Prime Minister Hun Manet addresses the closing ceremony of the public works ministry’s annual meeting on January 23. STPM
A new government programme, the “Land Granting and Forest Protection Programme for Sustainable Development”, could begin accepting land applications from genuinely landless impoverished citizens as early as next week, according to Prime Minister Hun Manet.
In a video clip released on the evening of January 28, Manet explained that that through the scheme, the government will grant land to genuinely landless Cambodian citizen.
They will form new communities, helping to protect the land and forests surrounding their new homes.
Manet described the programme as “killing two birds with one stone”, as it both assists landless citizens and protects forests from illegal logging and encroachment. A dedicated secretariat will oversee its implementation.
“Regarding the procedures, application locations and eligibility criteria for applicants, the secretariat will provide updates step by step. Applications from citizens may begin as early as February”, said Manet.
According to the prime minister, millions of hectares of land have been allocated to landless Cambodian citizens and former soldiers since 1985. He reaffirmed his commitment to serving the people and the nation to the best of his ability.
The newly formed secretariat issued a January 29 press release, announcing that applications can be submitted from February 1. The government has already selected an area in Sesan district, Stung Treng province, where 500 families can move in.
Heng Kimhong, executive director of the Cambodian Youth Network Association, believed that as they implement the new policy, the government should review economic land concessions granted to various companies to determine whether they are still being actively developed or if they have been abandoned.
He suggested that if economic land concessions are left unused, the government should reclaim them and redistribute the land to eligible parties, such as veterans and impoverished or homeless citizens.
Kimhong also suggested that the government should avoid allocating degraded or forested land for this programme. Instead, such forests should be conserved and restored.
“The presence of people near conservation areas could pose significant risks, such as illegal logging or the exploitation of forest resources,” he warned.
To ensure the effectiveness of the programme, Kimhong emphasised the importance of strict management, rigorous law enforcement and transparency in conducting nationwide surveys of poor citizens.
This will ensure that those who are genuinely in need – especially landless farmers, people in debt and those living in informal settlements – have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
