Vietnam's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) is pushing to receive a higher budget, as its current funding cannot meet all of its needs.
VietnamNet reports that the ministry's 2017 budget fell short of its target as money for the environment takes a back seat to other sectors such as transport, agriculture, education and healthcare.
The amount of money earmarked for environmental protection has actually been falling at both the local and national levels, leading MONRE to ask authorities to make sure they allocate at least 1% of their budget to the issue.
In 2017, MONRE asked for VND853 billion (US$37.5 million) for environmental protection activities. However, the central government only allocated the ministry VND469 billion (US$20.6 million), which is just 55% of the amount needed.
The Ministry of Finance has promised that the central government will maintain spending on the environment at 1% of the total budget until 2020, after which this proportion will increase.
Meanwhile, according to the news source, countries such as China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) invest 3-4% of their annual GDP on the environment.
Thai Truong Giang and Phung Duc Tien, both members of the National Assembly, responded to MONRE's call for more funding by stressing the pressing need for better wastewater treatment in urban areas, as well as the restoration of the environment in polluted areas.
MONRE estimates that it will need VND2.38 trillion (US$104.7 million) for environmental protection in 2018.
[Photo via Vietnam Daily]
