An inter-ministerial mission will
examine the granting of foreign investment licences for forestry and
aqua culture projects throughout Vietnam and report its findings to
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Dung has instructed provincial
People’s Committees not to issue new investment licences or sign land
rent contracts with foreign investors before the mission has completed
its task.
The Planning and Investment Ministry will have responsibility for the
inquiry with the support of the Agriculture and Rural Development and
Natural Resources and Environment ministries and other relevant
agencies.
The mission’s brief is to examine, inspect and assess the granting and
use of foreign investment licences for forestry and aqua culture.
Foreign-invested forestry and aqua culture projects have helped create
jobs and increase worker income, the PM said in the Official Letter
405/TTg-KTN.
But several aqua cultural projects had failed to meet their approved
schedule 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These projects too have had their licences withdrawn.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 have
licensed foreign investors to grow forest on 305,353 ha.
But they have so far allotted only 33,824ha- equal to 11.1 percent of
the total - to foreign investors and their joint-venture partners.
Rented land accounted for 15,664ha while land allotted to joint venture
between Vietnamese organisations, households and individuals and
foreign investors totalled 18,160ha./.