Initiating and heeding public opinion – a reciprocal tie

Several cases in recent years have shown that listening to public criticisms against infrastructure projects allows leaders to improve upon and deliver timely and effective decisions that affect the lives of many.

Reviewing its activities between 2003 and 2006, the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Scientific and Technological Associations said that it had taken part in offering counterarguments and assessing 79 projects in the city.

Contribution to only 79 projects is a modest number compared to the thousands of projects in HCMC over the past four years; however, counterarguments have helped create considerable positive social effects.

Regarding this, Hoang Anh Tuan, vice chairman of the HCMC Union of Scientific and Technological Associations quoted the project to move the Saigon Port as an example.

He said the Ministry of Construction and Transport, authorized by the Government to map out the project, originally intended to move the port along the Saigon River to Cai Mep in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

Thus relocating the project to the new site would mean the port will no longer bear its renowned trademark – Saigon Port.

Scientists spoke out in opposition to the designed project and supplied a solid foundation and reliable data proving that if relocating the Saigon Port in Cai Mep the city would incur losses in revenue of some VND28 trillion (US$1.74 billion) a year.

Meanwhile, they suggested if moving the port to Cat Lai and Hiep Phuoc in HCMC’s outskirts the port would still have a chance to maintain its trademark and incur losses of only VND2 trillion ($124.1 million).

After verifying the scientists’ counterargument, the government finally decided to choose Cat Lai-Hiep Phuoc as the venue for the Saigon Port relocation.

Phan Khanh, Secretary General of the HCMC Irrigation Scientific and Technological Association quoted another example.

He said when submitting the Son La hydropower plant project at the National Assembly’s session in 1998 for consideration, the project owner proposed to build the dike with a height of 265 meters.

However, following strong counterarguments from the Vietnam Irrigation Association and the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technological Associations the National Assembly in 2002 approved the construction of the Son La dike at lower height, 215 meters.

This decision helped reduce the risk of a “permanent danger”, Khanh said, explaining that with the proposed height of 265 meters the Son La reservoir would contain 24 billion cubic meters of water, triple than the Hoa Binh reservoir of the power plant of the same name.

Both hydropower plants share the same river system with the Son La reservoir upstream and Hoa Binh downstream, so if the Son La dike was breached, it would be disastrous for the lower river section area and even the whole the Red River delta as well, Khanh explained.

Also thanks to public counterarguments many “antiscientific” projects were cancelled like the one to replace the water of the West Lake in Hanoi or split the Truong Son mountain range to help reduce flooding in the Mekong Delta, Khanh added.

Listening a must
It is easy to see how counterarguments, particularly those by scientists with a firm foundation in fact have contributed greatly to creating not only economic efficiency but also positive social effects.

This can only be achieved if opinions are heeded by authorized agencies.

But it is still the case that most counterarguments are ignored, though logical and reasonable.

In a recent working with the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, Prime Minster Nguyen Tan Dung stressed the VFF should raise its role in heeding and rationalizing public input.

Early in 2002, the Vietnamese Government issued Decision 22/2002 to institutionalize consulting, arguing and assessing activities of the Vietnam Union of Scientific and Technological Associations and its affiliated units.

However, many scientists said that “legalizing social counterarguments and assessment” was necessary.

The law should stipulate which projects need to be reconsidered through direct counterargument from public opinions or through the mass media.

Specifically, regulating the responsibilities of the persons who directly sign investment projects is a must.

Such key measures will help increase ‘listening’ of public ideas by concerned agencies, to enable right and timely readjustment.

Source: ThanhNien News