Unreasonable entrance fee to Sam Mountain raises complaints

Tourists have complained about being charged a toll for visiting Sam Mountain in An Giang Province.

Tourists have complained about being charged a toll for visiting Sam Mountain in An Giang Province.

 

MGA Company illegally building a second Ba Chua Xu statue on Sam Mountain

On May 28, a tourist from Long Khanh Commune, Dong Thap Province, said each member of his family was charged VND10,000 when visiting Sam Mountain. He visited Sam Mountain several times in the past but this was the first time he was charged a toll even though they didn't use any of MGA Company’s services. Other tourists also complained about the toll.

Another tourist from HCM City said, "I already paid an entrance fee at the gate why do I have to pay a toll?"

The security guards of MGA Company said the company was expanding and upgrading the road to the mountain so they put a toll booth along the road.

Tran Quoc Tuan, vice chairman of Chau Doc City People's Committee said MGA Company was assigned as the investor of the Ba Chua Xu Spiritual Cultural Tourism-Sam Mountain Cable Car System Project. Since many constructions of the project are still incomplete, it's unreasonable to charge tourists fees.

"The local authorities have worked with the company and urged them to speed up the construction speed and complete procedures before charging tourists fees," he said.

Last year, the locals also complained about the MGA Company illegally building a second Ba Chua Xu statue on Sam Mountain. It was fined VND30m (USD1,300) and forced to remove the statue.

MGA Company Director Nguyen Phi Tien even faked the signature of An Giang Province Chairman Vuong Binh Thach on the land allocation decision. However, he was only fined VND2.5m which caused anger among the public.