The Ho Chi Minh City National University, which is building a giant dormitory complex for students funded by a Government bond issue, has sought an advance of VND500 billion (USD24 million) from the city, saying work could otherwise stall.
 |
| A view of Ho Chi Minh City National University\'s dormitory. |
The complex, expected to be completed by 2015, will have 24 buildings on an area of 59 hectares in the Thu Duc – Di An area on the way to neighbouring Binh Duong Province. It will cost more than VND3.5 trillion (USD166 million) and can house 60,000 students.
Land has yet to be acquired for four of the buildings and so the university had hoped to build the remaining 20 buildings this year.
Phan Thanh Binh, director of the university, said only VND192 billion (USD9.2 million) would be available this year, warning this amount would not be enough to continue with the construction, and would possibly delay the work.
Due to the funding problem, the university has changed the project schedule, and now plans to build only 14 buildings this year that can accommodate 28,768 students. For that it requires more than VND1.45 trillion (USD69.7 million), Binh said.
"We had hoped the Government would quickly provide the funds."
At a working session with Le Thanh Hai, Secretary of the city Party Committee and Central Committee member, Binh called on the Sai Gon Cultural General Co. and Sai Gon Co.op to quickly complete the dormitory\'s service areas.
Hai urged the city People\'s Committee to provide the VND500 billion (USD24 million) required by the university to ensure the work remains on course and seek funds from the Government to complete it.
