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Ho Chi Minh City’s major polluters told to shape up or ship out in green push

HCM CITY — Authorities are struggling to come up with a solution for the almost 30,000 enterprises and factories that are causing environmental problems in the inner districts of HCM City.

Between 2002 and 2004, these polluters must either be relocated to zones away from residential areas in the outer suburban districts or converted to other business purposes.

During the next two years, the city will focus on the 52 enterprises and factories listed in its "black book" for seriously damaging the city’s environment, said Deputy Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee, Mai Quoc Binh.

The city authorities will encourage the polluters to move out of the inner city by paying three or four per cent of the interest on loans to fund their relocation.

The Environmental Pollution Reduction Fund will also award up to VND500 million to polluting enterprises and factories that promptly resettle in suburban districts.

The resettlement programme will help create employment opportunities for residents of the outlying suburban districts, and will pave the way for further urban development in those areas.

Drastic measures, such as licence withdrawals, suspensions and court action against owners of polluting enterprises and factories, will be applied to inner-city polluters after 2004.

Binh said that polluting enterprises such as food processing operations and leather tanneries will no longer be licensed in residential areas.

Although the resettlements may affect the city’s industrial production, which contributes 34 per cent of the city’s GDP, the city authorities are determined to protect public health and the urban environment.

On the other hand, Binh said the success of the programme will help develop the city’s industries and ensure a sustainable growth rate.

The resettled enterprises and factories will also benefit from investments in modern machinery and equipment.

Over the past three years, authorities in District 11 have successfully persuaded 55 factories to move out to suburban districts, 120 to eliminate their factories’ environmental problems and 260 enterprises to switch to more environmentally friendly production or suspend their operations altogether, according to Vo Thi My, Chairwoman of District 11 People’s Committee.

"The resettlement programme has to some extent affected District 11’s revenue and employment plans, but it has helped improve the environment and thus lifting people’s overall living standards," My said.

The polluting enterprises and factories can be housed at 13 export processing zones and industrial parks.

In addition, a number of small IPs will be developed to accept those factories scheduled to move out of inner districts after 2004. — VNS