Decision No. 161/QD-TTg approves the planning for salt production development until 2010 and 2020 (25)

Pursuant to …;

APPROVAL OF THE PLAN FOR DEVELOPING SALT PRODUCTION UNTIL 2010 AND 2020

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approve the Plan for Developing Salt Production until 2010 and 2020, with the main contents as follows:

I. VIEW ON THE MASTER PLAN

1. Development of salt production must exploit and enhance the advantages of natural conditions, seawater resources, climate, and weather of each region, linking structural transformation in salt production with technological innovation, new investment, and improvement of salt fields to increase productivity, quality, and efficiency per unit area.

2. Focus on developing salt production in areas with favorable conditions and advantages towards concentration, large scale, forming industrial complexes of salt and chemicals, linking production with processing and post-salt chemical products; at the same time, establish mechanisms and policies to support the conversion of unproductive, scattered, and traditional salt areas to other productive activities for higher efficiency.

3. Development of salt production must be linked with building新农村发展，重新分配劳动力，解决当地就业问题。

II. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

1. General Objective:

Ensure effective and sustainable salt production; meet domestic salt consumption needs and raw material requirements for industries; gradually reduce salt imports and increase salt exports and post-salt product exports; stabilize employment, gradually improve living standards for salt workers and those working in the salt industry, and contribute positively to preventing and controlling iodine deficiency disorders.

2. Specific Objectives:

a) By 2010:

- Salt production area: 14,500 hectares, including 6,000 hectares for industrial salt;

- Salt output: 1,500,000 tons, including 800,000 tons of industrial salt.

b) By 2020:

- Salt production area: 14,500 hectares, including 8,500 hectares for industrial salt;

- Salt output: 2,000,000 tons, including 1,350,000 tons of industrial salt.

III. GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SALT

1. Salt production:

a) Salt production using sun-drying technology:

- In northern provinces during the period 2006-2010, upgrade and renovate 2,500 hectares out of the existing 2,673 hectares of sun-drying salt fields. Improve production technology, equip with advanced tools and machinery to increase productivity, reduce labor intensity, and achieve an average salt yield of 100 tons/hectare and an annual salt output of 250,000 tons by 2010. By 2020, maintain a salt production area of about 1,500 hectares with an annual salt output of approximately 200,000 tons.

- In southern provinces during the period 2006-2010, upgrade and renovate 6,000 hectares of sun-drying salt fields. Apply new materials in crystallization pond construction to improve salt quality. Utilize machinery, improve technology, and achieve an average salt yield of 75 tons/hectare and an annual salt output of 450,000 tons by 2010. By 2020, maintain a salt production area of about 4,500 hectares with an annual salt output of approximately 400,000 to 450,000 tons.

b) Industrial salt production: focus on expanding the area, investing in equipment, enhancing mechanization and automation for industrial and export-oriented salt production. Specifically:

- During the period 2006-2010, deepen and expand existing industrial salt fields such as Hon Khoi, Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), Trie Hai, Ca Na (Ninh Thuan), Dam Vuong, Vinh Hao (Binh Thuan) totaling 2,220 hectares. Concentrate on producing Quan The (Ninh Thuan) and Thong Thuan (Binh Thuan) salt fields with a total area of 2,700 hectares in 2007-2008. Continue to invest in constructing the new Bac Trie Hai industrial salt field (Ninh Thuan) with an area of 300 hectares.

- By 2020, continue to invest in constructing approximately 2,500 hectares to reach a total industrial salt production area of 8,500 hectares with an annual salt output of 1,350,000 tons.

2. Salt processing facilities:

Plan to build medium and small-scale salt processing facilities to ensure full consumption of commercial salt and sufficient high-quality iodized salt supply for the population at low costs; simultaneously continue to modernize existing salt processing facilities to meet design capacity and product quality standards.

Invest in two additional salt refining production lines with complete equipment, advanced technology, each with a capacity of 30,000 to 50,000 tons/year in the raw material regions of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces.

