Resolutely handle the 'suspended' project in Nghe An

(Baonghean) - In recent times, Nghe An has attracted many investment projects, creating breakthroughs, bringing a new look to the province's socio-economic development. However, there are still projects that have been implemented but are behind schedule or not implemented, affecting the province's investment environment; violating regulations and commitments in investment, causing resentment among the people.

» Voters of Cua Lo town propose to withdraw suspended project

» Vinh City: 'Suspended' project on 'golden' land

Projects "shelved"

As the economic center of the province, Vinh city has had hundreds of projects attracting investment in the area in recent times. Many projects play an important role in the construction and development of the city. However, Vinh city is currently facing many difficulties as many projects are still in a "shelved" state.

Hung Hoa Commune (Vinh City) is one of the localities with many projects that have been approved for detailed planning for many years, but have not yet been implemented by investors. For example, the Trade and Service Center Project in Hung Hoa Commune, invested by Nam Binh Trade and Service Company Limited, has a land area of ​​41,960m2, expected to be implemented from 2012. However, after 4 years, the project is still "marking time".

Similarly, the project of the Vietnam - Laos Economic Cooperation Corporation, which was launched in 2010 with the purpose of building an urban area and social housing with an area of ​​200 hectares, has only just begun the construction of the surrounding fence. The project of Ha Thanh Company (Thanh Hoa) with an area of ​​80 hectares, approved for detailed planning since 2010, has now become an empty lot. It is worth mentioning that for the past 6 years, the investor has not paid compensation to the people. Or, the project of Vinaconex Company, which was approved for detailed planning 10 years ago, has also been "shelved" after only completing the leveling work.

Mr. Tran Cao Cuong - Vice Chairman of Hung Hoa Commune People's Committee said: "There are many projects that have been approved for detailed planning adjustments and certificate changes over the past decades, but now they have become extremely wasteful places for livestock grazing. At every voter contact meeting, people make recommendations, the commune also has opinions, but everything is the same..."

Lam Hong Company Limited in Hung Hoa Commune (Vinh City) became a cattle pasture.

The above situation is also happening in many central wards of Vinh City with many projects in profitable locations but not being implemented on schedule, such as: Project of Trade Center, Office for rent, high-rise apartment building and adjacent houses in Hung Dung Ward; Project of Commercial House for sale and automobile assembly workshop in Ha Huy Tap Ward; Project of Car service center in Nghi Phu Commune of Nanjing Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company; Project of Central ENT Hospital (Le-nin Street)...

Similarly, Cua Lo town has over 10 projects to build motels, fishing ports, resorts, real estate... with an area of ​​hundreds of thousands of square meters that are behind schedule, or have not even started construction after many years of granting investment certificates.

Located in the center of the town, the BMC Cua ​​Lo Palaza Project was approved by the Provincial People's Committee for detailed planning in 2008 with a total investment of 933 billion VND, but so far no items have been implemented. With 5,274 m2 of land frontage on Nguyen Sinh Cung Street (Nghi Huong Ward, Cua Lo Town) to arrange items of the 21-storey twin tower project as a supermarket and luxury hotel, it is currently an empty lot with thick grass.

Or, the Red River Resort Project in Nghi Hoa Ward with a land use area of ​​9,890 m2 was approved for planning in 2008, with the purpose of building hotels, restaurants, and villas, but up to now, the investor has only finished building walls and left them as they are. The Resort Hotel Project of Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company in Nghi Hoa Ward was approved for detailed planning in 2006 and has only stopped at the items of surrounding fence walls, main gate, planting trees, and lighting system.

The project of the Wharf and Fishing Port invested by Ha Dung Company Limited with a total capital of more than 94 billion VND, the planning area of ​​both locations is nearly 30,000 m2, was granted an investment certificate by the Provincial People's Committee in 2009, up to now, location 1 has not been constructed, location 2 has only implemented some small items...

The Hotel and Motel Project of Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company in Cua Lo area is slow to be implemented.

In Cua Lo town, there are also investment projects of some defense and security agencies that have been allocated land and granted land use right certificates since 2007 but have not been implemented yet. The above situation is also happening in many central wards of Vinh city with many projects in profitable locations but not being implemented on schedule, such as: Project of Trade Center, Office for Rent, High-rise Apartment Building and Townhouse in Hung Dung Ward; Project of Commercial House for Buying and Selling and Automobile Assembly Workshop in Ha Huy Tap Ward; Project of Car Service Center in Nghi Phu Commune of Nam Kinh Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company; Project of Central ENT Hospital (Le-nin Street) ...

