Expenses for frozen seafood tests covered by Formosa
Women dry fish in central coastal Quảng Trị Province.— Illustrative VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Anh
HÀ NỘI — All frozen-seafood testing expenses will be covered by part of the US$ 五00-million compensation paid by Taiwanese Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Hà Tĩnh Steel Corporation.
This was the latest order from Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình, who subsequently tasked the Ministry of Finance to make the payment in compliance with current regulations.
After the environmental disaster occurred in the four central coastal localities in early April, more than 五, 三 六0 tonnes of frozen seafood have been in stock. And the Ministry of Health had took tests to ensure their quality.
Test results from the health ministry at a meeting on November 八 revealed that 四, 四0 二 tonnes of frozen seafood in stock were safe and some 九 六 七 tonnes were substandard.
Thus Bình asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to destroy the substandard frozen seafood soon.
He also told the four localities -- Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên Huế -- to strictly adhere to Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc’s directions on dealing with in-stock frozen seafood.
In a related move, Bình directed the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs to co-operate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to perfect the project undertaken to stabilise the life and production of residents suffering from the environmental incident in the four provinces.
The project should be well designed to fit with each locality’s conditions, he said.
In April, tonnes of fish reportedly died en mass in the four localities. In June, the Taiwanese Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Hà Tĩnh Steel Corporation claimed responsibility for the massive fish deaths and promised to pay $ 五00 million in compensation. By August 三0, the company had paid the entire compensation amount to the government. — VNS
