Đà Nẵng — Đà Nẵng’s Construction Department temporarily suspended construction of a 33-storey trading centre and apartment project in the city’s downtown area as the investor has not yet been given permission from the department.

The department said in statement that the project, which was granted an investment licence in 2010, has been under the process of design assessment by the Ministry of Construction.

Deputy director of the department, Nguyễn Văn Nam said the project’s owner, Vũ Châu Long Real Estate joint-stock company, intentionally started construction from September, and was given a fine of VNĐ40 million (US$1,800) from the department’s inspection division for illegal construction.

However, the project did not stop construction after that, and it had completed three-storey buildings.

No supervision actions were given by local inspection agencies or administration in curbing the on-going construction of the project, just 1km from the city’s administrative centre.

Earlier this week, the city assigned the department and Hải Châu District’s People’s Committee to ban all vehicles and labourers from working on the project.

The slow action in curbing the illegal construction of a big project in the city’s downtown area revealed poor management and supervision from the city’s grassroots and construction department.

According to the city’s Planning and Investment Department, the project was registered with total investment of VNĐ2.5 trillion ($111 million).

In 2015, the city revoked two delayed development projects – a public park and an underground car park – in the city’s downtown area.

In a survey, the city listed 30 slow-moving projects. — VNS