Nghe An: Will build 2 5-storey buildings for 2,000 workers

(Baonghean) - On July 28, 2017, the Provincial People's Committee approved the Decision to invest in the construction of two 5-storey buildings to provide accommodation for about 2,000 workers in Nam Cam Industrial Park and Hemaraj Industrial Park.

Since 2012, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a Decision on allowing the establishment of a housing project for workers in Nghe An province. However, after 5 years, the plan has not been implemented, although the housing needs of workers are very urgent.

Waiting for settlement

In a cramped rented room on Dang Thai Mai Street, Hung Dong Commune (Vinh City), we met Le Thi Mai and Tran Thi Hien - two female workers at Matrix Company when they had just returned from their afternoon shift. Sharing about their lives, Hien said: "We rent this room for 500,000 VND/month but it is less than 12m2 wide.². It's bearable in cold weather, but it's miserable in hot weather, cooking in the house with the strong smell of food, can't breathe." After 3 years working as factory workers, this is the 3rd time Mai and Hien have had to move rooms. However, with an income of about 4 million VND/month, both of them have to save up and don't dare rent a decent room to live in. The savings of 1.5 - 2 million VND/month, both of them have to send back to their parents in Yen Thanh district to help raise their younger siblings to study.

A workers' dormitory in Nam Cam Industrial Park. Photo: Song Hoang

Coming to Hamlet 11, Nghi Xa Commune (Nghi Loc), we also met many young couples who were in a similar situation. Ms. Kieu Thi Lan is a worker at BSE Electronics Company and her husband is working at a stone powder grinding company in Nam Cam Industrial Park. The couple has been married for 3 years and has a 15-month-old child, but they had to accept early weaning and send the child to his grandparents in Dien Truong Commune (Dien Chau) because they could not afford to take care of him. Although she loves her child, Ms. Lan said that this was the best solution because the rented house was too cramped and cramped. If she stayed with her parents, the child would not know which school to go to and would not have a place to play and live.

Previously, through a survey by the province, it was also shown that currently, the form of rental housing built by people near industrial parks only meets a small part of the housing needs of workers, but the quality of accommodation is still very poor, the living area is too narrow, only 2 - 3m2/person, not ensuring the minimum conditions of hygiene, electricity and water.

Mr. Phan Xuan Hoa - Deputy Head of the Southeast Economic Zone said: “In the current conditions, building housing for workers will solve many problems. First of all, it will help workers stabilize their housing, then gradually build a cultural environment for workers, build and plan urban areas for workers according to the model of modern industrial parks. Having housing for workers and accompanying institutions also helps workers feel secure in their work, giving them confidence in social security policies”.

Anxiously looking forward to the project

Up to now, Nghe An has about 17,000 workers working in Nam Cam Industrial Park, Bac Vinh Industrial Park and neighboring industrial parks. According to the survey, about half of them are in need of long-term housing. Based on this reality, in 2012, after the detailed planning of Nam Cam Industrial Park was implemented, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2159/QD-UBND-DT on allowing the establishment of the Housing Project for workers to rent in Nam Cam Industrial Park.

In 2013, the Provincial People's Committee continued to issue Decision 2669/QD - UBND.CN approving the investment project of housing for workers to rent at Nam Cam Industrial Park in Nghi Long commune, Nghi Loc district, invested by the Management Board of Dong Nam Economic Zone with a total investment of 66 billion VND.

According to this project, the housing area for workers will be a 5-storey building, with a total floor area of ​​nearly 6,400m2; each floor will have a community room and rooms; each room has an area of ​​about 33m2 with 3 bunk beds, a reception area, and a private restroom.

After the project is completed, it will be rented to workers at preferential prices to solve the housing difficulties of workers in the industrial park.

A workers' boarding house in Nghi Xa commune (Nghi Loc). Photo: My Ha

According to this decision, the project is expected to be completed after 36 months, meaning it will be put into use by June 2015. However, up to now, the project has not been implemented and the project's construction planning area is also waiting for adjustment because of another project. Meanwhile, attracting businesses to invest in social housing projects, especially housing for workers, is facing many difficulties.

Mr. Trinh Xuan Trung - Deputy Director of Nghe An Infrastructure Development Construction Investment Company Limited said: "Compared to commercial housing projects, social housing projects are not very effective in economic investment. Therefore, when businesses invest in this field, they must calculate carefully and only implement when the province has appropriate incentive policies."

In fact, in Nghe An, in 2016, the Provincial People's Council also issued Resolution 51/2016 NQ - HDND Resolution on a number of policies to support investment projects to build social housing in Nghe An province. However, with a support level of no more than 6 billion VND for items such as topographic and geological surveys, detailed planning, investment support for building technical infrastructure systems..., it is not enough to attract investors.

Faced with the increasing demand for housing, recently on July 28, 2017, the Provincial People's Committee approved Decision No. 3410/QD - UBND on approving the plan for infrastructure development in industrial parks. Accordingly, in 2018, the investment in building two 5-storey buildings will be deployed to provide accommodation for about 2,000 workers in Nam Cam Industrial Park and Hemaraj Industrial Park.

By 2020, continue to build a 5-storey building for about 1,000 workers in VSIP Industrial Park. Currently, the province has also assigned Nghe An Infrastructure Development Construction Investment Company Limited to conduct a survey and prepare a project for early approval and implementation.

My Ha