3. National salt reserve:

The State will allocate budget funds to establish a national white salt reserve for civilian and industrial purposes to prevent natural disasters, enemy attacks, and other necessary tasks. Construct new and upgrade some existing warehouses, strengthen equipment, and modernize warehouses to ensure a salt reserve of about 120,000 tons by 2010 and 370,000 tons by 2020.

4. Post-salt product production:

Based on market demand and the development strategy of the chemical industry, construct several chemical plants using industrial salt and brine as raw materials, such as a caustic soda plant with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons, a soda ash plant with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons, and a magnesium oxide plant with an annual capacity of 15,000 tons.

IV. MAJOR SOLUTIONS

1. Land:

a) On the basis of the approved plan, investors select and construct projects to upgrade and renovate salt field infrastructure; build new industrial salt fields; deepen investments in salt refining and industrial salt processing facilities; construct and upgrade salt storage warehouses to meet domestic salt demand according to laws on investment;

b) People's Committees of provinces and cities with salt production review and adjust annual and long-term land use plans to align with this plan, submit them to competent authorities for approval; allocate land or lease land and issue Land Use Right Certificates to organizations, households, and individuals engaged in salt production in accordance with laws on land.

2. Science and technology:

a) Prioritize funding for research and experimental production projects in salt production, processing, preservation, and distribution sectors;

b) Strengthen the promotion of salt production, transfer technological advancements, provide information, and conduct training to enhance the skills of salt producers. Summarize and disseminate effective scientific and technological advancements, production models, and salt processing methods on a wide scale. Implement a policy of 100% funding from the state budget for salt promotion to build demonstration models in salt production, processing, and preservation.

3. Investment and credit:

a) The state budget will invest in building infrastructure in salt-producing regions, including embankments, pumping stations, drainage and irrigation systems, inland transportation and water conservancy projects, land clearance; support the construction of schools, health clinics, resettlement areas, vocational training, new economic migrants, electricity, and clean water supply in rural areas;

b) Credit capital and other lawful sources of capital for investment in developing salt production, processing, and consumption.

4. Product Consumption:

a) Enterprises purchasing salt for processing and consumption must organize the signing of salt sales contracts with salt producers and traders to ensure that all salt produced by salt farmers is sold at mutually beneficial prices;

b) The Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall prioritize allocating appropriate funds for promoting the trade of salt products in their annual key trade promotion programs;

c) Effectively implement policies to ensure salt availability for ethnic minorities in highland, remote, island, and particularly difficult regions.

5. Support for occupational transition:

For regions converting salt production areas to other purposes, the following support measures will be considered:

a) Funding for vocational training for workers who need to change occupations;

b) Investment in projects for transitioning infrastructure development, water conservancy, and trial production to expand production;

c) Construction of resettlement areas and new economic migrants in cases where relocation from salt-producing areas to other production sites is necessary.

6. Production Organization:

a) Continue to review and strengthen existing cooperatives and establish new ones to assist salt farmers in service provision, product sales, and other necessary needs;

b) Encourage and create conditions for the establishment of enterprises engaged in salt production, processing, and consumption;

c) Establish the Vietnam Salt Association comprising salt producers, processors, and consumers to protect the interests of its members.

Article 2. Implementation

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial people's committees in salt-producing areas to effectively organize and direct the implementation of the salt production development plan until 2010 and 2020; develop and implement investment projects for salt production development according to the plan.

2. The Ministry of Industry shall be responsible for planning and directing the construction of chemical plants using salt as raw material (gypsum, brine) in concentrated salt production areas to improve salt production efficiency and meet product demand for consumption.

3. Provincial and municipal people's committees in salt-producing areas shall organize the implementation of the salt production development plan within their jurisdictions; direct the construction of investment projects for infrastructure development in salt production; integrate resources from various programs and projects to effectively implement the salt production development plan; implement policies to encourage and support the attraction of investment resources in the salt industry development sector and support salt farmers in occupational transitions in unproductive salt production areas.

Article 3. This Decision replaces Decision No. 980/1997/QĐ-TTg dated November 18, 1997, of the Government Chairman approving the Salt Production and Circulation Plan until 2000-2010.

Article 4. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 5. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under the direct jurisdiction of the central government shall be responsible for implementing this Decision./.