The Standing Committee of the Dong Loc Commune Party Committee has instructed the Commune People's Committee to request the competent authorities to inspect and handle the Samurai Project.
Upon receiving information from the article "Silence at the Samurai Nghi Thach Project" published by Nghe An Newspaper and broadcast on radio and television, the Standing Committee of the Dong Loc Commune Party Committee instructed the Commune People's Committee to submit a report and request the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant departments and agencies to inspect and review the project…
Petition from Dong Loc commune
On July 6, 2025, the online publication baonghean.vn of Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television published an article titled "A moment of silence at the Samurai Nghi Thach Project"The content focuses on reflecting on the existing problems on the land where Samurai Co., Ltd. is implementing its project in Nghi Thach commune, Nghi Loc district (formerly), now Dong Loc commune, Nghe An province.
Following the information in the article, the Standing Committee of the Dong Loc Commune Party Committee held a meeting with the Commune People's Committee, and subsequently issued Conclusion Notice No. 08-TB/DU dated July 11, 2025, with the following content:
“The Samurai Project was granted land lease by the Provincial People's Committee under Decision No. 705/QD-UBND dated December 12, 2014; Land lease contract No. 81/HD-TD dated April 17, 2015 between the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (authorized by the Provincial People's Committee) and Samurai Co., Ltd., the land area for the project is 15,525m².2Currently, the project is still in its early stages.
The press has published articles and recommendations regarding numerous shortcomings that lead to land waste, affect aesthetics, create negative consequences for local residents, and create difficulties for local authorities in managing land, especially construction and environmental sanitation. To strengthen land and construction management in the area, the Standing Committee of the Party Committee has assigned the People's Committee of the commune:
- We request that the Provincial People's Committee direct relevant departments and agencies to inspect, review, and urge the investor to expedite the project's implementation.
- "Strengthen the management of construction activities in the project area to prevent illegal construction."
According to Mr. Phung Ngoc Tu, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dong Loc commune, after receiving instructions from the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, the People's Committee of the commune inspected the project's current status, gathered relevant documents, and will soon submit a report and recommendations to the competent authorities; at the same time, they will respond to Nghe An Newspaper and radio and television as required.
Mr. Phung Ngoc Tu also stated that the Samurai Company Limited's project has been of concern to local voters, who have submitted petitions for many years. Meanwhile, the project lacks complete legal procedures, but there are indications that Samurai Company Limited has raised funds through capital contribution contracts.
The households and individuals who paid the company had a need to conduct business or rent out their properties for commercial purposes, thus giving rise to the problem of illegal construction. Therefore, immediately after the Dong Loc commune government officially began operations, it was determined that the outstanding issues at the Samurai Co., Ltd. project needed to be resolved definitively.
“The project land has been converted from production and business land to residential land. However, the investor has not completed the relevant procedures as required, and the project has dragged on for many years, causing negative consequences and leading to many concerns from voters. Over the years, the local authorities have repeatedly reported to the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments and agencies. The project has also been inspected by several provincial delegations, but no final conclusion has been reached yet. Therefore, the Dong Loc Commune People's Committee will soon submit a report requesting the competent authorities to consider and resolve the issue definitively…”, said Mr. Phung Ngoc Tu, Vice Chairman of the Dong Loc Commune People's Committee.
The project is facing legal procedural obstacles.
According to documents collected by reporters, on December 12, 2014, by Decision No. 705/QD-UBND, the Provincial People's Committee leased 15,525 square meters of land to Samurai Co., Ltd.2Land in Nghi Thach commune, Nghi Loc district (formerly) for use in non-agricultural production and business purposes (construction of a factory for manufacturing and assembling refrigeration equipment and household appliances).
The land lease was subsequently implemented through Land Lease Contract No. 81/HĐ-TĐ dated April 17, 2015, between the former Nghe An Department of Natural Resources and Environment (authorized by the Provincial People's Committee) and Samurai Co., Ltd. Article 1 of Contract No. 81/HĐ-TĐ clearly states the land use purpose as "Construction of a factory for manufacturing and assembling refrigeration and household appliances"; while Article 3 stipulates that "The use of the leased land must be consistent with the land use purpose stated in Article 1 of this Contract".
