Champassak conducts tender for seized illegal timber
Champassak conducts tender for seized illegal timber
Champassak provincial Industry and Commerce Department has so far received six bids for seized illegal timber after the department declared the tender process open last week. Bids are being accepted for 32,676 pieces or over 831 cubic metres of timber, according to the department’s announcement.
The types of wood include Mai Dou (PtericarpusIndicus), Mai Champa Pa and Mai Padong, which were seized by forest inspection authorities from illegal trading and logging operations in protected areas of the province.
Wood and furniture entrepreneurs interested in making a bid are directed to contact the domestic section of the department from June 2-19 during office hours.
The bids will be opened on June 20 at the provincial Industry and Commerce Department meeting room, starting at 9am.
The committee estimated the total value of the timber at around 4.63 billion kip as a reference.
Successful bidders should be wood and furniture processing operators within the country that are standard manufactures and certified by the government, with the provincial bid committee for seized illegal timber setting the rules.
Bidders should have enterprise, tax registration and wood business operational certificates according to the regulations.
They should also be in sound financial shape with bank statements to verify their position, and wood and furniture business operators of good character without previous transgressions against relevant authorities.
All timber won in the tender should be processed before export according to the rules of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Winning bidders must pay a 10 percent deposit within five working days in order to guaranty the agreement by transfer to the National Treasury’s account.
Then the winner should pay all remaining money within 15 working days after they received official receipts from the provincial Industry and Commerce Department.
If the winning bid cannot meet the deadline, the tender committee will fine the winner 20 percent of the payment and give them an additional five working days to pay the remainder.
Failure to pay the remainder owing will result in the committee seizing all of the 10 percent deposit for the government’s coffers.
Other provinces are currently taking similar action in order add value to wood for export, guaranty transparency, reduce illegal logging, protect forestry and serve socio-economic development under the government’s policy.
