Monitoring the conversion of forest use purposes to implement the Ban Mong Reservoir Project

The delegation included Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thuy - Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment; representatives of the Department of Construction Management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and members of the delegation.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were comrades of the Provincial Party Executive Committee: Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Thai Thi An Chung - Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Phung Thanh Vinh - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; representatives of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Planning and Investment, Ban Mong Reservoir Project Management Board, Irrigation Investment and Construction Management Board 4; representatives of the leaders of Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Quy Chau districts and related departments and offices.

The Ban Mong Reservoir Project, Nghe An Province, located in Nghe An and Thanh Hoa Provinces, was approved by the Prime Minister in Document No. 154/TTg-NN dated January 20, 2006, and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Decision No. 1478/QD.BNN-XD dated May 26, 2009. The project is invested with government bond capital managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The project includes the following components: Headworks, canal system in the irrigation area taking water directly from Ban Mong Lake; Pumping stations taking water from Hieu River and the canal system, works on the canal; Compensation, site clearance, resettlement in Nghe An province; Hydropower projects.

After nearly 14 years, up to now, the project has completed about 95% of the volume of the headworks component, the canal system in the irrigation area taking water directly from Ban Mong Lake and the headworks cluster of the reservoir; deployed 8/27 pumping stations as approved in the component of pumping stations taking water from Hieu River.

Regarding the compensation, site clearance, migration and resettlement components, the project has cleared 1,199 ha/2,276 ha of land; relocated 170 households with 511 people in Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau), with a compensation amount of 165.53 billion VND; Doc 77 resettlement area for 73 households, under construction of resettlement area in the auxiliary dam area 1 for 24 households; Chau Binh flood prevention works, construction has reached about 80%.

According to Resolution No. 135 of the National Assembly, in Nghe An province, the total forest area allowed to be converted to other purposes to implement the project is 544.77 hectares, including 130.25 hectares of natural forest and 414.52 hectares of planted forest, corresponding to the total amount of money to be paid for replacement forestation is 36,237.15 million VND (with the unit price at the time of making the plan being 45 million VND/ha).

Currently, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has changed the purpose of forest use to other purposes for 88.33 hectares of natural forest and 271.79 hectares of planted forest, corresponding to the amount of replacement forest planting fee that the investor must pay to the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund of 24,155.1 million VND (the investor has paid 20,000 million VND). The remaining area has not yet had a decision to change the purpose of forest use to other purposes and is waiting for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to continue arranging the replacement forest planting fee.

The total amount that the investor needs to continue to allocate to implement the conversion of forest use purposes according to the Resolution of the National Assembly and the plan approved by the Provincial People's Committee is 16,237.15 million VND. Of which: 4,155.1 million VND has been decided to convert forest use purposes to other purposes but has not yet paid, and 12,122.05 million VND for the area that has not been converted to other purposes.

Regarding the land acquisition work of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project in Nghe An province, there are 170 households that must be relocated. After receiving full compensation and support according to State regulations, including support for career conversion training. For these households, production and life are now stable.

At the monitoring session, members and relevant sectors of the province and Quy Chau district focused on discussing the conversion of forest land use purposes, replacement forest planting and the progress of resettlement area implementation for households affected by the project.

Working with the working delegation, on behalf of the Provincial People's Committee, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Thanh Vinh requested the Prime Minister to direct relevant ministries and branches to soon allow adjustments to investment policies and arrange sufficient capital to ensure proper implementation of the set plan.

It is recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development consider expanding the scope of forest planting; consider allowing investment in the regeneration promotion enclosure project with additional forest planting to ensure that the forest area that has been converted to other purposes of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project and other projects is planted with replacement forests right in the province.

Instruct localities on the procedures for transferring unused funds from the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund to the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund to organize replacement forest planting in other localities.

Through the opinions at the conference, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Nguyen Thi Le Thuy acknowledged the locality's efforts in allocating sufficient area and implementing replacement forestation according to the National Assembly's Resolution. At the same time, she requested the province to review the site clearance and resettlement work; clarify the total number of households affected by the project, including how many households have been arranged and stabilized, etc.

The monitoring delegation received recommendations and proposals from the People's Committee of Nghe An province and relevant localities and units to report to the National Assembly to resolve difficulties and create conditions to speed up the project's progress.