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Almost 1,000 Illegal Chainsaws Destroyed in Khammuan

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A chainsaw destruction ceremony took place in Khammuan province recently, demonstrating that the government is getting stricter in the management and inspection of timber exploitation.

The destruction of the chainsaws aimed to implement Prime Minister’s Order No 15 issued recently to enhance the strictness of management and inspection of timber exploitation, timber movements and timber businesses.

The order also bans the export of unfinished wooden products. To realise the order, the relevant sectors have paid great attention over the recent months to inspecting timber exploitation in excess of granted quotas, the exploitation of timber without permission, and the exploitation of timber in preserved forests and protected forests.

This includes companies and involved persons in the illegal exploitation of timber, the ministry said.

After the order was released, provinces around the country have been enhancing their strictness in the management and inspection of timber exploitation, including the confiscation of unauthorised chainsaws for destruction.

Following the order, Khammuan provincial authorities destroyed almost 1,000 unauthorised chainsaws on Tuesday. An official in charge in Khammuan province said the police and authorities confiscated 973 chainsaws from villagers in Thakhaek district, which were brought for subsequent destruction.

He said the Khammuan provincial authorities have been paying attention to inspection and confiscated many chainsaws, especially in Khounkham and Xaybuathong districts.

Officials in provinces around the country are concentrating on the strict implementation of the Prime Minister’s Order No 15 issued to enhance strictness on the management and inspection of timber exploitation.

According to initial data reported recently by the task force committee, more than 55,421 cubic metres of illegal timber has been seized since the order.

Also confiscated were a number of vehicles and equipment used for illegal logging, including 11 snigging trucks, a bulldozer, a log crane vehicle, and a Toyota Fortuner amongst others. Some 1,253 chainsaws were also seized and destroyed.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Public Complaints Go Unanswered

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Public concerns raised with the National Assembly (NA) through the hotline during the recent ordinary session are still waiting for responses from the sectors concerned.

According to the NA’s Inspection Department, which is entrusted to collect complaints, around 1,900 calls and messages were made via the hotline during the second ordinary session of the NA’s Eighth Legislature, which ran from November 24 to December 18.

Land issues topped the public concerns, followed by complaints concerning infrastructure, especially roads, along with salaries.

During the previous NA Seventh Legislature, officials from concerned ministries and agencies were invited to give their explanations on issues of public concern through the media along with each NA session or within a couple of weeks after the session ended.

No officials from ministries and agencies were invited to give explanations during the recent session.

The NA’s department Director General Mr Sinthala Lasouksamay told Vientiane Times yesterday he raised this with NA leaders, but they have yet to decide how the department will coordinate with the ministries and agencies.

According to him, his department had gathered and delivered the concerns received through the hotline to the NA’s committees, members, and the session organising committee.

The NA’s hotline has allowed the public to raise concerns, including misconduct by government officials, with the complaints passed on to high level leaders and concerned sectors.

The assembly began the telephone hotline in the Fifth Legislature, with informants able to submit their opinions and complaints using the free hotline number 156, fax 021 452 627, posting to PO Box 662 or emailing an_session@na.gov.la.

According to a report disseminated at a seminar in Vientiane late October to share national, regional and international experience on corruption complaints, 80 percent of public complaints raised through the NA’s telephone hotline provided factual information on corruption activities.

The report also said that maladministration by government officials had been minimised since the existence of the NA hotline, which had also addressed issues quickly.

However, some deficiencies around hotline responses remained, especially mechanisms for addressing public concerns which weren’t effective enough. A minister also declined to respond directly to some questions, instead appointing a junior technical official to respond.

The government also launched the 1516 hotline number in mid last month to enable ordinary people to provide recommendations regarding government performance.

Earlier this year, the NA planned to extend the hotline term, which is only currently open during NA sessions, to serve callers all year-round so they can provide information on misconduct and their concerns are addressed in a timely manner.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Traffic Police Gear Up for New Year Duties

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The Vientiane Traffic Police Department has rostered over 200 police for security detail over the Christmas and New Year period.

