Many tourism projects in the south are experiencing delays; what are the reasons?

Once expected to become Binh Thuan 's second most attractive resort area, with numerous large-scale resorts under construction, the area has been significantly affected by unresolved issues. Many investors have left without a trace, leaving the picturesque coastal region of Ke Ga Cape quite desolate and deserted.

Not resolved in a timely manner.

According to the Department of Planning and Investment of Binh Thuan province, the Mui Ke Ga area (Ham Thuan Nam district) has 38 valid tourism projects with a total registered investment area of ​​706.9 hectares and a total registered investment capital of over 1,237 billion VND. Of these, 13 projects are already in operation, 11 projects are under construction, and 14 projects have not yet started. In Tien Thanh commune, Phan Thiet city, there are also 29 non-state-funded investment projects in the tourism sector; of which 17 projects have started business operations, 6 projects are under construction, and 6 projects are experiencing delays. The implementation of some projects has not met the required progress due to various reasons. The Department of Planning and Investment believes that the delays in project implementation are due to obstacles related to the Ke Ga deep-water port project. Furthermore, land compensation and resettlement here have been difficult and protracted due to changing compensation policies, disagreements over prices, and the need to conduct legal review procedures. Some households and individuals have been complaining about compensation and land disputes for years, causing significant difficulties for investors in project implementation, and these issues remain unresolved. In addition, there is the issue of re-encroachment by some households, affecting the project's progress.

Many coastal projects in the southern part of the province are experiencing delays in implementation. Photo: N.Lân

On the other hand, many projects in the southern coastal area are located within the national mineral reserve zone as defined by Decision No. 645/QD-TTg dated May 15, 2014, of the Prime Minister . These projects had to be temporarily suspended due to the 2010 Mineral Law. On April 1, 2021, the Government issued Decree No. 51/2021/ND-CP on the management of minerals in national mineral reserve zones.

However, the implementation of the above contents has not been specifically regulated and guided, causing many investors and state agencies to be confused during the application process. Currently, the Prime Minister has issued Decision No. 1277/QD-TTG dated November 1, 2023, replacing Decision No. 645, which has removed the location of some investment projects in Tien Thanh commune from the national mineral reserve area.

Furthermore, some projects, after compensation agreements were reached for the land owned by residents, lacked the necessary infrastructure in the land use plan and therefore had to wait for the plan to be amended as a basis for land acquisition and leasing according to regulations. On the other hand, some projects required procedures for converting forest land and planting replacement forests, significantly impacting their implementation progress. Moreover, many projects lacked or were awaiting adjustments to their construction plans. However, during socio-economic development, some areas within the province have undergone changes and adjustments to their general and zoning plans, preventing investors from completing investment procedures and commencing construction. On May 19, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee approved the revised zoning plan for the Tien Thanh area, which has largely resolved this issue.

Coastal tourism projects are facing regulatory obstacles during the construction permit application process. Photo: N.Lân

Decision to revoke if the conditions are not met.

Another difficulty has arisen recently, as coastal tourism projects have encountered obstacles in obtaining construction permits due to regulations in Clause 1, Article 79 of the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment. According to this law, from July 1, 2016, the existing status quo must be maintained, and no new construction or investment is permitted within 100 meters of the average high tide line towards the land. This has significantly impacted the implementation of projects by investors.

Furthermore, the process of determining specific land prices for financial obligations has been slow; there has been a lack of flexibility in researching and resolving obstacles, leading to a cautious approach that affects the rights and obligations of investors. In particular, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 directly affected the project implementation process of investors. Simultaneously, many businesses faced significant difficulties in mobilizing financial resources. Consequently, they were unable to implement projects according to the stipulated schedule.

Review and terminate slow-moving investment projects that waste land resources (photo: N. Lan)

In addition to the reasons mentioned above, some investors are slow in implementing investment preparation procedures, lack financial capacity, or do not have the goodwill to invest, adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards projects in the region, and proceeding with construction at a slow pace. For these cases, the Provincial People's Committee has regularly directed reviews and resolutely terminated investment projects.

Previously, in September 2023, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired a meeting to hear reports on investment projects funded by non-state budget sources that were slow to implement and slow to put land into use in the province. Based on this, the Provincial People's Committee issued a notice continuing to direct and assign specific tasks to each department, sector, and locality to strengthen state management responsibility in appraising, reviewing, and terminating the operation of slow-implementing investment projects that cause waste of land resources. In 2023, the Department of Planning and Investment, in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Construction, the People's Committee of Phan Thiet City, and the People's Committee of Tien Thanh Commune, conducted inspections of slow-implementing investment projects. Accordingly, three investors were fined 255 million VND for violating the project implementation schedule.

"Currently, the termination of investment projects is fully complied with and strictly implemented according to regulations. Therefore, in the event that any project meets the conditions for termination of operations according to the law on investment, the Department of Planning and Investment will resolutely report to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval of the termination of operations in accordance with the law, preventing violations of the law and waste of land resources," the Department of Planning and Investment affirmed.

M. VAN

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/nhieu-du-an-du-lich-phia-nam-cham-trien-khai-do-dau-117239.html