28.6 C
Vientiane
Friday, July 4, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 3194

River of wonders

Watching the sun set over the banks of the Mekong has to be one of the great draw-cards of visiting Laos.

That these banks are relatively undeveloped, in Laos at least, to some is one of its greatest assets. The Mekong may be one of the world’s great rivers, alongside, the Mississippi, the Danube, the Murray-Darling and the Nile. But unlike these, there persists a romantic notion about the “unspoiled” status of the Mekong, due to pervading poverty in most of its host countries. Connecting six countries, it’s the longest river in Southeast Asia, and among the longest and largest drainage basins in the world, home to over 65 million people (not including China), and the world’s second most bio-diverse waterway after the Amazon).

But, as Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, the Mekong River Commission’s chief strategy and partnership officer, observes, the Mekong is also situated in one of the world’s most geo-strategic regions. This means that development is both inevitable and unstoppable, and all the well-meaning nature-loving tourists in the world can’t beat it back.

“You have a lot of poverty in this area, but it’s changing,” he says.

“If you go down to Can Tho City in South Vietnam, in the Delta, you’ll find a big city with high-rises. Cambodia’s Phnom Penh is well on its way to catching up, and Vientiane, in perhaps 10 years, will have several high rises.”

But how to manage these changes? Countries like Laos and Cambodia may be using the Mekong to harness their growth, but it’s organisations like the Mekong River Commission – an intergovernmental body with those two countries as well as Thailand and Vietnam as members, that exist to ensure the river is protected.

Dr. Anoulak says the MRC has a fundamental tenet – meeting the needs but keeping the balance – that ensures no one loses out if the river is managed correctly. The primary and unique role of the MRC in guiding the river’s future has just been reaffirmed by the Prime Ministers meeting for their 3rd MRC Summit on 5th April 2018 in Siem Reap.

Under the slogan of One Mekong, One Spirit, ensuring a balance of development and protection has to include both people and the natural world.

“We have strategies and guidelines to make sure that what each country tries to do to develop or use the river does not compromise its use by others,” he says.

But most of all, we try to ensure that livelihoods remain intact, that development improves lives and does not make people worse off than they already are.”

This includes those using the river for subsistence living – fishing, irrigation – as well as large-scale projects like dams.

“We monitor water quality, water flows, fisheries, the ecological health of the river,” he says.

 

 “For large-scale development projects, we do a lot of consulting back and forth.” Projects have improved after MRC looked at them.

The tourism industry, one of the country’s main sources of income, is a major consideration when it comes to one of the country’s main attractions.

“For example, in Siphandon (4000 Islands) in the south, there’s a dam under construction at Don Sahong,” Dr. Anoulak says.

These nearby Khone falls are visited by thousands of people each year, and the area, just a few kilometres from the Cambodian border, is home to a tiny – and dwindling – population of rare Irrawaddy dolphins. The dam would block the Hou Sahong Channel, a key channel of the Mekong that allows for year-round fish migrations both up and down the river.

“But after our consultation, we have ensured there that there will be mitigation measures and monitoring to address impacts.”

Ultimately, while the Mekong will always be a source of wonder and admiration for tourists, a lot of work needs to be done to preserve it and, by extension, the livelihoods of millions. But, says Anoulak, gesturing to the window of his office, which overlooks the bustling downtown stretch of river, with Thailand visible on the far bank, the great waterway will always be known for its beauty.

 

Text by: SALLY PRYOR

Photohraph by: THE COURTESY OF MRC

Village Life in Northern Laos

At first glance, there doesn’t seem much to Muang La. Therein of course lies its charms. Being right in the heart of a small community, Vincent Vichit-Vadakan gains insights into local life.

Dao Coffee Releases “Companion For Your Journey” Visit Laos Year Video

Dao Coffee has just released a tourism-themed video that invites all Lao people to visit tourism destinations in their own country.

Filled with vibrant and colorful scenes of caves and waterfalls, houses and churches, streets and coffee shops, the video follows an adventurous Lao teenage backpacker student from Vientiane capital as he journeys to the places he’s only dreamed about.

The video challenges a predominantly Lao audience (with English subtitles) to dare to leave their comfort zones and travel across the country to experience for themselves the beauty of Laos.

“How can you tell other people about Visit Laos Year, when you yourself haven’t gone out to explore and see it with your own eyes?”

