Mr. Vo Kim Cu

Speaking to the media last Saturday after her re-election as NA chair, Ngan said NA deputies are responsible for answering questions about pressing issues and NA activities.

However, it is difficult for the media to reach certain legislators. Vo Kim Cu, former secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Tinh Province, had dodged media questions about Formosa Ha Tinh, which has admitted responsibility for the huge fish kill which struck four central provinces, including Ha Tinh, in early April.

Ngan said Cu, former leader of Ha Tinh and a present-day NA deputy, should speak to the media about issues involving the massive Taiwanese-invested steel complex in Vung Anh Economic Zone in Ha Tinh.  

In the talk with the media on Sunday, as for why Ha Tinh authorities chose Formosa as the investor of the Son Duong Port and steel complex project in Vung Ang Economic Zone, Cu said in 2007- 2008 Vietnam was in need of calling for investment in important industries such as steel, power and seaport infrastructure.

Vung Ang Economic Zone was established under Decision 72 of the Prime Minister for economic and social areas with special difficulties and it enjoyed the highest preference at that time, he explained.

Cu said after Formosa applied for its application to invest in Vung Ang Economic Zone, the Government issued a written agreement allowing Formosa to pursue procedures as prescribed by Vietnam law.

Regarding the question why Formosa was licensed for 70 years, Cu said Formosa’s project was reported to the government and approved by the Prime Minister. The project was also reviewed by 12 specialized ministries and then assessed and reported to the Government. “Finally, the Government allowed Ha Tinh to license the project,” Cu said.

The duration of 70 years was based on Article 36 of the Investment Law, Cu said. “The Law clearly provides that for the investment projects that have large scale, slow capital recovery time, investing in the field in need of encouragement such as steel refinery, seaport, and electricity and using over 5,000 workers, the duration is up to 70 years. This project met these conditions so the granting of 70-year license is in accordance with the law,” Cu said.

Cu said the project was then checked twice by the government and the government inspectorate in terms of land, natural resources, construction and investment activities. The Prime Minister issued document 926 dated January 30th 2015 approving the 70-year license to Formosa Ha Tinh, with the agreement of related ministries and agencies.

Cu said that the environmental disaster caused by Formosa Ha Tinh in central Vietnam was a lesson in attracting investment.

“Personally I will do my best to contribute to speed up stabilization of the lives of the people in the affected areas. I wish the public to have a reasonable view in the case to continue to attract investment, while the investors, through this incident, will also learn a lesson. For Formosa, they are requested to comply with commitments made to the Vietnamese Government: seriously paying compensation, adjusting technology and not repeating the violations,” Cu said.

Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper asked Ngan at the media conference if the NA had monitored the operations of Formosa Ha Tinh and found any individuals and organizations responsible for granting Formosa Ha Tinh a 70-year investment license. The then regulations allowed provincial authorities to award investment licenses with a maximum validity of 50 years.

Ngan said the NA had assigned its Science, Technology and Environment Committee to monitor whether Formosa Ha Tinh has been complying with the regulations.

She said the NA would make its own evaluation of the Formosa environmental pollution incident and identify who is responsible.

NA deputy Truong Trong Nghia and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha recently came up with an idea of establishing an interim committee in charge of dealing with the Formosa incident.

The NA does not need that committee now, Ngan said, adding hundreds of scientists and experts had been mobilized to identify the cause of the mass fish deaths and evaluate the damage.

Formosa Ha Tinh has taken responsibility and pledged to pay over US$500 million in compensation for economic damage.

Speaking at a media briefing on quarter-two operations of the Government Inspectorate in Hanoi last Friday, Ngo Van Khanh, deputy chief of the inspectorate, said that in 2012 the agency inspected a number of projects in Ha Tinh, including the Formosa steel complex, to see whether regulations on investment, land management and land use were strictly observed.

According to investigation results that came out in July 2014, the provincial authority infringed regulations by issuing a 70-year investment license to Formosa.

Khanh said the inspectorate petitioned the Government to assign the Ministry of Planning and Investment to deal with the case. The ministry later proposed the Government allow a 70-year land lease to Formosa Ha Tinh and the proposal was approved.

Regarding whether Vo Kim Cu was responsible, Khanh said Ha Tinh broke regulations while Cu was serving as Party chief and chairman of Ha Tinh.

VietNamNet/SGT