Nghe An continues to monitor and guide the rectification of shortcomings at karaoke establishments.

Out of a total of 424 karaoke establishments, bars, and pubs, only 3 (including 2 pubs and 1 bar) met the operating requirements. The forced closure has caused significant difficulties and problems for the owners of these establishments.

Business owner claims difficulties

According to the owner of a karaoke establishment in Vinh City, investing in a karaoke business is very expensive, including decorative materials and soundproofing. The typical wall cladding structure in a karaoke room includes: a layer of brick, followed by a layer of soundproofing, then a layer of plywood, and finally decorative materials. However, currently, these materials do not meet the required documentation proving they are fire-resistant or non-combustible, leading to the establishment's suspension.

Authorities conduct an inspection at a karaoke establishment. (Photo: Dinh Tuyen)

"Every day we're out of business is a loss, and we're anxious because of the rising bank interest rates. However, we don't know what to do right now. Replacing the existing decorative and soundproofing materials is like tearing everything down and starting from scratch," said the karaoke owner.

This is also a common difficulty for businesses.karaokeRecently, in a petition sent to the Provincial People's Committee and relevant authorities, karaoke establishments and businesses in the province stated that: Previously, these establishments fully met the requirements and criteria regarding security, order, and fire prevention and control, and were licensed to operate by competent authorities. However, currently, the authorities require karaoke businesses to comply with QCVN 06:2022/BXD, which means that the establishments must demolish all interior furnishings and rebuild from scratch.

Each karaoke establishment, which cost between 500 million and 1 billion VND to build, now has to be demolished to make way for new ones, which will put businesses in a difficult situation and lead to bankruptcy. Accordingly, in their petition, karaoke businesses in the area requested that the transition process from the old to the new standards should take time…

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

Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan, owner of Apec karaoke business and Chairman of the Nghe An Karaoke Association, said that, for example, his establishment, after being closed for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is now forced to cease operations again with no revenue, but still has to pay land rent, bank loan interest, etc. The labor costs for maintaining the sound system alone amount to 50 million VND per month, making the situation very difficult.

Vinh City police posted a notice stating that the karaoke establishment did not meet the requirements for fire safety and security. (Photo: D.C.)

It has been learned that, given the above situation, some karaoke establishments have been forced to close down and switch to other businesses. For example, the Khanh Nhi karaoke establishment in Truong Thi ward, Vinh City, has liquidated all its equipment, including speakers, tables, and chairs, to completely cease this service after 11 years of operation.

Continue monitoring and providing guidance for corrective action.

According to statistics from the Fire Prevention, Fighting, and Rescue Police Department of Nghe An Province: Specifically, in implementing Plan No. 513 dated October 7, 2022, of the Ministry of Public Security on the nationwide review and inspection of fire prevention, fighting, and rescue safety, functional forces in Nghe An province issued fines to 140 cases of fire safety violations at karaoke establishments, bars, and pubs, totaling over 700 million VND.

However, through inspections of compliance with suspension and cessation orders requested by the police, by February 2023, authorities still discovered 21 karaoke establishments secretly operating and issued fines totaling 480 million VND for failing to comply with suspension and temporary cessation orders.

A joint inter-agency team announced the decision to temporarily suspend operations at a karaoke establishment in Vinh City. (Photo: D.C.)

According to our investigation, there are currently 424 karaoke establishments, bars, and pubs in Nghe An province. Of these, 415 are karaoke establishments and 9 are bars/pubs (Vinh City alone has 31 karaoke establishments and 9 bars/pubs). Currently, 100% of karaoke establishments in the province have been suspended and ceased operations to address existing fire safety issues.

Only two pubs, Hustle and The Local, were allowed to operate (due to having brick walls, not using flammable materials, and having secure escape routes...). Recently, on April 10th, July bar also reopened after the investor submitted the design documents for approval and acceptance; the establishment did not use flammable materials and had equipped itself with an automatic fire alarm and extinguishing system, and wall-mounted water hydrants…

Currently, 100% of karaoke establishments in Nghe An province have been suspended and ceased operations to address shortcomings related to fire safety. Photo: D.C.

According to the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Nghe An Provincial Police): In recent times, along with inspecting and monitoring to prevent establishments that do not meet fire safety requirements from operating secretly, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police force has established working groups to guide establishments in rectifying shortcomings (which are the reasons for their current closure), including: substandard decorative and soundproofing materials; inadequate corridors and escape routes; failure to connect sound systems to fire alarm systems, etc. However, the majority of establishments remain inactive and do nothing.

Based on the above classification, the Nghe An Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department will advise on the establishment of an inter-agency team to continue inspecting and guiding establishments to rectify the issues.

Regarding the recommendations from karaoke, bar, and pub establishments in Nghe An province, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Nghe An Provincial Police) stated that they must wait for general instructions, but one thing is certain: establishments permitted to operate must ensure compliance with fire safety and security standards. Lowering these standards would have serious consequences, affecting the lives and property of citizens.

On April 5, 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a directive instructing ministries and agencies to work together to resolve difficulties and obstacles in fire prevention and fighting. The Ministry of Public Security, in coordination with the Ministry of Construction and other relevant units, was tasked with reviewing policies and laws on fire prevention and fighting to promptly amend and supplement them, while also significantly reducing administrative procedures in the field of fire prevention and fighting.

The Prime Minister requested a specific classification of projects and facilities facing difficulties and obstacles in rectification following inspections and reviews, in order to proactively and promptly provide comprehensive answers and guidance to address all violations and shortcomings in fire prevention and fighting. These tasks must be completed before April 30th.

At the same time, local leaders are defining their roles and responsibilities and developing specific, detailed solutions to definitively address violations and promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles in this field. Local authorities are compiling difficulties and obstacles related to fire prevention and control that are outside their jurisdiction to request guidance from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Construction, or to propose solutions to competent authorities in a timely manner.