The 100-hectare Ninh Thuy Resettlement Area in Ninh Hoa Town was built 15 years ago after residents in Ninh Tho Commune's Ninh Yeng Village had to vacate their homes for the Van Phong Power Station. Construction started on the VND427-billion resettlement area in 2009 across the 35-hectare site but only just over a dozen households moved in.

A large primary school has deteriorated as no children are in the area.

Resident Nguyen Thi Muoi said that her family moved to the area eight years ago but faced difficulties settling their new lives.

"We used to farm, but we have been given no land here," Muoi said. "I've had to open a small shop and earn a modest income. Some of my neighbours have sold their homes and bought new ones in other areas to continue farming and fishing."

Ninh Tho Commune People's Committee Chairman Vo Khanh Dang admitted that many people had refused to move to Ninh Thuy Resettlement Area as there was no land to farm.

“Ninh Hoa Town is building a 20-hectare farming area for residents in Ninh Thuy," Dang said. "However, many people want farmland here while the government only wants to lease the land to them."

Many other resettlement areas in Khanh Hoa have faced the same problems after spending a lot on construction.

Over VND392 billion was spent on the 50-hectare Xom Quan Resettlement area, built for people affected by the industrial projects at Nam Van Phong in 2010. However, only 68 of more than 1,000 land lots have been allocated, and only one household has built a house and lived here, while other facilities have badly deteriorated.

"I moved to Xom Quan in 2016," the only resident still living at the site, Dao Van Thai, said. "Two other families who built houses at that time have left so they could continue fishing."

The Van Phong Economic Zone Management Board Director Hoang Van Khanh admitted that the three resettlement areas, including Xom Quan, were a complete waste of money. However, building them for the projects to attract investments was necessary. "We'll try to seek measures and adjust policies so that more people will come to live here in the future."