Phnom Penh: Prime Minister Hun Manet has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Committee to Lead the Implementation of the Land Grant Program to Protect Forests for Sustainable Development (LGPF), according to a Royal Decree issued by His Majesty the King on November 6.
The LGPF was established to serve as a mechanism for leading, coordinating, and implementing the program aimed at protecting forests for sustainable development. This initiative is designed to provide land in the form of social land concessions to the poor and homeless for housing and to those landless individuals for family farming, while also supporting community development projects and protecting forests in proximity to the grant sites.
The Royal Decree outlines the structure of the LGPF, with the Prime Minister acting as the Chairman. The committee is further composed of nine ministers and the first vice president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, serving as vice presidents, along with a senior official designated as the permanent vice president.
The ministers who will serve as vice presidents of the LGPF are all Deputy Prime Ministers, including those overseeing the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Land Management, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Public Service.
In addition, the committee will include the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, the Commander of the Royal Cambodian Military Police, the Commander of Engineering Corps Techo Hun Sen Siem Reap, the Commander of Engineering of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces General Headquarters, as well as the governors of the capital and provinces. Additional members may be included as deemed necessary.
The primary responsibilities of the committee will involve formulating policies, determining locations for land grants, deciding on eligible recipients, and developing plans for areas adjacent to the forest protection land allocation program.
The Prime Minister has emphasized that this land allocation program is intended for citizens who genuinely do not own land. He has highlighted the importance of being vigilant against fraudulent brokers, particularly those operating near border areas.
During the official inauguration ceremony of the O Tethipdei Dam, Sen Sokdom Dam, and Sen Monorom Dam in Mondulkiri province on October 24, Prime Minister Hun Manet cautioned the public against believing intermediaries seeking payment for social land concessions, urging authorities to investigate such practices to enforce the law and protect the citizens.
The implementation of this mechanism for providing land to those without land is expected to commence in early 2025, as state working groups are currently engaged in studying the appropriate locations and procedures to establish villages and communes on the newly allocated lands.
