Directive No. 09/2006/CT-TTg on accelerating progress and ensuring completion of the Program for building clusters and residential areas and housing in the flood-prone region of the Mekong Delta in 2006

DIRECTIVE

On accelerating progress and ensuring completion of the Program

to construct clusters and residential areas and housing in flood-prone regions

 in the Mekong Delta in 2006 

In recent years, the Program for constructing clusters and residential areas and housing in flood-prone regions in the Mekong Delta has been implemented with the coordination and direction of relevant ministries, sectors, and localities, along with the active participation of the people in flood-prone areas and businesses operating in this field, thus achieving significant results. The work of raising ground levels and building embankments has completed over 95% of the volume; the construction of essential technical infrastructure, housing, and the resettlement of households into clusters and residential areas is being actively and urgently carried out; in some provinces in flood-prone areas, the resettlement of households into clusters and residential areas has basically been completed.

The results achieved by the Program have initially brought about clear effects, contributing to reducing losses caused by floods, especially those involving human lives; at the same time, it has contributed to stabilizing the livelihoods of the people and developing the economy and society in localities frequently affected by flooding.

However, generally, the implementation progress of the Program remains slow and inconsistent. The construction of essential technical infrastructure has only reached 60%, while housing construction has reached 37%. The ratio of households residing in clusters and residential areas and living stably within new embankment zones is only 44%, of which the number of households residing in clusters and residential areas is only 35% compared to the set requirements.

To accelerate progress and ensure the full completion of the Program for constructing clusters and residential areas and housing in flood-prone regions in 2006, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1. Provincial People's Committees in flood-prone areas of the Mekong Delta shall be responsible for:

- Concentrating on directing decisively, resolving difficulties and obstacles promptly within their authority, mobilizing all resources, and implementing comprehensive measures to ensure the full and effective completion of the Program for constructing clusters and residential areas and housing in flood-prone regions of the Mekong Delta in 2006. Specifically, they must:

Direct the thorough implementation of compensation work, land clearance, and strengthen forces to complete the work of raising ground levels and building embankments around existing residential areas by the third quarter of 2006;

Continue to resolve capital difficulties for the construction of essential infrastructure, including promptly and thoroughly handling the sale of profitable land plots according to regulations to generate capital, together with investment funds from the state budget and funds integrated from other programs and projects in the area; simultaneously, they must strengthen forces and organize construction well to accelerate the progress of essential technical infrastructure construction (water supply, drainage, internal transportation; electricity supply);

Organize the construction of housing and the resettlement of households into safe and stable clusters and residential areas, particularly before the 2006 flood season, and gradually develop according to the Program's goals and tasks; in particular, they must pay special attention to the prompt assessment and resettlement of households into clusters and residential areas, while ensuring transparency and fairness according to the specified criteria.

- Direct the completion of settlement and final accounting for completed items according to regulations. Implement preventive measures to prevent and stop any negative phenomena and capital wastage.

- Manage post-investment projects effectively, ensuring safety, security, order, and environmental hygiene in clusters and residential areas.

- Promote production and business activities in suitable industries to create employment, improve living conditions, and increase income for residents in clusters and residential areas.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Construction and related ministries and sectors to promptly address difficulties and obstacles; cases exceeding local authority and capacity should be reported to the Ministry of Construction for consolidation and reporting to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

Each month and each quarter, provincial People's Committees in flood-prone areas must submit detailed reports on implementation results to the Ministry of Construction for consolidation and reporting to the Prime Minister.

2. The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with related ministries and sectors and provincial People's Committees in flood-prone areas, shall be responsible for guiding, urging, and inspecting the implementation of settlement and final accounting for investment funds of the Program according to regulations.

3. The State Bank of Vietnam shall direct the Social Policy Bank to implement lending and recovery of loans for housing construction according to regulations; closely coordinate with provincial People's Committees in flood-prone areas and enterprises producing and assembling houses to expedite procedures for signing loan agreements for deferred payment housing purchases, ensuring disbursement schedules.

4. The Development Support Fund shall strengthen inspections, urging, and guiding localities to implement procedures for recovering loans for deferred payment land elevation investments and essential technical infrastructure construction in clusters and residential areas according to regulations.

5. The Ministry of Construction shall be responsible for strengthening inspections and urging the implementation of the Program for constructing clusters and residential areas and housing in flood-prone regions, regularly reporting results to the Prime Minister; preparing contents for the Program's summary at the beginning of 2007.

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of agencies under the Government, and Chairpersons of People's Committees in flood-prone areas of the Mekong Delta are responsible for enforcing this Directive./.