HCM CITY Illegal house construction is rife in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province because authorities have found it difficult to deal strictly with violations.
In the first six months of this year, as many as 2,263 cases of illegal construction were recorded in the province, according to the local Department of Construction.
Most of the constructions were in Vung Tau City s 10, 11, 12 and Thang Nhat communes and the districts of Long Dien, Xuyen Moc, Chau Duc and Tan Thanh districts.
Nguyen Tuan Khang, chief inspector of the Department said these communes and districts had high housing demand due to its dense population and the potential for developing into urban areas.
For instance, the bai sau (back beach) area in Vung Tau City has seen 140 illegal constructions covering a total area of 13,000sq.m belonging to eight businesses.
However, structures built without permits are mostly these of individual households who do not bother to obtain the required licensces.
Many of the land transactions are made on handwritten paper, not through legal channels, making it difficult for authorities to grant licences, and many buildings do not abide by the construction laws.
The department has admitted that loose management and soft penalties have been main factors in the continued construction of buildings without legal permits.
While 1,757 out of 2,263 violations have had administrative fines imposed on them, the constructions still remain. Only 113 illegal structures have been taken down, according to department inspectors and district People s Committees.
The Ba Ria Commune People s Committee said many illegal constructions were built in zoned areas in order to obtain compensation and resettlement funds. VNS