Leases of forestland, including some sensitive areas, to foreign companies have triggered universal concerns. Against this backdrop, the Prime Minister has just drawn up a conclusion on the matter.

The Prime Minister said that foreign invested projects in forestry and fish-farming in several localities nationwide in recent years have created new jobs and improved living conditions for local people.

Still, the Prime Minister requested local authorities to stop some projects that bypassed the State regulations and laws or were implemented too slowly, leading to economic ineffectiveness and wastefulness of resources.

Particularly, several land renting contracts violated current State regulations and laws. Some contracted land included areas whose land-use licenses have been given to local people. Other contracted land embraces natural forests or sensitive areas.

To deal with the problems, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other involved Ministries and branches to form a working group to examine and inspect all forestland renting contracts in forestry and fish farming and then report the situations to him.

In addition, provincial authorities are requested to stop licensing similar new projects.

So far, 10 provinces have licensed forest planting projects to foreign investors with an aggregate area of 305,353 ha, yet, the actual figures of forestland being under development are only 33.824 ha or 11.1% of the total licensed area, including 15,664 ha of rented land and 18,160 ha of land in joint venture or cooperation between local households or businesses and foreign partners.