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Vaccinations Mandatory by Law in 2018

vaccine
vaccine

Under the government’s policy to provide effective health services, children and expectant mothers will soon be required to be vaccinated by law. Parents and legal guardians will be in violation of the law, that is expected to come into effect late 2018,  if their children don’t receive all of their required vaccinations.

According to the Law on Vaccination, all children and pregnant women must be vaccinated to boost their immune system against diseases. With the measure still being drafted by health authorities, the law is expected to be fully implemented by late 2018. By increasing access to vaccines, officials are focused on protecting the benefits and the right to healthcare for pregnant women and children.

Director General of the Hygiene and Health Promotion Department of the Ministry of Health, Dr Phath Keungsaneth stated, to effectively reduce the rate of infant and maternal mortality, a policy for proper health care and improved access to vaccines must be put in place. When implemented, the new measure is expected to promote an adequate immunization system for expectant mothers and children under 15, boosting their immunity against polio and other potentially fatal diseases.

In attempt to achieve maximum participation, village chiefs, health officials and village volunteers pledge to actively communicate the directive to parents  and  legal  guardians, and encourage them to take part in vaccination activities in their villages or communities.

Due to the lack of knowledge on vaccines in previous years, parents were concerned on the negative impacts that vaccinations would have on their children and would forego the recommended vaccines.

Since 2011, officials have been focusing on improving the health sector, instituting measures such as the Law on Alcoholic Beverages; Healthcare Law; Law on Food; Law on Drugs and Medical Products; Law on Hygiene, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; Law on HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention; and the Law on Tobacco Control. The health sector now has more than 100 laws in effect.

According to the ministry, the health sector plans to strengthen the Law on Disease Control, Hygiene and Health Promotion, Healthcare Insurance Law and others related laws in 2017-18.

Riding the Globalization Wave

globalization
globalization

Driving through the capital city of Vientiane, its apparent that in the past five years, the country has stepped up its globalization game. With investors from all over the globe eager to invest in the country’s vast lands and untapped resources,  Laos is on the bullet train towards worldwide integration.

Due to countries becoming increasingly interconnected, globalization is inevitable. Globalization  signifies the free movement of goods, capital, services, people, technology and information. And though it presents nations with more opportunities to expand their economies with increased trade and cultural exchanges, it also comes with its own challenges.

Themed “Globalism at a crossroads – Asia’s next move”, the 23rd International Conference on the Future of Asia commenced in Tokyo last week,  where Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith described globalization as “an expansion of trade and investment cooperation among nations, and the use of modern technology in enhancing our relationship and cooperation for mutual benefit among countries”.

Asia in particular has witnessed globalization quickly spread, broadened and deepened. Newly emerging economies, including China and India have experienced rapid and sustained economic growth, which has sprung hundreds of millions of people from poverty, resulting in a shift in policy formulation blanketing a wider scope.

Most analysts believe that our world is entering a new era of quality development and the 4th Industrial Revolution has emerged.

Globalization opens up opportunities to enhance connectivity between countries and across regions and applying new technology to facilitate intra-regional and international trade and investment including the fast movement of foreign direct investment.

PM Thongloun indicated that cooperation in the era of globalization has not only presented economic benefits, but has also created a vital platform for addressing and contributing to the maintenance of peace and security regionally and globally.

That’s because in the era of globalization, a problem in one country, affects another country in the same region, which could then potentially impact another region. When a nation faces a crisis, despite the size or wealth of that nation, it requires a united effort by all to address and resolve the crisis.

Like other countries, Laos is benefiting from regional economic integration, enabling its economy to grow constantly by generating more job opportunities and revenue for local people.

However, despite so many opportunities, globalization also totes with it numerous challenges both at the regional and global levels. For example, a development gap that results in imbalances in the capacity to access and reap benefits from globalization is imminent.

Many countries have experienced severe trade deficits and are drowning in debt. Against this backdrop, globalization has also led to an unequal distribution of wealth and development across different regions. As a result, some have gained while others have lost.

Southern Islands Report Extreme Downtrend in Tourism for 2017

4000 don
4000 don

With tourism as a primary focus for the government this year, the rapid decline of tourists visiting the twin islands of Don Det and Don Khon in the Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) of Khong district, Champassak province has local authorities worried.

The Head of the Boat Tour Association in Nakasang village, Khong district, Mr Bounseum Chanthalangsy, explains that the port of Nakasang usually hosts over 50,000 visitors travelling to Don Det and Don Khon annually, however this year locals have seen drastically smaller numbers though no data has been reported.

