Poverty due to suspended project
Located in a prime location of Quang Ngai City, the Vina Universal Paradise project in Truong Quang Trong Ward, with an area of nearly 60 hectares and a total investment of about 1,200 billion VND, was licensed in 2008, but until now it still exists only on paper. For the common development goal, many households have agreed to hand over land to implement the urban area project, with the hope of contributing to promoting the socio-economic development of the locality.
However, after nearly 20 years, the prime land plots that were confiscated have become places for dumping waste and grazing cattle. This not only wastes resources but also erodes people’s trust. Furthermore, this project has also pushed 160 households, despite owning land in prime locations in Quang Ngai City, into a precarious existence for the past 17 years.
Mr. Bui Van Ha (55 years old), in Lien Hiep 1B residential group, Truong Quang Trong ward, shared: "My house has seriously degraded, the roof tiles and ceiling are rotten, it is no longer habitable."
The unfinished Vina Universal Paradise commercial and service project has prolonged the miserable lives of 160 households. Hundreds of houses have become dilapidated because they have not been repaired, rebuilt, or sold or transferred. Although the people have appealed to authorities at all levels, the situation has not improved so far.
Similarly, the Thien Dang Tourist Area project, one of the largest tourism projects in Quang Ngai province, after 18 years of construction, is still unfinished and has become a desolate, shabby area. Hundreds of hectares of prime coastal land are being wasted, causing stagnation in the local socio-economic development. However, the recovery of this project is almost impossible.
Hundreds of projects behind schedule are a pain
Projects like Vina Universal Paradise and Thien Dang Tourist Area, although suspended and behind schedule for nearly 20 years, are not unique in Quang Ngai. The province currently has 110 projects behind schedule, including 14 projects in Dung Quat Economic Zone that are facing serious difficulties. The delayed projects not only reflect the leniency in granting investment licenses but also demonstrate the weakness of investors.
Recently, at the 29th session of the 13th Quang Ngai Provincial People's Council, delegates discussed the issue of long-delayed projects, aiming to find a thorough solution to avoid land waste.
At the meeting, delegate Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao raised the issue: "Many projects have been granted investment policy decisions but have not been implemented, causing negative impacts on the investment attraction environment and wasting land. I would like to request the Director of the Department of Planning and Investment to inform us of the causes and solutions?"
Mr. Nguyen Van Trong - Director of the Department of Planning and Investment - informed that the whole Quang Ngai province has about 110 projects behind schedule. Of these, 28 projects have not been allocated land, the remaining 81 projects are behind schedule (14 projects in Dung Quat Economic Zone, 67 projects outside the economic zone), with 24 projects having leased land and 57 projects not yet leased. The objective reason for the delay is land problems, some projects whose land is recovered by the State encounter complicated procedures, some other projects must be implemented according to the conclusions of inspections and examinations. There are also projects behind schedule due to investors' procrastination.
"For investors who are slow, according to the new Investment Law, projects that are delayed for more than 24 months will be inspected and terminated," Mr. Trong emphasized.
According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Acting Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment - some projects are behind schedule due to objective reasons, but there are also projects that investors intentionally do not implement. Regarding the process of terminating slow-progressing projects, Mr. Trung said that to handle it, inspections and checks must be carried out according to plan.
"In 2025, the department will advise the Provincial People's Committee to review all land funds in Dung Quat to find solutions and solutions. Investors who continue to implement the project will be facilitated, while investors who are unable to implement will have their contracts terminated," said Mr. Trung.
