Spending for the 10-day celebration of Thang Long-Ha Noi’s
1,000th anniversary hit VND265 billion (US$13.25 million), VND85 billion ($4.25
million) less than the amount expected by authorities.

West Lake, one of the destinations popular with tourists during the grand birthday celebrations. (Photo: VNS)

The
figures were released by Hoang Manh Hien, deputy chairman of the Ha Noi People’s
Committee in the 22nd meeting of the municipal People’s Council on Wednesday.

Hien
said that during the preparations for the ceremony, the city had been determined
to fight waste, save costs and avoid wrongdoing.

The
money was mainly spent on the welcoming ceremony, gifts for guests,
communication programmes and cultural activities, he said.

Communication program-mes and cultural activities accounted for 94 per cent of
the total spending, reaching VND250 billion ($12.5 million), nearly VND1.4
billion ($70,000) less than the initial plan.

Spending
for the welcoming ceremony was VND7.6 billion ($380,000), VND2.4 billion less
than estimated; and gift expenditure was VND8.2 billion ($410,000), VND1 billion
lower.

The
expenditure was lower than expectations because the city had reduced impractical
and unsuitable spending such as the city’s decision to hold only one fireworks
show in My Dinh Stadium instead of 28 separate shows as originally planned, Hien
explained.

The
decision helped save VND5 billion ($250,000) which was used to support people in
central provinces severely hit by floods, he added.

The city
also called for investment from individuals and organisations for cultural
projects such as the ceramic tile mosaic along the Red River dyke road.

To
ensure the ceremony was economically sound, the city conducted regular checks
and supervised the implementation of sub-projects, Hien added.

He said
that details of the city’s spending for the ceremony would be publicised soon.

Attendants at the meeting also discussed issues related to land use fees
submission from districts and wards to the city’s budget.

The
People’s Committee planned to collect from 30 to 50 per cent of the land use
fees that districts and wards received.

Deputy
Trieu Dinh Phuc said that it was unreasonable for some wards to retain only 30
per cent of the fees when they would have to spend more.

Thanh
Tri and Tu Liem wards would need a large amount to invest in infrastructure, so
their budget submission should not be equal to other more developed districts,
he said as an example.

Deputy
Nguyen Cao Chi said that poorest wards should be allowed to retain 100 per cent
of land use fees so that they could invest more in development.

Deputies
also discussed budget spending and collection reported by the People’s Committee
and the budget plan for the 2011-15 period.

According to the committee, the city’s total budget collection this year was
expected to increase by 18 per cent over last year’s figure.

Q&A session

Yesterday, Dec 9, land clearance for building new roads and the erection of super-thin
houses were issues of high concern for deputies in the Question and Answer
session.

Nguyen
Van Hai, director of the city’s Planning and Architecture Department, said, “We
have not found investors with large enough financial capacities to implement
projects such as building roads and business projects along the roadsides due to
dense populations.”

Revoking
land from individuals and organisations was very complicated and the
compensation for them as currently regulated was far lower than market prices,
Hai explained.

It was
important to raise a consensus among residents in co-operating with local
authorities in land clearance, he stressed.

Responding to deputies’ concerns about the illegal construction of super-thin
houses, Deputy Chairman of the People’s Committee Phi Thai Binh said that the
city was determined to clear the houses despite the fact the job had posed
difficulties in the past.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News