VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City in the first half of the year sold 1,000 state-owned houses and apartment buildings, far short of its plan to sell 5,000 of the buildings by the end of the year.

HCM City targets selling 5,000 state-owned residential houses and apartment buildings this year. — Photo chinhphu.vn

Land-use fees and housing ownership duration have not been fixed, leading to sluggish sales, according to the Department of Construction.

The city has 10,000 state-owned residential houses and buildings that have not been sold, but instead have been rented out, said Do Phi Hung, deputy director of the department.

Many tenants are not paying rent because of financial difficulties, he added, with outstanding rental debt now standing at VND45.2 billion (US$1.99 million).

Hung said that the city had petitioned the Ministry of Construction to ask the Prime Minister for guidelines to solve these problems.

Nguyen Van Dung, head of the city’s People Council’s Economic and Budget Board, urged the construction department to adjust the rental price; review tenants’ debts and find ways to collect the rent; and closely monitor rental activities to prevent tenants from subletting their accommodations.

Residents living in old apartment buildings should also be relocated soon to ensure safety, he added. 

VNS