Cabinet has approved in principle a draft ministerial rule that raises the permitted uses of forest land from 10 to 16 categories, adding renewable energy, telecoms, utilities and waste management. Permit terms for farming, conservation parks and wildlife breeding rise from up to 10 years to up to 30, and new uses get up to 30 years. Applications can be filed electronically, and several permit fees are scrapped. Still a draft: it excludes national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, community forests and mangrove conservation areas, and projects needing an EIA only get approval after the EIA review. Relevant mainly to firms planning energy, telecom, or land-based projects near forest areas.