Administrative sanctions for 46 organizations operating in the field of natural resources and environment

Comrade Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee attended and directed the conference. Photo: Mai Hoa

In 2017, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment focused on consulting on many documents under the authority of the Provincial People's Committee to resolve existing problems and difficulties in land and mineral management, environmental protection, and climate change in the province.

Notably, advising the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial Party Standing Committee to issue Resolution No. 08/NQ-TU, dated August 11, 2017 on Strengthening the Party's leadership in environmental protection in the province; advising the Provincial People's Committee to approve the project "Improving the efficiency of land use in Nghe An province"; advising the Provincial People's Committee to submit to the Provincial People's Council to issue the Water Resources Planning in the province until 2025, with a vision to 2035; Action plan to respond to climate change in the province, period 2016 - 2020, taking into account 2030...

To ensure the improvement of State management in the field of natural resources and environment in the province, during the year, the Department promoted the direction, urging and guidance of localities to carry out the tasks of the industry, along with strengthening inspection, examination and handling of violations.

As a result, the Department's Chief Inspector issued 48 decisions to sanction administrative violations against 46 organizations operating in the fields of land, water resources, environment, surveying and mapping; with a total fine of nearly 1.6 billion VND; advised the Provincial People's Committee to sanction 7 organizations in the mineral sector, with a total fine of more than 1.3 billion VND and close 37 mining areas.

Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Duy Viet explains some issues raised by the locality. Photo: Mai Hoa

At the online conference, many localities proposed that the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment pay attention to resolving many issues to promote the implementation of tasks in 2018.

Mr. Vo Van Hung - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town stated that currently, there are 600 pending applications for granting land use rights certificates; besides the fact that people have not completed the application procedures, the most difficult problem is that some applications are due to land being granted without authority but not in accordance with the planning. Therefore, the province is requested to propose to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to have a mechanism to resolve this problem.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Vice Chairman of Nghi Loc District People's Committee, there are over 5,000 pending files in the district, the most difficult of which is the lack of original files to prove that financial obligations have been fulfilled, making it difficult for the district.

Regarding the issuance of agricultural land use right certificates, representatives of Vinh city, Nghia Dan district, and Quynh Luu district requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to direct consulting units to measure cadastral maps to issue land use right certificates...

Measuring and marking the project clearance corridor in Vinh city. Photo courtesy

Explaining the issues of concern to localities, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Duy Viet requested localities to continue reviewing and classifying the backlog of applications for granting land use right certificates to households; focusing on files that can be resolved, and proposing to the Department for coordination in handling any problematic files.

Pointing out the causes and responsibilities in the slow issuance of agricultural land use right certificates after land consolidation and plot exchange according to Directive 08 of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Mr. Vo Duy Viet affirmed that the Department will include this task in the 2018 plan with priority given to the implementation of this task. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment continues to establish 3 working groups to directly direct, urge, guide and support localities to effectively carry out the tasks of the sector in 2018.

Speaking at the conference, in addition to appreciating the contributions as well as pointing out some limitations that need to be overcome, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the province to focus on reviewing and gathering difficulties and problems arising from practice to develop and complete drafts on amending and supplementing regulations of the Provincial People's Committee on implementing the 2013 Land Law in the direction of reforming administrative procedures, paying special attention to compensation policies when the State reclaims land and grants certificates to people; overcoming shortcomings in the process of attracting investment, promoting investment attraction, improving the provincial PCI competitiveness index.

Conference scene. Photo: Mai Hoa

In addition, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and localities and units focus on implementing resolutions, directives, projects and plans issued by the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and Provincial People's Committee on land, minerals, environment, water resources, climate change, etc.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also requested the industry and localities to strengthen inspection and examination; focus on urging post-inspection and examination handling to ensure the strictness of the law; resolutely revoke projects that are behind schedule, and only allow operations when environmental protection works have been completed.

Vice Chairman Dinh Viet Hong directed the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to develop and implement the administrative reform project under the direction of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Provincial People's Committee; create positive changes in the fields of natural resources and environment, contributing to promoting the socio-economic development of the province...