Foreigners who violate Vietnamese waters for illegal mineral mining could be fined up to VND1 billion (US$47,800), according to a new law voted by lawmakers on Wednesday.

The management of sea, islands and continental shelf is among the fields where administrative violations are subject to the new, higher fines stipulated by the Law on Handling Administrative Violations, the VnExpress newswire reported.

Under the law, violators could be fined between VND50,000 ($2.38) and VND1 billion in case of individuals, and between VND100,000 and VND2 billion, in case of organizations.

The current maximum fine is VND500 million ($23,800).

Other areas targeted by the new law includes nuclear and radioactive substances management, currency, banks, mining and environmental protection, it said.

At its Wednesday sitting, the National Assembly also allowed cities to impose higher-than-regulated fines for administrative violations in the fields of transportation, environment, and social security.

Cities' authorities can adjust the fines in accordance with their conditions, but the difference cannot exceed twice the amount fixed for other localities.

Like us on Facebook and scroll down to share your comment