ທ່ຽວທົ່ວລາວກັບດາວຄອຟຟີ້

ດາວຄອຟຟີ້ຈະປະກາດຊື່ຜູ້ໂຊກດີໄດ້ໄປລຸຍທ່ຽວທົ່ວລາວໃນວັນທີ 12/6/2018… ຟ້າວແນະນຳເຂົ້າມາສະຖານທີ່ທ່ຽວເດັດໆຂອງລາວເພາະເຮົາພາໄປແທ້ແນ່ນອນ▪ຢາກຮ່ວມເດີນທາງຄົ້ນຫາປະສົບການໃໝ່ໆພ້ອມກັບດາວຄອຟຟີ້ ແບບຟີຣໆບໍ່?▪ ກະຕິກາງ່າຍໆ》》》1.ໄລແຊຣວິດີໂອນີ້ເພື່ອຊ່ອຍສະໜັບສະໜູນການທ່ອງທ່ຽວລາວ^^ 2.ແຄັບເຈີ້ໜ້າຈໍທີ່ໄລແຊຣພ້ອມຄອມເມັ້ນທາງລຸ່ມແນະນຳສະຖານທີ່ທ່ອງທ່ຽວທີ່ເຈົ້າຄິດວ່າຢາກໃຫ້ທັງຄົນລາວ ແລະ ຊາວໂລກໄດ້ຮູ້ວ່າລາວມີບ່ອນທ່ອງທ່ຽວແບບບໍ່ຄືໃຜ.>>ດາວຄອຟຟີ້ ມັກຄອມເມັ້ນຜູ້ໃດ >>ກຽມໂຕແພັກກະເປົ໋າອອກເດີນທາງພ້ອມກັນ! #ກາເຟດາວຊວນທຸກຄົນໄປທ່ຽວລາວ #ໄລແຊໄວມີສິດໄປກ່ອນໝູ່#ນຳທີມທ່ຽວໂດຍພີເຊັນເຕີ້ຈອນນີ້ແລະຕິ້ງ

Posted by Dao Coffee on ວັນພຸດ ທີ 16 May 2018

Rising Fuel Prices Cause Inflation

The rising price of fuel has been identified as the culprit behind inflation in Laos, causing the government to take steps to address this economic risk.

According to the latest report from the Lao National Statistics Bureau, inflation has risen by 1.88%, due to the rising price of fuel, which apparently is the main force behind the rise in the general prices of other consumer goods.

The price of fuel in Laos has increased by 17.15% compared to last year. The increase drove up the consumer price index of the transport sector by 3.61% compared to the previous year, stated the report. Over the past few months, the government has adjusted the price of fuel several times. It noted that the rising price of fuel on the global market was the main reason why the government intervened.

Photo credit: Laosgpsmap

Another factor driving up inflation in April was the depreciation of the kip against international currencies, most notably the Thai baht and US dollar. Laos imports most consumer goods from neighboring countries, mainly Thailand. When the kip depreciated against the baht, the price of imported goods increased and this further exacerbated inflation.

Data collected by the statistics bureau from the Bank of Laos showed that the value of the kip fell by 11% compared to the last year.

Alongside the increasing price of fuel and imported goods, the price of other goods and services remained stable or low, the bureau said, adding that they did not have much impact on the inflation rate.

According to the bureau, the year-on-year change in the Consumer Price Index of household goods was 1.44%, while the index of the clothes and shoes category saw a year-on-year change of 4.76%. The year-on-year change of the restaurant and hotel category index was 3.13%.

Responding to the troubling inflation rate, the government cabinet instructed the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to regulate the price of food items. The commerce ministry has listed a number of goods for which distributors need to seek permission before increasing their price. These include steel, cement and petrol.

Lao Steel Factory
Lao Cement
Gas Station in Laos

The agriculture ministry has been urged to introduce measures to boost agribusiness output to supply more food to markets.

Source: Vientiane Times

FPT University and Sengsavanh Group to Offer First International Tertiary Education in Laos

The Sengsavanh Education Group, one of the largest education firms in Laos, has made preparations to become the first college in Laos to offer international tertiary education after reaching an agreement with the Vietnamese FPT Education Group.

Sengsavanh Education Group President, Dr Khamsen Sisavong, and FPT Education Group President, Dr Le Troung Tung, launched their historic cooperation project, which aims to offer tertiary students in Laos bachelor degrees in software engineering and intensive e-commerce.

Education and Sports Deputy Minister, Associate Prof. Dr Kongsy Sengmany, Vietnamese diplomats in Laos and a number of senior government officials were present at the event to lend their support for the cooperation project.

   

  

According to the Sengsavanh Education Group, the cooperation project will enable Sengsavanh to bring the FPT University curriculum and lecturers into Laos. This service will enable tertiary students in Laos to access an international standard of education without having to travel to Vietnam to attend classes. Graduates of the course will receive degree certificates from the Vietnamese university.

Dr Khamsen said Lao students who were interested in this course would be able to enroll in August. But, he said, students must meet the Vietnamese university’s English requirement because all of the classes would be taught in English. The Sengsavanh Group would offer a one year foundation program so that students could meet the language requirements.

Dr Le Troung Hung said that FPT was pleased to partner with Sengsavanh to offer international tertiary education in Laos, adding that the his Lao counterpart had proven itself capable of delivering international tertiary education. He also said cooperation between the two education groups would help Laos to develop human resources to meet the growing need for a skilled workforce in the information and technology age.

Deputy Minister Kongsy said he was confident the two groups would be able to carry out their cooperation successfully and added that the ministry would be ready to approve more courses offered by the groups if they could prove that the project was a benefit to Laos.

