Tien Thuy (Quynh Luu): The commune government 'forgot' the province's instructions?

(Baonghean) - In 2016, the Provincial People's Committee directed the authorities of coastal districts and towns to give priority to petroleum businesses to rent land and expand their business locations in accordance with regulations to ensure fire safety. However, in Tien Thuy commune, this content was not given attention...

Businesses are worried

At the end of March 2016, 8 private enterprises trading in petroleum in Tien Thuy commune (Ngoc Ly Enterprise, Ba Lu Enterprise, Thanh Thuong Enterprise, Ly Ngoc Enterprise, Dinh Toan Enterprise, Trung Viet Enterprise, Nhung Tri Enterprise) sent a petition to Nghe An Newspaper stating: They have been trading in petroleum since 1988; mainly supplying diesel oil for fishermen to go offshore to catch seafood and participate in protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands.

Previously, all businesses were granted a Certificate of Eligibility for Petroleum Business by the Department of Industry and Trade. However, when the Government issued Decree No. 83/2014/ND-CP, their business locations were no longer suitable because they did not meet the land area regulations.

Gas stations of 8 businesses near Lach Quen port have small areas and do not meet business conditions. Photo: Nhat Lan

In 2016, they learned that the Provincial People's Committee had proposed many solutions to remove obstacles for petroleum businesses in the whole province; in which, for coastal businesses whose business locations do not guarantee area, districts and towns will give priority to leasing land to expand stores.

Also in 2016, Tien Thuy commune planned a land area for production and business on the Hau river embankment. Enterprises submitted applications early in the hope of being considered for relocation of business locations to continue serving fishermen.

However, the Chairman of Tien Thuy Commune People's Committee replied that the land fund in the new planning area had run out. Meanwhile, according to the investigation, the individuals who were considered for land allocation by Tien Thuy Commune People's Committee were not for the purpose of petroleum business; the land allocation was uneven, some people were given 2,000m2, some people from other provinces were still considered for land allocation!

Also in the petition, 8 businesses expressed their concerns because they did not understand why the province's policy for petroleum businesses was very clear, but when there was land fund, the commune government did not implement the province's policy?

Regarding Tien Thuy commune, the 8 businesses listed in the petition all have gas stations right at Lach Quen port with a small area, in a densely populated area, so there is a risk of fire and explosion. Based on the regulations in Decree 83/2014/ND-CP of the Government on gas and oil trading, they are completely unqualified. Therefore, representatives of the 8 businesses, Ms. Do Thi Ly and Mr. Bui Manh Trang, confided that their business is closely connected with fishermen, from affection to business and production support.

Currently, the amount of fuel that hundreds of ships still owe is quite large. If they are not arranged a new location, they will have to suspend their business and go bankrupt. The consequence is that a large number of fishing boats of Quynh Luu fishermen will have difficulty in fueling to go out to sea to catch seafood.

Need to consider resolution

Talking to reporters, Secretary of the Tien Thuy Commune Party Committee, Mr. Ngo Quang Nuoi said that in a locality where people mainly work in fishing (accounting for about 65 - 70%), gasoline businesses have been in business for a long time and have a close relationship with fishermen; including providing adequate and timely fuel, and lending money to fishermen...

Regarding the difficulties in business locations of petroleum enterprises, according to Mr. Nuoi, ​​Tien Thuy, like many coastal communes, has very limited land funds. The entire commune has more than 390 hectares, of which only 1/3 is non-agricultural land; because of the large population, the service, trade and construction industries are strongly developed, so the land is even more difficult. Petroleum enterprises mostly operate on family land; up to now, most of them do not meet the regulations.

The characteristic of the petroleum business serving fishing boats is that it must be close to the riverbank, near the port, so finding suitable land is extremely difficult. The commune has considered mobilizing businesses to merge with each other, but it is difficult to do so. Therefore, it is aiming to exchange the land of households with houses near the port to another location, then put the petroleum business there.

When asked: "Has the Tien Thuy Commune Party Committee specified this concern in writing?", Mr. Nuoi said that there were opinions in meetings, and reporters need to work with the leaders of the Commune People's Committee to grasp the specifics.

Talking to Mr. Nguyen Van Uoc - Chairman of Tien Thuy Commune People's Committee about the petition of 8 petroleum business households, Mr. Uoc said that in 2016, the commune included in the planning and land use plan 8,000m2 to serve fishing logistics in the area near Lach Quen port. However, when building embankment No. 6, the land area was only nearly 3,000m2. According to Mr. Uoc, this was something the commune did not foresee, so the petition of petroleum business enterprises happened.

According to the initial land use plan, the commune has received land lease applications from local enterprises; submitted them to the commune's review board to approve 5 qualified enterprises to lease land (including 8 enterprises with applications filed by Ngoc Ly Enterprise) and submitted a report for each enterprise to the higher level. However, due to the narrowing land fund, only 3 enterprises were approved and approved by the competent authority to carry out land lease procedures; two enterprises no longer have land to lease, including Ngoc Ly Enterprise.

The production and business land area is nearly 3,000 square meters wide at embankment No. 6, Lach Quen Fishing Port. Photo: Nhat Lan

When asked: “There are opinions that the commune government is unfair. Among the businesses approved to rent land, there is Luc Sy Company Limited, a relative of the commune leader; besides, Tan Sang General Production and Trading Company Limited, the last business to submit the application, was approved to rent land,” Mr. Uoc said: “The commune has submitted a report to the higher level for all 5 businesses. The decision to approve which business to rent land is up to the higher level...”.

Mr. Uoc also affirmed: “The commune has publicly reviewed and submitted to the superiors of Ngoc Ly enterprise, not that they did not submit. The reason they were not allowed to rent the land is because the land fund has run out. Currently, the commune is also working with the district Department of Natural Resources and Environment to survey a nearby land plot and request the competent authority to allow them to rent it…”.

From the petition of 8 petroleum business households in Tien Thuy commune, we learned that, implementing the Government's direction, since April 2016, the Provincial People's Committee has considered and resolved difficulties and problems in the management of petroleum business activities.

In July 2016, the Department of Industry and Trade, after inspection, reported to the Provincial People's Committee on the current situation of existing problems; in which it acknowledged the role of enterprises and households trading petroleum in coastal areas and proposed a number of solutions to overcome them. On August 4, 2016, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 3744/QD-UBND approving the planning for the development of the petroleum trading network in Nghe An province until 2020, with a view to 2025.

In Decision No. 3744, 8 petroleum business households with applications in Tien Thuy commune are on the list of petroleum stores that must be renovated and upgraded. And the proposed solution is: "The People's Committees of districts, cities and towns develop plans and roadmaps for upgrading and require traders to implement them; give priority to traders who rent land to expand their stores and give priority to implementing issues related to procedures for upgrading and renovating stores".

Thus, it can be seen that the Provincial People's Committee is very close to removing existing obstacles for businesses and households trading in petroleum in coastal areas and proposing specific solutions. This content can be said to be both a solution and a direction of the Provincial People's Committee. Therefore, the proposal of 8 petroleum businesses in Tien Thuy commune is completely well-founded. The People's Committee of Quynh Luu district needs to inspect, clarify and have a direction to remove them so that these businesses can stabilize their petroleum business, continue to serve fishermen going offshore, develop the economy and affirm the sovereignty of the Fatherland's sea and islands./.

Nhat Lan