A number of mechanisms and policies have been adopted to facilitate forest protection and development combined with sustainable poverty reduction for poor ethnic minority people during 2015-20.
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| Local people in Son Duong commune, Hoanh Bo district, Quang Ninh province, are planting forests__Photo: Quang Quyet/VNA |
Under Government Decree No. 75/2015/ND-CP dated September 9, poor ethnic minority and Kinh households that are stably residing in disadvantaged communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas will annually receive VND 400,000 per hectare of forest assigned to them for protection. Each household will receive such support for 30 hectares of assigned forests at most.
Meanwhile, those involved in forestation will receive a support of up to VND 1.6 million per hectare per year in the first three years and VND 600,000 for the subsequent three years.
The support will be decided by chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees based on their local practical conditions.
Poor households that plant production forests and develop non-timber forest products will receive a one-off support of between VND 5 million and 10 million per hectare to purchase saplings, fertilizers and partially make up for their labor costs.
Those facing food scarcity during the initial period of afforestation will receive an additional support equivalent to 15kg of rice per person per month for seven years at most.
In addition, the Bank for Social Policies and the Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development will offer these households a loan of VND 15 million per hectare without requiring collaterals at an annual interest rate of 1.2 percent for up to 20 years to support production forest planting and non-timber forest product development, and a loan of up to VND 50 million without collaterals at the same interest rate for up to 10 years to support cattle husbandry.- (VLLF)
