VietNamNet Bridge – Several property developers in HCM City have used the mandatory green space meant for planting trees and building parks for other purposes, and authorities have warned that they would be penalised if they do not set it right.

Illustrative image. (Photo: Internet)
An inspection team from various agencies recently verified 55 projects developed between 2006 and 2009 in Districts 7, 9, 12, and Binh Chanh and found 15 of them violating green space norms.

Him Lam in District 7, a 583,291-square-metre apartment block built by Him Lam Joint Stock Company, for instance, should have earmarked 47,000sq.m, but has instead used this space to build staff houses, toilets, an exhibition centre, and a parking lot.

At the luxury Hoang Anh apartment in District 7, developed by the Hoang Anh Housing Construction and Development Joint Stock Company, there is a swimming pool of 160sq.m in the area meant for green space.

The inspection team, which had officials from the Departments of Construction, Planning and Architecture, Transport, and Natural Resources and Environment, also found 17 other projects completed and ready for sales but without the green space.

They include Ngoc Lan, Huynh Tan Phat and BMC apartments in District 7, and Hiep Phu Ward and Pho Dong Hoa Sen apartments in District 9.

Developers who violated the rules would be penalised and have to restore their projects' green space, Nguyen Tan Ben, director of the Department of Construction, warned.

Some of the alleged offenders told Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Sai Gon Marketing) newspaper that they would restore the green space when ordered to do so.

Le Hung, general director of Hoang Anh Housing Construction and Development Joint Stock Company, said his company has sought permission to retain the pool and would find another piece of land to build a park.

"But if the inspection team orders the construction of the park at the originally designated place, Hoang Anh would carry it out," he added.

The inspectors also found 16 other real estate projects remaining on paper because their developers lacked funds, and Ben said the department would evaluate their financial capacity and recommend revocation of their licences if required.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News