The local government of the central province of Quang Ngai has assigned the provincial inspectorate department to look into the implementation of the hygiene and clean water program, in which a number of school restrooms have been found to bear unreasonably high expenses.

The inspectorate department should form a team to carry out the task by next Tuesday, Cao Khoa, chairman of the province said on Friday.

Quang Ngai’s education department has been grabbing local media attention over the last few weeks for its controversial investment in 24 clean water facilities and restrooms since 2010, costing more than VND12.27 billion (US$589,904).

The minimum cost of a bathroom is VND300 million, and the highest is VND750 million.

The facilities are said to be worth more than they should be, argument that is backed by the fact that its neighbor Quang Nam province, some 115km south of Quang Ngai, have far larger areas compared to those in the latter province, but are much cheaper to build.

The largest sum ever spent on a similar project in Quang Nam is only VND160 million, while a single facility in Quang Ngai is worth VND600 million.

Both were built under the national program for hygiene and clean water, managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Unanswered questions

Under pressure from the public, the education department held a media meeting on Thursday, but the people in charge failed to have a satisfactory answer on the issue.

The department director Do Van Phu admitted at the meeting that there are some problems with the constructions, and his department will form an inspectorate team for checks.

The department, however, refused to take two questions from Tuoi Tre and Nguoi Lao Dong newspapers, regarding the exorbitant expenses of the restrooms.

No answer was made when Tuoi Tre asked why the department had to hire different designers for the constructions, even though they are required to follow the same model from the education ministry.

The designing and consultant fees account for up to 15 percent of a construction’s total expenses.

The department also kept silent when Nguoi Lao Dong reiterated the information that five restrooms in Quang Nam cost only VND700 million, equaling to only a single facility in Quang Ngai.

Finally, asked if there is corruption in the investment, Phu said: “We cannot say anything about it at the moment.”

The director said they need to wait for an official conclusion from the inspectorates and supervisors about the issue.