Nghe An Provincial People's Council pointed out many shortcomings in state management of environmental protection.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Also attending were Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Council: Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Hoang Viet Duong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee Executive Committee; Members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee: Le Hong Vinh - Chairman of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee, Head of the Economic - Budget Committee of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Committee, Head of the Cultural - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council; Phan Duc Dong - Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Committee, Head of the Legal Committee of the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Mai Hoa

Based on practical supervision at a number of enterprises, localities, departments, branches and working with the Provincial People's Committee in October and November 2018, the Provincial People's Council affirmed: The work of planning for socio-economic development has not been associated with environmental protection, leading to many shortcomings in investment in a number of projects, factories, and livestock farms, affecting the environment.

For example, Thai Duong foreign pig breeding farm was built upstream; Vinh Plastic Packaging Joint Stock Company produces and does business in the heart of urban residents; Hoang Mai Stone Company is granted a mine near the railway and residential area...

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Hoang Viet Duong speaks at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

The assignment of environmental protection tasks to different levels, departments and branches by the Provincial People's Committee is not clear, lacking binding mechanisms and accountability, so some tasks are implemented slowly or are neglected. The Provincial People's Committee has not yet classified business groups according to the characteristics of each environmental protection field to compile statistics and have appropriate management measures.

At the district level, some localities have not really paid attention to environmental protection work, have not developed plans and action programs to implement Resolution No. 08-NQ/TU of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and Plan No. 99 of the Provincial People's Committee on implementing Resolution No. 08 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong received the contents pointed out by the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Mai Hoa

Wastewater treatment pond of Thai Duong Animal Feed Joint Stock Company. Photo courtesy

The budget for environmental protection has not met the minimum requirement of 1% of total budget expenditure as stipulated in Circular 02 of the Ministry of Finance. Specifically, in 2017 it was only 0.7% and in 2018 it was 0.9%.

Concluding this content, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Xuan Son said that the requirements between development and environmental protection are posing many difficulties, complexities, and contradictions. And in practice, through supervision, the Provincial People's Council has pointed out the shortcomings and limitations, requiring continued efforts from all levels in state management, units, and enterprises to ensure that the province's development is always associated with environmental protection.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council concluded at the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Regarding the social insurance policy for employees, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Council affirmed that many employees' rights are being affected because enterprises have not fully implemented the social insurance regime according to the law.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Council suggested that it is necessary to consider setting criteria that if enterprises still owe social insurance, they will not be allowed to participate in bidding for new investment projects in the area; thereby creating a binding mechanism, raising the sense of responsibility of enterprises in this issue.