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Three out of four provinces affected by Taiwanese steel plant Formosa's toxic spill had completed damage reports based on compensation rates set by the Prime Minister as of October 28, said Vietnam's Agriculture Ministry at a meeting on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh instructed the four provinces, in cooperation with related ministries, to handle all the remaining toxic seafood by the end of November.
So far, compensation has reached fishermen in Thua Thien - Hue and Ha Tinh. The authorities are pushing for the remaining two provinces to disburse compensation in November.
The chairmen of the affected provinces will be held accountable for any delays or false damage reports, said Binh.
On the same day, Binh told fishermen in Ha Tinh not to listen to "bad people" who are inciting violence and having a negative impact on social order. Formosa's operations will be monitored closely with public oversight, and any recurrence could result in the plant being suspended, he added.
In early April, waste water from the Vietnamese unit of Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group killed tons of fish along some 200 kilometers of Vietnam’s central coastline.
About 41,000 fishermen and over 176,000 people dependent on the industry in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thin - Hue have been affected by the disaster, the government said in a report in July.
Formosa Ha Tinh Steel made a public apology and fulfilled its compensation commitment after transferring $500 million to the Vietnamese government in August.
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> Authorities cover school fees after central Vietnam's fish death disaster
