Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The Hanoi People’s Committee wants special powersto help restore old buildings.

It has asked the Ministry of Construction to submit its proposals to the Governmentin the hope of easing difficulties with building projects.

Under the current regulations on construction and planning management, therestoration of old and degraded apartment buildings in the inner city’s fourdistricts of Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem, Dong Da and Hai Ba Trung has faced obstaclessuch as height limits, limiting their ability to attract investment.

The authority wants the Central Government to award it mechanisms in accordancewith the reality of the capital so as to remove obstacles to renovation andconstruction activities. This would help ensure the feasibility of projects andinterests between the State, the people and investors.

The committee asked for permission to grant licences to projects initiated bythe municipal authority.

The committee wants to be allowed to shift some projects from commercialhousing to social housing to meet reallocation demands.

Adjusting construction areas of commercial and social housing projects whichhave up to 500 apartments and evaluating projects up to 2,500 apartments wouldhelp cut administrative procedures.

The committee said that adjusting the rate of investment for constructingschools and medical infrastructure was necessary because of differences inconstruction density between rural and urban areas.

According to Le Van Duc, Director of the Hanoi Construction Department, thecapital city has focused on construction management and urban development sinceearly this year.

The city has approved plans for major roads and restoration projects of 28 oldapartment buildings, and given instructions for relevant offices to studyspecific planning projects such as the construction of underground parkingspaces in four districts, Duc said.

The city has continued to invest in transportation infrastructure and socialhousing projects.

Investment into urban development – such as planting new trees and buildingmore parks and flower gardens – was also a focus.

As of last month, the city planted more than 387,100 trees, bringing the totalnumber of trees planted to 927,800 trees, reaching 92.7 percent of the goal ofplanting one million trees.

“However, the management of construction and urban development in Hanoi hasexposed some shortcomings including the slow progress of some key projects suchthe urban railway projects and belt road construction which,” the directorsaid.

There have been several violations on construction and urban planning whichhave not been dealt with yet.

Weak management of commercial and social apartment buildings has caused severaldisputes between investors and apartment buyers in some projects, he admitted.-VNS/VNA