Soon restore order in wood chip industry
The provincial People's Committee has just issued specific instructions to re-establish order in wood processing and chipping activities in the area. Also related to the forestry sector, Nghe An Newspaper reporters received information that there are currently "suspended" plans that are hindering development...
Nhat Lan • July 26, 2024
On July 19, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 6089/UBND-NN to relevant Departments, branches, units and districts and towns with wood chipping activities, including: Nghia Dan, Quynh Luu, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong, Con Cuong, Nghi Loc, Tan Ky, Thai Hoa, Hoang Mai.
According to the Provincial People's Committee, wood chipping activities in the province in recent times have "Brought many positive results such as consuming most of the raw wood from planted forests in the province, providing raw materials for the wood processing industry; creating more jobs for people participating in the process of exploiting, transporting and processing planted wood; promoting the movement of planting raw forest, gradually improving the lives and incomes of forest growers, contributing to stabilizing the socio-economy, security and defense in rural and mountainous areas, making the most of wood products; creating significant economic resources contributing to the economic development of the province...".
However, there are still some limitations, shortcomings and violations. Specifically, the legal awareness of some business owners, especially business households, is still limited, some establishments are built and operated without full procedures as prescribed. Some local authorities at district and commune levels have not strictly implemented their state management responsibilities; have not promptly inspected, detected and prevented violations when they first arise; the inspection and handling of violations have not been thorough and lack determination, leading to the situation where the inspected establishments do not comply or do not fully comply with the penalty decision, causing negative public opinion. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen state management and continue to rectify wood chip processing and chopping activities in the whole province.
With the People's Committees of the above districts and towns, the Provincial People's Committee directs to strengthen state management in all fields, closely coordinate with departments, branches, sectors, the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone, regularly direct the People's Committees of communes, wards and towns to propagate, urge and remind establishments with wood chip processing and chopping activities in the assigned management areas to strictly comply with the provisions of the law on investment, construction, land, environment, industrial management, forest product management, fire prevention and fighting and rescue... Proactively conduct inspections and checks to detect, prevent, rectify and handle according to authority or advise on timely and decisive handling, in accordance with the law, of violations (if any) of wood chip processing and chopping establishments; absolutely do not let violations persist, causing difficulties in handling. Particularly for establishments that have been administratively sanctioned, it is recommended to monitor and urge the compliance with sanction decisions by the establishment owners; inspect, verify, and enforce cases that meet the conditions for enforcement.
The Provincial People's Committee also requested localities to verify and handle the shortcomings and limitations of wood chip processing and chopping facilities that the Interdisciplinary Delegation has pointed out in accordance with legal regulations; the implementation results shall be reported to the Provincial People's Committee before August 15, 2024. The Provincial People's Committee emphasized: "Any locality that does not implement or does not implement seriously, allowing violations to recur, the Chairman of the District and Town People's Committee must be responsible to the Provincial People's Committee and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee".
In any locality that does not implement or does not implement seriously, allowing violations to recur, the Chairman of the District or Town People's Committee must be responsible before the Provincial People's Committee and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.
Excerpt from Document No. 6089/UBND-NN dated July 19, 2024 of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee
For establishments engaged in wood processing and chipping activities, the Provincial People's Committee requires them to fully and seriously comply with the provisions of the law in relevant state management fields when conducting wood processing and chipping activities; review the operations of their establishments to promptly supplement and complete missing documents and procedures to ensure production and business activities comply with legal regulations; coordinate with local authorities and competent agencies to handle and remedy the consequences of violations that have been pointed out.
In addition, the Provincial People's Committee also assigned tasks to the Departments of Planning and Investment, Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Rural Development, Provincial Police and the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone. Notably, the Department of Planning and Investment, in addition to continuing to strengthen state management in the investment sector, is assigned to: "Take the lead in coordinating with relevant agencies to advise the Provincial People's Committee to approve/adjust investment policies, and at the same time approve investors in projects related to forest product processing activities under the authority of the People's Committee according to the provisions of the law on investment; coordinate with departments, branches and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to manage and guide investors in implementing projects in accordance with regulations. Based on the scope, functions and assigned authority, handle or advise on handling violations (if any) in accordance with the provisions of law".
Regarding the field of wood chip and hash processing, on July 17, 2024, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued an official dispatch requesting the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to review and clarify the reflection of the Wood and Forest Products Processing Association with the following content: "After the Inspection Team (the Interdisciplinary Team established under Decision 3967/QD-UBND dated December 1, 2023 of the Provincial People's Committee) ended the inspection period, in some localities, many new wood chip processing facilities were established without the competent authorities approving the investment policy".
Following the work of rectifying wood processing and chipping activities of the Provincial People's Committee, on July 18, 2024, Nghe An Newspaper also reported this content in the article "Quickly verify information reflecting the appearance of many new wood chip factories”.
Talking with leaders of the People's Committees of some districts, they affirmed that there were no new illegal wood chip processing facilities established in the area. However, some localities have reported that the planning of raw material areas for forest product processing projects has been "suspended" for many years. This situation is an obstacle in calling for investment in forest product processing projects, affecting the socio-economic development tasks of the locality. One of the "suspended" plans mentioned is the planning of raw material areas for the factory producing biomass fuel in the form of pellets, invested by Tuan Loc Construction Investment Joint Stock Company. A leader of a district People's Committee said: "The planning of raw material areas for the project invested by Tuan Loc Construction Investment Joint Stock Company has been in place since 2016, but the district has never welcomed investors. Meanwhile, local people really need forest product processing projects to facilitate the consumption of acacia wood raw materials...".
It is known that the planning of raw material areas for the biomass pellet production plant, invested by Tuan Loc Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 1413/QD-UBND dated April 5, 2016. Decision No. 1413/QD-UBND clearly states that the planning area is implemented in 67 communes of 4 districts: Con Cuong, Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Tan Ky with a total area of 35,754 hectares; and, Tuan Loc Construction Investment Joint Stock Company is responsible for coordinating with the authorities of the 4 districts to effectively implement the planning, ensuring the set economic, social and environmental goals. However, 8 years and 3 months have passed, within the planned area there has not been any impact from Tuan Loc Construction Investment Joint Stock Company!
