Vietnamese province halts entertainment project over repeat violations The project was found to have illegally encroached on over 2.2 hectares of bay area in Nha Trang   The under-construction Nha Trang Star entertainment complex in Nha Trang City. Photo: Tuoi Tre The construction of the Nha Trang Star entertainment complex in south-central Khanh Hoa Province has been indefinitely terminated for investigation into the violations of its developer. The decision was made by the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, its director Tran Hoa Nam said on Saturday. The project, spanning over 103,000 square meters along Nha Trang Bay on the seaside Pham Van Dong Street, was approved in March 2012 and had the first sod turned in October 2014. The entertainment complex would have included a theme park, a sporting venue, a seaport and hotels. In December 2015, Nha Trang Star’s namesake developer was found to have encroached on over 22,000 square meters of bay area near the protected national scenic site of Hon Do Island. The administration of Khanh Hoa at the time fined the company VND225 million (US$9,900) for multiple offenses, including infringement upon a national scenic site and lack of environment monitoring and protection plans. Its developer, Nha Trang Star JSC, has been subject to further administrative fines by the provincial administration, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Construction, and the Department of Planning and Investment. The project was also found to have included buildings not initially approved by local authorities. Despite its completion date set for late 2016, the site of the project is still a massive open field without any building in sight as of September 2017. “If the developer does not speed up their construction and make corrections to their building plans, we will request the withdrawal of the project’s permit,” Nam was quoted by local news site VnExpress as saying. Tuoi Tre News