Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Peace   Independence   Democracy   Unity   Prosperity

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry             No 0073 /MAF
Vientiane capital, Dated 03 November 2016

 

Notice

To:               Director of Agriculture and Forestry office in Province and Vientiane Capital

Subject:        Movement of timber and non-timber forest product within the country and exportation of wood product and non-timber forest product.

 

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry with its great honor would like to inform the above offices that in order to move timber and non-timber forest products within the country in compliance with the new ordinance, notice, and guidance of the government the Agriculture and Forestry office in Provinces and Vientiane Capital shall pay attention on the implementation of the followings:

  1.  Granting permission for the movement of logs, sawn timbers, process semi-finished wood products within the country starting from 01 November 2016 by registering detailed list and verifying correct source of origin, having sell contract and paying taxes as required by Law and regulations. As for wood that has yet been certified under the correct list by Agriculture and Forestry Sector with incorrect source of origin, with no sell contract, and unpaid tax as being required such wood should be prohibited for movement. In addition to that it shall be seized and its owner shall be subjected to criminal sanction as prescribed in relevant Law. The seized wood shall be registered as a list of seized wood in order to send to concerned authorities for bidding procedures before being allowed for movement in accordance with the relevant regulation and Law.
  2. Granting permission for hauling and transporting logs from Yard I to Yard II only if those logs are permitted to extract in the infrastructure development area, and it is allowed to implement from 1 November to 21 May of every year.
  3. Granting permission for movement of finished wood producs within the country and export for those that comply with the Ministerial Decision of Ministry of Industry and Commerce No 1833/MOIC dated 03 October 2016 on the list of wood product for permission and prohibition for export. They shall be inspected and certified by relevant sectors according to their own roles and responsibilities.
  4. Non timber forest products that are food , grown naturally and daily used in household  such as mushroom, insect, honey bee, bamboo shoot, walnut, chinese apple pear, reed flower, Tea leaf, sticklac, Khisi and Yan can be harvested and exported under the authorization of the Agriculture and Forestry office in Province and Vientiane Capital.
  5. Non timber forest products that could be exported are only the species that could not be processed within the country and shall not be listed in section I and Section II of Decree No 155/PM dated 30 September 2003 on natural resource used as medicine. However, there is an annual plan for harvesting and export. As for the species that can be processed within the country, it is promoted to process and prohibited to export as a raw material such as sugar palm nut, rattan, Kheua Ham and other Non-timber products used as food and medicinal plant as defined in section I and Section II of Decree No 155/PM dated 30 September 2003 including yellow bee flower which is not allowed for export.
  6. All types of Black Charcoal are prohibited for export due to there is no administrative and controlled measure for harvesting raw material. The production is still scattering without proper business organization or business unit for production in compliance with the relevant rule and regulation. Department of Forestry shall study and develop specific regulation to manage wood that is used as raw material to produce black charcoal and actively coordinate with relevant sector and local authority to inspect and improve the production system of entrepreneur and general people in comply with relevant regulation and Law.
  7. For white charcoal produced from Tiou tree (cratoxylon sp.) it is allowed to manufacture and export but the government needs to allocate quota for exploration plan. The entrepreneur or company who operates business on production and export of white charcoal shall be approved to establish and register in accordance to regulation and Law and shall have the plan to promote local people to plant and restore Tiou tree. As for Tiou tree used to produce the white charcoal which has a correct source and authorized quota from the government shall be able to be exploited and moved for the whole year round, due to the production of white charcoal need raw material to supply continually.
  8. Agarwood tree, Eucalyptus tree and Ear-leaf Acacia tree from plantation area which are chopped in small pieces or powered of sawn wood in plain or round shape with thickness less than 12 centimeter shall be allowed for export.
  9. Planting tree that is local variety such as Burma padauk tree, Sissoo tree, afzelia wood tree and tectona tree shall be processed as fished wood product before permission for export.
  10. Bamboo plant shall be processed as semi and finished wood product as defined in the list of wood product permitted and prohibited to export by Ministerial Decision of Ministry of Industry and Commerce No 1833/MOIC dated 03 October 2016.
  11. Before issuing a permit to move timber and non-timber forest product within the country and export finished wood product to foreign country, every times it should coordinate with relevant sector to verify source of timber origin by carefully checking permit for logging, sale contract and paying tax record, if such requirements are accomplished and complied with regulation then the permit for movement shall be issued based on proposal of relevant authority.
  12. Department of Forest Inspection and its local authorities shall actively and strictly monitor, and inspect the movement of timber within the country and export to avoid export smuggling of unprocessed wood.
  13. Department of Forestry shall analyze and issue a notification that provide detailed guideline in terms of technical such as the use of form for moving timber within the country and export to  ensure harmonization of such implementation throughout the country.
  14. During the implementation of this Notice if there is any problem occurred it shall be regularly  reported  to the governors, Vientiane Capital mayor as well as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

         

Therefore, this notice has been circulated for your acknowledgement and strict implementation.

 

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry

(Signed and Sealed)

Lien Thikeo

 

Copy to:

  • Prime Minister office (for report)
  • Provincial and Vientiane Capital Administrative office (for acknowledgement and supervision)
  • Department of forestry  (for acknowledgement and implementation)
  • Department of Forest Inspection (for acknowledgement and implementation)
  • Department of Industry and handicraft, MOIC (for acknowledgement)
  • Department of Import and Export, MOIC (for acknowledgement)
  • Department of Domestic trade, MOIC (for acknowledgement)
  • Provincial and Vientiane Forestry Sector (for acknowledgement and implementation)
  • Filing
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