26/12/2017
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has inspected the waste treatment area and production line of Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Hà Tĩnh Steel Limited Company (FHS) in Hà Tĩnh province, asking the firm must consider the environmental matter to be a vital factor to the implementation of its large-scale steel project. During his working session on July 24 leaders of FHS, which was responsible for the marine environmental incident in four central provinces last year, the PM said the steel plant has been so far the largest foreign investment project in Việt Nam with over 11 billion USD; however, it caused the biggest maritime environmental incident in the country. He recognized the efforts of relevant ministries, sectors and localities in addressing the incident as well as ensuring security, social order and safety, and socio-economic development in the four central affected provinces.
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| Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc inspects the waste treatment system of Formosa on July 24 |
Formosa had admitted its responsibility for the incident and seriously dealt with the consequences, he said, adding that the company is installing the latest equipment of environmental treatment. The moves have demonstrated the investor’s determination in their recovery work while affirming the Vietnamese Government’s viewpoint of facilitating operation of investors to do business successfully in the country, he added.
He asked FHS to apply the new cutting-edge technologies and equipment in the production line to address the incident, adding that it must consider environmental matter to be a vital factor to the implementation of its large-scale steel project.
The PM assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to take responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister with regards to the installation of monitoring equipment in order to ensure environmental indicators. Regarding recovery and compensation, the PM said the Government will continue allocating resources in a timely fashion facilitate post-incident production recovery in line with the law.
Việt Nam is striving to be one of the countries having the best environment in the region, so authorities at all levels need to enable investors to do business, the PM directed. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment affirmed that the marine environment in the four provinces has been safe for beaches, underwater sports, aquatic breeding and preservation■
Trần Hương
(VNA source)
