Hanoi (VNA) - The making of the Bac Van Phong Special Economic Zone master planin the south-central province of Khanh Hoa has been temporarily suspendedfollowing Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s order.

Themaster plan’s resumption will be considered once the Law on SpecialAdministrative-Economic Units is approved by the National Assembly.

Thebill, slated to be passed in 2018, was controversial due to national security concernsover a stipulation which would allow foreign investors to lease land for up to99 years in three special economic zones. The Vietnamese parliament had topostpone the bill pending revisions.

Inthe meantime, the PM asked the Khanh Hoa provincial People’s Committee toaccelerate the development of the provincial planning between 2021 and 2030, aswell as adjust the general planning on the construction of the Van PhongEconomic Zone.

Theprovincial People’s Committee said it had drafted tasks and prepared to selectplanning consultancy contractors for the Bac Van Phong Special Economic Zoneproject.

However, these procedures have been disrupted as the Law on SpecialAdministrative-Economic Units, the legal basis for the plan, has not yet beenadopted.

Accordingto the tentative plan, the Bac Van Phong Special Economic Zone will include anon-tariff area of 920ha along with facilities and industrial centres outsidethe non-tariff area such as Doc Da Trang Industrial Manufacturing Area of300ha./.