Controversial Ha Long Bay buffer zone project fined for environmental violations
Do Gia Capital Company Limited, the investor of a controversial urban area project in a buffer zone for Ha Long Bay, has been fined VND125 million ($5,140) for environmental violations.
Quang Ninh province authorities said Tuesday that the fines were imposed after a Monday inspection found several environmental violations in the 3.88 hectares of the Ha Long Bay buffer zone, considered an ecologically sensitive area. The inspectors ordered an immediate halt to construction pending corrective measures.
The violations included failure to publicize the approved environmental assessment report and to deploy the project accordingly.
While one kilometer of the road construction had been completed, the investor did nothing to prevent the spill of mud, soil and rocks into the sea at several sections, inspectors found.
The controversial urban area being built in the buffer zone of Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh province, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Dan Tri (People's Intellect) newspaper.
The 31.8-hectare project in block 10B, Quang Hanh ward, Cam Pha town includes 3.88 hectares of the Ha Long Bay buffer zone. Approved in October 2021, project construction began in July 2023 and was scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2026.
The project, which features construction of 451 villas and semi-detached houses, hotels and commercial facilities, has attracted severe criticism from experts and the general public. However, several people have voiced that the project had been screened by central and provincial agencies before being approved and will contribute to local socioeconomic development.
Project investor Do Gia Capital was founded in November 2021 with a registered capital of VND200 billion ($8.22 million). The figure tripled after a year.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has asked Quang Ninh province to cooperate with relevant agencies to ensure suitable construction and design of the project towards minimizing impacts on Ha Long Bay, one of the country’s most popular tourism sites.
It has also asked the province to pay attention to construction density and avoid any obstruction of the view to the sea.
- Related News
- Read More
Vietnam's benchmark VN-Index could surpass 2,000 points in 2026: exec
VN-Index could top 2,000 points next year, said Huynh Minh Tuan, founder of FIDT - a Ho Chi Minh City-based investment consulting firm.
Finance - Thu, October 23, 2025 | 10:55 am GMT+7
Key factors helping firms export to demanding markets: DH Foods exec
Don’t treat business as a week-to-week or month-to-month affair. To go the distance, you must conduct business ethically, writes Nguyen Trung Dung, CEO of DH Foods.
Consulting - Thu, October 23, 2025 | 8:00 am GMT+7
Gold exchange, gold derivatives, gold ETFs proposed to be launched in Vietnam
Forming a gold exchange under state management in Vietnam is suitable to the reality, said Dao Xuan Tuan, head of the foreign exchange management department under the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).
Finance - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 9:00 pm GMT+7
Real estate major Novaland wins key approval for $5 bln project in central Vietnam
Novaland Group (HoSE: NVL), one of Vietnam’s leading property developers, has received investment approval for its flagship project worth $5 billion in the central province of Lam Dong after years of delay due to legal obstacles.
Real Estate - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 4:20 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's plastics heavyweights Tien Phong, Binh Minh report profit surges
Tien Phong Plastic (HNX: NTP) recorded pre-tax profit of nearly VND949 billion ($36.04 million) in the first nine months of the year, exceeding its full-year target by 10.85%, while Binh Minh Plastic (HoSE: BMP) achieved record net profit of VND350 billion ($13.29 million) in Q3, surpassing its VND330 billion milestone set in the previous quarter.
Companies - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 4:17 pm GMT+7
Vietnam, Finland firms sign multiple MoUs on satellite, cybersecurity, aviation partnerships
A series of cooperation agreements were signed between Vietnam and Finland on Tuesday, within the framework of Party chief To Lam's official visit to Helsinki, while bilateral relationship was lifted to a "strategic partnership".
Economy - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 12:43 pm GMT+7
Trung Nam Ca Na seeks to convert agri-forest land for $147 mln industrial park in central Vietnam
Industrial park developer Trung Nam Ca Na is seeking approval to convert about 170 hectares of agricultural and forest land for the construction of a VND3,875 billion ($147 million) project in Vietnam’s central coastal province of Khanh Hoa.
Industrial real estate - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 10:54 am GMT+7
PV Power's arm posts 5-fold jump in Q3 profit on margin recovery
PetroVietnam Power Nhon Trach 2 JSC (HoSE: NT2) reported a sharp rebound in third-quarter earnings as improved margins and higher revenue lifted profits nearly fivefold from a year earlier.
Companies - Wed, October 22, 2025 | 8:37 am GMT+7
TCBS overtakes SSI to become Vietnam’s largest securities company by market cap
Over 2.3 billion shares of Techcom Securities JSC (TCBS) debuted on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE) on Tuesday. The stock, TCX, recorded the highest price and the largest market capitalization in the Vietnamese securities sector.
Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 10:27 pm GMT+7
Indonesia’s palm oil industry becomes investment magnet
Indonesia’s palm oil sector attracted IDR52.7 trillion, or approximately $3.2 billion, in investment during the first nine months of this year, with the money going into enabling the country to capture more value out of its top commodity, the country’s Ministry of Investment reported.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:34 pm GMT+7
Indonesia reports strong job, investment growth
The Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs reported strong job and investment growth during the first year of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, compared with the first year under his predecessor.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:29 pm GMT+7
Singapore grants conditional approval for 1GW low-carbon power import from Malaysia
Singapore has granted conditional approval to import 1 GW of low-carbon electricity from the Malaysian state of Sarawak, marking a new phase in the energy partnership between the two countries.
Southeast Asia - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 9:26 pm GMT+7
Margin lending in Vietnam’s stock market hits record, but not worrisome
Despite margin debt in Vietnam’s stock market surging sharply, experts believe that current margin pressure is not yet a major concern as top securities firms have significantly strengthened their capital buffers.
Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 4:23 pm GMT+7
Lenders in Vietnam now in low-rate lending race: ACB exec
The biggest “headache” for banks in Vietnam now is that profit margins are getting thinner, said CEO of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) Tu Tien Phat.
Banking & Finance - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 4:00 pm GMT+7
PV Gas - 35 years of innovation and technological leadership in Vietnam’s gas industry
Over the past 35 years of establishment and development (1990-2025), PV Gas, a subsidiary of state-owned giant Petrovietnam, has affirmed its pioneering position in Vietnam’s gas industry, marked by a series of groundbreaking achievements in science and technology.
Companies - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 3:45 pm GMT+7
Vietnam's consumer finance major F88 achieves 90% of year's profit target after 9 months
F88 Investment JSC (F88), a leading consumer finance company in Vietnam, reported a cumulative pre-tax profit of VND603 billion ($22.88 million) in the first nine months of 2025, a 2.5-fold increase year-on-year, reaching 90% of its full-year target of VND673 billion.
Companies - Tue, October 21, 2025 | 3:15 pm GMT+7
