HẢI PHÒNG – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has stressed the need for the northern port city of Hải Phòng to protect the environment to maintain the living standards of locals as it boasts strong industrial economic development.

Meeting with the city’s voters yesterday, PM Phúc affirmed the Government’s viewpoint of not endangering the environment for the sake of development, as well as its determination to strictly punish environmental violations.

Mentioning the environmental incident in the central coast, which is attracting a lot of attention from people nationwide, he stated that the Government had directed ministries, agencies and localities to implement measures to address the incident’s consequences, and asked the Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Hà Tĩnh Steel Company to fulfill its commitments.

The Government will clarify the responsibility of and strictly punish organisations and individuals involved in the incident, he added. Phúc also clarified several issues of concern to voters, including the concept ’constructive government’, meaning creation of a good legal and social environment for its citizens to work.

Regarding the new-style rural area building programme, the Government leader stated that the Government gives high priority to the programme and provides great resources for it.

Agreeing with voters’ proposals on upgrading the city’s transport infrastructure, particularly its railway, he said that this conforms with the target of boosting the city’s socio-economic development and increasing connectivity between the city and other localities.

He expressed his hope that Hải Phòng will strive to become one of the localities leading the nation in education and training. He shared voters’ worries about food safety and hygiene, confirming that the new tenure Government will pay special attention to combating unsafe and poor quality food.

The Government requires ministries, agencies and localities to carry out specific measures to improve the awareness of production and processing enterprises, and also of households, of food hygiene and safety, he said, adding that the Government will intensify inspections and strictly punish any violations.

On another matter, the PM stressed that the sea and islands are a sacred and integral territorial part of the nation, and safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the responsibility of each Vietnamese citizen. He requested Hải Phòng’s forces to continue increasing vigilance to protect the national sea and islands.

The Government leader continued, by saying that the Government is determined to fight corruption and wastefulness. — VNS