Vietnam collects bigger forest environment fees in 2017

HANOI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam collected some 74 million U.S. dollars worth of forest environment service fees last year, from hydroelectricity companies, water suppliers, eco-tourism firms, and industrial production bases which directly use water sources in forests, the Vietnam Administration of Forestry said on Tuesday.

The fees are mainly used to protect and develop forests, and help improve living standards of forest protectors and growers.

Vietnam is expected to collect 88 million U.S. dollars from forest environment service fees in 2018, up from 74 million U.S. dollars in 2017, said the administration under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.