Vietnam found 157 production facilities violating the regulations on environmental protection in 2012, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Environmental protection agencies inspected 429 industrial parks and clusters as well as production bases nationwide, and imposed a total fine of over VND32.7 billion ($1.55 million) on violators. Waste and wastewater from industrial production and local households are often untreated in Vietnam due to lax control of authorized agencies and legal loopholes in handling environmental violations. An increasing number of foreign enterprises have been found discharging toxic waste and wastewater into the environment in Vietnam, experts said, blaming lenient fines and lax control for their violations and repeated infractions. Under a new environmental protection law to come into force on July 1, 2013, the maximum fine for environmental polluters will be quadrupled to VND2 billion. Pollution remains an obstacle for the country’s socioeconomic development. Vietnam loses an estimated 5.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) each year to rapidly rising environmental pollution, said the MoNRE. (Dau Tu – Investment June 21 p11)
