Nguyễn Thị Lệ (centre), chairwoman of HCM City People’s Council, speaks at the final meeting of the council's 15th session on Saturday. VNA/VNS Photo Thành Chung

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Council has urged the city government to submit a long-awaited compensation policy for affected residents in the Thủ Thiêm new urban area in District 2 to the council for approval.

Speaking at the final meeting of the 15th session of the People’s Council on Saturday, Nguyễn Thị Lệ, the council chairwoman, said an extraordinary meeting of the council would be held to discuss compensation for the affected residents. 

She said the compensation policy should follow the Government Inspectorate’s conclusions about the case.

“Agencies must strictly implement the Government Inspectorate’s conclusions on the planning and land use management of Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area dispute, ” she said. 

At a recent meeting, Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, secretary of the city’s Party Committee, pledged to submit the compensation policy to the People’s Council for approval as soon as possible.

Covering a total area of 657ha, the Thủ Thiêm new urban area is located on the Thủ Thiêm peninsula in District 2, which faces central District 1 across the Sài Gòn River.

Approved by the Government in 1996, the proposed financial district and mixed-use urban area was expected to become the largest inner-city development in Southeast Asia.

It has taken more than 10 years to complete site clearance of most of the Thủ Thiêm peninsula, with nearly 15,000 households already resettled. More than 99 per cent of land in the proposed area has been cleared.

Adopted resolutions 

During the meeting, the People’s Council also adopted a number of important resolutions on several issues. 

One resolution adjusts the plan for site clearance compensation and resettlement for the High-Tech Park project in District 9. Total supplemental investment is now VNĐ1.472 trillion (US$63 million), including costs for compensation and resettlement of over VNĐ1.4 trillion.

The meeting also approved the 1/2000-scale planning for construction of the Rạch Chiếc National Sports Complex in An Phú Ward in District 2.

During the three-day meeting, delegates reviewed socio-economic tasks in the first six months and prospects for the rest of the year, as well as for the 2015-20 period for the city’s 24 districts.

The meeting also discussed results of the city’s seven “breakthrough” programmes and smart-city scheme.

In addition, it reviewed the National Assembly’s Resolution 54 on piloting special policies for the city’s socio-economic development.

Lệ said the People’s Council would continue to support the breakthrough programmes and speed up projects to implement the Resolution 54. 

Lệ praised the efforts of the city People’s Committee in administering socio-economic development in the first six months of 2019.

The city’s Gross Regional Domestic Product increased by 7.86 per cent in the first six months over the same period last year. 

The People’s Council also urged authorities to focus on the smart-city project and the proposed innovative urban area in the eastern part of the city. 

Trade and investment promotion activities, as well as support for businesses to find export markets, should also be top priorities, it said. — VNS