Early completion and approval of the Marine Spatial Planning

According to voters in Kien Giang province, for many years now, many organizations and individuals have been leased and assigned sea surface in the districts, and the lease and assignment period has expired. They have completed procedures to request assignment and re-lease but have not been approved by competent authorities due to the lack of marine spatial planning and the implementation of Decree 11-ND/CP dated February 10, 2021 regulating the assignment of certain sea areas to organizations and individuals for exploitation and use of marine resources, which still has many shortcomings and cannot be implemented.

Voters propose to soon complete and approve the Marine Spatial Planning and amend and supplement Decree 11, so that people can rent or request to assign marine areas for aquaculture and livelihood solutions.

On this issue, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said, Developing the National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045: Implementing Resolution No. 22/NQ-CP dated July 24, 2020 of the Government on approving the Task of developing the National Marine Spatial Planning, on September 16, 2022, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment signed Submission No. 325/TTr-BTNMT to submit to the Government the National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045.

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However, due to some difficulties and problems in the planning process, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Official Dispatch No. 3483/BTNMT-BHĐVN dated May 16, 2023 requesting the Government to extend the implementation period of the National Marine Spatial Planning Task. In Official Dispatch No. 4145/VPCP-NN dated June 6, 2023 of the Government Office, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha agreed to extend the implementation period of the National Marine Spatial Planning Task until the end of December 2023.

Currently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is coordinating with relevant ministries, branches and agencies to complete the draft National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, and is expected to submit it to competent authorities in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Regarding the basis for assigning sea areas related to planning in Clause 3, Article 5 of Decree No. 11/2021/ND-CP dated February 10, 2021 of the Government regulating the assignment of certain sea areas to organizations and individuals for exploitation and use of marine resources, it clearly stipulates the assignment of sea areas when there is planning and the assignment of sea areas when there is no planning (still ensuring implementation when there is no planning).

Therefore, in case there are no plans as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 5 of Decree No. 11/2021/ND-CP, the competent state management agencies to allocate sea areas (District People's Committees, Provincial People's Committees and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) are responsible for determining the location, boundaries and area to allocate sea areas in case there are no plans as prescribed in Clause 4, Article 5 of Decree No. 11/2021/ND-CP.

Source: https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/som-hoan-chinh-va-phe-duyet-quy-hoach-khong-gian-bien-363357.html