[The latest response to the exclusive investigation of Voice of China] Zibo, Shandong responded that the compensation for collective land requisition of villages was "financed": it was actually managed without legal procedures

Beijing, May 17, CCTV News (Guan Xin, a reporter of the Voice of China on CNR) According to the report of News Horizon of the Voice of China on CNR, the Voice of China exclusively reported yesterday (16 days)“ More than 30 million yuan of collective land acquisition compensation in Pengjia Village, Fujia Town, Zibo Economic Development Zone, Shandong Province was quietly "financed" ”One thing.

The management committee of Zibo Economic Development Zone responded last night that this sum is not a substantive investment and financing, but is entrusted by the urban investment company of the Economic Development Zone. However, there is a problem that there is no legal procedure. The next step will be to hold a villagers' congress and a party meeting to inform, explain and publicize, and at the same time, widely solicit villagers' opinions, and implement the rectification according to the opinions of most villagers.

In March this year, a public notice was posted in the public column of Pengjia Village Party Affairs and Village Affairs in Fujia Town, Zibo Economic Development Zone, which mentioned that 169.383 mu of village collective land was expropriated in the village and more than 1200 villagers would be paid endowment insurance for landless farmers. Many villagers wonder when the land will be expropriated and where the land compensation will go?

In March this year, Pengjia Village posted a public notice that the villagers' congress would be held to approve the proposed social security plan (photographed by reporter Guan Xin)

On April 15, at the villagers' congress in Pengjia Village, Zhou Huaiqiang, the deputy mayor of Fujia Town, said: "At that time, the compensation for land expropriation was not implemented in the hands of the villagers. Through the villagers' congress, I will explain this again. Land expropriation, including government financing, is a decision made by the management committee of the economic development zone of the superior government, which is only implemented in our town and village."

Pengjia Village Party Affairs and Village Affairs Public Column (Photographed by reporter Guan Xin)

Yuan Guofeng, secretary of the Party branch of Pengjia Village, also made it clear when responding to the villagers' calls that the compensation for land acquisition has been used for financial management, which is the decision of the management committee of the Economic Development Zone.

Yuan Guofeng said, "The village clearly told you that all the money was in the (economic development) district, and the district went to finance. It was not in the village account in the early stage, and the formalities just went through were not in the village account in fact, and there would be traces on the village account. You asked me where I had never seen it. I don't know anything."

The total compensation for land acquisition in Pengjia Village is 30.6 million yuan. Previously, many villagers went to Zibo City, the Economic Development Zone and the town government departments to ask what financial products they bought and whether they had signed relevant agreements, but no answer was given.

Different from what Zhou Huaiqiang and Yuan Guofeng said, Zhang Wei, the mayor of Fujia Town, Zibo Economic Development Zone, explained to VOC reporters yesterday afternoon that the compensation for land acquisition in Pengjia Village was not used for financing, but was managed by the District Urban Investment Company.

Zhang Wei said: "According to the normal needs of the village, 100% of the money is used for the expenditure of the village collective. If it is financial management, it must have a relevant period of time. If there is normal expenditure in the village, you can use the money at any time. Is it in the financial management category? The money is put on the account, and if there is interest, it should also be used for the expenditure of the village collective in full."

Zhang Wei also said that the historical contradiction of Pengjia Village is prominent, and the team construction is not perfect. In order to ensure the fund security of land compensation, and taking into account the value maintenance and appreciation of compensation, the compensation for land acquisition is entrusted by the District Urban Investment Corporation.

Zhang Wei said: "The land compensation funds have expanded the village collective income. We want to make the village collective income develop sustainably rather than spend it all at once. The 'eggs' cannot be put in one basket, nor can we choose the basket blindly. So we should put the' eggs' in a safe place first. If there is a good collective project, all the people agree, and the village council agrees, we can have a good project. We can buy chickens and eggs, which can continue to develop. In the absence of a good project and the consent of all the villagers, this money must not be used. "

169.383 mu of land expropriated in Pengjia Village is currently idle (Photographed by reporter Guan Xin)

Last September, the Shandong Provincial Government approved the conversion of 169.383 mu of agricultural land in Pengjia Village to construction land and expropriation. According to relevant laws and regulations, the local government should allocate the land acquisition compensation and related fees to the village collective economic organization within 60 days from the date of issuing the approval document. However, the compensation for land acquisition has not yet been allocated to the account of Pengjia Village, but the relevant receipts show that the village committee of Pengjia Village received the money with its seal.

Reporter: Let me confirm with you. Has the money been paid to the village committee?

Zhang Wei: No. The reason is that the construction of the village team is not perfect now. After obtaining the opinions and comprehensive judgment of the village cadres, for the sake of fund security, no (village account) has been made. However, this money can be used normally in the village. The normal expenditures in 2023 and 2024 are all made from this money. We will normally allocate it when the village submits a normal application.

According to relevant laws and regulations, the management, use and distribution of land compensation and resettlement subsidies shall be discussed and decided by the members of the village's collective economic organization. Zhang Wei admitted that in actual operation, the land acquisition compensation of Pengjia Village was handed over to the urban investment company without legal compliance procedures.

Zhang Wei said: "There is a certain problem. We may not have done enough in our public obligations to the people, but we have not done enough in the breadth of our information. This is our fault. Some villagers may have some unknown situations."

The relevant person in charge of the Urban Investment Company of Zibo Economic Development Zone also said to the Voice of China that the compensation for land acquisition in Pengjia Village is actually managed by the Urban Investment Company and has not been misappropriated.

The relevant person in charge of the Urban Investment Company of the Economic Development Zone said: "No embezzlement. This money is now on our company's account. If the village has a major project expenditure, you can apply at any time and we can allocate it at any time. For example, if you want to issue welfare, you can also say at any time, it is equivalent to escrow behavior. The 6% interest is to ensure some daily welfare expenditure of the village collective."

Why should the compensation for land acquisition be entrusted to the urban investment company instead of the financial account of Fujia Town Government or the Economic Development Zone Management Committee? Zhang Wei said, "Because we consider that generating certain interest can help maintain and increase the value of the village collective economy. Our village collective economy is relatively weak, and it is impossible to generate interest when it is put into finance. We put it into urban investment to generate interest, in order to strengthen the village collective economy."

The relevant person in charge of the Agricultural and Rural Bureau of Zibo Economic and Technological Development Zone told the reporter that as part of the management of the village collective "three capital" (rural collective funds, rural collective assets and rural collective resources), they are preparing guidance documents to include land acquisition compensation in the "three capital" management system.

The relevant person in charge of the Agricultural and Rural Bureau of the Economic Development Zone said: "When the village needs to spend money, every amount of money must be approved in the town. We will audit the accounts of each village on a regular basis to ensure that no illegal funds have occurred. Now we are also in contact with the provincial agricultural department, and for the whole region, including land compensation, we will produce a guiding document. The supervision of "three capital" is carried out year by year, and we are also very tight, so we will not spend this money without reason, including those (problems) that violate the rules, and we are supervising them. "