The Government has submitted to the National Assembly a feasibility study to acquire land for the construction of Long Thanh international airport in the southern province of Dong Nai and pay compensation to land owners.

The study, which was completed by the Ministry of Transport and assessed by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, calls for speeding up site clearance and compensation to ensure the project’s progress while ensuring legitimate interests of the affected households.

According to the report, Dong Nai Province’s People’s Committee was assigned to be the investor of the land acquisition, compensation and resettlement project of Long Thanh airport.

The project has a total land area of ​​about 5,585.14 ha (excluding the area of ​​land recovered for the construction of road works connecting to Long Thanh airport estimated at 29.5 ha) in six communes in Long Thanh District.

The area of ​​land recovered for the construction of the airport is 5,000 ha, including 2,750 ha for construction of airport infrastructure, 1,050 ha for defense purposes and 1,200 ha for other aviation and commercial projects.

The area of ​​land recovered for construction of resettlement areas is 565 ha in Binh Son and Loc An communes, while the reclaimed land for construction of a cemetery is about 20 ha in Binh An Commune in Long Thanh District.

Support for affected households

The affected families will be compensated for their houses and other construction works attached to the land based on the market value of the construction of the house at the time of compensation, according to the feasibility study.

They will be provided job training, job conversion and job searches in case the State recovers agricultural land from households and individuals directly engaged in agricultural production.

They will be financially supported for the rent while waiting for construction of new houses at VND4 million ($180) per household per month or they will be arranged to stay at temporary houses set up by the provincial authorities. The period of rent support is five months from the time the provincial authority allocates the land for resettlement.

Poor households who have all their agricultural land taken over shall, in addition to the prescribed allowances, be entitled to an additional allowance from VND10 million to VND30 million per household.

Assistance will be given to children of resettled families (for their pre-school, general education and supplementary schools in Dong Nai Province) as well as study expenses for not more than three academic years.

In addition, students from the affected families will be able to get loans for their study in accordance with Government regulations on credit for students.

According to the Dong Nai People’s Committee, the affected residents will also be provided with employment counseling and job recommendation services free of charge.

They will also have access to loans with special interest rates at 50 per cent of the lending interest rate for poor households or be arranged to work at Long Thanh International Airport during construction and when it is put into operation.

If they want to work abroad for a finite term, they will receive financial support and may get loans to pay the related expenses at an interest rate equal to 50 per cent of the lending interest rate applicable to poor households.

Enterprises which employ labourers in the affected areas shall be provided with 100 per cent of financial needs for labour training, medical insurance premiums, social insurance premiums and unemployment insurance premiums for laborers, according to regulations.

Regarding health services, the affected residents will be provided with health insurance for three years.

In addition, households and individuals whose land is affected by the project will also be relocated in two resettlement areas in the province.

According to Dong Nai Province’s People’s Committee, more than 15,000 residents will be affected by the airport project, 70 per cent of them farmers, with the others being workers at rubber plantations and those with other jobs.

To acquire 5,000 ha for the first stage of the airport, 4,730 households and 26 offices will have to be relocated.

Compensation payments are estimated at over VND18 trillion (US$792.64 million).

The first phase of the airport is scheduled to be completed in 2023 and the final phase in 2050. — VNS