Deputy Chief of the Vientiane Traffic Police Department, Major Sangkhom Phommalath, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that guidelines from the Ministry of Public Security require them to assign 207 police officers to various duties.

Traffic police will be stationed around the capital from December 22 to January 2 in the districts of Sikhottabong, Xaythany, Chanthabouly, Naxaithong, Sisattanak, Hadxaifong, and Xaysettha.

They will focus on roads No. 13 North and South, Thadeua Road, Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue, 450 Road, Lane Xang Avenue, Samsenthai and other main roads.

Police will direct traffic, monitor motorists’ speeds and assess their levels of sobriety along roads No. 13 North and South, and Thadeua Road. They will also be on standby to deal with any accidents.

They will also explain road safety regulations and make them known to drivers along roads and in villages and schools as well as at the southern and northern bus stations in a bid to reduce accidents and traffic congestion.

Traffic police warned that reckless driving, intoxication and general violation of the traffic rules would not be tolerated over the festive period.

Minor infractions will incur warnings but fines and other penalties will be imposed in the case of more serious offences.

Traffic police reminded members of the public to drive with caution, observe the traffic rules and show courtesy to other road users. They expressly reminded people not to drive while drunk.

The department’s records show that over the five days from December 29, 2015, to January 2, 2016, there were 33 road accidents in Vientiane in which 52 people were injured and two people died.

The main causes of accidents over the New Year were intoxication and speeding. Most accidents involved motorbikes and pickup trucks and occurred around midnight and during the early hours of the morning.

President of the Society of Volunteers Rescue Vientiane, Mr Lam Ngern Vongphachanh, said he had arranged for staff to be on duty to take emergency calls at three stations in Vientiane from December 24 to January 1.

Some 65 volunteers will be on standby to rush to the scene of an accident from stations in Hadxaifong, Xaythany and Xaysettha districts.

This year the society will join forces with rescue teams from the Chinese Foundation, Pasanchai and Phatthana Phasouk to help accident victims. When they receive a call asking them to go to the scene of an accident or other incident they will contact the team nearest to the event.

The rescue team can be reached on hotline no. 1624, which is open 24 hours a day.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

71 Households Receive Compensation from Irrigation Project

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Some 71 affected households from Sanghuabor village, Xaythany district have received compensation for construction of a Vientiane irrigation development project.

A compensation handover ceremony took place yesterday in the village and was attended by President of Vientiane People’s Council and Chairman of Grievance Redress Committee for the Flood and Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Project Dr Anouphap Tounalom.

The project received loans and grants from Asian Development Bank (ADB) totalling US$37.09 million for the Vientiane Flood Protection Embankment and the Irrigation Development in Vientiane Capital subproject.

The subproject intends to construct four pump irrigation schemes along the Makhiew River at Dongkhuay, Nalong, Sanghuabor and Makhiew villages in the three districts of Hadxaifong, Xaythany and Pakngum, Director of the southern part of the Vientiane Irrigation Development Project Mr Saykham Phengkhammy said.

ADB considered obstacle removal as priority work in implementing the project which had to finish redressing grievances before beginning the construction.

To ensure the project is implemented in a timely manner as planned, today we organised a ceremony to hand over compensation to people affected by Sanghuabor irrigation project, he said

Total compensation included 101,303 square metres of agricultural land, a well, along with trees at a cost of more than 600 million kip, Mr Saykham added.

The irrigation scheme is located in Sanghuabor village, Xaythany district, and will provide irrigation by pumping water from the Makhiew River.

The pumping station will be installed at the boundary of a farm pond near the village with 22.7 hectares of existing paddy fields being irrigated through the pond with surface water.

The water from the farm pond can be diverted to the lowland area from the Makhiew River when the water level is high.

The depth of the farm pond is very shallow to impound and reserve water.

The main channel for Sanghuabor irrigation scheme is a line-canal about 2,950 metres in length along with secondary and tertiary canals of 6,650 and 1,300 metres respectively.

The project began in August and is scheduled to finish in 2019 having a total irrigable area of about 300 hectares.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Patient Numbers at Public Hospitals Continue to Tumble

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The number of patients checking in to receive advice and treatment at government hospitals continues to decline because healthcare services were lacking in quality.