FPT University is a pioneer private university which was established by a private firm in Vietnam. After 12 years of growth and development, the university has become a leading tertiary education provider in Vietnam. It is ranked by QS Stars, which is one of the three top universities ranking systems in the world.

In addition, FPT University is the first Vietnamese university to import all of its textbooks for teaching purposes. Additionally, the university curriculum is accredited by international bodies such as ACM and ACBSP.

The Sengsavanh Education Group is one of the largest private education firms in Laos. The group owns a number of international and bilingual schools in Laos including the Australian International School.

Central Bank Approves Only 3 QR Payment Services in Laos

The Bank of Laos (BOL) has issued a statement to the general public regarding the use of QR code payment services being offered by financial institutions that have not been given authorization by the BOL.

The public statement stated that the only financial organizations that have been approved to offer QR code payment services to the public are BCEL (Banque Pour Le Commerce Extérieur Lao), Lao-Viet Bank (Lao-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank) and the New Concept Microfinance Institution. BCEL has One Pay, Lao-Viet Bank has QR Pay and New Concept has been given the green light to run a pilot service called Kapao E-wallet.

BCEL One Pay
Lao-Viet Bank QR Pay
New Concept Microfinance Institution Kapao E-Wallet

The Bank of Laos warned the public not to use any other QR Code payment services offered by companies, banks or financial institutions via mobile phone. Consumers are advised to immediately inform the BOL of any unauthorized services on 021 253 595 or 020 2222 3649 during working hours.

BCEL was the first commercial bank to launch the OnePay application last year allowing users to pay anyone, anywhere, directly from their account by simply photographing a QR code from the BCEL One App. Earlier this year, the bank entered into a strategic partnership with Thanachart Bank of Thailand to introduce QR Code payments in Thailand for the benefit of Lao shoppers.

The number of vendors in Laos registering for the BCEL OnePay QR code system is increasing by 10 percent a month with transactions also up 10 percent each month, according to the bank, which claims to have 90 percent of the mobile banking business in Laos.

BCEL’s customers number about one million, out of a national population of just under seven million. About 200,000 of them use the mobile banking application.

Source: Vientiane Times

World Bank Supports Laos’ Agricultural Sector

The US$25 million Lao PDR Agriculture Competitiveness Project aims to help over 140,000 people by making the planting of rice, maize, and vegetables more productive and profitable. The agreement was signed on Thursday by the World Bank Country Manager Inguna Dobraja and Finance Vice Minister Thipphakone Chanthavongsa.

The project is intended to support 28,000 farming households in 224 villages to improve yields and product quality, increase labor productivity and crop sales, and link farmers with agribusinesses. The project will also increase access to high quality seeds, irrigation, advisory services and markets, further reducing transaction costs and enable higher returns for farmers.

Laos’ agricultural sector is facing serious challenges in meeting the demand of both international and domestic markets, due to problems in farm productivity, produce quality, and fragmentation of value chains.

The project seeks to address these challenges by: promoting best practices in farming to improve the quality of produce and reduce costs; linking farmers to agribusinesses to improve marketing; and shifting to more modern and environmentally-friendly processing facilities and technologies to improve product value and reduce losses.

Strengthening the enabling environment envisaged under the project will also help reduce the costs of doing business in the agriculture sector.

“Many people in the Lao PDR are still employed in agriculture, so it is critical for us to support this sector, to make it more efficient, competitive, and environmentally friendly,” said Dobraja who is the World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia, representing the Country Director for Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

“In addition to the economic benefits received by farming families, agribusinesses and retailers, this project will support improved nutrition by increasing the diversity of fresh produce available for a more nutritious diet,” she added.

Through diversified production, the project will combat stunting, which affects over 40% of children under five in the country. The project will encourage rural households to diversify their diets, improve cooking and processing of food, and reduce women’s time in farming through the use of modern machinery.

Farmers will also use climate smart technologies to develop cleaner and higher value agricultural products.

Locations for the project, to be implemented through 2024, include Khammouane, Bolikhamxay, Sayaboury, Vientiane (province), and Vientiane Capital.

The World Bank supports Laos through its Country Partnership Framework 2017-2021, which is organized around three focus areas of inclusive growth, investing in people, and protecting the environment, all of which will be supported through the new agriculture project.

Source: KPL

Vientiane Police Capture Three of Eleven Prison Escapees

prison escapees

Vientiane police have captured three of eleven men who broke out of a prison in Dongsavath Village last Friday.

All 37 villages of Sisattanak District were placed on high alert after the dramatic prison break, in which the escapees dug through a bathroom wall using rudimentary sharp objects. They then climbed over the rear wall of the prison compound.

Leaked security footage of the prison break became a sensation on social media, showing the escapees fleeing the prison in their underwear.

According to a statement by Deputy Head of the Public Security Headquarters in Sisattanak District, Lieutenant colonel Inphone Bounphachanh, three of the men have been recaptured and area waiting trial.

The men had not yet been sentenced, and were awaiting trial for drug trafficking charges and possession of illegal firearms.

Police are continuing their manhunt for the remaining escapees.