Many shipbuilding facilities operate without permits.

(Baohatinh.vn) - In Ha Tinh province, there are dozens of boat repair facilities in operation, but most of them do not have business licenses.

Ms. Hoang Thi Huyen's boat repair and shipbuilding workshop (Hai Ha village, Ky Ha commune) has been operating in the Ky Ha fishing boat shelter area (Ky Anh town) for the past 15 years. With a fairly large workshop area and a well-invested production line and equipment, a large number of boats come here for repair. On average, this workshop receives nearly 500 boats for repair each year.

An unlicensed shipyard is located in the storm shelter area for fishing boats in Ky Ha (Ky Anh town).

Each time a boat enters the shipyard for repairs, even for minor damage, the cost ranges from 7 to 10 million VND, while major damage can amount to tens or even hundreds of millions of VND. Consequently, Ms. Huyen's shipyard generates tens of billions of VND in revenue annually.

Notably, this workshop (typically employing 10 to 12 workers) operates without any permits whatsoever. As a result, this facility not only violates the dike protection corridor and poses a workplace safety risk but also causes tax revenue losses.

Ms. Huyen stated that the reason for not having an operating certificate is due to the very difficult licensing requirements. Furthermore, the land currently used for the boat repair workshop is leased from someone else. She herself very much wants to obtain an operating license and wants to lease more land to expand production, but is waiting for the local authorities to resolve outstanding issues related to previous land lease procedures...

Authorities in Ky Ha commune inspect a shipyard in the area.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Ho Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Ky Ha Commune People's Committee, said that nearly 20 years ago, the local government leased the land to a resident of Ky Ha commune to use as a workshop for repairing and building boats. Later, it was discovered that the land lease was beyond their authority, especially as it violated the Hai Ha dike's right-of-way. However, because the resident had already invested in building the workshop and equipment, recovering and compensating for the assets proved difficult. The authorities have inspected and assessed the current situation and have advised against further expansion; in the future, they will select a suitable plot of land for relocation.

In Cam Nhuong commune (Cam Xuyen district), the situation of unlicensed ship repair and shipbuilding facilities is also quite common. Along a stretch of less than 1km of the Bac Hai sea dike, there are many makeshift workshops run by some local residents.

For many years, the upstream slope of the Bac Hai sea dike (Cam Nhuong commune) has become a gathering place for vehicles, tools, and materials for building and repairing boats.

Initially, the owners of these establishments only used the alluvial plain on the coast as a temporary space for repairing boats. However, due to the increasing demand for boat repairs from fishermen, the boat owners have arbitrarily expanded and encroached on the upstream slope of the Bac Hai dike. Currently, these establishments have even built structures and sheds directly on the dike to serve as warehouses for repairing boats. Significantly, these workshops operate without the required permits. The owners are aware that such actions are illegal, but they continue to operate for immediate profit.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hoang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Cam Nhuong commune, acknowledged that there are currently several illegal ship repair and shipbuilding workshops in the area, which have arbitrarily expanded and encroached on the embankment of the Bac Hai dike. The local authorities have invited the workshop owners to work with them and have them sign commitments to dismantle the structures, but this has not yet been implemented. In the future, after the Cam Nhuong fishing port is completed and put into operation, the local authorities will rectify and address the issue.

The situation of unlicensed ship repair and shipbuilding workshops operating illegally is not unique to Ky Anh and Cam Xuyen districts; it is quite common in many other localities. What is concerning is that this has been going on for many years, yet enforcement remains difficult.

The situation of unlicensed ship repair and shipbuilding workshops is quite common in many localities.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Toan – Head of the Fisheries Exploitation Department ( Ha Tinh Fisheries Sub-Department, under the Department of Agriculture and Environment) said that currently, only one shipyard in the entire province meets the requirements for operating licenses, while the rest are in violation. The Sub-Department's leadership has inspected the situation and requested the owners of shipyards to rectify the situation in order to obtain licenses. In the coming time, the unit will submit a proposal to higher authorities to amend or abolish some unnecessary regulations to facilitate the completion of licensing procedures for the people. The Sub-Department also advises that at this time, people and shipyard owners should not build new boats with a length of 15 meters or more because even if they do, they cannot be granted operating licenses.

Video : Ship repair and shipbuilding workshop illegally expands and encroaches on the embankment.

Ha Tinh province, with its 137km coastline and over 3,900 fishing vessels, currently has only one qualified facility for building and repairing fishing vessels (Ben Thuy Shipbuilding Company Limited). Due to the daily demand for vessel repairs, these activities continue to take place at several traditional ship repair facilities in the area.

According to the regulations on the conditions for shipbuilding and repair facilities for fishing vessels in Government Decree 26/2019/ND-CP detailing some provisions and measures for implementing the Fisheries Law, it is very difficult for shipbuilding and repair facilities in the area (especially small-scale traditional shipbuilding facilities) to meet the prescribed criteria.

For example, regarding the land area criterion: according to regulations, a Type III shipbuilding facility (allowing the construction and modification of fishing vessels with a maximum length of less than 15m) must ensure sufficient land area of ^{​​2,000m²} . Type II facilities (allowing the construction and modification of fishing vessels with a maximum length of less than 24m) must have a floor area of ​​at least ^3,000m² , while Type I facilities (for the construction and repair of all types of vessels) require ^5,000m² . In addition, other criteria include: workshops, manpower, location away from residential areas, and ensuring sufficient water surface area for vessels to anchor.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nhieu-co-so-dong-tau-khong-phep-post290552.html