Dong Nai closes on FDI target   Corrugated iron sheets are manufactured at a plant in Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Zone, southern Dong Nai Province. Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authorities had granted licences to 59 new foreign-invested projects by the end of September, worth US$315.5 million. - VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vu DONG NAI (VNS)- The Dong Nai Industrial Zones Authorities (DIZA) had granted licences to 59 new foreign-invested projects by the end of September, worth US$315.5 million. According to DIZA statistics, authorities also continued to support 54 existing projects, adding $515.1 million to their capital. The nine-month FDI attraction figures, which totalled $830 million, made up 83 per cent of the 2013 target and were equivalent to 78 per cent of the amount from the same period last year, DIZA said. DIZA had also green-lighted eight new domestic projects by the end of September - with total registered capital of over VND1.44 trillion ($69 million) - and approved three operational projects increasing capital by a further VND332 billion ($15.9 million). Dong Nai is now home to 31 IZs, spanning a total area of 9,832ha. Of these, 27 are already operational, with the remainder still under-construction. However, difficulties in land clearance compensa-tion, signing new land lease agreements and getting bank loans for IZ infrastructure construction remained major hurdles for the province to overcome if it wanted to attract further investment. In an attempt to lure more Japanese investment, the province recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japan's Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ on co-operation in promoting regional investment. Under the MoU, both sides would exchange information and work together to organise seminars on investment in Dong Nai and meetings with potential investors in Japan. Japan is currently one of the province's leading sources of FDI. To date, Japanese investors are behind 167 projects in the locality, capitalised at $3.1 billion . - VNS

� ? p c ��� �ٿ ormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; text-align:justify;line-height:13.5pt'>On land retrievals, deputy Le Trong Sang from HCM City said that it was the issue constituents were most concerned about, accounting for 70-80 per cent of all denunciations and complaints.

Sang suggested more time be needed to implement the Land Law, which is currently still under discussion at the National Assembly, before final approval and the enshrine of the change in the constitution.

"If we have to constitutionalise the issue right now, I suggest the amendment of stating that the Government retrieves the land in necessary cases. The other cases will be regulated by the Land Law," he said.

Truong Trong Nghia from HCM City said that it was necessary to state clearly that the land retrieval was in the best interests of the nation and the public.

Agreeing with Nghia, Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam from HCM City said that concern among citizens in relation to land issues were stemmed from unclear planning and usage of the land, adding that the Constitution needed to ensure transparency.

"I totally agree with the draft amendments of the 1992 Constitution. However, we need to understand that the people are not objecting the Government's land retrieval. They are concerned about their rights and interests, which are being infringed, because of the inappropriate compensation," she said, urging for a market-based compensation mechanism.

Tam also said there were disparities in land valuations that highlighted inconsistencies in the current mechanism, where similar land lots had received different compensation prices due to different reasons for land retrievals.

"That is the cause of the inequality and divergence," she added.

Opinions from most of the groups appeared to back the draft amendments, with Nguyen Dinh Quyen from Ha Noi saying the amendments had demonstrated a cohesive political system and transparent mechanism of government with a distinct separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

The amendments aim to ensure the rights of citizens and demystify the Government's responsibilities,, he said. - VNS