Moving Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park out of National Industrial Park Planning

​A corner of Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park

Applying urgent cases

In 2014, the Prime Minister issued a written consent to the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province approving the project of converting Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park into Urban - Commercial - Service Area. To accelerate the project, Dong Nai plans to close this industrial park by 2022.

Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment (DPI) Nguyen Huu Nguyen said that after studying the relevant laws and regulations, the provincial People's Committee realized that there was no legal basis for the closure of Bien Hoa I Industrial Park. Therefore, to close this industrial zone, Dong Nai must comply with the Government's Decree No. 82/2018/ND-CP on management of industrial parks and economic zones. In August 2019, the provincial People's Committee submitted a report to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) for appraisal and advising the Prime Minister to issue a decision to move Bien Hoa 1 IP out of Vietnam's National Industrial Park Planning to 2020. This is the necessary legal basis to relocate enterprises operating in production and business in Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park and transforming this industrial park's function.

However, the “removal” of Bien Hoa 1 IP still faces some problems. Specifically, the time when the provincial People's Committee submitted a report to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for appraisal and advising the Prime Minister to issue a decision to move Bien Hoa 1 IP out of Vietnam's National Industrial Park Planning - is the time when the Law on Planning took effect. Therefore, the removal of Bien Hoa 1 IP is now required to be integrated into the provincial socio-economic planning.

To solve this problem, the DIP has worked with MPI and was instructed by Ministry to take Bien Hoa 1 IP out of national planning into necessary and urgent cases to apply under Decree 82. Department of Planning and Investment leaders said that when it is necessary and urgent, the MPI will report to the Prime Minister to issue a decision to move Bien Hoa 1 IP out of Vietnam's National Industrial Park Planning to 2020, and not integrated into provincial planning.

To early complete the policy of compensation and support

According to statistics, currently Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park has 152 operating enterprises, including 17 enterprises with foreign investment. The number of employees working here is more than 21,000. In addition, about 300 households are living in the scope of project implementation.

To implement the project of converting the function of Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Dong Nai will relocate all businesses operating in production, business and households living in this area.

Vice Chairman Tran Van Vinh said that along with the proposal of the Prime Minister to issue a decision to remove Bien Hoa 1 IP to have a legal basis to implement the project, the authorities must also actively perform other tasks, including the proposed policy framework for compensation, support, and estimated time of relocation. After shaping the “task” framework, it is necessary to conduct and inform businesses to be proactive in relocating.

According to Mr. Ho Thanh Son, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, the implementation of the project to change the function of Bien Hoa 1 IP has been delayed. Therefore, the authorities need to perform tasks in parallel to shorten the time. Along with completing the procedures to propose the Prime Minister to move Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park out of national planning, other tasks must also be done, especially the completion of compensation mechanisms and policies, support for businesses, workers and people when moving. “If there is no specific policy mechanism, then we must research and apply policies appropriately. We cannot say that because there is no policy yet, we may leave it alone and do nothing like it does now” - Standing Deputy Secretary of Provincial Party Committee Ho Thanh Son emphasized.

According to Mr. Ho Thanh Son, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, in order to accelerate the implementation of the project for converting the function of Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Park, the provincial authorities must urgently complete the procedures and follow closely to to be approved by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, then proposed to the Prime Minister to issue a decision to remove Bien Hoa 1 IP from Vietnam's National Industrial Park Planning in June 2020.

By Nam Vu