The situation of many projects being behind schedule, not fulfilling tax obligations as prescribed and not implementing within the extended time not only occurs in central areas such as Vinh City, Cua Lo Town but also occurs in many localities in the whole province. In 2016, the Provincial People's Committee directed the establishment of 3 interdisciplinary inspection teams to inspect the progress of investment projects in the province. In which, Team No. 1 led by the Department of Planning and Investment was assigned to inspect 20 projects of 20 organizations/enterprises in the province from April 10 to May 10, 2016.

Through the inspection, the delegation proposed that the Provincial People's Committee issue a Decision to cancel the planning of 3 projects; terminate operations and revoke the Investment Certificates of 3 projects (Duc Hong Minh General Hospital Project of Duc Hong Minh Company Limited; Hieu Market Complex Project - Thai Hoa Town of Nghe An Petroleum Construction Joint Stock Company; Alloy Factory Project of Thai An Mineral Investment Joint Stock Company); there is 1 project proposed to be removed from the list of investment projects in the province, which is the Golden Land Unburnt Brick Factory Project of Golden Land Construction Investment Consulting Joint Stock Company.

Next, the interdisciplinary inspection team 2 (chaired by the Department of Construction) inspected the progress of 21 projects from May 16 to May 27, 2016 and recommended that the Provincial People's Committee issue a document announcing the cancellation of the Decision approving the detailed construction planning and legal documents related to the projects of 6 projects.

The 3rd interdisciplinary inspection team (chaired by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment) inspected 26 projects of 26 enterprises/investors in the province from June 10 to July 10, 2016. Thereby, it recommended revoking 7 projects, including the Waste Treatment Plant for Energy Production in Thai Hoa Town and neighboring areas (Costructa Srl Company Limited was approved by the Provincial People's Committee to invest in the project, currently there are no activities to continue implementing the project, violating the Investment Law); Quy Hop Market and Commercial Quarter Project invested by Thang Long Urban Infrastructure Investment Joint Stock Company (the Provincial People's Committee granted an extension in Document No. 6804/UBND-DTXD dated September 27, 2013, which required the project to start in the second quarter of 2014, but the investor did not continue to implement it.

Waste of land resources

The slow progress of projects has negatively impacted the socio-economic development of the province. In addition to wasting land resources, increasing costs, reducing investment efficiency, affecting the business performance of enterprises, it also negatively impacts social development, people's livelihood, the environment...

It is worth mentioning that most of the projects are located in prime locations. The land allocated for the project has been abandoned for decades, while the people have no land for production. “As a purely agricultural locality, with no agencies or units located in the area, when there is an investment project, both the government and the people are very excited, but many projects have been in a “suspended” state for decades, on paper, while the people have no land for production...

The Central ENT hospital project along Lenin Avenue has not been implemented. Photo CL

The above situation was proposed by voters through many meetings with National Assembly deputies and People's Councils at all levels. "Local officials and people want the projects to start operating; in case the investors cannot implement, the land will be recovered and returned to the people for production" - Mr. Tran Cao Cuong - Vice Chairman of Hung Hoa Commune People's Committee reflected.

Recalling projects, withdrawing investment licenses, transferring projects to other more capable investors... are the demands of the majority of people when talking about unfeasible projects. Mr. Vo Van Hung - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town proposed: "While the town no longer has land to auction, attract capable investors, and does not have land to repay capital for some projects already implemented in the area, the province is requested to issue a document requesting investors to implement the project, if the investor fails to implement it within the deadline, then the procedure for revoking the project will be established".

Discussing this issue, Comrade Vo Viet Thanh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of Vinh City Party Committee said: "It is necessary for projects to enter the area to build a city worthy of a class 1 urban area. However, the difficulty is that many business projects "hold" hundreds of hectares of land but have not compensated the people. In particular, there are projects that have been licensed for more than ten years but have not been implemented, causing waste of land resources.

For Vinh City, the initial inspection of 34 projects is being proposed for the province to consider and the city will continue to inspect to advise the province on handling measures. Investors who are not capable, not willing, just waiting to sell or transfer projects, the province is requested to recover to ensure effective land use. For example, around the regulating lake area (in the communes and wards of Hung Loc, Hung Dung, Hung Hoa) is the area with the largest land potential in the city, while some investors have taken hundreds of hectares of land but almost only on paper without compensation, without any action. The province is requested to recover, re-plan and reserve this land fund to attract potential investors.

Some local leaders in the province also said that the situation of many "suspended" and slow-progressing projects has caused difficulties for local authorities in implementing new projects. For example, mobilizing people to hand over land in reality is not simple. In some projects, the authorities have to organize enforcement, but after the land is handed over to the investor, it is left empty, while people lack land for production, causing frustration. Along with that, there are unfinished land acquisition projects, investors do not have the financial capacity to pay people according to regulations, leading to complaints and denunciations.

Many abandoned projects have become places to dump scrap and waste, polluting the environment, drug addiction spots, etc., violating land use regulations, causing budget losses and affecting the investment environment of the province and localities.

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