Scandal over park land lent for free to private golf investor
Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh has asked authorities in Bac Giang Province to report on the free lending of a large area of a public park for a golf course project.
The provincial chairman approved the proposal and asked the Department of Planning and Investment to consult on the proposal. The department approved it 20 days later. On December 3, 2015, Trinh Huu Thang, director of the Department of Planning and Investment officially signed the approval to the VND50bn (USD2.2m) golf course project with capacity to serve 10,000 players a year. The land, which is in a prime location, was lent out for 48 years and the investor would not have to pay taxes.
When the case was reported on the media, the Government Office asked Bac Giang Province People's Committee to explain and provide a report to the prime minister by August 1. Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh also asked the authorities in Bac Giang Province to report about the case. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bac Giang authorities had violated the Land Law.
Meanwhile, investor Nguyen Huu Phai said he had acquired all the legal documents to start the project. Phai said he loved golf and decided to build the golf course at the request of the leaders of Bac Giang Province. The golf course was intended to serve international investors when they work in Bac Giang.
Phai said he wanted to follow the legal procedures and pay full taxes but the official documents stated that the land had been lent to him. Phai emphasised that he was only an investor and state agencies should take responsibility for the procedures. If the procedures were wrong, Bac Giang authorities should advise him to switch from borrowing to renting and he would pay taxes.
"If our project is forcibly removed, we should be compensated. I want this case to be made transparent with clear responsibilities," he said.
Bac Giang authorities haven't commented on the case.
Scandal over park land lent for free to private golf investor
The provincial chairman approved the proposal and asked the Department of Planning and Investment to consult on the proposal. The department approved it 20 days later. On December 3, 2015, Trinh Huu Thang, director of the Department of Planning and Investment officially signed the approval to the VND50bn (USD2.2m) golf course project with capacity to serve 10,000 players a year. The land, which is in a prime location, was lent out for 48 years and the investor would not have to pay taxes.
When the case was reported on the media, the Government Office asked Bac Giang Province People's Committee to explain and provide a report to the prime minister by August 1. Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh also asked the authorities in Bac Giang Province to report about the case. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bac Giang authorities had violated the Land Law.
Meanwhile, investor Nguyen Huu Phai said he had acquired all the legal documents to start the project. Phai said he loved golf and decided to build the golf course at the request of the leaders of Bac Giang Province. The golf course was intended to serve international investors when they work in Bac Giang.
Phai said he wanted to follow the legal procedures and pay full taxes but the official documents stated that the land had been lent to him. Phai emphasised that he was only an investor and state agencies should take responsibility for the procedures. If the procedures were wrong, Bac Giang authorities should advise him to switch from borrowing to renting and he would pay taxes.
"If our project is forcibly removed, we should be compensated. I want this case to be made transparent with clear responsibilities," he said.
Bac Giang authorities haven't commented on the case.
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