HÀ NỘI — While the number of loudspeakers in Hà Nội’s outlying districts and towns will remain unchanged, only five to 10 will be retained in each of the inner-city wards, at necessary locations, according to local authorities.

The loudspeakers are kept for pivotal communication from the government to citizens, especially in times of natural disasters, the city’s People’s Committee said.

The city has asked its Department of Information and Communications to look at the number of public loudspeakers in use and the programmes being transmitted and draw up new regulations on using loudspeakers after completing this project. A report is to be sent to the city after three months of implementation.

The loudspeakers will be kept far from schools, hospitals, diplomatic agencies, and residential areas of the elderly, foreigners and from skyscrapers, the committee said, adding that the broadcasting time, duration and content must be adapted to be relevant and effective to citizens.

The department is responsible for collaborating with the Military Telecommunication Corporation (Viettel) to get equipment and develop 4G connections to serve the city’s socio-economic development.

The city’s Department of Internal Affairs will review and make changes in radio broadcasting personnel to maximise the relevance and effectiveness of the broadcast.

An online poll on the need for loudspeakers was conducted in January, wherein the majority of respondents voted for phasing it out.

Tablets for leaders

The city has also issued Decision No 2020 to regulate the management and usage of tablets for city leaders.

Tablets will be provided to the chairman and vice-chairman of the city’s People’s Committee; to chief and deputy chief of the committee’s secretariat; as well as leaders of departments, sectors and people’s committees of the city’s districts and towns, as per the decision. Their management activities will be conducted on a common IT application system installed on the tablets. — VNS