Misty... workers' housing
In June 2012, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND.DT on permitting the establishment of an investment project to build a housing project for workers to rent in Nam Cam Industrial Park. However, because the capital source has not been determined, the project has not yet been approved by the competent authorities.
(Baonghean) -In June 2012, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND.DT on permitting the establishment of an investment project to build a housing project for workers to rent in Nam Cam Industrial Park. However, because the capital source has not been determined, the project has not yet been approved by the competent authorities.
Urgent issue
According to the investigation results of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board on the housing needs for workers and laborers in Nam Cam and Bac Vinh Industrial Parks: In Nam Cam Industrial Park, there are more than 20 enterprises operating in production and business with over 1,250 workers and laborers, of which about 320 people have difficulty in housing. When these enterprises operate at full capacity, the total number of workers and laborers will increase to 1,750 people, with an estimated 500 people having housing needs. In Bac Vinh Industrial Park, there are 14 production and business enterprises with about 5,100 workers and laborers, of which about 2,100 people have difficulty in housing. Meanwhile, most of the enterprises focus on production and business, with no plans to build housing for workers. From the investigation results, the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board determined that the construction of housing areas for workers in the Nam Cam and Bac Vinh Industrial Parks is very necessary.
On May 4, 2012, the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone prepared Document No. 39/TTr-KKT on requesting approval to implement the pilot project of building housing for workers in Nam Cam Industrial Park and Bac Vinh Industrial Park to the Provincial People's Committee. On June 14, 2012, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND.DT on allowing the establishment of the Investment Project to build the project: "Housing for rent for workers in Nam Cam Industrial Park" with the content and scale of investment being "Construction of a new housing area consisting of a complete unit, 5 floors high, meeting the housing needs for about 500 workers in the industrial park... Capital source: Provincial budget and investors mobilize from other legal capital sources; State budget supports according to current regulations".
After more than 10 months, in addition to approving the master plan of the 1/500 scale at Nghi Long commune, Nghi Loc district, according to Mr. Le Dinh Quang - Deputy Project Director of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, the housing project for workers to rent in Nam Cam Industrial Park is temporarily stopped at the stage of submitting the application for approval of the project investment documents for construction! Mr. Quang wondered: Currently, the Korean Electronics Factory is recruiting 1,000 workers (in the near future, it will recruit about 4,000 more workers), Tien Phong Plastic Factory is also urgently building and will also recruit many workers. If there is no house for workers to rent, where will they live to work?...
A boarding house for workers to rent in Bac Vinh Industrial Park.
Workers expect...
Currently, workers and laborers in Nam Cam Industrial Park and Bac Vinh Industrial Park rent houses from the people at the rate of 500,000 - 600,000 VND/month/person, not including electricity and water bills... Going to the workers' houses in Bac Vinh Industrial Park in Hung Dong Commune, Vinh City, the rooms rented by the workers are small, low, and roofed with cement tiles, so even though it is not summer yet, it is extremely hot, making the workers extremely miserable in their daily lives. However, having a house to rent is already lucky, otherwise, they would not know where to live.
Companies with thousands of workers such as Matrix Company, Minh Anh - Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company... all hope that the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone will soon invest in building workers' housing in the industrial park to reduce their workers' hardship and reduce costs. Mr. Tran Danh Chuyen - Chairman of the Trade Union of Minh Anh - Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company said: "We are very concerned about the housing issue for workers. The company's leaders have proposed to the competent authority to lease more land to expand production scale, and at the same time build a kindergarten and a motel for workers, but the request has not been met. Therefore, we hope that the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone will build houses for workers to rent...".
Similarly, workers in production at enterprises in Nam Cam Industrial Park are also very upset about the housing problem. Asia Minerals Joint Stock Company has more than 30 workers facing housing difficulties. These workers have to rent houses for temporary accommodation, making living conditions difficult, while the company has difficulty managing labor. Lien Hiep Nghe An Company Limited also has 15 employees who do not have a place to live and have to rent houses for temporary accommodation. Ms. Luong Thi Lanh - a clerical officer at Lien Hiep Nghe An Company Limited said that with a salary of 3 million VND, she has to spend 500,000 VND to rent a house for temporary accommodation, not to mention electricity and water bills, so she has to be very frugal to have enough for her personal life. Ms. Lanh is worried: Currently, Nam Cam Industrial Park only has a few hundred workers renting houses for temporary accommodation, which is very difficult. When 1,000 workers from the Korean Electronics Factory come to work, it is unknown how much people will raise the rental price.
Capital is still difficult
When will the Housing Project for Workers in Nam Cam Industrial Park be implemented? According to Mr. Le Dinh Quang - Deputy Director of the Project Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone: When the capital source has not been determined, the Project cannot be implemented. To solve the capital problem, on April 1, 2013, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Letter No. 127 on "Report on request for capital appraisal and allocation of central budget capital for new projects" to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance. According to Official Letter 127, the Housing Project for Workers in Nam Cam Industrial Park has a scale of 5 floors, construction area of 1,218 m2, total floor area of 6,350 m2; with auxiliary works such as drainage, gates, fences, water supply, electricity... investment in equipment procurement. The total investment of the project is 66,261 million VND, of which the central budget is 40 billion VND and the local budget is 26,261 million VND.
When asked whether the capital from the central budget is feasible or not, Mr. Quang replied: "I cannot say whether it is or not at this time. However, in the current period, it should be determined that there will still be difficulties...".
Housing for workers is identified as an urgent issue, but to implement it is not simple. To have housing for workers, it seems that we still have to rely on the strength of people living near industrial parks. Regarding this issue, Mr. Le Dinh Quang shared: The fact that people build boarding houses for workers in industrial parks to rent has contributed to solving a very big social problem. This can be said to be a very good direction, even though it is temporary. Maybe the land used by people to build boarding houses is not necessarily for the right purpose, but we should look at it from the perspective that they have solved a problem that the State is facing difficulties, so there should be encouragement and support.
Article and photos: Nhat Lan
