The city of Hạ Long in the northeastern province of Quảng Ninh. Photo baoquangninh.com.vn

QUẢNG NINH — A social housing project expected to provide accommodation for more than 3,880 workers and low-income earners was started in downtown Hạ Long in late October.

The project covers a total area of 25,900 m2, including over 7,400 m2 of construction land. It has three apartment buildings, including two 19-storey buildings and one 17-story building with a total construction floor area of about 125,220 m2.

With a total investment of about VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$52.3 million), the project was among key social housing initiatives in the northeastern province of Quảng Ninh, said former Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quảng Ninh Province Nguyễn Tường Văn.

Upon its completion in 2026, the project would provide accommodation for more than 3,880 workers and low-income people, he said.

By 2030, the province plans to have a total of 24,000 apartments under social housing projects for workers and low-income earners, including 11,000 during the period 2022-2025 and 13,000 others in the period 2025-2030.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyễn Văn Sinh said in the past, Quảng Ninh Provincial People's Committee paid much attention to the development of social housing and housing for workers, which was evidenced by its planning of more than 600 ha, or 20 per cent of land, in commercial housing projects for social housing and 55 ha in industrial parks projects to build houses for workers.

From 2020 to now, the province had stepped up the implementation of social housing projects, Sinh said, informing that three such projects had begun and the construction of 612 apartments had been completed.

It was expected that in 2023, a number of other social housing projects would be started, Sinh said.

Speaking at a meeting of the provincial People’s Council on Wednesday, acting chairman of the province People’s Committee Cao Tường Huy said that this year, the province implemented tasks and solutions to promote synchronous and modern infrastructure development, speeding up the progress of key projects and works with both State and non-State capital.

Specifically, the province’s transport infrastructure was synchronously invested. The completion of the Hạ Long – Cẩm Phả sea border, Cửa Lục 1 Bridge and Vân Đồn-Móng Cái highway created breakthroughs in strategic transport infrastructure that help boost regional and intra-regional linkages and international integration cooperation.

Earlier, the former chairman Văn, who is now deputy minister of Construction, said that with the view that transport infrastructure must be given top priority and public investment can help attract private investment, Quảng Ninh province mobilised significant resources from all economic sectors.

That was a breakthrough solution to develop synchronous, modern, strategic infrastructure, creating spillover effects, he said.

From 2013 to now, the province has implemented 46 projects in the form of public-private partnerships (PPP) with a total capital of VNĐ58.8 trillion, of which, the State contributed ten per cent, mainly for site clearance work. On average, for every one Vietnamese đồng of the State budget spent, 8 to 9 đồng of non-State capital were mobilised to invest in projects in the province, Văn said.

Other improvements

According to a report by the provincial People’s Committee, by the end of this year, all 98 communes in the province have met the requirements of new rural area models.

Infrastructure of industrial parks and economic zones in the province has been invested in, particularly transport connections to Vân Đồn economic zone, Việt Hưng industrial park, and the coastal economic zone and industry in Quảng Yên.

Four infrastructure projects in Vân Đồn Economic Zone and two project complexes in the Nhà Mạc lagoon area in Quảng Yên have begun with a total investment of nearly VNĐ12.7 trillion. In October, 2022, Ao Tiên Vân Đồn high-class harbour, a passenger port serving tourist transport on the Vân Đồn route to islands and attractions in Bái Tử Long Bay and Hạ Long Bay, was opened.

In the healthcare sector, the province implemented major projects this year. Last October, work started to upgrade and expand the Quảng Ninh Lung Hospital from 2.52 ha to 3.85 ha, thus the number of beds will increase from 200 to 300. The hospital is expected to become a smart hospital and a centre for lung disease treatment for the region and the whole country.

The Provincial Hospital of Geriatrics – Rehabilitation was rebuilt and started operation in October this year.

Agricultural, rural, mountainous, border and island infrastructure also received investment, resulting in improved roads connecting communes and districts.

The average green space in the province is now about 10.65 sq.m per person, an increase of 0.5 sq.m compared to that of 2021.

About 98 per cent of the urban population in the province now access clean water supply.

The province spent about VNĐ 2.0 trillion for social security so far this year, up 8.7 per cent over the same period of last year.

About 13,200 new jobs have been created this year. By the end of 2022, the province will have 258 poor households, accounting for 0.06 per cent of its total number of households. VNS