Proposal to remove the regulation of minimum karaoke room size of 20 m2

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proposed removing the regulation requiring karaoke rooms to have a minimum usable area of 20 m2, as it has no fire safety significance.

The draft decree amending and supplementing several articles on regulations for operating karaoke and dance hall services is currently being developed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Along with removing the regulation requiring a minimum area of 20 m2 for karaoke rooms, the drafting agency also proposed removing the clause requiring dance halls to have an area of 80 m2 or more, excluding auxiliary facilities.

According to regulations from 2019, karaoke establishments and dance clubs must be located at least 200 meters away from schools, hospitals, religious institutions, and historical and cultural relics. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also proposed abolishing this regulation.

The drafting agency explained that the current regulations regarding the size of karaoke rooms and dance halls "are mandatory and create difficulties for businesses." In reality, however, most karaoke bars and dance halls are converted from family homes. Furthermore, the minimum size requirement doesn't provide any real assurance regarding fire safety.

In its comments on the draft, Hanoi City proposed maintaining the regulation on the minimum distance from karaoke bars and nightclubs to schools and hospitals. The reason is that these businesses use loud music, with high noise and vibration levels, affecting the surrounding community, especially places that require quiet such as schools, hospitals, and religious institutions.

The proposal to remove the minimum distance requirement also makes it difficult for local authorities to handle noise violations when karaoke bars and nightclubs play loud music. Authorities currently lack effective means to measure the intensity, volume, and vibration of sound emitted from these establishments.

The karaoke bar on Su Van Hanh Street, District 10, vacated its premises in February 2023. Photo: Quynh Tran — The karaoke bar on Su Van Hanh Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, vacated its premises in February 2023. Photo: *Quynh Tran*

Additionally, in the draft, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposes adding a regulation that karaoke establishments and dance clubs must comply with national technical standards and fire safety standards for this type of service.

In mid-November, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to study and revise regulations on granting business licenses for karaoke and dance hall services, streamlining the process and completing it by December. This directive was issued amidst requests from many karaoke business owners for guidance on fire safety standards to alleviate difficulties for the industry.

According to current regulations, district-level police are responsible for receiving applications and assessing and issuing certificates of eligibility regarding security, order, and management of establishments. Subsequently, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism grants licenses to karaoke and dance hall businesses that meet the requirements.

The requirements for licensing a karaoke establishment include ensuring fire safety and security. Karaoke rooms must be at least 20 square meters, excluding auxiliary facilities. Rooms must not have internal door locks. Dance halls must also meet fire safety requirements, with rooms at least 80 square meters, and no internal door locks.

Following the An Phu karaoke fire in Binh Duong province in September 2022, which killed 32 people, the Ministry of Public Security conducted a comprehensive inspection of karaoke establishments and tightened fire safety inspections, especially in major cities.

Viet Tuan

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