The Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project is one of the projects that has been "suspended" for a long time in the province. The detailed construction plan for this project was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in 2010 (in Decision No. 5349/QD-UBND dated November 5, 2010), but the investor has not taken any action to implement it. Most of the land area planned for the project has been abandoned, causing frustration among the households involved. This project has also caused all levels and sectors to spend a lot of time and effort on inspection, review, and discussion to find a solution.
With a total land area of 147,660m2On the southern bank of Vinh River in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City, Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project is planned to implement 5 main functional sub-areas. Including: Residential area (townhouses, villas, resettlement, housing for low-income people); Commercial service complex, high-rise apartments; Public area (kindergarten, cultural house); Traffic and public parking lot. Of which, the land area for building the villa area is 33,000m2; 29,000m2Construction of townhouses; 12,000m2Construction of commercial service complex and high-rise apartment building; 9,000m2Build 2 5-storey apartment buildings for low-income people; 3,600m2for public area attached to an international kindergarten; 8,000m2for building green areas, gymnasiums, sports facilities combined with clubhouses...
The responsibility of the investor is stipulated by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 5349/QD-UBND dated November 5, 2010 as follows: "Nghe An Petroleum Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company is responsible for completing relevant procedures to start construction within 12 months and completing construction and putting the project into use within 24 months from the effective date of this decision. In case the above progress is not ensured, the planning approved in this decision will be cancelled and Nghe An Petroleum Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company will not be reimbursed for the costs incurred related to the project".
However, when the Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project was approved, it was also in a "shelved" state. Then, after several times of "being" inspected for progress, by 2022, the project was "classified" into the group of slow-progress housing projects that must be considered for handling. In Official Dispatch No. 2790/UBND-CN dated April 20, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee "Assigned the Department of Planning and Investment to preside over and coordinate with the Departments of Construction, Natural Resources and Environment, Vinh City People's Committee and relevant agencies to review the conditions for approval of investment policies, change of land use purposes and other related conditions to consider continuing to implement the project in accordance with the provisions of law. In case of ineligibility, advise the Provincial People's Committee to cancel the project planning and handle related contents in accordance with current regulations".
Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, on June 3, 2022, the Department of Planning and Investment issued Official Dispatch No. 2052/SKHDT-DN on "reviewing the Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City, invested by Nghe An Petroleum Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company" to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Vinh City People's Committee and relevant agencies.
On June 22, 2022, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment issued Official Dispatch No. 3609/STNMT-QLDD in response to the Department of Planning and Investment. Here, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment affirmed that the Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project was not eligible to continue implementation, with the following specific content: “The Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City, invested by Nghe An Petroleum Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company, was approved by the Provincial People's Committee for a 1/500 planning; up to now, more than 10 years have passed but the investor has not completed the legal procedures to implement the project, which is too slow according to the province's requirements; in accordance with the land use planning scheme until 2030 that Vinh City is submitting to the competent authority for approval; not included in the 2021 Land Use Plan, the draft 2022 Land Use Plan of Vinh City.
The above project was also inspected by the slow-progress project inspection team and approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Official Dispatch No. 5124/UBND-CN dated July 18, 2016. Accordingly, the deadline for the above project to be completed is before July 30, 2018.
Therefore, based on Point b, Clause 1, Article 99, Decree No. 43/ND-CP dated May 15, 2014 of the Government, the above project is not eligible to continue implementing the project".
However, by the end of 2022 and most of 2023, the solution to the Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City is still a concern of competent authorities. On November 23, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee officially issued Decision No. 3833/QD-UBND to cancel Decision No. 5349/QD-UBND dated November 5, 2010 on approving the detailed construction plan of the Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project in Vinh Tan Ward, Vinh City and legal documents related to the project. The cancellation was for two reasons: "The investor has a written request to cancel the decision to approve the project. At the same time, the project cannot be implemented because it is not in accordance with the provisions of law at the present time".
Also in Decision No. 3833/QD-UBND dated November 23, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Vinh City People's Committee to coordinate with relevant departments, branches and agencies to propose a handling plan for the land planned to implement the Nghe An Petroleum Urban Area Project in Vinh Tan ward in accordance with legal regulations.
Implementing the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, on January 30, 2024, Vinh City People's Committee issued Document No. 592/UBND-QLDT assigning tasks to the Urban Management Department and Vinh Tan Ward People's Committee. Vinh Tan Ward People's Committee is assigned to review the current status and origin of the land proposed for the project, propose a plan to handle public assets; review compensation and site clearance for the implementation of the Petroleum Urban Area Project up to the present time; make a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of land use according to the current status, and the expected effectiveness of the project if converted; Assess the necessity of implementing the project investment; Assess the suitability of the project for the planning and socio-economic development plan of the ward; Give opinions on the compensation and site clearance plan for project implementation (ensuring livelihoods for people associated with economic structure); Contents related to land management and use; sanction violations in the fields of land and construction (if any); Other related content (if any)…
The Vinh City Urban Management Department is assigned to synthesize and advise on the proposed exploitation plan for the above land in accordance with the planning and land use plan approved by the Provincial People's Committee and other provisions of current law to promote effective land use, strengthen State management of land planning and construction to ensure compliance with regulations.
