Site clearance for Long Thanh airport urged to finish before 2021

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung (white shirt) and other officials listen to the introduction of Long Thanh project on April 12 (Photo: VNA)

The Deputy PM said the State pays special attention to the resettlement and ensuring of the life, employment and income of affected people. It knows that the displaced people will face certain difficulties, so relevant agencies have made plans on vocational training and job generation to help stablise their lives. Local administration will also build resettlement areas to ensure that they will have a better life than in old living places.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Van Vinh said nearly 5,400ha of land needs to be taken back to build Long Thanh airport. As a result, nearly 4,900 households with over 15,500 people will be resettled. Dong Nai is going to build two resettlement areas named Loc An – Binh Son and Binh Son in Long Thanh district.

As income of the displaced families will be affected, the province plans to support them with an amount of money equivalent to 4.5 times of the monthly region-based minimum wage at the time of the land seizure in order to help recover their income.

The province is carrying out a plan on vocational training, job creation and life reorganisation for the targeted people, Vinh said, noting that relevant agencies have also been asked to enhance land and construction management in the project area.

The provincial People’s Committee is ready for compensation and site clearance. However, as the feasibility study report hasn’t been approved, it is unable to carry out the work. He urged the State’s appraisal council to promptly review this feasibility study report so as to submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

Dong Nai also asked the Government and the Ministry of Transport to soon build transport infrastructure linking with Long Thanh airport, particularly expanding Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway and building Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Expressway.

At the working session, Deputy PM Dung asked the Transport Ministry to accelerate the making of the feasibility study report on the Long Thanh project to submit it to the National Assembly in late 2019.

He requested a medium-term investment plan for 2021-2025 be created and it will be a basis for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate capital for the building. Relevant parties also need to make a plan on transport and infrastructure connection both inside and outside the project.

Long Thanh airport aims to serve 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of cargo each year. The project includes three phases with the first one expected to begin in 2020 and be done no later than 2025.

It is hoped to help ease the overload at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in nearby Ho Chi Minh City./.

VNA