Ninh Binh works to accelerate progress of National Wildlife Park's projects

Construction of the Bear Sanctuary Ninh Binh started in 2015 and is invested by Four Paws with total investment capital of nearly 107 billion VND. 

Covering a total area of 10 hectares, the first phase of the project was put into operation. It is now taking care of 49 bears, creating jobs for 40 labourers.

The sanctuary now becomes a favourite tourist destination that combines tourism with nature and education activities.

Four Paws wants to soon carry out the second phase of the project. Since the adjustment of the project has not been approved, hence the site clearance has not been done yet.

The project on building the Asian Carnivore Conservation Centre,  which is invested by Ninh Binh's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been implemented since 2014.

To date, the construction of a work building, roads, water and power systems, fences and ponds has been completed. The total value of payment was 35.8 billion VND, accounting for 48 percent of the total. Since 2017, the project has been halted due to a lack of capital from the state.

In 2018, Four Paws Viet asked the provincial People's Committee for permission to take over the project.

Four Paws' proposal has been submitted to the Prime Minister twice. Since there are no specific regulations on shifting projects funded by the state budget to projects using socialized capital sources, relevant ministries and agencies are facing difficulties in guilding legal procedures for the provincial People's Committee.

In addition, the land plot reserving for the project has not been granted a certificate of land use right while many construction works are facing a threat of deteriorating.

At the working session, participants exchanged and clarified difficulties and hurdles, and then put forth solutions to remove difficulties, in a bid to speed up the project's progress.

Concluding the session, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Tran Song Tung stressed the importance of the two projects in boosting the province's socio-economic growth and raising people's awareness of nature conservation.

Ninh Binh authorities pledged to assist Four Paws in implementing the projects.

Tung also asked the Department of Planning and Investment to support Four Paws in investment procedures while the Department of Natural Resource and Environment was requested to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People's Committee of Nho Quan district to review land planning and land use plans to grant a certificate to the investor.

Carsten Hertwig, a representative of Four Paws International, thanked the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee for supporting Four Paws in implementing projects in the past few years, and hoped that the two above-mentioned projects will be sped up in the coming time.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy