QUẢNG NINH — The Government has issued a resolution to adjust the land use planning of northern Quảng Ninh Province until 2020.

According to the planning, the province will have a total natural land area of 617,779ha, nearly 75 per cent of which is agricultural land.

Among 461,951ha of agricultural land, forest land for production is the highest (37.95 per cent), besides areas for paddy fields, perennial trees and aquatic production.

The resolution orders the provincial People’s Committee to review the planning of sectors in accordance with land planning adjustment. The adjustment must be relevant with and meet the requirements of socio-economic development as well as ensure local security and defence.

The province has been ordered to identify locations and publicise areas of rice planning, protective forest areas and forest areas with special use that need protection.

Local authorities must regulate the distribution of sources, especially State budget, between urban areas of industrial development and service and areas growing rice and having forest land protection.

They have been requested to launch policies and take measures to reduce production costs, increase income for farmers and attract investment in social and technical infrastructure.

The resolution also asks the province to kick off construction of local industrial parks following the Government’s project to develop industrial parks until 2015 with a vision to 2020. However, industrial parks are not allowed to be built on the current disputed area between Quảng Ninh Province and Hải Phòng City.

The authorities are not allowed to switch the land use purpose of natural forests, except for security purposes or for projects serving socio-economic development, both of which will be determined by the Prime Minister.

The resolution says any efforts to switch forest use purposes, especially for mineral exploitation and tourism service projects, must be closely monitored.

The Government has also urged the province to hold auction for land use rights and closely monitor land funds used for urban development, industrial parks, industrial clusters and non-agricultural land used for production and businesses so that land is used effectively and economically.

Violations on land use and management, including using land for wrong purposes, must be fined strictly, the resolution says.

Local authorities are not allowed to hand over, lease or retrieve land or switch the land use purpose for areas not in the list of land use planning. — VNS