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Lucky Draw for Bangkok Airways Dated 11/03/2017

This Facebook link thumbnail image template was created by Christian Karasiewicz, owner of www.christiankonline.com

Last month, the month of Love, Express Food Group Co, a the subsidiary of RMA Group offered a special campaign for customers of The Pizza Company, Swensen’s and Dairy Queen at all store branches  to win one of three special prizes: a trip to Phuket, and two round-trip tickets from Vientiane-Bangkok, generously provided by Bangkok Airways.

All clients from February were eligible to receive a coupon to participate in this campaign and all of the coupons were drawn in order to find the winners on 11 March 2017 at the Pizza Company at Vientiane Centre. The event was attended by Mr Korbsouk who was a representative from Bangkok Airways, Mr Matthieu Hotel) who is the General Manager of Express Food Group, Ms Monemany Sopha, a marketer of Express Food Group.

The lucky winners were

  1. Ms Sengaloun Soundala residing at Phonepapao Village. Mob: 7712 1488
  2. Mr Daosavath Dethphommathed residing at Phonethun Village. Mob: 020 98066662
  3. Mr Phetsana Souvannaphong residing at Phonethun Village]

 

Bangkok Air Bangkok Air 1 Bangkok Airway 4

Please follow us on The Pizza Company Laos, Swensen’s Laos, Dairy Queen Laos, Texas Chicken Laos Facebook pages. We offer special campaigns every month. So, don’t miss out!

Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project Underway

transport vientiane

Vientiane is tackling the issue of its over crowded and congested streets by focusing on improving non-motorised transport and public transport in the city.

While speaking to the Intergovernmental Tenth Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia at a meeting on Tuesday, Vientiane Vice Mayor Mr Keophilavanh Aphaylath explained that the project will encourage people within the city to use more sustainable modes of transportation.

The Vice Mayor acknowledged that the rapidly growing number of motorised vehicles has brought new challenges to the city and that the influx of cars and motorbikes has caused congestion, air pollution, accidents and rampant parking intrusions.

With regard to sustainable transport initiatives, Laos has participated in the UNCRD‘s Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Transport and joined the EST Forum.

The Minister of Public Works and Transport,  Dr Bounchanh Sinthavong has stated that the city has completed a number of significant studies, particularly the Vientiane Urban Transport Master Plan in 2008, the Study on Low Carbon Transport System in Laos in 2012, Ongoing Green Freight Transport and many others.

During the ASEAN Summits, hosted by Laos as the Chair of ASEAN last year, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith delivered the Laos Paris Agreement ratification instrument to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The Intended Nationally Determined Contribution for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was implemented with the assistance of a new project funded by the Global Environment Facility in partnership with UNDP and the Department of Disaster Management and Climate Change.

“Besides these studies, we have been implementing many EST projects, such as a new system to improve bus services and piloting electric buses in the capitals of Luang Prabang and Champassak provinces,” Dr Bounchanh explained.

It was added, that almost US$100 million was secured, co-financed by the Asian Development Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development, European Investment Bank, European Union, Global Environmental Facility, the private sector and the Lao government to implement the alleged Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project.

The project will drastically improve urban transport operations and capacity in Vientiane through five major components: bus rapid transport, parking facilities, non-motorised transit, traffic management, and urban transit management agency.

The forum is expected to provide valuable opportunities, insight and technological knowledge towards the effectiveness and sustainability from other cities on urban transport.

Statistics Show Lao People Traveling More Than Ever Before

Lao People Traveling More

In 2016, Laos reported that an astonishing 3.05 million outbound travelers crossed its borders to other countries.

According to statistics presented by the Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the number of Lao nationals traveling by plane was at a record high in 2016 compared to previous years.

Wattay International Airport reported 81,800 outbound Lao nationals in 2016, slightly up from 81,064 people and 76,985 people in 2015 and 2014 respectively.

More than 1.46 million people were recorded leaving the country via the Laos-Thailand Friendship Bridge.

However, according to the department, information regarding the travelers’ spending and length of stay has not been obtained due to funding shortages.

The statistics were collected from 14 international checkpoints across the country and indicate that those Lao provinces sharing borders with Thailand have registered the highest numbers of people crossing their checkpoints when travelling abroad.

The statistics did not specify the destinations of the travelers, however.

Lao officials and tour operators speculate that it is due to the Lao people’s well-being and  increasing incomes that has enabled them to indulge in more vacations abroad.

The government report showed that average gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has increased to US$2,027 (more than 16.2 million kip) in the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The figure is expected to further rise to US$2,341 (more than 18.7 million kip) by 2017.

