US embassy cable - 01HOCHIMINHCITY1042

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/BCLTV AND EAP/PD/MSPEER 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR OPIC, TDA, AND EXIMBANK 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR INR/EAP/SEA AND INR/IL/B 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
SECDEF FOR ISA/EA/LSTERN 
DEPTTREAS FOR OASIA 
USDOC FOR 4431/MAC/AP/OKSA/HPPHO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, PINR, SOCI, VM 
SUBJECT: ACTING CONSUL GENERAL'S MEETING WITH NEW HCMC PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIRWOMAN 
 
1. SUMMARY: DEPUTY PRINCIPAL OFFICER AND ACTING CONSUL 
GENERAL SHARON WHITE MET AUGUST 27 WITH HCMC PEOPLE'S 
COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIRWOMAN HUYNH THI NHAN.  MS. NHAN IS 
ONE OF THREE NEW VICE-CHAIRPERSONS APPOINTED TO THE 
HCMC PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE IN MAY.  (THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 
FIVE HCMC PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIRPERSONS.)  IN 
HER FIRST OFFICIAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE CONSULATE 
GENERAL, MS. NHAN APPEARED KNOWLEDGEABLE AND AT EASE 
WITH THE VARIETY OF ISSUES HCMC (THE CITY) FACES IN ITS 
CURRENT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
URBAN DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES 
---------------------------- 
 
2. ACG WHITE NOTED THAT MANY PEOPLE VIEW HCMC AS A 
MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE REST OF VIETNAM.  ACG ALSO 
INQUIRED ABOUT THE SRV CENTRAL GOVERNMENT GRANTING HCMC 
LATITUDE TO EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT MECHANISMS IN 
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ADDRESSING DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS.  MS. NHAN SAID THAT 
HANOI AND HCMC ARE REFERRED TO AS CITIES WITH A SPECIAL 
ADMINISTRATIVE STATUS, BUT IN FACT, THEY OPERATE AS 
PROVINCES.  THE SRV CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, IN FACT, HAS 
RECENTLY GRANTED HCMC MORE DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY IN 
MATTERS DEALING WITH ITS OWN ECONOMY.  THE HCMC 
PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A DRAFT 
DECREE THAT WOULD GIVE THE CITY MORE INDEPENDENCE IN 
PREPARING ITS OWN BUDGET. 
 
3. MS. NHAN SAID THE CITY'S GREATEST CHALLENGE IS TO 
IMPROVE ITS INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF 
ITS BURGEONING POPULATION.  AS A MANUFACTURING AND 
COMMERCIAL CENTER, THE CITY DRAWS ECONOMIC MIGRANTS 
FROM THE RURAL COUNTRYSIDE.  NEWCOMERS TO THE CITY 
NOTICE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AS ONE OBVIOUS RESULT OF 
OVERCROWDING.  THE LARGE INFLUX OF MIGRANTS, HOWEVER, 
ALSO CREATES A DEMAND FOR EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, POWER, 
WATER SUPPLY, EDUCATION, AND HEALTHCARE THAT THE CITY 
IS STRUGGLING TO MEET. 
 
4. MS. NHAN POINTED OUT THAT HCMC'S SUCCESSFUL CANAL 
CLEAN-UP PROJECT ADDRESSED BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL AND 
HOUSING PROBLEMS.  OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, HCMC HAS 
DREDGED, CLEANED, AND BEAUTIFIED THE THI NGHE-NHIEU LOC 
CANAL AND RELOCATED 6,000 HOUSEHOLDS FROM "SHABBY 
HOUSES AND SLUMS" BUILT OUT OVER THE CANAL TO MORE 
SUITABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SITES.  OVER THE NEXT 5 TO 
10 YEARS, THE CITY PLANS TO CLEAN UP ITS OTHER CANALS 
AND RELOCATE 10,000 MORE HOUSEHOLDS FROM CANAL SLUMS TO 
BETTER HOUSING. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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5. ACG WHITE NOTED THE VISITS TO HCMC IN THE PREVIOUS 
THREE WEEKS OF AMERICAN DELEGATIONS INTERESTED IN MASS 
TRANSIT, AGRICULTURE, AND AIR QUALITY.  SHE SUGGESTED 
THAT THE CONSULATE GENERAL COULD HELP ARRANGE FOR 
EXPERTS OR STUDY GROUPS ON ONE OR MORE TOPICS RELATED 
TO URBAN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.  SHE ALSO NOTED THAT 
THE USG WAS PREPARED TO HELP WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
IN IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT. 
 
6. MS. NHAN WELCOMED US DELEGATIONS THAT COULD BRING 
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ON ADDRESSING URBAN DEVELOPMENT 
ISSUES.  SHE SAID THE CITY ALSO WELCOMED TRADE MISSIONS 
AND BUSINESS DELEGATIONS.  ACG ADDED THAT THE 
INCREASING NUMBER OF VISITING US DELEGATIONS, WHETHER 
GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE, WOULD CONSTITUTE A POOL OF US 
INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS WHO SUPPORT HCMC'S, AND 
VIETNAM'S, EFFORTS TO DEVELOP. 
 
BIO-INFORMATION 
--------------- 
 
7. MS. HUYNH THI NHAN (VIETNAMESE NAME ORDER: LAST 
NAME, MIDDLE NAME, FIRST NAME) WAS BORN IN 1951 IN 
SAIGON.  SHE HAS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN LAW AND A 
MASTER'S DEGREE IN ECONOMICS.  IN MAY 2001, SHE WAS 
APPOINTED HCMC PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE VICE-CHAIRWOMAN IN 
CHARGE OF BUDGET AND FINANCE.  PREVIOUSLY, SHE WAS 
DIRECTOR OF THE HCMC DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND PRICING. 
PRIOR TO THAT, SHE WAS CHAIRWOMAN OF THE HOC MON 
DISTRICT (HCMC) PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE. 
 
TANNENBAUM 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED