DNVN - In order for industrial park workers to no longer have to live in unsafe rental housing and for the program of 1 million social housing units to not "miss its deadline", the obstacles and shortcomings need to be resolved soon.
Factors determining the success of industrial parks
On April 3, 2023, the Prime Minister approved Decision 338 on investing in the construction of at least 1 million social housing apartments for low-income earners and industrial park workers in the 2021-2030 period.
Recently, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a conference to remove difficulties and promote the development of social housing. Providing housing for low-income people and industrial park workers is identified as a key task in the country's socio-economic development.
According to Mr. Chu Duc Tam - Vice Chairman of the Board of Members of SM TECH VINA ENGINEERING Company, housing for industrial park workers is one of the important pillars for the sustainable development of each company, the industrial park and the whole country.
"Housing for industrial park workers not only meets housing needs but also creates a chain of investment in industrial park - urban area infrastructure, a convenient and complete investment environment for domestic and foreign investors.
When having a stable place to live, a place that meets standards and is safe, workers with a guaranteed life will work better, with better quality, more productively, and be more attached to the business. A place that is convenient to the workplace also shortens travel time, reduces traffic congestion. Accordingly, labor productivity also increases," Mr. Tam acknowledged.
Housing development for industrial park workers is still slow while demand is high.
The Housing Law has a chapter regulating social housing. The Law on Real Estate Business, the Land Law (amended) and the Law on Credit Institutions (amended) have also provided many mechanisms and preferential policies for building houses for industrial park workers.
The 120,000 billion VND program for social housing with low interest rates has also been implemented. Decree 35 on the management of industrial parks and economic zones (EZs) also requires that one of the conditions for investing in industrial park infrastructure is to plan worker housing areas...
In Resolution No. 01 dated January 5, 2024, the Prime Minister requested that in 2024, efforts be made nationwide to complete about 130,000 social housing apartments.
"The above regulations and policies are opportunities and also decisive factors for the successful development of industrial parks and economic zones," said Mr. Tam.
However, according to Mr. Tam, the implementation of housing for industrial park workers is still slow, while the demand is very large. If we are not more drastic, stronger, and soon amend the policy mechanism accordingly, I am afraid that the goal of having 1 million social houses will not be achieved.
Vietnam currently has 4.5 million workers working directly in industrial parks and economic zones. Of these, 2 million workers are in need of housing. According to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, the number of workers outside industrial parks is even greater. A survey by the General Confederation shows that more than 60% of workers rent accommodation in housing areas that lack amenities, do not ensure a safe living environment, and are unsafe.
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, by the end of 2023, 416 industrial parks were established nationwide, of which 293 were in operation. However, very few of them were developed synchronously, with complexes including factories, company offices, housing areas for workers, commercial areas serving workers in the industrial parks, lakes, and entertainment areas for workers.
Forming social housing fund, developing rental housing
According to Mr. Tam, the policy of building 1 million houses for low-income people and industrial park workers is very suitable for industrial parks.
Many industrial park investors pursue the idea of planning industrial park complexes with industrial park ecosystems and synchronously developed industrial parks associated with complexes including factories, company offices, housing areas for workers, commercial areas serving people working in industrial parks, lake parks, entertainment areas for workers.
However, it is very difficult for industrial park investors to implement because the mechanisms, policies, regulations and procedures are still inadequate. Only when the government really focuses and resolutely removes obstacles can the problem of social housing and housing for workers be solved and the 1 million housing project will be successful.
"We agree with the viewpoints on developing housing for workers that the Prime Minister emphasized at the conference on March 16. We hope that localities will seriously implement the Government's direction. Accordingly, localities must really pay attention and allocate land to build housing for industrial park workers. In the local socio-economic development plan, there should be targets for developing social housing and housing for workers.
Social housing - housing for industrial park workers must ensure quality, safety, environmental hygiene, infrastructure for health, education, social and other services, and must be built near industrial parks, not because of low-cost housing located in remote areas that are inconvenient for workers to travel every day", a representative of SM TECH VINA ENGINEERING shared.
Based on the actual needs and income of workers, Mr. Tam said that it is necessary to increase the type of rental housing with preferential conditions different from current programs. The rental method will mainly be suitable for industrial parks. At the same time, businesses are allowed to be the main subjects in the organization to rent houses to their workers. Incentives and increasing the proportion of rental housing will be factors to accelerate the project of at least 1 million social housing apartments.
At the same time, the State needs to conduct research to soon form a social housing fund. It is necessary to soon issue a Decree guiding the Law on Real Estate Business, the Law on Land (amended), the Law on Credit Institutions, amending tax laws... to synchronize with the Law on Housing (amended).
In addition, it is necessary to lower lending interest rates with the support capital of 120,000 billion VND to suit practical conditions in each period. Lending procedures also need to be more convenient.
In order for industrial park workers to no longer have to live in unsafe rental housing, and for the program of 1 million social housing units to not "miss its deadline", the obstacles and shortcomings need to be resolved soon. And as the Prime Minister said: "The most important thing is that when organizing implementation, we must dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility and be flexible, proactive and creative in applying mechanisms, policies and laws."
Moonlight
Source
Comment (0)