Ministry of Construction sets up inspection team for projects in Ha Long Bay buffer zone

Accordingly, the Ministry of Construction requested the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province to report on the implementation process of the "urban project encroaching on the buffer zone of Ha Long Bay" 10B in Quang Hanh ward, Cam Pha city and send it to the Ministry of Construction (through the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Construction) before November 14, 2023.

At the same time, direct relevant departments, branches and Cam Pha City People's Committee to coordinate with the Inspection Team under the direction of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Previously, on November 8, the Government Office issued Document No. 6769/VPCP-CN dated November 8, 2023 conveying the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha on the above project.

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province to inspect the content reported by the press agencies at the 10B Urban Area Project, and handle it according to their authority and regulations. The inspection results will be reported to the Prime Minister before November 25.

According to the information, the Urban Area 10B project is being implemented and has signs of encroaching on Ha Long Bay for a kilometer from the Ha Long - Cam Pha coastal road and shows no signs of stopping. Many rocky mountains of Ha Long Bay have been filled with soil, almost completely surrounding the project as a "rockery".

As soon as the information was received, the Ha Long Bay Management Board promptly sent a document to the People's Committee of Cam Pha City, the provincial Department of Culture and Sports and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment regarding the project's violations of many issues affecting the heritage's buffer zone.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province also directed the Chairman of the People's Committee of Cam Pha city to urgently inspect the Urban Area Project 10B, Quang Hanh ward, Cam Pha city. Consider issues reported by public opinion and the press to have solutions according to authority and regulations of law.

The 10B urban area project in Quang Hanh ward, Cam Pha city, was approved in 2021 with a total investment of more than 1,230 billion VND, an area of ​​nearly 32 hectares, of which nearly 3.9 hectares belong to protection zone II (buffer zone) of the special national monument of Ha Long Bay.

Following press reports, on the afternoon of November 6, an interdisciplinary delegation from Quang Ninh province inspected the actual construction of the project and determined that there were violations such as not following the correct construction procedures as approved in the environmental impact assessment report.

The Chief Inspector of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Ninh province has decided to impose an administrative fine of VND125 million on Do Gia Capital Company Limited for the implementation of the urban area project in area 10B in the buffer zone of Ha Long Bay (Quang Hanh ward, Cam Pha city). In addition to the fine, Do Gia Capital Company Limited must publicly disclose the environmental impact assessment report that has been approved for appraisal results according to regulations.