Heavy fines fail to stop littering

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI – Regulations imposing heavy fines of up to VNĐ7 million (US$301) on those who litter in public areas have been in effect for a year-and-a-half, but the number of violators who have been discovered and fined remains modest, so most city dwellers are indifferent to the fines. In the meantime, the competent authorities have carried out loose management, blaming their failure to implement the regulations on a shortage of staff. Government decree 155/2016/NĐ-CP took effect last February, imposing fines of between VNĐ500,000 ($22) and VNĐ1 million ($44) on those who threw cigarette butts and ash in no-smoking areas, and VNĐ3 million ($133) to VNĐ7 million ($301) for those littering in public spaces such as streets or sewage systems in residential areas. The decree was expected to curb littering and help make the environment clean and green. It has not been effective as desired. Throughout Hà Nội, domestic and construction waste is seen dumped on the pavements, especially on ring roads and new roads such as Kim Giang, Định Công, Nguyễn Xiển and Thăng Long Boulevard, or small roads along the Lừ and Sét rivers. In small alleys in residential areas, piles of garbage appear at hidden corners, polluting the environment with a horrible smell. In the Old Quarter, garbage is dumped right onto the streets or under the trees, mainly in front of street vendors, although the dust bin is often just a few steps away. A sanitation worker who wished to be anonymous said she… [Read full story]