Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha admitted shortcomings in several fields within his remit while responding to questions of legislators on June 4.

Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha fields lawmakers' questions on June 4 

He was the second minister to field legislators’ queries at the ongoing seventh session of the 14th National Assembly.

Ha pointed out many problems in urban development and planning, noting that the quality of urban planning is still low. Some plans have failed to make precise predictions about population growth, causing wrong calculations relevant to urban space structure, infrastructure and other criteria. This has subsequently led to construction projects not matching the reality.

Shortcomings have also been seen in the implementation of urban plans, he said, adding that though local state agencies have made efforts, the management of construction activities in cities remains limited.

The minister also accepted responsibility for weaknesses in the fine-tuning, monitoring and assessment of the implementation of legal regulations; the verification of some construction projects; and the building of relevant standards.

Meanwhile, the number of violations of urban plans has decreased but remains high, he said, pointing out several causes, including some localities’ lack of due attention to land- and construction-related work, the lack of connectivity between inspectorates and local authorities, the shortage of capable inspectors, and lax settlement of some violations.

Mentioning solutions, Ha pledged that his ministry will improve the quality and feasibility of urban plans, as well as the supervision of construction projects. 

It will also further publicise legal regulations on planning so that people can help with monitoring, while stepping up inspection and strictly dealing with violations, the official added.