focusing on urban planning and environmental pollution control, delegates from Group 2 also expressed concern about other issues such as the shortcomings in the labor export process, with many Vietnamese workers still illegally going abroad, affecting the overall reputation. Regarding budget revenue collection, management, and allocation, delegates suggested that the province needs to make reasonable adjustments for each locality and focus investment rather than spreading it too thinly.

Concluding the discussion, Mr. Nguyen Van Lu acknowledged and agreed with the delegates' statements; he requested the secretary to record the opinions to propose to the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments and agencies to consider and implement solutions to address the shortcomings in urban planning, especially in Vinh City, and the issue of ensuring environmental sanitation in the province.