The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development responds to Nghe An voters' petition on policies for specialized forest protection forces.

The content is as follows:Voters reflect that the Pu Mat National Park Management Board is currently facing many difficulties in recruiting and retaining specialized forest protection forces because the regime and policies of the specialized forest protection force are not high, not attracting people to work, many people have the mentality of wanting to quit their jobs to find other jobs. That poses many challenges to the activities of the National Park Management Board.gPu Mat railway station.

Voters petition the Ministry of AgriculturegThe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should research and propose issuing preferential policies for specialized forest protection forces, such as seniority allowances.,special allowance ngphoto, toxic and hazardous allowance.

A break for rangers of Pu Mat National Park to protect the forest. Photo: source: Nhat Lan

Reply:

Article 16 of Decree No. 01/2014/ND-CP dated January 1, 2019 of the Government on Forest Rangers and Specialized Forest Protection Forces stipulates: Specialized Forest Protection Forces are entitled to salary regimes and other regimes according to the provisions of law, are trained in expertise and profession, are equipped with uniforms, support tools, means, labor protection and other necessary equipment to protect forests.g, forest fire prevention and fighting.

However, in reality, the specialized forest protection force is having to work in arduous, difficult, and dangerous conditions, with very low remuneration, not commensurate with the nature of the assigned work.

Forest protection patrol at Pu Mat National Park. Photo courtesy of PV

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is implementing the following solutions:

(1) Continue to research and develop policies to expand revenue sources from forest environmental services such as CO2 absorption and storage services from pilot forests, build economic development models under forest canopy...

(2) Submit to the Government for promulgation a Decree on "Investment policy in forest protection and development, processing and trade of forest products in forestry"; including support policies for the specialized forest protection force.

(3) Guide localities and direct specialized agencies to apply technology.gInformation systems and remote sensing technology in forest protection to reduce difficulties and improve the operational efficiency of the Forest Protection Force.

At the same time as implementing the above solutions, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposes and hopes that the National Assembly and delegates will pay attention to allowing the development of policies and allowance regimes for people directly protecting forests to remove difficulties, encourage and attract human resources in forest protection work.