Government office blockaded by construction debris

The pile of building waste, mainly made up of bricks and concrete, was strewn ascross the front gate of the  city’s tax office, forcing hundreds of people to scramble over to get into their workplace.

Ha Long city’s tax office blocked by construction debris. Photo by Minh Cuong

Several trucks were seen dumping the rubble the previous nights.

“We hired a dumpster to get rid of the debris. But the driver did not want to take the job. Our tax officials had no choice but to do it on our own. After we cleaned up the debris, that night, they continued to take more loads of concrete, piles of bricks and other unwanted building materials and dumped them at the entrance,” said Nguyen Huu Ban, head of the Ha Long municipal tax office.

Ban also said that he asked for help from related local authorities but none has yet been forthcoming.

A man climbing over a pile of construction waste to get into the tax office. Photo by Minh Cuong

There are plans for the tax office building to be demolished to make way for a 26-story tower with residential apartments and commercial centers.

Even though the project kicked off earlier this month, the tax office and the project's investor are yet agreed on compensation, according to a senior official from city’s tax authority.