HCM City (VNA) - ꦦThe People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has asked departments, agencies and districts to closely monitor the trading of chemicals in an effort to prevent fires and explosions.

It has also proposed relocating Kim Bien Market, which specialises in trading chemicals, from District 5 to another location. Tran Vinh Tuyen, Deputy Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, has appointed the Department of Industry and Trade to be responsible for mapping out a project to build a chemical trading centre in a suburban area with private investment, and submit a report about the plan before June 10. Tuyen also asked the police force to conduct investigations and file criminal charges against violators of chemical trading rules. Relevant agencies and district authorities must enhance inspections on the manufacturing and trading of chemicals, and revoke business licenses of violators. The city authorities have banned the location of chemical depots in residential areas. The Department of Industry and Trade and district authorities were told to conduct investigations and remove chemical depots located in the city’s residential areas. He said the chairman of the districts must be responsible for any fire and explosion caused by chemicals in areas under their administration. HCM City authorities have asked District 5 People’s Committee to require chemical traders at Kim Bien Market to sign a commitment on regulations of chemical trading. Buyers of chemicals must show their papers such as ID cards and business licenses. The District 5 People’s Committee was told to inspect and punish illegal chemical bottling and packaging depots at Kim Bien Market, and to restore order for business activities in the area. According to figures from the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, chemicals are traded in many districts, especially at Kim Bien Market in District 5’s Ward 13. District 5 has 112 chemical trading depots, including 55 licensed facilities. Called “the Market of Death”, depots at Kim Bien Market have stored large volumes of chemicals which pose a risk of fire and explosions, threatening the safety of residents. Speaking at a meeting to discuss measures against illegal chemical trade on May 23, Phan Hoan Kiem, head of the HCM City market monitoring agency, said that 16 stalls at Kim Bien Market sell chemicals, including pigments, dairy and food additives. In addition, there are 93 chemical retailers located near the market, with 59 of them selling industrial chemicals, 20 selling flavours and food additives and 14 trading both industrial chemicals and food additives. Industrial chemical trading shops are primarily located on the streets of Van Tuong, Phan Van Khoe, Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Phung Hung, Go Cong and Kim Bien. The city has about 600 organisations and individuals producing, importing and trading chemicals. Illegal trading of chemicals has long caused concerns over food safety and posed fire and explosion risks in residential areas.-VNA