Nghe An continues to monitor and guide to overcome problems in karaoke establishments.

Of the total 424 karaoke, bar, and pub businesses, only 3 (2 pubs and 1 bar) are eligible to operate. Having to stop operations has caused many difficulties and problems for the owners of these establishments.

The owner of the facility complained of difficulties.

According to the owner of a karaoke establishment in Vinh city, investment in a karaoke business is very expensive, including decorative materials, soundproofing, etc. The usual wall cladding structure in a singing room includes: a brick wall, then a soundproof layer, followed by a layer of plywood, and finally decorative materials. However, currently the above materials do not have documents proving that they are fireproof and non-flammable, so the establishment is suspended.

Authorities inspect a karaoke business. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

“Every day of inactivity is a loss and a worry because of the bank interest rate, but we don’t know what to do yet. Replacing the existing decorative and soundproofing materials is like tearing down and starting over from scratch,” said the karaoke establishment owner.

This is also a common difficulty of business establishments.karaoke. Recently, in a petition sent to the Provincial People's Committee and relevant authorities, karaoke establishments and businesses in the province stated that: Previously, the establishments had fully met the requirements and criteria on security, order, fire prevention and fighting, and were licensed to operate by competent authorities. However, currently, the authorities require karaoke establishments to comply with QCVN 06:2022/BXD, which means that the establishments must demolish all the interior and start over.

Each room invested from 500 million to 1 billion VND and now has to be demolished to make way for new investment, which will cause the business to fall into difficulty and bankruptcy. Accordingly, in the petition, karaoke businesses in the area requested that the process of transferring from old standards to new standards needs time...

Soundproofing and decorative materials used at karaoke establishments currently do not meet standards. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan, owner of Apec karaoke business and Chairman of Nghe An Karaoke Association, said that for example, after 2 years of being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, his facility has now had to continue to stop operating with no income but still has to pay land rent, bank loan interest... The labor cost for speaker maintenance alone is 50 million VND/month, so it is very difficult.

Vinh City Police posted a notice on a karaoke establishment that did not meet fire safety and security requirements. Photo: D.C.

It is known that, with the above reality, there are karaoke establishments that have been forced to close down and switch to other business lines. For example, Khanh Nhi karaoke establishment in Truong Thi ward, Vinh city has liquidated all loudspeaker equipment, tables and chairs... to completely stop this service business after 11 years of operation.

Continue to monitor and guide corrective actions

According to statistics from the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police Department (PCC & CNCH) of Nghe An Police: Particularly implementing Plan No. 513 dated October 7, 2022 of the Ministry of Public Security on general review and inspection of fire prevention, fire fighting and rescue safety nationwide, the functional forces in Nghe An province have issued decisions to sanction 140 cases of violations of fire prevention and fighting regulations for karaoke businesses, bars, pubs, with a fine of over 700 million VND.

However, through the inspection of the implementation of the decision to suspend and stop operations as requested by the police, by February 2023, the authorities still discovered 21 karaoke businesses operating secretly, so they drew up a record of fines for not complying with the decision to suspend and temporarily suspend operations with a fine of 480 million VND.

The interdisciplinary delegation announced the decision to temporarily suspend a karaoke business in Vinh City. Photo: D.C.

Through research, Nghe An province currently has 424 karaoke service establishments, bars, pubs. Of these, there are 415 karaoke service establishments, 9 bars, pubs (Vinh city alone has 31 karaoke establishments, 9 bars, pubs). Currently, 100% of karaoke business establishments in the area have been suspended and stopped operating to overcome problems related to fire prevention and fighting.

Only 2 pubs, Hustle and The local, are qualified to operate (because they are built with brick walls, do not use flammable materials, and have secure escape routes...). Recently, on April 10, July bar was also allowed to reopen after the investor submitted the design documents for approval and acceptance; the facility does not use flammable materials and has been equipped with an automatic fire alarm and fire extinguishing system, and wall hydrants...

Currently, 100% of karaoke businesses in Nghe An province have been suspended and stopped operating to overcome problems related to fire prevention and fighting. Photo: D.C.

According to the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Nghe An Police): In the past time, along with inspection and supervision to prevent unqualified fire prevention and rescue facilities from operating secretly, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police force has established working groups to guide facilities to overcome existing problems (which are the reasons for stopping operations up to now), including: substandard decoration and soundproofing materials; unsafe corridors and escape routes; not connecting the sound system to the fire alarm system... However, most of the facilities are still sitting still, motionless, doing nothing.

Based on the above classification, Nghe An Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department will advise on establishing an interdisciplinary team to continue inspecting and guiding facilities to overcome the situation.

Regarding the recommendations of karaoke, bar, and pub businesses in Nghe An, according to the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Nghe An Police), we must wait for general instructions, but one thing is certain: establishments that are allowed to operate must ensure conditions for fire prevention, fire fighting, and security and order, because in reality, if the standards for fire prevention and fire fighting are lowered, the consequences will be very serious, related to people's lives and property.

On April 5, 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed an official dispatch directing ministries and branches to join hands to remove difficulties and obstacles in fire prevention and fighting. The Ministry of Public Security coordinates with the Ministry of Construction and relevant units to review policies and laws on fire prevention and fighting to promptly amend and supplement them, and at the same time drastically reduce administrative procedures in the field of fire prevention and fighting.

The Prime Minister requested to classify specifically into groups the works and facilities that have difficulties and obstacles in overcoming after inspection and review, thereby proactively and promptly answering and providing full guidance to overcome all violations and shortcomings in fire prevention and fighting. These tasks must be completed before April 30.

At the same time, local leaders identify roles and responsibilities and have specific, detailed solutions to thoroughly handle violations and promptly remove difficulties and obstacles in this field. Localities synthesize difficulties and obstacles in fire prevention and fighting beyond their authority to propose to the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Construction for guidance, or propose to competent authorities for timely resolution.