Ensuring rights for people participating in joint projects

People of Quai To commune reflected on the difficulties and obstacles in implementing macadamia planting projects at a dialogue with leaders of Tuan Giao district People's Committee. *Photo: Pham Trung*

From 2015 to 2017, the people of Quai Nua commune (Tuan Giao district) implemented a joint project to grow macadamia with Dien Bien Macadamia Joint Stock Company. Up to now, the total area of land contributed to the Company is 500 hectares. According to the land contribution contract, from the 6th year, the people will receive 15% of the profit, but now, after the 7th year, the Company has not paid the full amount of money that the people are entitled to and the wages of the workers.

Faced with that situation, the District Party Committee and People's Committee of Tuan Giao District have directly worked with the leaders of Dien Bien Macadamia Joint Stock Company many times; and organized many dialogues with the presence of 3 parties: Party Committee, government; people and businesses. The main content of the working sessions and dialogues is to require the business to properly implement the contents of the association contract; promptly pay workers' wages and product profits to people in Quai Nua commune.

Mr. Le Xuan Canh, Chairman of Tuan Giao District People's Committee, said: Along with working directly, Tuan Giao District People's Committee regularly urges and supervises the production activities of enterprises, thereby having a basis to request to ensure legitimate rights for the people. In 2023, Dien Bien Macadamia Joint Stock Company deployed the harvest of macadamia nuts, the total amount of product sales was 2 billion VND. Tuan Giao District People's Committee requested the Company to use the entire amount to pay due debts to the people. Accordingly, the Company has paid debts in the area including: Food expenses for workers in 2021 - 2022 is 1.1 billion VND; wages for hiring people to pick fruit is 250 million VND; production costs for people in Bo Giang village (Quai Nua commune) is 71 million VND and wages for staff taking care of the garden is 579 million VND. In the immediate future, the Company has partially resolved its debts to the people.

Mr. Quang Van Thuy, a farmer in Quai Nua commune, said: Thanks to the drastic participation of the District Party Committee and the People's Committee of Tuan Giao district, up to now, Macadamia Dien Bien Joint Stock Company has paid part of the expenses according to the linkage contract. We are very happy that the opinions of the people have been listened to and responded to promptly by the Party Committee and the government. The guaranteed benefits help us feel secure, confident, and continue to participate in production linkage projects in the area.

In 2023, Tuan Giao district organized the planting of 980 hectares of macadamia trees under the form of production linkage. To ensure the effectiveness of the projects and build sustainable linkages, in October 2023, Tuan Giao District People's Committee organized direct dialogues with people in all communes with macadamia linkage projects. The dialogue content focused on the difficulties and obstacles of people in the process of participating in the macadamia planting project. All opinions and recommendations on difficulties in project implementation were answered and resolved by the leaders of the district People's Committee, specialized departments, and commune-level People's Committees according to their authority. The dialogues received positive feedback from the people, helping people to trust and actively participate, especially in taking care of the newly planted macadamia gardens in 2023.

Many years ago, people in the province contributed land to implement rubber tree planting projects. After a period of investment and construction, when the rubber gardens yielded latex, companies and investors paid the people who contributed the profits according to the joint contract. In 2023, the total rubber area exploited for latex by Muong Nhe Dien Bien Rubber Joint Stock Company was 1,139 hectares; the total latex output in the first 9 months of the year reached 608.6 tons. The land area contributed by people to be divided into products was 1,265.2 hectares belonging to 383 households. The total payment value to people in 2023 was 2.173 billion VND.

Mr. Pham Nhu Y, Head of Finance - Accounting Department (Muong Nhe Dien Bien Rubber Joint Stock Company) said: The Company always implements the contents of the association contract, ensuring the right and sufficient legitimate rights for the people. Along with that, in recent years, the Company has always created jobs for people who contribute land, helping people have a stable income. Currently, the Company has 255 employees, of which ethnic minority workers account for 93.8%.

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