Violations at Da Lat golf course, 15 old villas to be resolved

Authorities in Vietnam's Lam Dong province are pushing for a definitive resolution to long-standing violations at the Doi Cu golf course clubhouse and 15 historic villas in the resort city of Da Lat. The Department of Agriculture and Environment has issued directives to address issues previously flagged by the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee. The Doi Cu golf course project is identified as the most intricate, with the Central Inspection Committee having previously pointed out seven violations. While four have been rectified, three remain outstanding: adjusting plans and architecture within a national heritage site without consulting the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; misusing 5,629 square meters of protective forest land and exceeding building height limits; and constructing without or in violation of permits within the heritage zone. The assessment of annual land rental rates has also been deemed insufficiently rigorous, posing a potential risk of revenue loss. The Doi Cu golf course clubhouse project, developed by Hoang Gia DL Joint Stock Company with an investment of approximately 2 trillion Vietnamese dong, is situated near Xuan Huong Lake. Earlier in 2024, the Da Lat City People's Committee imposed administrative fines totaling 240 million Vietnamese dong on the developer for unauthorized and non-compliant construction. In late May, the Department of Construction revoked the project's sole permit due to the developer's failure to rectify the violations. The provincial anti-corruption and negative conduct steering committee added the case to its monitoring list in July for focused resolution. Beyond the golf course, the Department of Agriculture and Environment also mandated the resolution of issues related to the equitization of Da Lat Tourism Services Joint Stock Company and the management and use of 15 old villas in Xuan Huong ward. The historic villas on Tran Hung Dao Street, part of the Cadasa area, continue to be monitored for public asset management. The directive emphasizes accelerating the rectification of shortcomings identified by the Central Inspection Committee's oversight of Lam Dong, Binh Thuan, and Dak Nong provinces between 2015 and 2025. The goal is to finalize solutions for outstanding projects by the end of the second quarter of 2026. Crucially, the progress in resolving these cases will directly influence the performance assessments and rankings of officials and leaders within the province.