Mr Bounseum stated that the association has a total of 120 service boats, 27 of which are big boats with a capacity to carry anywhere from 20 to 60 people. Typically, the association would serve at least 25 boats per day, however boat operators are now observing less than 10 boats per day.

An expert from the Information, Culture and Tourism Office in Khong district, Mr Khampan Vilayphone, explained, “We don’t understand why the number of tourists have dropped so much, we’ve interviewed tour guides to find possible reasons why, and they’ve said that it might be the increase of fees for boats and tourist site entrances, plus road access to Nakasang village from Road No 13 has also been in poor shape.”

Boat tickets have increased from 15,000 to 20,000 kip per person to travel to Don Det Island and from 20,000 kip to 25,000 kip per person to travel to Don Khon Island.

“This might have caused the drop in tourists in our area, where we normally see at least five vans on the weekend, and at least two big bus tours per month, we now see very few vans and it’s lucky to see one big bus in a month,” Mr Khampan added.

The main activities while visiting the twin islands include a boat ride to watch river dolphins, visiting waterfalls including the Li Phi Falls or Somphamit, and renting bicycles to explore the island’s many trails.

Other tours introduce visitors to the remnants of a historic colonial French railway, that sought  to bypass the mighty rapids the area is renowned for.

To get to the islands from Pakxe, head south on Road No 13 for about 80 km before turning right at Nakasang village. Boats and the friendly locals who navigate the Mekong’s waters will be your guid from there. Boats operate daily from 7am to 5pm.

 

Seatbelt Regulation To Be Rolled Back, Revised

seatbelt-Laos
seatbelt-Laos

Last week, The Laotian Times reported road users in Hadxayfong District receiving hefty fines for failure to use seatbelts. Vientiane drivers took to social media to vent their frustrations on the seatbelt crackdown, outraged that without warning, they were suddenly being fined 150,000 LAK per traffic violation, with paper receipts of the fine to prove it.

However, this week law enforcement has cleared up the confusion on Article 18 of the Law on Land Traffic, stating that it is a law that will be strictly enforced in the near future, but only after adjustments have been made to refine and clarify the legislation.

Director of the Vientiane Traffic Police Department, Lieutenant Colonel Youttaphong Souvannasing, explained that officials have directed all Vientiane traffic police to cease penalizing citizens for not wearing seatbelts until regulations and fines are properly established and clarified. Presently, traffic department officials are formulating details for processing and issuing fines before implementation begins.

After the exact fines are determined, the law and associated fines to breaking that law, will then be publicly announced and put into force.

Though the regulation is not yet implemented by law enforcement, the Lieutenant Colonel still strongly advocates  for all road users, not just drivers, to buckle up when in a moving vehicle for good practice. He pointed out that during this time of year, rocket festivals are common and though people shouldn’t be drinking and driving, intoxicated drivers can be found on the roads in and outside of the city.

Statistics show that those who utilize seat belts dramatically reduce the risk of vehicular death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%.

According to a report from 2016, provided by the Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, there was an estimated 83 billion kip in road damages nationwide. With 5,616 road accidents, 1,086 fatalities, 8,912 injuries and 10,305 damaged vehicles reported, road accidents have been steadily increasing every year.

Though the crackdown on seatbelt use may be delayed, the safety measure should still be implemented as good practice and will save hundreds, if not thousands of lives.

Star Telecom Wins Bid to Develop Population Management for Laos

unitel
unitel

On June 9th, the Ministry of Home Affairs signed a contract allowing Star Telecom (widely known as Unitel) to move forward in developing the Population Data Management System Creation Project for the fiscal year of 2017-2018.

Star Telecom, a joint venture between the Laos-Asia telecom company Vietnam’s Viettel telecom group, has won a bid to develop a population management system for Laos, that will summarize population and registration statistics. The information gathered will then be used to create a platform database for socio-economic development and national security planning.

The system will be designed to accumulate and store digitized citizens’ data, including births, deaths, causes of death, marital status, divorce, family names and addresses, and immigration records, thus streamlining management work that will cut expenses and wait time for administrative procedures.

The first phase of the project will be facilitated between 2017 and 2018, with Star Telecom building the system for Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Champasak provinces, with the second phase expanding into the 14 remaining provinces. The project is estimated to cost around 700,000 USD to execute.

The Director of Population Administration Department, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Thongchanh Syvilay believes that the new system will boost the quality of population management in Laos, particularly in calculating statistics on family registration to serve socio-economic planning.