GDP per capita is projected to reach US$3,100 (more than 24.8 million kip) in 2020 when the Lao population is expected to increase to 7.3 million. In turn the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is predicted to reach US$2,450 (more than 19.6 million kip).

A local tour agency has shared that package tours to South Korea, Malaysia-Singapore-Indonesia, and Japan have been popular destinations for Lao outbound tourists, and they are customizing more packages for their clientele every day.

Switzerland Revives Agriculture and Forestry College in Laos

Laos sets goal for 70 percent forest cover by 2025

The Swiss government has granted US$4.2 million for the third phase of the Support to the Reform of the Agriculture and Forestry Colleges (SURAFCO) project in Laos.

The objective of SURAFCO is to reinforce the quality and practical teaching in all five Agriculture and Forestry Colleges of Laos. The program is set to run from 2017 to 2020.

The technical support to accomplish the project is provided by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation and will focus on improving skills-based education, management of the colleges, campus infrastructure, updating teaching equipment, facilitating knowledge distribution and exchange events.

An agreement was signed on Monday by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Phouangparisak Pravongviengkham and Director of Cooperation for the Mekong Region of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Mr Tim Enderlin.

The renewed funding assists in the development of proficient human resources required to promote the modernisation of the agricultural and forestry sector in Laos.

The donation to the Reform Strategy of the Government of Laos will boost the number of qualified agricultural and extension workers in the public sector, employees in the private sector, self-employed farmers and entrepreneurs who can accompany the transition from subsistence-based to market-based agriculture.

The project has allowed the country to advance towards a commercial based agriculture system and provides the quality of human resources required by the public and private agricultural sectors.

The SURAFCO project has transformed the Northern Agriculture and Forestry College in Luang Prabang province into a centre of excellence for relevant upland agriculture education.

The five Agriculture and Forestry Colleges nationwide have benefited from the experience and are utilizing the same skills-based and student-centred curriculum. The nationally revised curriculum consists of 60 percent practical teaching and 40 percent theory to qualify for a higher diploma.

Within 2 years of graduating, 80 percent of graduates from the first two project phases between 2009 and 2016, had successfully found employment or were self-employed. Feedback from the public and private sector employers reveal that the education is seen as relevant and that graduates are capable of sufficiently applying what they’ve learned to their trade.

Mr Enderlin stated that  SURAFCO project responded to the needs of destitute rural communities and contributed to the country’s efforts to reduce poverty.

Authorities Order Closure of 253 Furniture Factories in Savannakhet

Laotian Times Illegal Furniture Factories in Savannakhet

During the cabinet monthly meeting for February, the Task Force Committee that was assembled by the cabinet, was instructed to continue carrying out the government’s order to regulate wood processing businesses across the country, and to address unlawful business operations and illegal logging.

An order directing district officials to take action was recently issued by authorities to ensure the closure of all furniture factories will be complete by the scheduled deadline.

253 family-owned furniture plants have been ordered to shut down indefinitely by Savannakhet provincial authorities, several operating without business licenses, while  the remainder fail to meet set standards.

Director of the Industry and Commerce Department of the central province Mr Sithon Nanthalath, reported that an estimated 166 plants are in violation of operating a business without the proper licenses; while the 87 remaining plants that were approved by districts’ authorities failed to meet the standard requirements.

“District officials in charge are required to report progress [in this regard] every Wednesday,” Mr Sithon stated, adding that the reports would then be passed on to higher authorities.

The director stressed that these plants will be shut down and the owners will not be eligible to register or legalise their businesses.

In its effort to regulate wood processing businesses and address illegal logging, the government has seized large quantities of timber logged illegally.

Recently, the department carried out a bidding process to auction off more than 716 cubic metres of seized timber, fetching more than 1.3 billion kip.

Numerous pieces of equipment that were used to illegally harvest timber, particularly chainsaws, have been seized and destroyed.

The province’s most recent demonstration of enforcing this law, is executing the government’s order to shut down 1,154 family furniture plants across the country that are in illegal operation.

The government has also ordered 28 sawmills to cease operations, which are located in conservation forest areas violating the relevant laws. Of those, 12 have already been shut down and the 16 remaining sawmills will continued to be eliminated by the province authorities.

The taskforce committee was reminded to thoroughly investigate and identify parties engaged in the unlawful harvesting and exporting of timber, as well as those affiliated with these illicit crimes, with the intention to bring the criminals to justice.

 

Lao Airlines to Reboot Inflight Magazine, Open for Advertising

Official Inflight Magazine of Lao Airlines
Official Inflight Magazine of Lao Airlines

The Lao Airlines inflight magazine, Champa Meuanglao, is to undergo a drastic change as part of a reboot that will showcase a modern and sophisticated Laos.

