Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has just issued an official note regarding the draft blueprint for a transportation and hydroelectric project on the Red River of Hanoi, affirming that the Government has not started the process of approving the project yet.

The Red River

The reason cited was because there is not adequate legal foundation for the approval.

The Government also asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to co-ordinate with relevant industries and ministries to build a master plan for the Red River to ensure sustainable development.

The building of the plan must be conducted carefully with the participation of relevant localities, scientists, research organizations and agencies, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and other social and political organizations representing the people living in the Red River area.

Xuan Thien Co Ltd proposed a trans-Asia waterway and hydropower project planned to be implemented on the Red River at a total cost of VND24.5 trillion (US$1.1 billion).

The project consists of three or six dams to be built on the river and dredging a 288-kilometer river section from Viet Tri City in Phu Tho Province to Lao Cai City in the province of the same name.

The plan will construct seven ports along the waterway, including Pho Moi, Apatite, Quy  Xa, Van Ngoc, Ngoc Thap, Co Tiet, and a port north of Hanoi.

The investor said its own finances would account for 30% of the total investment cost and bank loans would make up the remainder.

The company proposed implementing the project under the build-own-operate (BOO) format. It wanted to collect fees from VNĐ10,000 to VNĐ45,000 (up to US$2) per ton of cargo transported on the waterway and sell electricity at an initial price of VNĐ1,900 per kWh and VNĐ3,560 per kWh (US 16 cent) later to recover the investment capital over a period of about 25 years.

The company said the project would help create a smooth waterway from Lao Cai to Hai Phong City for vessels of 400 to 600 DWT and generate 912 million kWh per year once completed.

However, experts and residents have been protesting the project over fears for its environmental impact.

Fish death compensation for farmers

Prime Minister Phuc yesterday signed a decision to provide urgent assistance to farmers in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, who suffered losses from the unusual fish death that occurred in early April.

Accordingly, family members of fishing vessel owners and workers working on vessels and fishing logistics households are each eligible for 15kg of rice per month over the course of one and a half months.

Up to VNĐ5 million (US$227) will be offered to each fishing vessel below 90CV that is temporarily forced to stop going out to sea.

Fishery business owners and fishing logistics vessels will be able to enjoy interest-free loans within six months to stockpile seafood from May 5 to June 5.

Toxic fisheries that are caught in the waters within 20 nautical miles of the shore will be provided with financial aid worth less than 70 per cent of their value.

Other aid will be reserved for environmental clean-up actions, including transport and collection of disinfectants.

The mass fish death was discovered in Ky Anh Township, Ha Tinh Province on April 6, then spread onwards to Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien - Hue.