Leaders of central Khanh Hoa Province are moving ahead with plans to privatize Nha Trang beach despite strong opposition from local residents.

Coast land in Nha Trang City to be allocated to Dewan Co.

Nguyen Chien Thang, chairman of the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee, asked the local Department of Planning and Investment to quickly complete procedures to hand over land for the planned Phuong Hoang beach development project to Dewan International Vietnam Ltd Co.

The Department of Planning and Investment said the request was “impossible” as Dewan Company had yet to meet capital contribution requirements for the project.

Thang signed in January a decision to allocate 10,000 square metres coastal land in the Hon Chong national landscape area to F17 Company for 49 years for business and tourism services.

The provincial government approved an amended planning request and allocated nearly 24,000 square meres of coast to Invest Park Nha Trang Ltd Co for restaurant construction. The land, in the eastern part of Tran Phu Road in Nha Trang City, belongs to Phu Dong Park and was set aside for local children.

F17 was exempted from land rental fees for two years and Invest Park Nha Trang only has to pay rent on 10 percent of the allocated land.

A consequence of the development deals would be to close huge stretches of beach to public use, making them only available to guests of planned resorts.

Objections by local residents were dismissed as "a minority" interfering with development.

Dtinews