Gov’t decides to expand Hanoi

17:04' 30/04/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - The government approved the Construction Ministry’s plan to expand Hanoi at a cabinet meeting on April 28, announced Minister of Home Affairs Tran Van Tuan at a government press briefing on April 29.
Accordingly, the expanded capital city will include the current Hanoi, Ha Tay province, Me Linh district of Vinh Phuc province, and the four communes of Yen Binh, Yen Trung, Tien Xuan and Dong Xuan of Hoa Binh province.
Tuan said the government also decided that Hanoi will become a political, economic, cultural and educational centre of Vietnam, not only a political centre as it had previously declared.
According to Minister Tuan, the government will submit this plan to the National Assembly for approval at the upcoming NA session. If the plan is ratified by the NA, it will be carried out as of July 1, 2008.
Tuan said the government consulted the opinions of the People’s Councils of Hanoi, Ha Tay, Vinh Phuc and Hoa Binh before approving the expansion plan. He also said that the expansion is a sensitive issue, initially planned last decade, so it must be immediately implemented after the government’s approval.
The government declared that many challenges are ahead, especially challenges in the restructuring of state agencies of the new capital.
Tuan said all key positions of Hanoi at all levels will be re-elected after the capital is expanded.