NINH BÌNH — The Ninh Bình People’s Committee has imposed an administrative fine of VNĐ400 million (US$17,700) on the investor of the Ninh Bình Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital.

The hospital investor has been fined for not having the environmental impact report for the past eight years.

The investor of the project is the management board of the Ninh Bình Civil and Industrial Investment and Construction Project.

Construction work on the hospital started in 2010; however, the investor did not have the environmental impact report as regulated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Inspectors from the Ninh Bình Department of Natural Resources and Environment on June 26 this year checked and proposed that the provincial People’s Committee impose an administrative fine on the investor of the hospital.

Nguyễn Ngọc Thạch, deputy director of the provincial People’s Committee, signed the decision on the administrative fine, in which he temporarily suspended construction work on the hospital for 60 days.

The management board of the Ninh Bình Civil and Industrial Investment and Construction Project was requested to complete all legal procedures related to environment protection to submit to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

The Ninh Bình Obstetrics and Paediatrics Hospital has total investment of VNĐ2.7 trillion (US$120 million). At present, construction work on the hospital is temporarily halted due to a shortage of funds.

A leader of the management board of the Ninh Bình Civil and Industrial Investment and Construction Project told the Dân Trí (People’s Intellectual Standards) e-newspaper that the board took over the project from another investor, and was unaware that the hospital lacked environmental impact report.

At present, construction work on the hospital has been halted until the report is complete and sufficient funds can be collected. The management board does not know when construction work will resume. — VNS