VietNamNet Bridge – Up to 17 officials of Binh Phuoc Province will have to repay more than VND25 billion (USD1.2 million) after they illegally sold rubber plantation land.

The 323ha-rubber growing area illegally sold. 

The list includes Truong Tan Thieu, former chairman of Binh Phuoc Province People’s Committee and Nguyen Van Loi, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

The officials were involved in appraising and auctioning 323ha of rubber land to raise capital for Loc Tan-Bu Dop road project. Their illegal actions led to losses of VND25 billion to the national budget.

Mr. Truong Tan Thieu issued a decision to directly sell the three land plots, not through the auction as stipulated, and approved the starting price. Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Loi amended the initial prices and approved the auctioning of 292 hectares of rubber plantation. Meanwhile, the remaining charges relate to consulting, the signing of decisions and some other works.

The Binh Phuoc People’s Committee in March 2008 set up a steering board led by Truong Tan Thieu, chairman of the committee, to upgrade the Loc Tan-Bu Dop Road and to grow about 1,000 hectares of new rubber trees.

In August 2010, the committee approved to sell 31.3 of the 323 hectares on a pilot basis at a starting price of VND353 million per hectare, but nobody took part in the auction; therefore, it decided to slash 30% of the starting prices to VND264 million (USD12,570) per hectare without seeking permission from Standing Board of the Provincial Party Committee.

In December 2010, the 31.3 hectares were sold, while the remaining 292 hectares were bought at the same price by a single bidder, Le Van Suong.

At the time when the committee sold the rubber land, one hectare of two-year rubber trees was priced at VND450-550 million (USD21,428-26,190), much higher than the level of VND264 million sold by the committee.

Due to the wrongdoings, the Party’s Central Committee’s Commission of Inspection has expelled Mr. Truong Tan Thieu.
 

Source: DTriNews