To make the DVMTR payment policy more and more effective

Thanks to the policy of paying for forest environmental services, people have actively joined the local government in protecting the forest. In the photo: People of Hua Rom village, Na Tau commune, Dien Bien Phu city, with officials and functional forces patrolling and controlling the forest in the area.

In the process of implementing the policy on payment for forest environmental services, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund has focused on promoting the policy. Thanks to that, agencies, organizations and individuals implementing the policy have been proactive in fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities. For Thac Trang Hydropower Plant, Dien Bien Phu City, when using forest environmental services for production, the unit always strictly implements the provisions of the policy. Based on the annual electricity output, the plant has fully paid the money for payment for forest environmental services according to the policy's regulations. Because the plant's electricity output depends on the amount of water supplied to the plant, the plant must have full obligations when using the service.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Doan Van Cong, Head of the Business Department, Thac Trang Hydropower Plant, Dien Bien Phu City said: “Every year, the plant maintains electricity production thanks to the water supply from the forest environment. When the State has regulations on payment according to the policy, the unit also relies on the total electricity output produced and compares it with the payment rate according to the policy regulations at 36 VND/KWh to create a total calculation table and pay periodically. To fulfill the obligations of the service user unit, we have never paid late, late or less than the regulations”.

Dien Bien district forest rangers coordinate with specialized agencies to verify forest change areas to promptly pay forest environmental services according to reality.

In order for the policy to be implemented correctly, sufficiently, and promptly, promoting the purpose and meaning of the policy, agencies, units, organizations, and individuals implementing the policy have coordinated to perform tasks in each stage. The Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund is the focal unit to help competent State agencies organize activities and tasks related to the payment of forest environmental services. The Fund represents the forest environmental service provider in signing contracts with forest environmental service users to receive the annual entrustment of forest environmental service payments periodically. Based on the amount of money received from service users, the Forest Protection and Development Fund proactively makes payments for forest environmental services to forest owners. In order to ensure correct, sufficient, and timely payments, the Fund has implemented many necessary measures in accordance with regulations.

Mr. Phan Anh Son, Deputy Director of the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund, said: The management and implementation of forest environmental service payments are based on the annual determination of forest area. The verification of forest area for payment is considered an important step in paying forest environmental service payments to forest owners. Therefore, the unit has coordinated with the Forest Protection Departments and commune authorities as well as forest owners to grasp the annual fluctuations in forest areas and conduct measurements and verifications. Then, synthesize, unify and establish a payment schedule according to reality. Thanks to the synchronous implementation of many solutions to ensure objectivity and high accuracy, in 2023, the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Fund achieved 100% of the plan; payment for forest environmental services (FES) to forest owners in 2022 reached 99% of the plan, and the advance payment in 2023 reached 97% of the plan.

Authorities and forest rangers checked the forest area to make payment for forest environmental services in Muong Nhe district.

Along with ensuring that the payment for forest service fees is correct, sufficient, timely and transparent, policy implementers also monitor the use of the fund after payment so that the money is used for the right purpose and effectively, especially for forest management and protection. To do that, it requires the initiative of forest owners, especially the participation of local authorities to monitor, urge and guide forest owners in the management and use of forest service fees. Mr. Lo Van Tuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quai Cang Commune, Tuan Giao District, shared: "In order for people and communities to use forest service fees effectively, the commune government has directed the villages to establish money management teams and register to open accounts at the district's Social Policy Bank for the Fund to deposit money into the account. After that, representatives of the management team will withdraw the money and then distribute it to people or serve the activities of the village. To monitor the use of DVMTR money by the villages, the commune also directed and assigned cadastral officers to coordinate with local forest rangers to monitor how it is used and spent. If any village spends money incorrectly, it will be recovered to perform other work.

Tua Chua district leaders proposed solutions to resolve problems and related procedures to ensure conditions for paying forest environmental services to forest owners.

Thanks to the good implementation of the management and supervision of the forest environmental service funds, most community forest owners in the province have chosen to allocate a portion of the total amount received each year to serve the task of forest management and protection; the remaining amount, if much, is divided equally among each household, if little, is put into the village fund to serve the common interest. Thanks to the good and creative ways of the communities, the policy of paying for forest environmental services has been effective, and people are increasingly attached to the forest. Thereby, it further affirms the correctness of implementing the policy of paying for forest environmental services in accordance with regulations to promote the effectiveness of forest management and protection; and increase the forest cover rate in the province in recent times.

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