Version 76222 | Version 88286 | |
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General info | ||
Intended size | 7β―000 ha | 9β―846 ha |
Comment on land area | The provincial authorities have allocated 7,000 hectares for the potential development, which will be divided into four zones: Zone A (480 hectares), Zone B (797 hectares), Zone C (2,120 hectares) and Zone D (3,678 hectares). Each zone is designed to accommodate different business activities. | Another source reported that Sithandone SEZ will cover an area of more than 9,846 hectares and it will have its own airport.
Source: Future Southeast Asia |
Intention of investment |
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Comment on negotiation status | A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the government and the Guangdong Yellow River Industrial Group in August 2017 allowing the company to conduct a feasibility study for the development as well as project designs. When this MoU ended and the company presented the results of the study, the provincial government approved but, as of January 2018, the company is still waiting for approval from the national government. In October 2018, | A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the government and the Guangdong Yellow River Industrial Group in August 2017 allowing the company to conduct a feasibility study for the development as well as project designs. When this MoU ended and the company presented the results of the study, the provincial government approved but, as of January 2018, the company is still waiting for approval from the national government. In October 2018,
The master plan of this SEZ highlighted a number of tall buildings that will serve as hotels, restaurants, a shopping center and other tourism-related businesses.
In the first phase of the project (2018-2025), the company will focus on building the necessary infrastructure, including roads, water supply and drainage. The second phase may include an airport.
[Source: Peopleβs Daily] |
Comment on implementation status | According to the strategic agreement between the Laos authorities and the mainland contractor, the SEZ will be built in two phases, with the first scheduled to be completed by 2025. This initial stage will focus on ensuring all the zone's required infrastructure is in place, including roads, utilities and drainage facilities.
The second phase will then involve the construction of the actual on-site commercial properties, including several restaurants, a shopping centre and range of other tourism-related businesses. Over the long-term, there are also plans in place to construct a dedicated air-transport facility. | According to the strategic agreement between the Laos authorities and the mainland contractor, the SEZ will be built in two phases, with the first scheduled to be completed by 2025. This initial stage will focus on ensuring all the zone's required infrastructure is in place, including roads, utilities and drainage facilities.
As the news reported by March 2021, the source said that Sithandone SEZ has already completed 21 villas as part of a resort complex, a new hotel building, an after-sales service center, as well as the 43-km concrete ring road around Don Khong.
[Source: Laotian Times]
The second phase will then involve the construction of the actual on-site commercial properties, including several restaurants, a shopping centre and range of other tourism-related businesses. Over the long-term, there are also plans in place to construct a dedicated air-transport facility. |
Employment | ||
Investor info | ||
Comment on investment chain | The project also known as βLaos Maha Nathi Sithandoneβ or βThe Sithandone SEZβ
[Source: Future Southeast Asia] | |
Local communities / indigenous peoples | ||
Community reaction | Rejection | |
Comment on community reaction | At least 140 families from eight villages in the Khong district of southwestern Laosβ Champasak province are refusing to sell their land or relocate to make way for a special economic zone planned for their area.
[Source: RFA] | |
Comment on displacement of people | Villagers displaced by the project would need to be relocated and would be provided with new residences and employment, which could be provided by the project. | Villagers displaced by the project would need to be relocated and would be provided with new residences and employment, which could be provided by the project.
Villagers of Hinsiu, Phon, Hang Khong, Don Khong, Muang Sen, Phon Kao, Thakhob, and Houakhok villages officially refused to give up their land (according the RFA report on 9th May 2019)
βThe company wants peopleβs land, but people donβt want to just hand it over,β said the chief of an affected village.
[Source: RFA] |
Negative impacts for local communities | Environmental degradation, Socio-economic, Cultural loss, Eviction | |
Comment on negative impacts for local communities | Land loss, impact to the livelihood, local community losing their jobs on fisheries, impacts to the local tourism service.
In the beginning of 2020, the Champask provincial authorities have revoked licences previously issued for several tourism projects in Champassak province so the land can be used to create the Maha Nathi Sithandone special economic zone.
