As of October 2023, Thanh Hoa province has collected more than 162 billion VND from implementing the ERPA program. The above amount has contributed to increasing the income of forest owners assigned to manage and protect forests. At the same time, it has created motivation for them to stick with the work of protecting their homeland forests. However, the implementation of disbursement and effective use of payment sources from the ERPA program is facing many difficulties that need to be resolved...
Expectations from the ERPA Program
Thanh Hoa has 647,473 hectares of forest, including 393,361 hectares of natural forest and 254,076 hectares of planted forest. According to Decree No. 107/2022/ND-CP dated December 28, 2022 of the Government on piloting the transfer of emission reduction results and financial management of greenhouse gas emission reduction payment agreements in the North Central region, there are contents of forest protection support payments to organizations and individuals such as: livelihood support for communities living near forests, participating in forest protection; spending on silvicultural measures, forest enrichment, zoning, and additional forest planting.
Xuan Lien Nature Reserve Management Board is the unit assigned to manage 24,728 hectares of land planned for forestry, including: 23,816 hectares of special-use forest; 912 hectares of production forest. Implementing the payment notice in 2023, the unit received more than 3 billion VND from the ERPA program. Mr. Ngo Xuan Thang, Deputy Director of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve Management Board, expected: “With the amount of money received from the ERPA program, Xuan Lien Nature Reserve Management Board has planned to build a silvicultural project, which is a technical design and investment cost estimate to enrich the special-use forest of Xuan Lien Nature Reserve, in zone 9, sub-zone 500 of the special-use forest ecological restoration subdivision. The project will contribute to supplementary planting and nurturing of special-use forests, which are natural forests restored with native tree species, to promote the forest restoration process, improve quality and watershed protection capacity; preserve and enhance biodiversity and forest ecological environment; create jobs for workers, raise people's awareness of forest protection...".
Mr. Le Dang Hai, head of the community forest protection team in Ngoc Thuong village, Luong Son commune (Thuong Xuan), who is assigned to manage and protect more than 900 hectares of natural forest near the residential area, was very excited when he heard that he would receive 50 million VND from the ERPA program. After discussion, the team members agreed to use the money to repair and roof the front porch of the now-degraded Ngoc Thuong village cultural house.
Muong Lat Protective Forest Management Board is assigned to manage 3,476 hectares of forestry land, the amount of money received from the ERPA program is more than 459 million VND. This amount is expected to be paid for activities such as: supporting communities to participate in forest management; expenses for communes where communities participate in forest management and expenses for silvicultural measures.
Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh, Director of Muong Lat Protective Forest Management Board, believes that funding from the ERPA program will contribute to effectively supporting agricultural and forestry extension activities, providing plant and animal varieties, and building welfare projects for the community.
There are still many problems
Although there are such expectations, the disbursement of funds from the ERPA program is currently facing many difficulties, causing confusion for grassroots units. According to Mr. Ngo Xuan Thang, Deputy Director of the Xuan Lien Nature Reserve Management Board, "Up to now, the payment source from ERPA in 2023 has not been able to be disbursed to organizations and individuals protecting forests. The reason is that the transfer of funds from 2023 to 2024 for use, the preparation and submission of the 2024 ERPA program financial plan has not been approved by the competent authority".
According to statistics from the Management Board of the Forest Protection, Development and Natural Disaster Prevention Fund under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the period of 2023-2025, Thanh Hoa province has more than 393,000 hectares of natural forest paid from the ERPA program in the North Central region. As of October 2023, the revenue from ERPA program payments is more than 162 billion VND. However, to date, only 46.5 billion VND has been disbursed to organizations and individuals who benefit. Of which, more than 23 billion VND has been paid to households and individuals assigned to protect forests; for forest owners, the State has not yet been able to disburse.
It is understood that the reason for the delay in payment under the ERPA program is that the program will only be implemented at the end of September 2023. After implementation, Thanh Hoa province reviewed the beneficiaries and approved the financial plan. Therefore, the payment to forest owners will only be made at the end of 2023, leading to delays in financial planning.
In addition, most of the natural forest area in Thanh Hoa is being allocated funding from state budget projects and programs to contract for forest protection. In accordance with Decree 107/2022/ND-CP dated December 28, 2022 of the Government on piloting the transfer of emission reduction results and financial management of greenhouse gas emission reduction payment agreements in the North Central region, the source from the ERPA program cannot overlap with the state budget source. This makes it difficult for forest owners to determine the tasks and activities of the ERPA program.
Also according to Decree 107/2022/ND-CP of the Government, the time for disbursement of funds for the ERPA program is stipulated until the end of 2025. However, the implementation process is not only in Thanh Hoa, but also in many other localities in the North Central region. Therefore, it is necessary to consider extending the implementation period of the ERPA program until the end of 2027.
Dinh Giang
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nguon-song-moi-cho-rung-bai-2-du-dia-lon-nhung-con-nhieu-kho-khan-230516.htm
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