The city had sought counsel on the matter from lawyers, Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, said at a meeting on November 7 to discuss the capital city’s socioeconomic development.
Municipal authorities will examine all karaoke bars under their jurisdiction in terms of room area, lighting systems, emergency exits and song content, among other criteria, and will force all large, obstructive advertising boards to be removed.
The Hanoi government also plans to take legal action against entertainment facilities that intentionally violate fire safety regulations.
So far this year, six fires have broken out at karaoke bars in the capital city, causing huge property losses.
In addition to the issue of fire safety, Hanoi is also faced with increased traffic congestion and environmental pollution, especially in a number of trade villages and industrial clusters.
Furthermore, its position on the national rankings of administrative reform has dropped six notches to number 9 among 63 provinces and centrally governed cities.
On the bright side, Hanoi’s total economic output in 2016 is estimated to grow by 8.03%—the fastest pace in the last six years.
Total international arrivals to Hanoi are projected to jump by 22.4% this year to 2.86 million.
