The HCM City People's Committee has rejected a petition by local authorities in a district to allow an unlicensed private children's shelter to obtain a licence and continue functioning.

Disadvantaged children at Hanh Phuc House.

It instructed the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to work with the Binh Chanh District People's Committee to shut down Hanh Phuc House, which houses 32 needy children and orphans aged seven to 23.

Hua Ngoc Thuan, deputy chairman of the People's Committee, did not approve the district committee's suggestion that the shelter should move to another larger place to satisfy the official stipulation that such facilities should have a minimum area of 30sq.m for each child.

In 2013 Nguyen Van Hoang and Ngo Thi Kim Van, the couple who run the shelter, were given a deadline to close after ward officials found they had no licence. The deadline was extended several times.

In late June officials from the central Social Welfare Department visited the place and urged district labour authorities to help it get a licence to avoid closure.

Thuan said the shelter would be closed and children who have relatives would be sent to them; those who do not would be sent to public social welfare centres. 

HCM City to crackdown on illegal fishing

The HCM City People's Committee has asked the Ministry of Justice and agencies concerned to study and propose stricter measures against illegal fishing along the Tau Hu-Ben Nghe, Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe, and Tan Hoa-Lo Gom canals.

Agencies concerned should also take measures to raise residents' awareness about preventing pollution and protecting aquatic life.

Although warning signs have been installed, hundreds of people fish along the three canals every day. While fishing is a leisure activity for most of them, some others sell their catch.

The city does not have any legal regulation to penalise illegal fishing along canals.

VNS