Hanoi: Increasing prices for collection and treatment of domestic solid waste must be associated with environmental improvement

Scene of social criticism conference. Photo: PV

On August 26, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi City Nguyen Lan Huong and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi City Pham Anh Tuan chaired the Conference on social criticism of the draft Decision of the City People's Committee promulgating Specific prices for collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste for agencies, organizations, production, business and service establishments, concentrated production, business and service areas, industrial clusters, households and individuals in Hanoi City for the period 2025-2026.

Presenting the Proposal on approving specific prices for collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste for agencies, organizations, production, business and service establishments, concentrated production, business and service areas, industrial clusters, households and individuals, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Minh Tan said: According to Decision No. 54/2016/QD-UBND dated December 31, 2016 of the City People's Committee, the price of collection and transportation of domestic solid waste for individuals residing in wards: 6,000 VND/month, equivalent to 24,000 VND/household/month; individuals residing in communes: 3,000 VND/month, equivalent to 12,000 VND/household/month. This collection level has not correctly and fully calculated the costs payable according to the provisions of Decision No. 30/2020/QD-UBND dated November 26, 2020.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Minh Tan spoke at the conference. Photo: PV

According to statistics from the Department of Finance, the total cost of collecting, transporting and treating domestic solid waste in the city in 2024 is about 4 times higher than the total revenue from households, individuals and organizations, so the budget for this work is very large.

On the other hand, compared to the collection rates of many other provinces in the country, Hanoi has the lowest service price (unchanged from 2016 to present)... The above practice shows that adjusting the price of collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste is necessary.

The Draft Decision of the City People's Committee promulgating specific prices for collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste in Hanoi in the period of 2025-2026 stipulates: For households and individuals residing in wards, the price for collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste (VND/month) is 21,000 VND (in 2025), 43,000 VND (in 2026); in communes it is 10,000 VND (in 2025) and 23,000 VND (in 2026). Agencies, organizations, production, business and service establishments... apply the specific price of: 1,175 VND/kg multiplied by the actual volume of waste generated.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Vu Thanh Vinh, member of the Advisory Council for Democracy and Law, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city, said that the price should not be doubled in the fourth quarter of 2025, but should focus on propaganda and mobilization work to create consensus.

“Authorities need to make a commitment to service quality. There must be terms binding on service providers regarding frequency, collection time, and treatment quality; and sanctions if violations occur, leaving garbage behind,” Mr. Vu Thanh Vinh said frankly.

According to Mr. Cao Van Quy - member of the Democracy - Law Advisory Council, the price adjustment needs to be reconsidered because there are still about 4 months left until the end of 2025. A sudden price increase of more than 7 times in 2026 compared to the present is not appropriate.

“In my opinion, it is appropriate to increase only 3.5 times (2025-2026 period) as stated in Section 6 of Official Dispatch No. 4187/STC-QLG dated April 14, 2025 of the Department of Finance on impact assessment. Specifically, the collection rate for ward areas: 21,000 VND/person/month; commune areas: 10,000 VND/person/month,” Mr. Cao Van Quy proposed.

Dr. Architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem stated that the solid waste treatment plan for the capital was approved in 2014 with 17 zones, but so far it has not been implemented as planned, and has not been put into operation as in Dong Anh, Phu Xuyen, Chuong My (old districts)... This is a factor affecting the quality of waste collection. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the solid waste treatment system...

Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi Nguyen Lan Huong concluded the conference. Photo: PV

Concluding the conference, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi Nguyen Lan Huong affirmed that the delegates all agreed that increasing the price of collection, transportation and treatment of domestic solid waste to gradually reduce the support rate from the budget and enhance people's responsibility in environmental protection is necessary. However, the drafting agency needs to review the name and subjects of adjustment, and at the same time, there needs to be a specific communication strategy so that people understand the reason for the adjustment, increasing the collection level by 7 times, thereby sharing and gradually adapting. In addition, there needs to be a commitment that along with increasing service prices, environmental quality must also increase.

Along with that, comrade Nguyen Lan Huong requested the drafting agency to consider the proposal to apply the new collection rate from January 1, 2026. The new collection rate needs to ensure publicity, transparency, correctness, completeness, and accuracy.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ha-noi-tang-gia-dich-vu-thu-gom-xu-ly-chat-thai-ran-sinh-hoat-phai-gan-voi-cai-thien-moi-truong-714037.html