[Source: LIWG] | |
Promised compensation (e.g. for damages or resettlements) | The Chairman of the Champassak provincial SEZ Authority, Mr Khamphon Nuansengsy, told that βthe company is also committed to paying compensation worth US$6.5 million to businesses that hold tourism services concessions at Khonphapheng Waterfall.β
[Source: RentsBuy] | |
Received compensation (e.g. for damages or resettlements) | The land survey conducted by company between 2018 β 2019, however villagers reported that they still did not know how much compensation they would get or if they will be compensated or not.
[Source: RFA Lao] | |
Materialized benefits for local communities | Financial support | |
Comment on materialized benefits for local communities | According the Chinese News Agency, People Daily reported that βthe government of Laos will try to ensure priority is given to communities when it comes to job allocation and agriculture production for the project.β
[Source: Peopleβs Daily] | |
Presence of organizations and actions taken (e.g. farmer organizations, NGOs, etc.) | Villagers who refused to give up the land launched a complaint to the Peopleβs Council insisting that they did not want to give up their land as they had lived there for generations.
[Source: RFA] | |
Former use | ||
Produce info | ||
Water | ||
Gender-related info | ||
Overall comment | ||
Meta | ||
Fully updated | No | Yes |
Locations | ||
Location #o8HdRmxR | ||
Comment | Khonphapheng waterfall and the surrounding area in Khong district of Champassak province | Khonphapheng waterfall and the surrounding area in Khong district of Champassak province
Khonephapheng is the biggest waterfall in Southeast Asia, about 80 km from the provincial capital Pakxe and close to the Cambodian border. |
Data sources | ||
Data source #t7h3GKl_ | ||
File | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Railways Urban Rail Transit Four Thousand Islands New Area β The Sithandone SEZ in Southern Laos | |
Date | 2018-06-29 | |
Name | James Clark | |
Organisation | Future Southeast Asia | |
Comment on data source | comment on land area & name of investment project | |
Data source #g3Sv87O2 | ||
File | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Lao gov't, Chinese investor finalizing SEZ pact in southern province | |
Date | 2019-04-16 | |
Name | Xinhua News Agency | |
Organisation | People's Daily | |
Comment on data source | negotiation status and materialized benefits | |
Data source #lPy9NU5K | ||
File | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | First Phase of Sithandone SEZ Development Project Underway | |
Date | 2021-03-01 | |
Name | Phayboune Thanabouasy | |
Organisation | Laotian Times | |
Comment on data source | implementation status | |
Data source #N57ssCmY | ||
File | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Lao Villagers Refuse to Yield Land for SEZ, Now Contend With Access Road | |
Date | 2019-05-09 | |
Organisation | RFA | |
Comment on data source | contracts, community reaction, displacement of people, presence of | |
Data source #29OPaFdc | ||
File | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Sithandone SEZ offically signed | |
Date | 2018-07-02 | |
Organisation | RFA Lao | |
Comment on data source | contract & received compensation
written in local dialect | |
Data source #3KsQBLUX | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Tourism project licences revoked to make way for special economic zone | |
Date | 2020-01-14 | |
Name | Vientiane Times | |
Organisation | LIVVG | |
Comment on data source | negative impacts on local community & | |
Data source #OqeJ3VOy | ||
File | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Other | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Chinese investor gears up to develop Khonphapheng SEZ | |
Date | 2020 | |
Organisation | Rents Buy Property | |
Comment on data source | promised compensation | |
Data source #eA_HE4KI | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Type | Media report | |
Url | ||
Keep PDF not public | No | |
Publication title | Affected people do not know if they will get compensation | |
Date | 2021-10-03 | |
Comment on data source | recieved compensation | |
Contracts | ||
Contract #4jsxQKJK | ||
nid | unknown field | |
Date | 2017-06-20 | |
Duration of the agreement | 99 years | |
Comment on contract | The Laos Mahanathy Siphandone (Hong Kong) Investment Co. Ltd is providing 80 percent of the funding, while the Lao government is supplying the rest.
The company and the Lao government signed a memorandum of understanding on June 20, 2017, for the first phase of construction, according to project documents.
[Source: RFA]
However, some sources say the concession period is 50 years.
[Source: RFA Lao] |