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Vienitane-Lanxang Ave.

Vientiane Province has the most land conflict cases in Laos, admitted Mr. Vieng Yuasomphone, Chief of the Vientiane Provincial Land Management Authority. Most land conflict cases, due to the lack of thorough land survey and feasibility studies prior to granting rights for land concessions, occurred between domestic and foreign private companies and local people, he said. 

So far, the Lao government at both local and central levels has granted as many as 1,126 long-term land concession rights. Each concession  is between 8,000 hectares and 50,000 hectares. Among these, 398 land concession licenses went to foreign companies with land up to 400,000 hectares.

Logging in an area that is under concession to a private company in 2008

This situation has adversely affected both the people and the environment. It creates the most land dispute cases in the country and a huge deforestation when some companies cut down trees and encroach upon national forest reservation areas. Therefore, Mr. Bouasone Bouphavanh, Lao Prime Minister, recently ordered all government sectors to conduct a thorough land survey and make a feasibility study prior to granting land concession to any company.

At present, the Lao government is leasing up to 99 years of land right to foreign investors who are investing at least 300 thousand dollars in Laos' economy.