However, on April 6, 2016, Samurai Co., Ltd. submitted a request to the People's Committee of Nghe An province to change the land use purpose from production and business land to residential land. Following Samurai Co., Ltd.'s request, on April 12, 2016, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Official Letter No. 2269/UBND.DC assigning the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with the former Departments of Construction, Planning and Investment, and the former People's Committee of Nghi Loc district to review and provide feedback.
In fulfilling its assigned task, the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment consulted with the aforementioned departments and the former People's Committee of Nghi Loc District, and subsequently submitted Document No. 2797/STNMT-QLDD dated May 30, 2016, regarding "Changing land use purpose for project implementation in Nghi Thach commune, Nghi Loc district" to the Provincial People's Committee.
Document No. 2797/STNMT-QLÐÐ shows that the departments and the People's Committee of Nghi Loc district (formerly) determined that Samurai Co., Ltd.'s request to change the land use purpose from production and business land to residential land was appropriate; they unanimously proposed that the People's Committee of Nghe An province consider and approve the policy allowing Samurai Co., Ltd. to change the land use purpose from production and business land to residential land in Nghi Thach commune, Nghi Loc district (formerly).
From here, the project for the manufacturing and assembly plant of refrigeration and household appliances, invested by Samurai Co., Ltd., had its land use purpose changed from production and business land to residential land according to Decision No. 3755/QD-UBND dated June 1, 2016, of the Provincial People's Committee. On July 14, 2016, the detailed 1/500 scale land plot subdivision plan for residential land in Nghi Thach commune - Nghi Loc district (formerly) was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 4422/QD-UBND.
However, in 2017, the Samurai Company Limited project was included in the group of slow-progress investment projects inspected by the inter-agency team (according to Decision No. 1076/QD-UBND.DT dated March 21, 2017 of the Provincial People's Committee).
After inspection, the inter-agency team made the following observations:"The investor has not completed the necessary procedures and documents before implementing the residential land project as required by law, but the company has already constructed some infrastructure components."; and recommends to the Provincial People's Committee:“…there is a written reprimand to Samurai Co., Ltd. for changing the land use purpose without having all the necessary procedures and approved documents, and without paying the land use conversion fee for the project as required; at the same time, the company is required to fulfill all financial obligations regarding land to the State from the date the Provincial People's Committee allowed the land lease until now before proceeding with further procedures when preparing the application for changing the land use purpose.”
The opinions and recommendations of the aforementioned inter-agency delegation served as the basis for the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee's directive on December 8, 2017, in Decision No. 5937/QD-UBND regarding the handling of delayed projects in the province:“The People's Committee of Nghi Loc District is tasked with inspecting and handling land-related violations in accordance with the law; requiring the investor to fulfill their financial obligations to the State before December 30, 2017. A report proposing a solution should be submitted to the Department of Planning and Investment before December 30, 2017, for submission to the Provincial People's Committee.”
Following this, the People's Committee of Nghi Loc district (formerly) inspected and penalized Samurai Co., Ltd. for its violations; the investor also deposited investment funds… However, the legality of the land subdivision project in Nghi Thach commune has become a matter of concern and is being questioned.
Specifically, on August 24, 2020, by Document No. 5692/UBND-NN, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the former Department of Planning and Investment to take the lead in coordinating with the former Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the former Department of Construction to review the process and procedures for implementing the residential land subdivision project in Nghi Thach commune…
Samurai Co., Ltd. received approval from the Provincial People's Committee for the investment plan of the residential land subdivision project in Nghi Thach commune, Nghi Loc district (formerly) in Decision No. 2425/QD.UBND dated June 7, 2017. Accordingly, the project has a land area of 15,252m².2The project has a total investment of over 27 billion VND and an operating period of 40 years. It comprises two functional areas: a residential area with a total area of 10,178.76 m².2(75 lots); commercial and service area with an area of 564.08m².2The remaining area consists of roads and drainage ditches.
