The responsibility for supervision first of all belongs to the commune level.
Lao Dong Newspaper has reported on the paper production and recycling facility at Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative (HTX), Phu Ninh commune, Phu Tho province, although suspended and not meeting the conditions for licensing, it still operates and discharges waste into the environment.
Notably, most of the old production lines and machinery here originate from craft villages producing and recycling paper that have been terminated in Bac Ninh province due to outdated technology, causing environmental pollution.
Previously, in August 2025, Phu Ninh Commune People's Committee fined 320 million VND to Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative for the act of discharging waste without a environmental permit, and at the same time suspended the operation of this facility.
To date, paper production and recycling activities at Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative have not yet been granted an environmental permit because they do not fully meet the conditions according to regulations.
On June 4, informing PV, a representative of the Sub-Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Change (BVMT) under the Department of Agriculture & Environment of Phu Tho province said that after receiving the reflection, this unit sent a document to Phu Ninh Commune People's Committee requesting inspection, verification and reporting to the Department.
The Department has requested Phu Ninh commune to implement according to the previous direction of the Provincial People's Committee, which is to assign responsibility to the Commune People's Committee to inspect and supervise the compliance with the penalty decision for Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative. Up to now, the commune has not reported back," said a representative of the Phu Tho Provincial Environmental Protection Sub-Department.
According to the Phu Tho Provincial Sub-Department of Environmental Protection, at the end of 2025, Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative submitted an application for an environmental permit, but after actual inspection, this unit was completely not guaranteed.
The appraisal council did not approve and requested Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative to do and return it, so far this unit has not returned it," a representative of Phu Tho Provincial Environmental Protection Sub-Department informed.
Also according to a representative of the Phu Tho Provincial Sub-Department of Environmental Protection, the environmental licensing appraisal work is currently carried out very strictly. For old production lines, machinery and equipment that do not meet the requirements, it will resolutely not be licensed.
We know that there is a phenomenon that many establishments in the paper craft village in Bac Ninh, after being discontinued, tend to move to neighboring provinces. The area is large, so there are also many unlicensed operations.
Currently, the authority of the commune is very large, in the area, the commune must grasp those things," said a representative of the Phu Tho Provincial Sub-Department of Environmental Protection.
Check and verify the reflected content
Also related to this case, informing PV, Mr. Nguyen Duc Tai - Chairman of Phu Ninh Commune People's Committee - said that on the afternoon of June 5, professional officials of the commune will work with Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative to verify the reflected contents, and at the same time request this unit to commit not to operate without permission.
Paper recycling facilities in Bac Ninh rent land and factories from Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative to install production lines but do not ensure regulations, so they have to replace them all.
They have been handled for environmental issues and are overcoming and operating trials to be assessed for environmental impact. In this process, Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative must still be responsible," Mr. Tai affirmed.
Also according to the Chairman of Phu Ninh Commune People's Committee, functional agencies have requested to sanction Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative for the issue of building works and workshops without a permit.
Through investigation, many factory buildings have been built for many years at Phu Ninh Paper Cooperative but have not been licensed by competent State agencies according to regulations with a total area of nearly 6,700m2.
In fact, after the emergence of illegal paper recycling facilities causing pollution originating from Bac Ninh, localities such as Phu Tho and Lao Cai have directed and requested to strengthen inspection, supervision and strictly handle scrap recycling facilities that violate legal regulations on investment, construction, land and environmental protection.
However, before the profits of up to hundreds of millions of VND per day from illegal paper recycling activities, ignoring environmental regulations, many facility owners have accepted to pay fines to survive, even secretly operating when there is an opportunity.
