THE PRIME MINISTER

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the Planning on salt production development up to 2010 and 2020 with the following principal contents:

I. THE PLANNING'S VIEWPOINTS

1. Salt production development must ensure the exploitation and promotion of advantages of natural conditions, sea water, climate and weather of each region; the combination of salt production restructuring with technological renewal, investment in new salt fields and renovation of existing ones in order to raise the productivity, quality and efficiency of every unit of acreage of salt field.

2. To concentrate on developing salt production in localities where conditions permit and advantages exist in the direction of forming big salt and chemicals industrial complexes and combining production with processing and post-salt chemicals; and at the same time, to adopt mechanisms and policies to support the conversion of scattered, inefficient and manual salt production areas into areas for development of other more efficient production activities.

3. Salt production development must be associated with the building of a new-style countryside, redistribution of labor and creation of jobs in localities.

II. DEVELOPMENT OBECTIVES

1. General objectives:

To ensure efficient and sustainable salt production; to sufficiently meet people's needs for consumer salt and industrial demands for material salt; to step by step reduce the import of industrial salt and increase the export of salt and post-salt products; to create stable jobs and gradually improve the living conditions of salt workers and laborers engaged in the salt industry and actively contribute to the prevention and control of iodine deficiency disorders.

2. Specific objectives:

a/ By 2010:

- The salt production area will be 14,500 ha, including 6,000 ha for industrial salt;

- The salt yield will be 1,500,000 tons, including 800,000 tons of industrial salt.

b/ By 2020:

- The salt production area will be 14,500 ha, including 8,500 ha for industrial salt;

- The salt yield will be 2,000,000 tons, including 1,350,000 tons of industrial salt.

III. ORIENTATIONS FOR PLANNING SALT PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, RESERVE AND CIRCULATION

1. Salt production:

a/ Producing salt by sand-drying and dispersed water-heating technologies:

- In northern provinces: In the 2006-2010 period, to upgrade and renovate 2,500 ha of the total of 2,673 ha of existing salt fields where sand-drying technology is applied. To improve production technologies and equip improved tools and appropriate machines in order to raise labor productivity and reduce labor intensity, bring the average salt productivity to 100 tons/ha and salt yield to 250,000 tons/year by 2010. By 2020, to keep the salt production area at around 1,500 ha, the salt productivity at 130-135 tons/ha and the salt yield at around 200,000 tons/year.

- In southern provinces: In the 2006-2010 period, to upgrade, renovate and repair 6,000 ha of salt fields where dispersed water-heating technology is applied. To apply new materials to the construction of crystallization beds for raising salt quality. To use machines and improve technologies to bring the average salt productivity to 75 tons/ha and salt yield to 450,000 tons/year by 2010. By 2020, to keep the salt production area at around 4,500 ha, the salt productivity at 80-100 tons/ha and the salt yield at 400,000-450,000 tons/year.

b/ Producing industrial salt: To concentrate on producing industrial salt for the chemical industry and export by expanding areas, investing in equipment and intensifying mechanization and automation. Specifically:

- In the 2006-2010 period, to make intensive investment in and expand the existing industrial-salt fields of Hon Khoi and Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa province), Tri Hai and Ca Na (Ninh Thuan province), Dam Vua and Vinh Hao (Binh Thuan province) with a total area of 2,220 ha. In 2007-2008, to concentrate investment in completing the construction and putting to production of Quan The salt field (Ninh Thuan province) and Thong Thuan salt field (Binh Thuan province) with an area of 2,700 ha. To continue investment in building the new industrial-salt field of Bac Tri Hai (Ninh Thuan province) with an area of 300 ha.

- Orientations towards 2020: To continue investment in building around 2,500 ha of new salt fields so as to have an industrial-salt area of 8,500 ha with a salt yield of 1,350,000 tons.

2. Salt-processing establishments:

To plan the construction of medium- and small-sized salt-processing establishments which can process all commodity salt and supply sufficient iodized salt of high quality and at low prices to people; and at the same time, to continue investment in modernizing existing edible salt-processing establishments to reach the designed capacity and product quality standards.

To invest in two more refined salt-processing chains with complete equipment and advanced technologies with a capacity of 30,000-50,000 tons/year in the material supply areas in Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces.

