Mr. Vo Kim Cu said 3 sentences about granting 70-year investment license to Formosa

Regarding the 70-year investment license for Formosa, the former Secretary of Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee said that the Prime Minister had made a conclusion and was not wrong.

Mr. Vo Kim Cu

At a recent government press conference, Government Spokesperson and Minister and Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung officially announced:

After a careful, scientific, objective and methodical working process, on June 28, 2016, Formosa Ha Tinh admitted responsibility for causing the above environmental incident that caused mass fish deaths in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue.

Regarding this information, speaking with us this morning (July 4), Mr. Vo Kim Cu, currently Chairman of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance and former Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee, said that the conclusion of the authorities was very clear and he had no comments.

According to the conclusion of the Government Inspectorate announced in March 2015, the Formosa factory project was granted an investment license for 70 years by the Vung Ang Economic Zone Management Board (now the Ha Tinh Provincial Economic Zone Management Board) without the Government's consent, which exceeded its authority and showed signs of violating the law.

Regarding this information, Mr. Vo Kim Cu stated: "No, the Prime Minister has concluded, you should review the file, the Prime Minister has a written conclusion. That's right. Previously, the Inspectorate did 2-3 rounds."

Mr. Cu also said he was busy in a meeting so he could not answer any further related information.

Previously, at the announcement of the Government Inspectorate's Inspection conclusion on the Formosa project, according to the Government Inspectorate, based on Article 52 of the 2005 Investment Law, the operation period of a foreign-invested project must be consistent with the project's operational requirements and not exceed 50 years.

If necessary, the Government shall decide on a longer term for the project but not exceeding 70 years.

Comparing with the records at the time of inspection, according to the Government Inspectorate, the Government has not yet given any opinion allowing the project's operating period to exceed 50 years.

Notably, this is an FDI project located in a rather sensitive area (a seaport area related to national security and defense), so it needs to be clearly defined to create consensus as well as in the process of implementing and managing project activities after investment.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Vo Kim Cu, then Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province, admitted that the Vung Ang Economic Zone Management Board's granting of an investment license for a period of 70 years without the Government's consent was inappropriate.

The People's Committee of Ha Tinh province has sent a written report to the Prime Minister and the Government Inspectorate.

"After reviewing the report and explanation of Ha Tinh province, the Prime Minister allowed the 70-year term in the investment certificate granted to the project to continue to be maintained," said Mr. Cu, then Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee.

In the inspection conclusion at that time, the Government Inspectorate also stated that Ha Tinh had made a number of shortcomings in planning, investment policies, selecting investors, appraising, approving and checking the progress of the project at the "water supply and drainage project for the Vung Ang economic zone".

In addition, the Government Inspectorate also pointed out that in some investment projects to build domestic water supply works and in the management and use of land in some other investment projects in the area, Ha Tinh also encountered some limitations and shortcomings in compensation, support and site clearance.

Regarding these contents, Mr. Vo Kim Cu and the leaders of Ha Tinh province acknowledged that the conclusion of the Government Inspectorate was objective and committed to seriously accepting, overcoming and correcting the violations.

Mr. Cu said: "Some have been handled, some are being handled and will be seriously handled for the above shortcomings."

The person who is considered to have made a great mark in the process of implementing the construction of the Vung Ang economic zone as well as the Formosa complex is Mr. Vo Kim Cu. He was the Head of the Vung Ang Economic Zone Management Board, then Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and then Secretary of the Ha Tinh Provincial Party Committee.

During the "great campaign" to clear the land for the Formosa complex project, many interesting and dramatic stories were told by Ha Tinh leaders, including the image of Mr. Cu, who was then the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, often present at hot spots to give direct instructions.

Later, as a Formosa representative admitted, without the drastic intervention of leaders at all levels, the site clearance would hardly have achieved the expected results.

According to Young Knowledge