Production of the inflight magazine has been awarded to SMP Consultants, in partnership with RDK Group. The two companies will draw on their experience in business consulting, media and publishing to breathe new life into the magazine for the benefit of passengers on Lao Airlines flights.

With a newly designed logo, the revamped, bi-monthly publication will, like its parent airline, reflect an evolving Laos, showcasing the country’s arts and culture scene, world-famous cuisine and enduring popularity as a travel destination.

Lao Airlines Magazine Champa Meuanglao

Champa Meuanglao, the Lao Airlines magazine, will also focus on business innovation and the rapid development of Vientiane as a commercial hub in the region.

In addition to the editorial content, readers have come to rely on the advertisements in the magazine as an easy, time-efficient way to find about products and services in Laos and in the destination countries to which Lao Airlines flights travel. In a peaceful, serene environment such as an aeroplane seat, adverts stand the best possible chance for recall.

Champa Meuanglao Magazine is the nation’s prime vehicle for getting an advertiser’s message in front of the people that matter.

The benefits that advertisers can expect include:

–        a captive audience of over 900,000 passengers a year

–        distribution to hotels and ticketing offices throughout the country and in the region

–        a two-month shelf life making it more cost-effective than daily or weekly advertising vehicles

–        quality advertising production

–        ad sizes and styles to meet various budgets

For more information, contact the sales department at advertising@champameuanglao.com or by phone at  +85620 55555521, ,+856 20 55285580, or  +85620 55731717.

Officials to Crack Down on Illegal Workers in Laos

Foreign Workers in Laos

As part of government efforts to strictly monitor foreign nationals working in the country, the labour and security sectors are set up to register and issue temporary work permits to foreign workers.

The issue of migrants entering the country to work illegally  is a continuing and controversial problem in Laos.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare reported that approximately 24,000 foreign workers were registered over the last year, the majority of them being Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai nationals.

The report was disclosed at a meeting held earlier in the week on the assessment and insight from the previous registration and issuing of temporary work permits to foreign workers.

A total of 24,372 foreign workers have been issued temporary work permits nationwide.

Foreign workers are broken down into two sectors for registration purposes.

Those that fall under the first sector, which consists of vendors or people who operate a business in compliance with set regulations as well as those who work in the business and service sectors, on investment projects, or in special and specific economic zones, are eligible for six-month and one-year statuses.

Those who fall under the second sector, which is allocated to itinerant vendors, people engaged in the breeding of livestock, and those who operate beauty salons, coffee shops, karaoke bars and game shops or those business owners not yet operating with the necessary licence, is eligible for three month status.

An initial timeframe was set for mid-December 2015 to mid-March 2016 by the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare along with the Ministry of Public Security, however the project has only just completed at the end of September,  2016.

Authorities from both sectors will continue to inspect foreign workers after their work permits have expired.

Additionally, training for officials in both sectors will be given to increase their efficiency in the candid enforcement of the law.

Officials aim to regulate the multiplying number of undocumented workers in Laos while simultaneously generating more revenue for the state budget.

As the development of Laos proceeds, the country requires workers, especially foreign workers for current railway and power projects.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare recently reported that a target to introduce 658,000 labourers by 2020 has been set  to meet the constant growing demand for labour in Laos.

Strict enforcement of the labor law set forth, will allow foreign nationals to work in Laos legally while also assisting them to adhere to other employment regulations.

Lao Airlines aims for Direct Route to Tokyo for Passengers

Lao Airlines Flight to Japan

Lao Airlines has announced plans to provide its passengers with a direct flight between Vientiane and Tokyo, Japan.

Though not much has been detailed in the airline’s plans to introduce the service as of yet, it has been confirmed that the flight is expected to make a stop in Nagasaki on one sector of the journey between Vientiane and Tokyo.

The airline is expected to release more information on its new routes at a press conference in the near future.

Due to a codeshare agreement between Lao Airlines and Thai Airways International, passengers currently travelling to Japan need to fly from Vientiane to Bangkok, and then board a connecting flight to reach Japan.

However, before the demand for a direct flight to Japan can be fulfilled, Lao Airlines must equip itself with an aircraft  suitable to fly nonstop to Japan, which is beyond the range of any of its aircraft currently.

The airline currently operates domestic routes to Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Pakse, Savannakhet, Vientiane and Xieng Khuang.  On international routes it serves Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Guangzhou, Kunming, Jinghong, Chengdu, Singapore, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul and Busan.