VietNamNet Bridge – Shoddy construction and labour accidents are often the result of poorly managed construction projects, Vietnamese and Japanese experts said at a conference on construction quality held in HCM City last week.

The gate of the Sailing Tower Hotel in the central city of Ha Tinh collapsed early this month, killing one person and injuring eight others. Clearer regulations on construction quality are needed so that contractors and owners can improve labour safety and building standards. (Photo: VNS)

He said that contractors' poor professional and managerial skills were a major cause behind low-quality construction works.

Many contractors do not have a good understanding of building requirements, and project owners do not have enough technical knowledge.

Many project owners insist that contractors build according to their ideas, even though they might not be suitable.

As a result, many construction works are in violation of approved design plans.

Many of them were built carelessly by contractors and managed poorly by authorised agencies, he said.

In addition, supervisors and appraisers of construction works and buildings are not qualified for their jobs.

The number of construction projects has increased sharply, with many on a very large scale, according to the Ministry of Construction (MoC).

Construction investment in the country has grown between 10 and 15 per cent on average each year.

In 2010, the total capital invested in construction projects was US$40 billion, with 25-30 per cent financed by the State budget.

During that same year, work on 50,000 construction projects began.

Of that number, 51 per cent were civil projects, 19 per cent traffic projects, 9 per cent irrigation projects, 10 per cent technical infrastructure projects and 11 per cent industrial projects.

The ratio of labour accidents at construction sites is equivalent to about 10 per cent of the number of traffic accidents in the country.

A representative of the HCM City Department of Construction said many construction works in the city did not meet quality and safety standards.

Hung said the current legal framework on construction quality was too vague and inconsistent, while administrative procedures were too complex. All these shortcomings have created loopholes in laws and regulations that could be exploited by contractors and owners, he said.

Conference participants suggested that the Government develop regulations that clarify state administration agencies' responsibility in supervising construction projects under the form of build-operation-transfer (BOT), build-transfer-operation (BTO), build-transfer (BT), and build-own-operate (BOO).

To ensure the quality of construction works, the Government should also create regulations that force builders to deal with all technical matters before the projects begin operate, they recommended.

Project owners should buy professional liability insurance to ensure the safety of construction works, experts recommended.

The Government should have stronger sanctions over violations in management supervision, appraisal and approval, and impose stiff penalties on violators.

A representative of Obayashi Corporation said it was essential to set up a close relationship between investors and contractors to ensure trust and quality work.

He added that investors must strictly control expenses needed for the development of the projects.

The seminar, the second of its kind in Viet Nam, was jointly held by the Ministry of Construction, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News