An inter-ministerial mission willexamine the granting of foreign investment licences for forestry andaqua culture projects throughout Vietnam and report its findings toPrime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Dung has instructed provincialPeople’s Committees not to issue new investment licences or sign landrent contracts with foreign investors before the mission has completedits task.
The Planning and Investment Ministry will have responsibility for theinquiry with the support of the Agriculture and Rural Development andNatural Resources and Environment ministries and other relevantagencies.
The mission’s brief is to examine, inspect and assess the granting anduse of foreign investment licences for forestry and aqua culture.
Foreign-invested forestry and aqua culture projects have helped createjobs and increase worker income, the PM said in the Official Letter405/TTg-KTN.
But several aqua cultural projects had failed to meet their approvedschedule and, as a result, had their licences revoked, the PM said.
Elsewhere, land rented to foreign investors impinged on land local farmers had been given the right to use.
Worse, parts of natural forest or sensitive zones had also been rented.These projects too have had their licences withdrawn.
Figures posted on the Government web site show that ten provinces havelicensed foreign investors to grow forest on 305,353 ha.
But they have so far allotted only 33,824ha- equal to 11.1 percent ofthe total - to foreign investors and their joint-venture partners.
Rented land accounted for 15,664ha while land allotted to joint venturebetween Vietnamese organisations, households and individuals andforeign investors totalled 18,160ha./.
Dung has instructed provincialPeople’s Committees not to issue new investment licences or sign landrent contracts with foreign investors before the mission has completedits task.
The Planning and Investment Ministry will have responsibility for theinquiry with the support of the Agriculture and Rural Development andNatural Resources and Environment ministries and other relevantagencies.
The mission’s brief is to examine, inspect and assess the granting anduse of foreign investment licences for forestry and aqua culture.
Foreign-invested forestry and aqua culture projects have helped createjobs and increase worker income, the PM said in the Official Letter405/TTg-KTN.
But several aqua cultural projects had failed to meet their approvedschedule and, as a result, had their licences revoked, the PM said.
Elsewhere, land rented to foreign investors impinged on land local farmers had been given the right to use.
Worse, parts of natural forest or sensitive zones had also been rented.These projects too have had their licences withdrawn.
Figures posted on the Government web site show that ten provinces havelicensed foreign investors to grow forest on 305,353 ha.
But they have so far allotted only 33,824ha- equal to 11.1 percent ofthe total - to foreign investors and their joint-venture partners.
Rented land accounted for 15,664ha while land allotted to joint venturebetween Vietnamese organisations, households and individuals andforeign investors totalled 18,160ha./.
