A major tourism project is clearing a popular Binh Thuan tourism spot at Hon Rom Island despite a ban from local authorities.
The Hon Rom Resort and Villas project was approved for investment by the Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee in March 2016 on an area of 85.7 hectares on Hon Rom Island.
According to the Binh Thuan Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Hon Rom Resort and Villas project has not been given approval based on their environmental impact assessment report.
"Between October 2018 and February 2019, the Thien Hai Company which is the project's investor, sent us three environmental impact assessment reports which all failed to meet the government's requirements based on the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment," vice director of the department, Do Van Thai said. "They haven't sent their new report for approval since."
Despite failing to get approval for its environmental impact assessment reports, Thien Hai Company has cleared the island and started construction on the project.
In May 2021, Binh Thuan Provincial People's Committee issued a fine of VND300 million to the company for the violation and asked them to stop their construction and complete the environmental impact assessment report to get the construction license.
However, the investor did not stop.
Speaking to the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper on December 15, Director of the Binh Thuan Provincial Department of Construction, Cao Son Dung, said that they had issued a fine of VND 50 million to Thien Hai Company on November 18 for building the foundations of their project without licence.
"We had asked the company to remove those foundations within 60 days," he said. "However, we've been informed that Thien Hai Company are still continuing their construction. We are going to check the project again and will issue stricter fines to them if their violations continue."
Arriving at the site of the project on December 15, Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper found that many workers were still continuing their construction work.
When being asked about the licence for their construction, a representative of the Thien Hai Company refused to comment to the newspaper.
