The Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources has meted out administrative fines, worth nearly VND1 billion, to 134 businesses in Ho Chi Minh City that were found to be in direct violation of environmental protection regulations.

To date the department has forced 1,261 production units, or 90 percent of the city-based factories and businesses causing the pollution to move to in the city's outskirts.

Inspectors found that the majority of the companies had failed to abide by new strict regulations that require waste treatment facilities to be built on site at manufacturing and processing facilities.