Govt urged to address land issues at Saysettha Development Zone
Govt urged to address land issues at Saysettha Development Zone
The investors behind Saysettha Development Zone have made a proposal to the government to urgently address issues surrounding land transfers, especially compensation for the remaining 369.9 hectares of land required by the zone.
The proposal was made recently during a visit by Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Sonexay Siphandone and his delegation to the Saysettha Development Zone.
The Saysettha Development Zone was established in 2010 under a cooperative project between the governments of Laos and China.
The zone is operated by the Lao-China Joint Venture Investment Co., Ltd. and co-funded by the Yunnan Provincial Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. and the Vientiane Administration.
Since the zone has been developed, the company gave importance to environmental protection and reserving green areas.
It has also sort to respect the rules and traditional customs of Laos and paid attention to improve people's livelihoods, according to the Director of the Lao-China Joint Venture Investment Co., Ltd., Mr Liu Hu.
So far, there has been progress in basic infrastructure development. Roads, water, electricity, communications and cable television have been established on 400 hectares of land, at a cost of more than US$300 million.
Around 36 Chinese and foreign companies have already moved into the zone, with an aggregate investment of about US$350 million.
They have invested in agricultural product processing, clean energy production, logistics, commerce and trade, machine manufacturing and industrial construction, he said.
In the next step, the company will continue to invest in development, aiming to build the zone as a new eco-industry and livable city over the next five to 10 years, increase the capacity of production in Vientiane, become a place to attract foreign investors and boost the economy of Laos.
The zone is currently preparing to develop residential land, including a hospital and school, in the second phase of the project, he said.
In the second phase from 2016-2020 and the third phase from 2020-2030, the zone will mainly develop commerce and trade along with a focus on building a new part of Vientiane.
The zone expects to spend about US$650 million on infrastructure investment in three phases, on about 1,149 hectares of land, according to the company's development plan.
Along with the progress of development, Saysettha Development Zone has encountered obstacles, especially land issues, therefore it wants the government to support and lend a hand to address the issue urgently, Mr Liu Hu said.
The company proposed that the government move urgently to address compensation for the remaining 369.9 hectares of land at a cost of more than 84 billion kip (US$11million) due to the fact the affected families have waited for compensation for about five years.
The company also proposed that the government consider its policies in regards to land use development, better promotion policies for tax and customs, upgrading the one-stop administrative service and electronic management systems, he said.
