Hongsa Power Company boosts income of relocated villagers
Hongsa Power Company boosts income of relocated villagers
The Hongsa Power Company Limited plans to raise the income of villagers displaced by the construction of the Hongsa thermal power project in Xayaboury province by 150 percent over the next 10 years.
This is on top of the additional revenue the villagers have received since being relocated from their homes in 2012.
According to information collected by the project prior to 2012, the people of Na Maynhom, Champa, Na Nongkham and Na Xaikham villages earned a per capita average of between more than US$300 and US$1,000 per year. After construction of the massive power plant began and 1,997 people were moved to new locations, they received more than US$2,000 to US$3,900 each, the company's Community Relations Senior Officer, Mr Khomphet Keophila, told Lao media personnel touring the plant from December 23-24.
The inhabitants of the four villages comprised 421 families in 450 households, who have moved to new villages named Homxay, Hom and Na Kaenkham.
These villages are now home to about 2,500 people, or 546 families in 560 households, Mr Khomphet said.
The Hongsa Power Company Limited has given the relocated villagers compensation for their former property, including fruit trees, other trees and crops, plus a new house on 450 square metres of land and two hectares of farmland.
The company is encouraging people to grow rubber trees on one hectare of land, while cash crops can be grown on the other hectare for family consumption and for sale. The project is also guaranteeing one person in each family a job for the 25 years of the project concession period.
Project staff are providing the villagers with training in livestock breeding, mushroom cultivation, weaving, traditional massage, trading, handicrafts, and truck driving.
These occupations will help villagers to further boost their income, and many families have benefited from the training.
A resident of Kaekham village, Mr Noytem Sanevichay, said life in the new village was not much different to that in his previous village but his income had risen from 20,000-25,000 kip a day to 40,000-50,000 kip thanks to the trading he had been able to do.
The project and the government are continuing to take responsibility for creating further job opportunities for the villagers so they can improve their lifestyle in the future.
The power plant is now 93 percent complete and the company is confident that the first unit will start generating power in June next year while the second unit will come online in November. It is expected that the third unit will be operational in March 2016.
