Vĩnh Long Addresses Accountability for Unauthorized Construction in Residential Areas

The Vinh Long Provincial Inspectorate recently addressed inquiries from Tien Phong reporters regarding the handling of issues at Khang Thi neighborhood in Ward 2, former Vinh Long City (now Long Chau Ward, Vinh Long Province).

According to the Vinh Long Provincial Inspectorate, the case has been assigned by the Provincial People’s Committee to relevant agencies for inspection, review, and coordinated resolution in accordance with regulations.

Regarding the responsibilities of involved individuals and entities, the Department of Home Affairs has advised the Provincial People’s Committee to submit a report to the Party Committee of the Provincial People’s Committee for the appraisal and accountability of officials and civil servants under the management of the Provincial Party Standing Committee.

“For individuals under the jurisdiction of provincial departments and agencies, accountability reviews and disciplinary actions have been completed as required,” stated the Vinh Long Provincial Inspectorate.

Concerning the current status of Khang Thi neighborhood, the Director of the Vinh Long Department of Finance noted that the Provincial People’s Committee has tasked the department with leading efforts to collaborate with relevant units in reviewing the entire project dossier. This will inform a report and proposal to the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee for further action.

As previously reported, in May 2021, P&G Real Estate Co., Ltd. (P&G, headquartered in Ward 8, former Vinh Long City) acquired land use rights from Mr. N.V.U, totaling over 6,700 square meters designated for perennial crops and aquaculture.

Despite lacking a construction permit, investment license, and land-use conversion approval, P&G proceeded to develop Khang Thi neighborhood, comprising 42 three-story townhouses (one ground floor and two upper floors) on 4,279 square meters of land originally zoned for perennial crops and aquaculture. Each unit ranges from 220 to 240 square meters.

In October 2022, the Vinh Long Department of Planning and Investment concluded that the project lacked the necessary legal documentation for commercial construction. Consequently, the property did not meet the criteria for real estate commercialization. Nonetheless, Mr. Pham Xuan Giang, representing P&G, signed deposit agreements for land-use rights transfers, contravening regulations.

In 2022 and late January 2023, P&G was fined twice by the Vinh Long Provincial People’s Committee, totaling 190 million VND. In March 2023, an additional fine of 500 million VND was imposed for engaging in real estate transactions without meeting regulatory requirements. As of October 31, 2023, the company has paid all penalties.

In May 2023, the Vinh Long Provincial People’s Committee established an inspection team to verify the construction process at Khang Thi neighborhood. Subsequent audit findings were partially referred to investigative authorities. Concurrently, competent agencies mandated that P&G halt all sales activities pending further investigation. In 2024, Vinh Long Provincial Police determined that no criminal charges would be filed due to insufficient evidence of criminal conduct.

Investigations revealed that the developer has paid fines and engaged with authorities to submit additional investment documentation and remediation measures. However, as of late 2024, procedural completion remains pending, and authorities have been unable to contact the developer.

At the project site, 21 buyers have deposited funds for 29 units, totaling approximately 109 billion VND, with over 90% of payments made. According to one purchaser, each unit was priced at over 5 billion VND in 2022. However, buyers currently lack legal documentation, and the developer is unreachable.