Vedan transfers money to HCMC, BR-VT
By Ngoc Hung - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – Vedan has sent half of the compensation amounts pledged for farmers in HCMC’s Can Gio District and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province who were affected by the company’s river pollution.
The Taiwan producer of monosodium glutamate on Wednesday sent half of the total VND45.7 billion in compensation that they had agreed to pay farmers in Can Gio. It also sent a letter of credit from Bangkok Bank’s HCMC branch for the remaining amount to representatives of the HCMC Farmers’ Association.
According to the agreement to compensate farmers for losses caused by polluting a long stretch of the Thi Vai River, Vedan will send the other half of the money to HCMC prior to January 14, 2011.
Bangkok Bank has agreed to ensure unconditional payment without cancellation and to pay the remaining 50% if Vedan will not pay before that date.
The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province’s Farmers’ Association said they had received half of their compensation from Vedan on Tuesday. They will start dividing the VND26.8 billion between the affected farmers soon.
In Dong Nai Province, the provincial government has issued a document requesting the Dong Nai Farmers’ Association to be responsible for collecting opinions from farmers in Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts as to whether they should accept Vedan’s VND119.5 billion offer or sue for more.
The Vietnam Farmers’ Association said they would oversee the process of paying compensation to farmers. They have also requested the farmers’ associations of the three provinces to work with locals so that they would pursue the matter further after receiving compensation payments.