Darkness... workers' housing
In June 2012, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND.DT allowing the establishment of an investment project to build housing for workers in the Nam Cam Industrial Park. However, due to the lack of identified funding sources, 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 allowing the establishment of an investment project to build housing for workers in the Nam Cam Industrial Park. However, due to the lack of identified funding sources, the project has not yet been approved by the competent authorities.
Urgent issue
According to the survey results of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board on housing needs for workers in the Nam Cam and Bac Vinh Industrial Parks: In the Nam Cam Industrial Park, there are more than 20 businesses operating with over 1,250 workers, of which about 320 are facing housing difficulties. When these businesses operate at full capacity, the total number of workers will increase to 1,750, with an estimated 500 people in need of housing. In the Bac Vinh Industrial Park, there are 14 businesses with approximately 5,100 workers, of which about 2,100 are facing housing difficulties. Meanwhile, most businesses focus on production and business, with no plans to build housing for their workers. Based on 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 Zones is essential.
On May 4, 2012, the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone submitted Proposal No. 39/TTr-KKT to the Provincial People's Committee requesting approval for a pilot project to build housing for workers in the Nam Cam and Bac Vinh Industrial Parks. On June 14, 2012, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND.DT allowing the establishment of the investment project for the construction of "Housing for workers to rent in the Nam Cam Industrial Park" with the following investment scope and content: "Construction of a new housing complex consisting of a complete unit, 5 stories high, meeting the housing needs of approximately 500 industrial park workers... Funding source: Provincial budget and the investor's own mobilization from other legal capital sources; State budget support according to current regulations."
After more than 10 months, besides the approval of the 1/500 scale master plan for Nghi Long commune, Nghi Loc district, according to Mr. Le Dinh Quang - Deputy Director of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, the housing project for workers in the Nam Cam Industrial Park is currently stalled at the stage of submitting a request for approval of the investment project for construction! Mr. Quang expressed his concern: Currently, a South Korean electronics factory is recruiting 1,000 workers (and will recruit approximately 4,000 more in the near future), and the Tien Phong plastic factory is also urgently constructing and will recruit many workers. If there is no housing for workers to rent, where will they live while working?...
A workers' dormitory for rent in the North Vinh Industrial Zone.
Workers are expecting...
Currently, workers in the Nam Cam and Bac Vinh Industrial Zones rent rooms from local residents for 500,000 - 600,000 VND per month per person, not including electricity and water bills. Visiting the workers' rental housing areas in the Bac Vinh Industrial Zone in Hung Dong commune, Vinh City, one finds that the rooms are small, cramped, and have corrugated iron roofs, making them extremely hot even before summer, causing great discomfort for the workers. However, having a place to rent is considered fortunate; otherwise, they wouldn't know where else to live.
Companies with thousands of workers, such as Matrix Company and Minh Anh - Kim Lien Garment Joint Stock Company, are hoping that the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board will soon invest in building housing for workers in the industrial park to alleviate their hardships 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 our workers. The company's leadership has proposed to the authorities to lease more land to expand production scale and build a daycare center and rest area for workers, but this has not been met. Therefore, we earnestly hope that the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board will build housing for workers to rent...”
Similarly, workers in businesses within the Nam Cam Industrial Park are also very concerned about housing. Asia Minerals Joint Stock Company has over 30 workers facing housing difficulties; these workers have to rent houses from local residents for temporary accommodation, leading to challenging living conditions, while the company struggles to manage its workforce. Lien Hiep Nghe An Co., Ltd. also has 15 employees who lack housing and have to rent houses from local residents. Ms. Luong Thi Lanh, a clerical officer at Lien Hiep Nghe An Co., Ltd., stated that with a salary of 3 million VND, she has to spend 500,000 VND on rent, not including electricity and water bills, making it extremely difficult to make ends meet. Ms. Lanh worried: "Currently, only a few hundred workers in the Nam Cam Industrial Park are renting houses from local residents, and they are already facing significant hardship. When 1,000 workers from the Korean electronics factory start working here, I don't know how much the rent will increase."
Funding remains a challenge.
When will the Workers' Rental Housing Project 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: The project cannot be implemented until the funding source is identified. To resolve the funding issue, on April 1, 2013, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Letter No. 127 regarding "Report requesting appraisal of funding sources and allocation of central government budget funds for newly started projects" to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance. According to Official Letter 127, the Workers' Rental Housing Project in Nam Cam Industrial Park has a scale of 5 floors, a construction area of 1,218 m2, and a total floor area of 6,350 m2; it includes auxiliary facilities such as drainage, gates, fences, water supply, electricity... and equipment procurement. The total investment for the project is 66,261 million VND, of which 40 billion VND comes from the central government budget and 26,261 million VND from the local government budget.
When asked whether funding from the central government budget was feasible, Mr. Quang replied: "I cannot say whether it is possible or not at this time. However, in the current phase, we should accept that we will still face difficulties..."
Housing for workers has been identified as an urgent issue, but implementing it is far from simple. To provide housing for workers, it seems we still have to rely on the efforts of residents living near industrial zones. Regarding this issue, Mr. Le Dinh Quang shared: "The fact that residents are building rental housing for workers in industrial zones has contributed to solving a very significant social problem. This can be considered a very good approach, even if it's temporary. While the land used by residents to build rental housing may not be entirely for its intended purpose, we should encourage and support them in addressing a problem the government is facing."
Text and photos: Nhat Lan
