Hanoi spent VND265 billion (US$13.25 million) for the
ten-day celebration of its 1,000th anniversary, VND85 billion ($4.47 million)
less than the estimated amount, said Hanoi’s
Vice Chairman Hoang Manh Hien on December 8.

Hien said that during the preparations for the ceremony, the
city was determined to fight waste, save costs and avoid wrongdoing. The money
was mainly spent on mass media programs and cultural events, the welcoming ceremony
and gifts for guests.

Specifically, the city paid VND250 billion for mass media
programs and cultural events, nearly VND1.4 billion less than the initial plan;
VND7.6 billion for the welcoming ceremony, VND2.4 billion less than estimated;
and VND8.2 billion for gifts, VND1 billion lower than plan.

Hien stated that spending for the 1000th anniversary was
always supervised by an inspection team.

He also said that the city will make public a detailed
report of expenditures for the anniversary and the final number may be lower
than previously stated.

On December 7, deputies of the Hanoi People’s Council asked
the Hanoi People’s Committee to make public the spending for the city’s 1000th
anniversary. However, the report that Hien made on December 8 was not the
entire itemization, only the expenditures within the 10-day celebration, which
was specifically for mass media activities, gifts and cultural events, not the
total investment in infrastructure projects to celebrate the anniversary.

At the year-end National Assembly session in November,
Minister of Finance Vu Van Ninh said that the ministry spent more than VND200
billion ($20 million) from the state budget for Hanoi’s 1000th anniversary.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh also
said that his ministry spent VND88 billion dong ($4.4 million) for festivals,
including Hanoi’s
1000th anniversary.

PV