LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRACY UNITY PROSPERITY

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry                                                                       No. 0050/MOF

                  Vientiane Capital, dated 18 September 2017

Guideline

on Exploitation and Movement of Cratoxyum and Domestic Movement and Export of White Charcoal Made from the Cratoxyum

To:  - Director General of the Department of Forestry;

        - Head of Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry.

• Pursuant to Prime Minister’s Decree no. 99/PM, dated 09 March 2017 on the Structure and Role of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry;
• Pursuant to Notification of the Prime Minister Office no 1355/PMO.GAD, dated 18 November 2016 on the Management and Export of Forest Products and Wooden Charcoal;
• Pursuant to Notification of Prime Minister Office no. 1818/PMO.EOD on the Procedure of the Certification of the Wooden Products (Before Loading to Container) for Export No. 1818/PMO.DE, dated 18 November 2016;
• Pursuant to the Request Letter of the Department of Forestry no. 2148/DOF, dated August 2017.

In the past, the government has the policy to promote the plantation, restoration and exploitation of the Cratoxyum for white charcoal production to domestic distribution and export which generate people’s income very goods. Besides the management of the government was not involved with the activities to urge and promote the people on the plantation of natural Cratoxyum in line with the guidance of sustainable and green growth, the occurrence of the scattering of cutting and movement of natural Cratoxyum.

In order to manage the movement and export of white charcoal enter into the compliance of laws and regulations and ensure the harmonization across the country,

The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry guides:

1. Objective:

In order to guide the compliance of the Notification of the Prime Minister Office no. 1355/PMO.GAD, dated 18 November 2016 on the Management and Export of Forest Products and Wooden Charcoal and notification no. 1818/PMO.EOD on the Procedure of the Certification of the Wooden Products (Before Loading to Container) for Export to ensure the harmonization across the country.

2. The Plantation and Movement of the Cratoxyum:

The promotion and movement of exploitation and movement of the Cratoxyum shall perform as following:

• The Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry an take the initiative in coordinating with relevant sectors to conduct the exploration, planting registration of the Cratoxyum or restoration area of the Cratoxyum forest of individual, legal entity and organizations as a basis in the consideration and approval of the plantation, certification of origin and movement of the Cratoxyum in accordance with laws and regulations;
• To ensure the strength of production process of the Cratoxyum and enter into the compliance of laws and regulations, the Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry shall urge and promote the people on the establishment of group or association of the plantation, restoration and production of white charcoal in their localities;
• For applying the exploitation plan of the Cratoxyum shall comply with the guideline no. 0054/MOF, dated 09 June 2016 on the Supplemented Implementation of the Order no. 15/PM, dated 13 May 2016 on the Enhancing Strictness of Management and Inspection of Wooden Exploitation, Wooden Movement and Wooden Business as: the applying for wooden quota of each province shall be submitted to the Department of Forestry not to exceed 30 September of every year to propose the government for consideration;
• For the cutting and movement of the Cratoxyum made from the registered plantation and forest restoration area, the owners of plantation can operate their business over the year on the basis of reporting to the Village Forestry Unit and obtaining the certificate issued by the Village Forestry Unit and relevant authorities;
• The cutting and movement of the Cratoxyum made from village use forest which do not have the management and allocation of the forest in their village shall undertake monitoring in detail, and the movement of the Cratoxyum is required to have the certification from the relevant village authorities and the District Office of Agriculture and Forestry;
• The cutting and movement of Cratoxyum made from the infrastructure development area and the pioneer area for production, the Provincial Forestry Sectors is required to conduct the monitoring, inspection and certification.

3. The Domestic Movement and Export of White Charcoal Made from the Cratoxyum
   1. The Domestic Movement of White Charcoal shall perform as following:

• The movement of white charcoal in the province, the relevant District Office of Agriculture and Forestry is required to certify and apply the DOF1 form in annex;
• The movement of white charcoal between provinces, the Forestry Sectors is required to certify and apply the DOF2 form in annex;
• The movement of white charcoal is required to inspect the balancing between the approved quota for exploitation (import point) and the quantity of white charcoal (export point) which could produce.
  1. The Export of White Charcoal shall perform as following:
• The white charcoal made from the Cratoxyum from plantation and the registered forest restoration area is required to obtain the certification from Forestry sector, Industry and Commerce sector and the signature of acknowledgement from the relevant Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry by applying DOF3;
• The white charcoal made from the Cratoxyum from the use forest of the village, the infrastructure development area, mining area and pioneer production area is required to certified by: the Forestry sector, the Industry and Commerce sector, the State Property Management sector and the signature of acknowledgement from the relevant Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry by applying DOF4.

4. The Measurement Unit of the Wooden Volume and the Fees and Service Charges Collection:

The measurement unit of the wooden volume shall comply with the article 10 of the Law on Metrology no. 36/NA, dated 13 December 2013 by using the metric system, considering the stack of Cratoxyum (m³ of firewood) that has the volume of 1x1x1 metre as the calculation basis. For the fees and service charges including the natural resources fee and export duty shall comply with the Presidential Edict on Fee and Service Charges which enter into force in each period.

5. The Implementation Approach:

• The Director General of Forestry, the Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry shall implement this Guideline in broadly, accessibly and timely manner;
• The Department of Forestry shall develop the guideline book and design the technical form for the exploration of Cratoxyum, the measurement of Cratoxyum, the movement of Cratoxyum into the factory and the movement and export of Cratoxyum to enable to certify the Cratoxyum origin and the white charcoal product made from Cratoxyum to ensure the harmonization of implementation;
• The Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry shall summarize and report the result in implementing activities of the exploitation and movement of Cratoxyum, the movement and export of white charcoal product to the Department of Forestry for acknowledgement in each period;
• If there is any eases and difficulties in implementing this Guideline, the Provincial and Vientiane Capital Departments of Agriculture and Forestry shall urgently report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the solution in timely manner.

Thus, this Guideline is issued for the implementation altogether with highest responsibilities.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry,

Lien Thikeo

1. Ministry of Finance                                                    01 copy (Acknowledgement);
2. Ministry of Industry and Commerce                       01 copy (Acknowledgement);
3. Vice Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry            01 copy for each (Report);
4. Department of Forestry Inspection                          01 copy (Monitoring);
5. Copied                                                                           01 copy.