The HCM City People's Committee has rejected a petition by local authorities in a district to allow an unlicensed private children's shelter to obtain a licence and continue functioning.

Children and orphans at the Hanh Phuc House in Binh Chanh District, HCM City. — Photo phapluattp.vn

It instructed the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to work with the Binh Chanh District People's Committee to shut down Hanh Phuc House, which houses 32 needy children and orphans aged seven to 23.

Hua Ngoc Thuan, deputy chairman of the People's Committee, did not approve the district committee's suggestion that the shelter should move to another larger place to satisfy the official stipulation that such facilities should have a minimum area of 30sq.m for each child.

In 2013 Nguyen Van Hoang and Ngo Thi Kim Van, the couple who run the shelter, were given a deadline to close after ward officials found they had no licence. The deadline was extended several times.

In late June officials from the central Social Welfare Department visited the place and urged district labour authorities to help it get a licence to avoid closure.