According to UN experts, Vietnam’s agricultural land area has recently been shrinking and the fallow rate is reaching an alarming level. Meanwhile, the population is increasing.
Statistics from the Vietnam General Department of Physical Education and Sports show that currently, across the country, there are 80 18-hole golf courses in operation.
With the title “Golf course investment race: By 2030, Vietnam may have 400 – 500 golf courses,” Financial Investment Magazine – VietnamFinance on October 12 said:
“Experts say that Vietnam’s golf industry is entering a boom period, and localities and investors are having a race to invest in golf courses. It is expected that by 2030, Vietnam will have 400 – 500 golf courses.”
Meanwhile, environmental experts in Vietnam have long issued warnings about reclaiming agricultural land or deforestation to build golf courses. This has caused the cultivated land and forest land to decrease significantly.
In particular, in recent times, there has been a massive development of golf course projects, but in fact they are just shells, the inside is land business in the shadow of golf courses. Golf course projects are transformed into real estate and then divided into lots for sale.
The state has licensed the construction of very large golf courses, with an area of hundreds of thousands of hectares. Thus, fertile agricultural lands, banks of honey fields, were turned into golf courses and luxury villas located nearby. This is something that needs to be considered carefully.
That is the reason why the Ministry of Planning and Investment issued a new regulation, according to which, the licensing of golf course construction must be signed and approved by the Prime Minister.
For example, one of the largest golf courses in Vietnam in Thu Duc (Ho Chi Minh City), with an area of more than 300 hectares, is considered the first international golf course in Vietnam. Public opinion questions whether, with 300 hectares of agricultural land in a suburban district like Thu Duc, along with the real estate value that land brings, is it worth it for the state to plan it to become a golf course? just to serve a very small minority of people who have money or not?
Or recently, the international standard 36-hole golf course project in Dak Doa district, Gia Lai province, invested by FLC Group, with a scale of more than 174 hectares, was scandalous and was withdrawn.
The farmers who were cultivating that land suddenly became “injustice citizens” in the blink of an eye. They were robbed of their land and became empty-handed. Even when they receive compensation, it is at very cheap prices, and the inevitable consequence is still nothing.
The state argues that the tax rate on golf courses is many times higher than the tax rate on agriculture, on the same piece of land. This is completely true to reality. But in macroeconomic planning, according to experts, this excess tax collection is more harmful than beneficial. Because agricultural land is both people’s livelihood and creates products to feed society. Golf courses are just a hobby for a few people.
Economic expert Pham Chi Lan, former Secretary General and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said:
“The number of golf courses in operation and under construction is too abundant. Therefore, projects with the goal of establishing a new golf course, including foreign investment capital, should be unequivocally rejected by the Government. This is the best way to protect the agricultural and forestry economy, as well as farmers.”
Public opinion is still concerned that the policy of restricting golf course development, although correct, is being seriously implemented by state officials? And officials have enough bravery to refuse “kickback” offers, when a very large number of tycoons are still very interested in investing in this lucrative field.
As a reminder, Tuoi Tre newspaper on April 5, 2021, quoted the Standing Vice Chairman of Vietnam Golf Tourism Association – Pham Thanh Tri – saying that recently, on average, every two weeks Vietnam there is one more licensed golf course.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
