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67609
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 11:09
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https://oananews.org//node/67609
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National Assembly members debates on rapid deforestation
(KPL) Illegal loggers stored 900 cubic meters of hard wood in the deep forest of Attapeu province and such an instance demonstrate the severity of deforestation in the country, but another threat is the cutting down of natural forest to grow industrial trees and this issue of rapid deforestation was highlighted by a lawmaker when NA was in session yesterday.
During yesterday’s press conference on the issues discussed during the 7th Ordinary Session of the National Assembly of 6th legislature, the press officer said that many National Assembly members highlighted the problems affecting the local people such deforestation, corruption, land classification and illegal
mining.
Mr Xaysomphone Phomvihane who is Deputy President of the Lao National Assembly told Lao journalists during the press conference on June 23 that he was concerned that these problems were slowing the development of the country.
He cited an example of officials of local authorities who were involved in corrupted activities in connection with trade, investment and national revenue collection.
Referring to the hidden storage of hardwood in Attapeu province, he said that an investigation was carried out and the investigators found out that state officers were involved in this shady scheme
He added that this is only the tip of the iceberg as there are countless cases of illegal logging in the country and they had escaped detection.One of the National Assembly members from Attapue province said that recently some investors cooperated with local officials in order to gain an unfair advantage.
The local officials approved the project as they were sure that they would be able to lay their hands on the wood and then sell them for a high profit margin but then as the project unfolded they found that the hard wood trees in their designated area had already been logged.
The investors feared that their shadiness would come out in the open and they quietly left the country.
One man who insisted on being nameless told the journalists this is part of Rubber Plantation Development Project.
Illegal logging is just one of the reasons for the rapid depletion of the natural forest of the country and today only 37 per cent of the country is
forested.
During yesterday’s press conference on the issues discussed during the 7th Ordinary Session of the National Assembly of 6th legislature, the press officer said that many National Assembly members highlighted the problems affecting the local people such deforestation, corruption, land classification and illegal
mining.
Mr Xaysomphone Phomvihane who is Deputy President of the Lao National Assembly told Lao journalists during the press conference on June 23 that he was concerned that these problems were slowing the development of the country.
He cited an example of officials of local authorities who were involved in corrupted activities in connection with trade, investment and national revenue collection.
Referring to the hidden storage of hardwood in Attapeu province, he said that an investigation was carried out and the investigators found out that state officers were involved in this shady scheme
He added that this is only the tip of the iceberg as there are countless cases of illegal logging in the country and they had escaped detection.One of the National Assembly members from Attapue province said that recently some investors cooperated with local officials in order to gain an unfair advantage.
The local officials approved the project as they were sure that they would be able to lay their hands on the wood and then sell them for a high profit margin but then as the project unfolded they found that the hard wood trees in their designated area had already been logged.
The investors feared that their shadiness would come out in the open and they quietly left the country.
One man who insisted on being nameless told the journalists this is part of Rubber Plantation Development Project.
Illegal logging is just one of the reasons for the rapid depletion of the natural forest of the country and today only 37 per cent of the country is
forested.
