The National Assembly Standing Committee gives opinions on adjusting the Long Thanh airport project.

Photo caption — Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man presides over the session. Photo: Doan Tan/TTXVN.

Presenting the proposal, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Anh Tuan stated that the Government proposed adjustments to four aspects, including: reducing the total investment for the project from VND 22,938 billion to VND 19,207.504 billion; adjusting the land acquisition area to 5,317.35 hectares (a reduction of 82 hectares); extending the project implementation period to the end of 2024; and adding provisions for the resettlement of households affected by the two connecting routes T1 and T2 to the Loc An - Binh Son residential and resettlement area.

Deputy Minister Le Anh Tuan stated that during the implementation process, some aspects of the Project changed compared to the main targets approved by the National Assembly in Resolution No. 53. According to Resolution No. 94/2015/QH13 and Resolution No. 38/2017/QH14 of the National Assembly, the Government reported to the National Assembly for consideration and approval of some changes before the Prime Minister approved them as stipulated in the Law on Public Investment.

The aforementioned adjustments must be reported to the National Assembly for consideration and approval by the Government before the Prime Minister approves the adjustments to the Project as stipulated in Article 2 of Resolution No. 94/2015/QH13 and Article 2 of Resolution No. 38/2017/QH14.

The Standing Committee of the Economic Committee highly appreciated the proactive approach of the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee in advancing local budget funds to continue paying compensation, support, and resettlement costs for the Project, aiming to complete land acquisition for the Project and hand over the entire site for Phase 1. However, the Standing Committee of the Economic Committee requested an assessment of the impact and effects of advancing local budget funds for related Project costs from 2021-2023, given that the Project's fiscal year has ended and the State Treasury has not disbursed the funds, on achieving the socio-economic development goals and targets in the locality as outlined in local resolutions.

The Standing Committee of the Economic Committee requested the People's Committee of Dong Nai province to continue reviewing and clearly assessing whether the investment in social infrastructure and technical infrastructure in the Loc An - Binh Son residential and resettlement area is consistent with the increase in the number of resettlement plots to meet the needs and stabilize the lives of the people as required in Clause 2, Article 3 of Resolution No. 94/2015/QH13 and Clause 2, Article 1 of Resolution No. 38/2017/QH14.

The Standing Committee of the Economic Committee proposed assessing the impact and clarifying the legal basis for using local budgets to reimburse the central budget for compensation costs for land clearance in Subdivision III - Binh Son Residential and Resettlement Area, and assigning the recovered land area to the locality for management and use in accordance with the purpose of land acquisition of the Project as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 3 of Resolution No. 94/2015/QH13, or allocating it for other purposes of the Project in the long term to serve production development, ensure the stability of the lives of resettled people, with the funding still coming from the central budget already allocated. Only in cases where the land is not actually used should consideration be given to returning it to the locality for management and use. Land management and use must comply with the land law and related laws, avoiding re-encroachment and waste of land resources.

Commenting on the adjustments, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue requested clarification on the contents that need to be adjusted according to the National Assembly's resolution and the contents that must be implemented under the Government's authority. The National Assembly Chairman pointed out, "Regarding extending the project implementation time, adjustments may be required according to the National Assembly's resolution."

In conclusion, Standing Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man requested the Government to incorporate the discussion points, finalize the dossier, and resubmit it to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for reporting to the National Assembly. He noted that it is necessary to clarify which issues require the National Assembly's opinion and which fall under the authority of the Government and the Prime Minister and therefore do not need to be submitted.

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