Taiwanese MSG company Vedan has finally consented to compensate farmers to the tune of VND45.7 billion (US$2.4million) and VND53.6 billion (US$2.8 million) to both Ho Chi Minh City farmers and those from neighboring province Ba Ria-Vung Tau, said Nguyen Van Phung, chairman of the HCMC Farmer Association.
It has been scheduled that Vedan and representatives from HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau would sign agreement papers on the compensation August 13. One week later, the company will deliver 50 percent of the money to the provinces. Vedan has proposed releasing the remainder from January 10-14, 2011.
Localities’ representatives have yet to approve the timeline suggested by Vedan, Phung said.
Nguyen Van Hau, attorney for HCMC’s Can Gio district farmers in their lawsuit against Vedan, said that he and his colleague, lawyer Nguyen Trong Nghia, would work with the HCMC Farmer Association to write a compensation report for Vedan.
Farmers would drop their lawsuit against Vedan, as the company agreed to compensate them, Hau said.
However, Nguyen Duc, chairman of Dong Nai Province Lawyers Association, said that though Vedan has accepted to pay reparations, farmers still have the right to continue with their lawsuit against the company if they choose.