3. National salt reserve:

The State shall invest budget funds in keeping a national reserve of white salt for daily-life consumption and industrial use in case of occurrence of natural calamities or enemy sabotage, and for other necessary tasks. To build new storehouses and upgrade existing ones and increase equipment for and modernize those storehouses in order to reserve around 120,000 tons of salt by 2010 and 370,000 tons by 2020.

4. Production of post-salt products:

Based on market demands and the strategy on development of the chemical industry, to build a number of chemicals factories using industrial-salt materials and sea brine such as a sodium-carbonate production factory with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons, a soda production factory with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons and a magnesium oxide production factory with an annual capacity of 15,000 tons.

IV. MAJOR SOLUTIONS

1. Land:

a/ Based on the approved Planning and the investment law, investors shall select and formulate investment projects on upgrading and renovating salt-field infrastructure; build new industrial-salt fields; make intensive investment in refined salt- and edible salt-processing establishments; build and upgrade salt reserve storehouses in order to sufficiently satisfy the domestic demand for salt;

b/ The People’s Committees of salt-producing provinces or cities shall review and adjust their annual or long-term land use plannings or plans to suit this Planning, then submit them to competent authorities for approval; allocate or lease land to, and grant land use right certificates for, salt-producing organizations, households or individuals in accordance with the land law.

2. Science and technology:

a/ To prioritize funds for investment in research and pilot production projects on salt production, processing, preservation and circulation;

b/ To step up salt production extension, transfer technical advances, supply information and provide training to raise salt workers' skills. To review and widely apply scientific and technical advances as well as efficient salt production and processing models. To provide budgetary supports for salt production extension in order to build demonstration models in salt production, processing and preservation.

3. Investment and credit:

a/ State budget funds shall be invested in the construction of infrastructure in salt production areas, including dikes, pump stations, sea-water supply sewers and canals, flood drainage sewers and canals, inner-field transportation and irrigation works, and ground clearance. To support construction of schools, health stations and resettlement areas, job training, relocation of people to new economic zones, and rural electricity and clean water supply;

b/ Credit and other lawful capital sources for investment in the development of salt production, processing and consumption.

4. Consumption of products:

a/ Enterprises which purchase salt for processing or consumption shall sign salt consumption contracts with salt producers or traders in order to consume all salt for salt workers at prices profitable for both parties;

b/ The Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall allocate adequate funds for promoting the salt product trade in annual key trade promotion programs;

c/ To supply edible salt for ethnic minority people in highland, deep-lying, remote and island areas and exceptional difficulty-stricken areas.

5. Supports for job change:

In areas where salt production is converted into other production activities, supports shall be considered and provided in terms of:

a/ Funds for training jobs for laborers who have to change their jobs;

b/ Investment in projects on inner-field transportation infrastructure construction, irrigation and trial production for production expansion;

c/ Construction of resettlement areas and new economic zones for people who are relocated from salt production areas.

6. Organization of production:

a/ To continue scrutinizing in order to consolidate and raise the efficiency of existing cooperatives and set up new cooperatives to support salt workers in terms of supplies services, product consumption and other needs;

b/ To encourage and create conditions for the establishment of salt production, processing or sale enterprises;

c/ To form the Vietnam Salt Association composed of salt producers, processors and consumers to protect its members' interests.

Article 2.- Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches as well as the People's Committees of salt-producing provinces or cities in, organizing and directing the effective implementation of the Planning on salt production development up to 2010 and 2020; formulate and execute investment projects on salt production development under the Planning.

2. The Ministry of Industry shall plan and direct the construction of chemicals factories using as materials salt and salt by-products (gypsum, sea brine) in association with consolidated salt production areas in order to raise salt production efficiency and meet demands for consumer products.

3. The People's Committees of salt-producing provinces or cities shall organize the implementation of the Planning on salt production development in their respective localities; direct the formulation of infrastructure investment projects on salt production development; integrate funding sources of programs and projects for effective implementation of the Planning on salt production development; adopt policies to encourage and support the attraction of investment resources for salt industry development and to support salt workers to change their jobs in areas where salt production is inefficient.

Article 3.- This Decision replaces the Prime Minister's Decision No. 980/1997/QD-TTg of November 18, 1997, approving the Planning on salt production and circulation in the 2000-2010 period.

Article 4.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in "CONG BAO."

Article 5.- Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and presidents of provincial/municipal People's Committees shall implement this Decision.