Luxuriant rubber trees have been planted in Mo Rai, an area heavily bombarded during the wartime. This is the result of the constant effort of all the members of Chu Mom Ray Rubber Company Limited, a member company of Mang Yang - Ratanakiri Rubber Joint Stock Company.
Improving living quality for ethnic minorities
Chu Mom Ray Rubber Co., Ltd lies in Mo Rai commune, Sa Tay district, Kon Tum province, where Vietnam shares the national border line with Cambodia. The company was tasked to develop 3,600 ha of rubber in 39,000 ha of land converted from over 39,000 ha of poor forestland in a project submitted by the Kon Tum Provincial People’s Committee and approved by the Prime Minister. Starting with many hardships, like no roads, no shelters, no electricity and no freshwater, and being threatened by malaria and unexploded bombs from war-time, but all 700 staff of the company did not surrender to hardships, and turned this perilous land into a profitable industrial crop zone.
After more than five years carrying out the project, as of June 30, 2013, Chu Mom Ray Rubber Co, Ltd planted the last 120 ha of its 3,600-ha rubber zone. Endowed with good soil, favourable climate and perfect altitude, only 200 - 250 metres above sea level, the latex yield here is higher than other places in the Central Highlands.
Rubber trees are carefully tended by Mo Rai people. Apart from growing rubber, Chu Mom Ray Rubber Company is also tasked with a very important political mission: Taking care of livelihoods for local people. This area has more than 2,000 residents belonging to 11 minority groups, mainly Jo Rai and Ro Mam peoples. The company always stands side by side with farmers for a better life. It transfers cultivation, tending and harvesting techniques to farmers.
Giving prominence to workers
Recognizing that its workers are the crucial factor to its business, Chu Mom Ray Rubber Company always pays special attention and care to the physical and spiritual life of workers. The company invested in three residential zones, one clinic, kindergartens and power grids for local people. As rubber industry is labour-insensitive, the company always fulfils all employment requirements like compensation and insurance for its workers. Pay is based on workers’ performance. With increasing incomes, the livelihoods of workers and their families improve year after year. With its considerate care for workers, its workforce is always stable while labour mobility is a headache for many others. Truong Minh Tien, Director of Chu Mom Ray Rubber Company, said: "If labourers get what they deserve, they will stick to what they are doing, specifically to rubber and farms. They will contribute more to Chu Mom Ray Rubber if they receive good compensation and care.”
In the coming time, Chu Mom Ray Rubber Company will continue to expand operating scale and consider the construction of a new latex processing plant in Mo Rai commune, Sa Thay district.
He added Chu Mom Ray Rubber Company has received much support from local authorities in Kon Tum province. Currently, the province is making more efforts to reform administrative procedures, particularly investing field. The procedures for granting land-use certifications are more simplified, thus saving a lot of time and expense for applicants.
According to Tien, to facilitate enterprises to develop, Kon Tum province needs to hold regular meetings and dialogues with them to listen to their difficulties and seek the best solutions in the quickest manner; and organise training courses on tax, finance, corporate governance and business essentials for them. The province should also further simplify administrative procedures, improve business environment and actively support investors in the course of project implementation. It will also intensify information of economy development policies and directions to enterprises.
Tung Lam
Vietnamese
