Illegal 12-floor Phu Quoc hotel to be dismantled

An official from the Phu Quoc People’s Committee said Thursday the committee it is looking for a unit to perform the dismantling, which is part of a campaign by Kien Giang Province to clear illegal constructions from the popular resort island Phu Quoc.

The hotel was built over 2,700 square meters in Duong To Commune, Duong Dong Town. Its investor was fined more than VND60 million (US$2,550) last August for building the commercial project on agriculture land without approval.

As the investor has failed to dismantle the hotel as ordered, authorities will be doing it.

Phu Quoc is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting 2-3 million tourists every year.

Its increasing popularity has come with a surge in land prices and a wave of illegal construction of hotels and villas.

After a one-year investigation of property projects on the island, Kien Giang Province inspectors last month said they had found 2,300 land use violations, including structures illegally occupying state and forest land.

They found that local authorities had enabled individuals and organizations to illegally use 200 hectares of public land and create 774 illicit projects.

The committee has recommended that dozens of local officials, including commune chairs and heads of departments, be held responsible for allowing the illegal constructions to happen.