500m yuan payout for property owners alongside railway may be too small
The compensation to be paid to the owners of parcels of land and buildings that will be used or demolished to make way for the Laos-China railway may not be enough. Ministers addressed this issue at the National Assembly’s ongoing debate session on October 26, answering questions put by Assembly members concerning the compensation to be paid to property owners living in areas where the railway will be built. Minister of Public Works and Transport Dr. Bounchan Sinthavong said that about 599 billion kip had been allocated for compensation payments, but he thought this amount may be insufficient. To ensure that the many people who will be affected by the railway will receive compensation, we have negotiated payments with the Laos-China Joint Venture Company, he said. One of the questions concerned the planned 50-metre section of land that is to be fenced off along either side of the railway, which in some places runs close to Road No. 13 North and other roads. The questioner wondered if it would be possible to reduce this width.