Star Telecom director, Cao Anh Son, guaranteed to effectively implement the project, ensuring internet connections available to all units of the ministry and promptly handling all issues that emerge during the installation of the new system.

Currently, Star Telecom  dominates 50 percent of the mobile service market in Laos.

Connecting the Unconnected with an Offline Internet System

rural
rural

In this day and age, one thing is for certain; information is power. Over four billion people in developing countries are missing out on that power, due to the lack of proper internet access.

More than half of the Lao population are uninformed on the life-changing benefits of connectivity, particularly in rural areas, missing out on a wealth of information pertaining to financial, health, education and other important services .

Information and technology experts  want to change that, and have partnered up with Be-Bound Company in attempt to provide remote areas of the country with an “offline internet” system.

In a recent meeting held in Vientiane, technology experts and staff from the Be-Bound Company discussed the use and necessity of an “offline internet” system in Laos, that would benefit those who cannot afford an internet connection.

This technology is aimed to be used with mobile devices in remote areas,  that will utilize SMS to gain broader access to information at an affordable price. The system allows people to text questions and be provided with answers.

Deputy Director General of the Information and Technology Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Souliya Sengdaravong, states that the “offline” internet system has a specific meaning in terms of computer technology and telecommunications, in contrast to “online” internet which operates using a telephone signal.

After installation of the “offline” internet system is complete, useful information can be sent to local communities regarding science and technology, education, health, agriculture, and other various sectors.

“Internet for all, a Framework for Accelerating, Internet Access and Adoption”, is a Be-Bound initiative that requires minimal preparations and is easily installed by telecom companies in the country due to it making use of  the existing telephone signal system.

Be-Bound Company representative, Michel Ktitareff, explained that the system could be utilized in all areas of the country where there was a telephone signal and would rectify the current lack of accessible information.

Private Businesses Struggle to Find Financing

road
road

Business banking in Laos has taken a severe hit in the past few years as government officials have started limiting funds that have been typically granted to developers for implementing infrastructure projects in the past.

Construction of roads, mining, land concessions and various infrastructure projects have all been suspended due to companies facing financial difficulties and struggling to be approved for loans from banks.

Priority projects which have been approved by government officials have a higher likelihood of being approved for bank loans, as opposed to the private companies who seek funding.

According to the government’s latest report, the overall investments in 2016 reached 42.8 trillion kip, which was 24.2 percent more than planned, and accounted for 33.1 percent of GDP, increasing the value of bank financing from 6.7 trillion kip to 10.8 trillion kip.

Economists assert that the increase in bank credit is an indication that the Lao economy is growing, given that more money has been disbursed into the investment sector.

In an effort to ensure the effective use of the state budget in order maximize the interests of the nation, the Lao Prime Minister has signed off on Prime Ministerial Order No.9, stipulating various measures to control spending, including the suspension on all construction of public office buildings until 2020.

With a recent projection indicating that only 96 percent of the revenue targeted for 2017 will be collected, the government has planned to tighten budget expenditure by trimming its administrative budget.

State banks have been urged to supply more loans in order to promote productivity and facilitate the growth of small and medium businesses..

Laos is considered one of the least developed countries, with the value of its economy amounting to US$15.9 billion. In 2016, the Lao economy grew at a rate of 7.02 percent, driven by the industrial sector, particularly hydropower projects with GDP per capita reaching US$2,408.

ITECC Mall Hosts Top Thai Brands 2017 Trade Fair June 7-11

trade fair
trade fair

For the first time in Laos, ITECC Mall will host the Top Thai Brands 2017 trade fair, with over 300 booths stocked and displayed with quality products from Thailand.

Held in the old building, the trade fair is scheduled to run in Vientiane from June 7-11, and not only aims to promote trade and investment between Thailand and Laos, but also to encourages a consumption of good products and services with original trademarks.

According to the Thai Minister Counselor (Commercial), Yanee Srimeechai, the Department of International Trade Promotion has been working in partnership with three main business associations: the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Thai Industries and Thai National Shippers’ Council, in the selection of quality businesses, products and services from Thailand to present at the trade fair.

Ms Yanee stated that the fair will also motivate and offer opportunities to both countries in their efforts towards globalization.

This year’s trade fair will also be offering various activities throughout the 5-day period, consisting of a presentation of projects initiated by his Majesty the King of Thailand, Thailand Trust Mart Zone, Top Thai Brands Zone, and a seminar by VIP speakers who have succeeded in doing business overseas.