High-quality green tea project has not been implemented yet...'stillborn'
(Baonghean.vn) - Expected to solve the problem of job creation for cadres and team members after the dissolution of the Youth Volunteer Team 1, however, the Project to build a factory to produce Japanese green tea and high-quality green tea of Viet Phat Company (headquartered in Hanoi) did not proceed as planned.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
The 1st Youth Volunteer Team is the first Youth Volunteer - Economic Construction unit of Nghe An province, established after the war in 1986, under the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union, to implement the policy of building a Youth Volunteer - Economic Construction model in the area of 3 communes: Long Son, Khai Son, Cao Son (Anh Son district). It was once assessed as a fast and effective developing unit, becoming a typical model, a bright spot in socio-economic development in the mountainous area of Anh Son district in particular and Nghe An province in general. On this occasion, we returned to the headquarters of the team located in Long Son commune; different from the previous scene, now the desolate tea hills, damaged roads and abandoned headquarters made many people feel sad.
The story of the dissolution of the 1st Youth Volunteer Team has been mentioned by Nghe An Newspaper in several recent articles.However, if we consider the Plan to dissolve this unit approved by the Provincial People's Committee along with Decision No. 4917/QD-UBND dated October 28, 2015, it is clear that the set goal has not been achieved.
Specifically, before the dissolution plan was approved, on December 29, 2014, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 7423/QD-UBND.CN on approving the investment policy of the Project to build a factory to produce Japanese green tea and high-quality green tea (referred to as the Japanese green tea project) in Long Son commune (Anh Son), of Viet Phat Trading and Service Joint Stock Company (Viet Phat Company, headquartered in Hanoi, with Mr. Nguyen Xuan Truong as legal representative). The project implementation location is the land for building the headquarters currently managed and used by the Youth Union 1. The total land area used to implement the project is about 10,077m22; operating capacity is about 25-30 tons of raw materials/day, with a total expected investment of 15 billion VND.
By March 18, 2015, the detailed construction plan 1/500 for this project was also approved by the Provincial People's Committee. In which, the total construction area of the project is 2,478.34m2, with items such as: Production workshop, office building, conference hall, service house, traffic corridor, other auxiliary items... Also according to the decision approving the planning, the investor is responsible for completing related procedures to start construction within 12 months and completing the investment to put the project into use within a maximum period of 24 months from the effective date of the decision.
Shortly after the detailed planning of this project was approved, on April 14, 2015, the Provincial People's Committee granted an Investment Certificate to Viet Phat Company. In 2017, assets on the land of the 1st Youth Volunteer Corps such as: Level 4 Cultural House, 2-storey office building, level 1 hall, 2 trucks... were also auctioned to Viet Phat Company for more than 726 million VND.
To implement this project, Viet Phat Company has committed to take responsibility for accepting all cadres of the Youth Volunteer Corps 1 to work for the company; ensuring the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies... according to State regulations; prioritizing job creation for team members and their children working at the factory. At the same time, it is responsible for purchasing all tea products of the Youth Volunteer Corps 1 and the people in the area, as well as fully performing the company's obligations to the locality.
"BITTER FRUIT"
The appearance of the Japanese Green Tea Project once made the members of the Youth Union 1 very excited. However, what happened afterwards was completely opposite. Instead of implementing the project as initially committed as well as on documents and papers approved by the authorities, the investor did not implement it, even though it was allowed to extend the progress in 2018.
Then, after the deadline, in 2020, this investment project was canceled and related decisions were revoked. The reason given was that the project had exceeded the implementation time according to the investment registration schedule and the allowed extension time, but land procedures had not been completed and construction had not been implemented on the ground.
On July 23, 2020, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 2441/QD.UBND terminating the implementation of decisions of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee related to the Japanese green tea project in Long Son commune.
It is worth mentioning that the Project to build a Japanese green tea factory was implemented to contribute to improving production capacity, improving the lives of people and team members at the Youth Volunteer Corps 1 and to ensure the legitimate rights of workers, and to properly manage facilities and state assets at the Youth Volunteer Corps 1. However, it "died young" before the Youth Volunteer Corps 1 officially decided to dissolve (October 19, 2021).
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hao - former Head of Organization - Administration Department, Youth Volunteer Team 1, currently Secretary of Party Cell 8, Long Son Commune said: At the time the Provincial People's Committee approved the plan to dissolve Youth Volunteer Team 1, the unit had more than 130 cadres and team members, of which about 60 people paid social insurance.
Mr. Hao was also on the list to transfer to work for Viet Phat Company. However, when the project failed, the staff and team members had to contact and find other jobs for themselves, including paying social insurance, just hoping to reach retirement age to receive their pension.
According to Mr. Hao, after the dissolution plan was approved, 110 households of the Youth Volunteer Team 1 with more than 300 people were transferred to Hamlet 8, Long Son Commune; 24 households to Khai Son Commune and 17 households to Cao Son Commune. However, due to the land handover procedures not being completed, from 2014 until now, almost all households have been cultivating freely. From about 200 hectares of industrial tea when handed over, it has now decreased by about 40 hectares because some households have switched to growing acacia and cassava. Not to mention that although tea is grown, there is no fixed unit to consume the products, so the output is also very unstable.
Mr. Dang Van Chuong - former Deputy Commander of the 1st Youth Volunteer Team expressed his concern: Why was the Japanese Green Tea Factory Construction Project terminated more than 1 year before the 1st Youth Volunteer Team officially decided to dissolve, without any other backup plan, such as calling for other units to invest, or building a plan to restructure and reorganize the 1st Youth Volunteer Team to develop more effectively, instead of dissolving, leaving the problems that have lasted for many years still unresolved.
According to Decision No. 2441 of the Provincial People's Committee, after terminating the implementation of the Provincial People's Committee's decisions on the Japanese Green Tea Factory Construction Project, the Anh Son District People's Committee is assigned to coordinate with relevant departments, branches and agencies to propose a solution to handle the project land in accordance with legal regulations.
Mr. Bui Cong An - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Anh Son district, said that although the project to build a Japanese green tea factory has ended, Viet Phat Company still has assets on the land that won the auction, and has not built anything more. If this unit continues to implement the project, it must redo the procedures and processes to be leased land by the State. If there is a new investor, this unit must handle the assets to hand over the site.
Obviously, the dissolution of the 1st Youth Volunteer Corps is a “fait accompli”, this is also a big lesson in the dissolution, merger or reorganization of enterprises and units that the State is controlling. Although it may not be possible to change the decisions, it is necessary to immediately resolve issues related to land handover for effective management, avoiding prolongation which will cause frustration for the people, even leading to illegal transfers, making it difficult to handle later.