Vietnam to slap higher fines on public urination

• 5 million Vietnamese lack standard toilets

People who urinate in public will be fined VND1-3 million ($44-133) from February 1, 2017, according to a new government decree.

The fines have been raised significantly from the current $9-13.

Public urination is nothing strange in Vietnam, where there is an acute shortage of public toilets.

Phuong Luong, a VnExpress reader, said: “Frankly, I don’t want to pee in public but I still have to as I can’t find any public toilets, but I also want to be a civilized citizen.”

Data from Hanoi’s Department of Construction shows that the capital has 340 public toilets, but two thirds are located in residential areas and only 100 are situated along streets or at entertainment facilities.

Ho Chi Minh City faces the same problem with only 200 public toilets serving the needs of its 10 million residents and the 5 million foreign tourists that visit the city each year.

In the first seven months of 2016, Ho Chi Minh City penalized more than 1,500 people for urinating in public. Those who committed the act for the first time were fined $9 and ordered to clean up their mess.

The higher fines have been met with public approval but many say that more toilets should be installed before the new decree comes into effect in February.

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> 5 million Vietnamese lack standard toilets