Bac Lieu Commercial Center Project Violations: Land Revoked Before Allocation Decision

A commercial center project in Vietnam's Bac Lieu province, initiated over three decades ago, is still incomplete due to a series of significant irregularities in land management, investment, and bidding processes. The project, spanning over 40,280 square meters with an initial investment of more than 21 billion Vietnamese dong, has been plagued by issues since its early stages.

According to a provincial inspection conclusion, land was revoked and assigned to the project management board in 1995, prior to the Prime Minister's official land allocation decision in 1998. This action was determined to be beyond the authority of the then-Minh Hai provincial People's Committee chairman, violating the 1993 Land Law. Furthermore, subsequent land revocation and allocation decisions made by provincial leaders were also found to be outside their legal authority.

The selection of the investor also drew scrutiny. In August 1996, the project was awarded to Thai Duong Company through direct appointment without a bidding process, contradicting joint circulars from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction, and State Planning Committee regarding bidding procedures. The inspection also noted that land allocation to Thai Duong Company based on actual invested value did not align with the Prime Minister's decision.

The project, initially slated for completion in 2000, has seen its deadline adjusted four times, extending to late 2010. However, construction halted completely in July 2009. The total value of work completed reached only over 13.1 billion Vietnamese dong, with many key components, including the central market, restaurants, and landscaping, remaining unfinished. The investor, Thai Duong Company, has cited severe financial difficulties and officially terminated its involvement in March 2019, leaving the project in limbo.