Residents near the Dai Ninh Urban Commercial, Tourism and Ecological Resort project in Duc Trong District, Lam Dong Province, expressed their frustration, noting that while the project was initially presented as a means to nurture and restore forests, a decade later, hundreds of hectares of forest have disappeared, and thousands of hectares of land have turned barren, resulting in significant waste of land resources.
The Dai Ninh Commercial, Tourism, and Ecological Resort Urban Area project, also known as the Nam Da Lat Urban Area project in the Central Highlands Province of Lam Dong’s Duc Trong District, received its investment certificate from the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee in October 2010. The project is being developed by Saigon Dai Ninh Tourism Investment Company and encompasses nearly 3,600 hectares, including over 1,050.5 hectares designated for forest leasing. The total investment for this initiative exceeds VND25,000 billion (approximately US$1 billion), making it one of the largest projects undertaken in Lam Dong Province.
Investment license applications often propose ambitious projects such as creating high-end, modern, and eco-friendly residential-urban areas. These projects typically aim to integrate eco-tourism, resorts, entertainment, biodiversity farming, and nature conservation and regeneration. According to the plan, the project will be put into use in 2018.
However, the current state of the area presents a stark contrast to its former vibrancy. Visitors are greeted by a barren landscape, where large advertising boards promoting the project have succumbed to the ravages of time, their messages faded and became illegible. Over the years, Saigon Dai Ninh Company has made limited investments, focusing on constructing a few internal roadways, rest areas, offices for specialists, and conference rooms. Unfortunately, these facilities now lie in neglect, as they are seldom visited.
Resident Nguyen Van Bay in Ninh Gia Commune of Duc Trong District revealed that in the past, there were long lines of vehicles coming and going. Now, it is eerily quiet, with only a few individuals tending to their gardens in the vicinity.
The Nam Da Lat Urban Area project's extensive land area and seemingly low investment have created an environment ripe for deforestation and land encroachment. This situation, where land is often reserved for later transfer has fostered an atmosphere conducive to illegal activities.
For instance, in Plot 1, Sub-area 363A in Ta Hine Commune of Duc Trong District, a 2-leaf pine forest has been significantly encroached upon by individuals cultivating coffee and macadamia. This illegal activity, prevalent across various project areas, stems from the company's lack of a comprehensive forest management and protection plan, including the absence of a dedicated forest protection force.
Since the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee granted land and forest use rights for the project, the investor has suffered a significant loss of over 368 hectares of forest due to destruction and encroachment. This has transformed what was envisioned as a thriving urban resort in South Da Lat into a site of rampant land-grabbing, a primary factor contributing to the alarming rate of deforestation, the depletion of environmental resources, and an uncertain future for ecological restoration.
During the inspection of land use in Lam Dong Province from 2013 to 2018, the Government Inspectorate determined that Saigon Dai Ninh Company had many violations, so in June 2020, it recommended to terminate operations and reclaim the land of the above project.
Following the purchase of the project in 2020, Nguyen Cao Tri, a prominent real estate developer in Ho Chi Minh City currently imprisoned for property appropriation, allegedly bribed government officials. This action reportedly influenced the outcome of an inspection, changing the conclusion from a mandated land reclamation to an extension of the project's implementation timeline.
Shortly after acquiring the project, Tri has transferred it to Novaland Company for a sum of VND27,600 billion, realizing a personal profit of VND2,700 billion. This transaction has recently led to legal proceedings against several government officials.
Elsewhere in Ho Chi Minh City, many residents in Phuoc Long A Ward of Thu Duc City complained that some individuals blatantly occupied nearly 3 hectares of park land and river corridor land in North Rach Chiec residential area to build restaurants, soccer fields, sand storage areas, and container yards.
Chairman Tran Ngoc My of the Board of Directors of Real Estate Joint Stock Company 10, which operates under Saigon Real Estate Corporation (Resco), expressed strong discontent, stating that some people have audaciously taken over park land for unauthorized business activities, contravening planning regulations and causing significant harm to the infrastructure in residential neighborhoods.
Since 1997, Real Estate Joint Stock Company 10 has been tasked by Ho Chi Minh City with the responsibility of developing infrastructure for the entire North Rach Chiec Urban Area in Thu Duc City, covering an area of over 30 hectares.
The encroachment in this area has persisted for several years, with the enterprise having submitted over 15 reports and presentations to the relevant authorities. Although the individuals who have made encroachment have been penalized twice by the People's Committee of Thu Duc City for land violations and unauthorized construction, as of December 2024, their restaurant continues to thrive with patrons, the football field remains in operation, and the storage yard is still filled with containers.
Director Tran Ngoc My recently disclosed that Real Estate Joint Stock Company 10 has submitted a request to Nguyen Thi Le, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council. The company seeks her guidance in urging relevant agencies and departments to take decisive action against the illegal occupation of public land for unauthorized construction and business activities. The aim is to prevent the misuse and waste of public assets.
During a meeting with the People's Committee of Phuoc Long A Ward, Thu Duc City, a man named Hoang Thanh Chung acknowledged that he is currently managing, exploiting, and unlawfully profiting from the encroached land. Furthermore, he revealed that he had transferred a portion of the land to another man named Dao Van Khanh, who has been using it to operate a soccer field, a sandbank, and a restaurant on the occupied property.
