The three heads of the departments of Transport and Public Works, Natural Resources and Environment, and Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, endured a barrage of questions at the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council session Wednesday.
Roadworks: the song remains the same
Tran Quang Phuong, director of the Department of Transport and Public Works, was bombarded with queries pertaining to cumbersome roadworks that have dragged on since earlier this year.
At the meeting, Phuong filed a report saying since January the city had set up 197 road barriers on 77 streets for drainage projects.
He promised the barriers would be lifted on 22 streets by year-end, but underscored that drainage projects would be carried out on another 81 streets in the city.
Phuong admitted roadworks have adversely impacted the city’s environment, traffic, and citizens’ lives, but said it is an inevitable price to pay for economic development.
However, such a statement was strongly opposed by deputies attending the meeting who argued developed countries in the world were not affected by lingering roadworks.
Deputy Dang Van Khoa warned street barriers posed imminent hazards for residents and lambasted the irresponsibility of contractors.
Director Phuong told the meeting the department had asked contractors to hasten roadworks during the first half of this year, adding that authorities had slapped fines totaling VND1.5 billion (US$89,000) on foot-dragging contractors.
The department will also propose that the police should consider criminal charges against contractors held responsible for causing traffic accidents, Phuong said.
But he admitted the department has yet to revoke the licenses of violating contractors due to worries that withdrawal would delay the progress of projects.
Pham Phuong Thao, chairwoman of the People’s Council, urged the department to expedite roadworks in the city to mitigate the burden on affected residents.
Heavy pollution unresolved Deputies aired grievances on the issue of contaminated wastewater and garbage as well as the delay of a major canal project in the city.
They blasted the delay of the $18.5-million Ba Bo Canal project, which was originally scheduled to begin this November, pressing the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to announce the exact timeframe of the project.
However, Dao Anh Kiet, the department head, failed to state clearly when the project would begin and conclude.
Deputies also panned the department for worsening pollution at Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park and the Da Phuoc dump site in Binh Chanh District.
They called on the department to beef up its monitoring on the issue and dispatch personnel to resolve the problem.
Environmental pollution would affect locals worse than traffic gridlocks or flooding, the deputies warned.
Economic pinch
At the meeting, the Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs filed a report saying poor people have borne the brunt of soaring inflation since the beginning of this year despite the increase in minimum wages for state employees.
Of 297 poor households polled in seven districts, 91.75 percent were impacted by surging prices which have almost doubled compared to the end of 2007, the report said.
The average salary of around 84,000 laborers studied in 17 companies was VND1.3 million per month, which made it extremely difficult for workers to eke out a living, the report added.
Reported by Minh Duc |
E-mail to a friend 
Print version
To top
