Sakura tower continues to defy local authorities

May 06, 2014 | 15:55

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The 20 storey Sakura Tower, located at 47 Vu Trong Phung street in Hanoi was recently discovered to be putting on the finishing touches without permission from local authorities, reported dantri.com.vn.

The developer was fined tens of thousands of dollars but is refusing to halt for a single moment. To date, construction is still in hurried progress.

Sakura Tower was invested in by the domestic firm Hung Tien – Kim Son Joint Stock Company with contractor Vinaconex – Alphanam joint venture.

Started in 2009, the building has an area of more than 2,600 square metres, 48.2 per cent of which is dedicated to the tower itself.

The building was previously fined, back in 2010 and again in 2011, due to building without a construction licence, however, the developers have been relentless. Construction continued despite a VND500 million ($23,800) fine the second time of 2011.

The investor further defied regulations when it converted two technical floors used for functions like power system (2,000 square metres) into apartments for sale.

Answering questions posed by dantri.com.vn’s reporters, leaders from the Thanh Xuan Trung People’s Committee, where the project is located, said local authorities were very aware of the investor’s wrongdoings but that they were unable to do anything.

The leaders also said the committee requested several times that the investors set up a local management authority, but were ignored. Local authorities have even been penalised by the higher ups in government for their inaction, but to no avail.

According to a source from the Hanoi Construction’s Inspectorate, local authorities had loosened their management of the building and were avoiding the problem altogether.

The source added that there were stricter measures available to the local authorities such as cutting off its power and water supply via police co-operation.

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