Minister of Health, Associate Prof. Dr Bounkong Syhavong made the admission at a signing ceremony for construction of a patient’s service building at Mittaphab Hospital in the capital earlier this week.

He said the nation needs to improve healthcare services to give patients confidence in the system.

Unfortunately in Laos, doctors, nurses, and other medical staff still harbored old-fashioned work practices as they did many years ago. This meant they didn’t take care of patients as their customers when seeking treatment at hospital, Dr Bounkong said.

In developed countries, doctors and nurses take care of patients very well.

They consult with patients immediately when they come to hospital, he said.

Many Lao patients continue to go to hospital in neighboring countries to receive advice and health services because they think they’re getting better treatment than at home.

At the same time private clinics are making improvements to local healthcare in various areas but government hospitals still are not responding to public demand.

There needs to be increased understanding by doctors, nurses, and other medical staff on the importance of healthcare service to their patients to increase the number of patients attending local hospitals in the future, he added.

However, efforts are already underway to improve the service offered by doctors and nurses, in addition to the training of quality health officials. The government’s healthcare policy is now focused on patient satisfaction.

Dr Bounkong noted there was also still room for improvement with the services of Lao private hospitals and clinics.

The public hospital improvements are aimed at reducing complaints and to ensure that all ethnicities in society receive good quality treatment on an equal basis

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Trucks Being Charged more at Napao-Chalo Border

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Some goods trucks are avoiding using the Napao-Chalo international border between Laos and Vietnam in Khammuan province as the trucks are being levied higher charges at this border.

Previously, the trucks crossing the border only paid a relatively modest fee but now they are charged anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 kip depending on the size of the trucks.

An official from Khammuan province, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that the trucks have been charged for about two years and this money will be used to maintain the border and the roads.

The Lao trucks crossing the border will not be charged on the Laos side but are charged when they cross into Vietnam, while the Vietnamese trucks will be charged on the Lao border side.

Another official in Khammuan also mentioned t hat right now some trucks from Khammuan are not using the Napao-Chalo international border to link with Vietnam .

He explained that some of them are using the Dansavan-Lao Bao international border in Savannakhet province or the Nampao-Cau Treo international border in Borikhamxay province instead.

However, an anonymous Savannakhet provincial customs officer said that the Dansavan-Lao Bao international border has had an operational one door, one stop service since early 2015.

The Dansavan-Lao Bao border is not charging trucks like the Laos-Vietnam border in Khammuan province, but many trucks still use the Napao-Chalo international border because this way is closer to Vietnam as well as in China, he said.

On the other hand Savannakhet wants more trucks from Khammuan or trucks from Thailand to use its border.

According to the Savannakhet provincial Public Works and Transport Department, the service is intended to reduce transport times for trucks and people moving goods across the border.

The single window service means that vehicles entering Laos from Vietnam are not checked at the Vietnamese border but only at the Lao border. Meanwhile vehicles from Laos entering Vietnam have to present their documen ts on the Vietnamese side only.

Based on a Vietnam News report yesterday, Vietnam and other regional countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Thailand have made agreements to facilitate road transport but border linkages have not been fully implemented due to differences in legislation.

It now takes only 15 minutes for trucks to complete customs declarations at the Lao Bao-Dansavan border crossing between Vietnam and Laos.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Govt Extends Condolences Over Terrorism in Germany, Turkey

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Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith on Tuesday sent a message to the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany to extend the government’s condolences over the tragic event that occurred in Berlin, Germany on Monday.

We have learned with deep sorrow about the tragedy that occurred at the Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, Germany on December 19, which killed many victims and injured others. We strongly condemn such acts of terror perpetrated against Germany, Mr Thongloun said in the massage.

Prime Minister Thongloun, representing the Lao government and people, and on his own behalf, expressed his deep condolences and sympathy to the government and people of Germany as well as the bereaved families affected by the barbaric act.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith yesterday also sent a message to his Russian counterpart to extend condolences over the assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Mr Andrei Karlov.

I have learned with the deepest sadness of the barbaric assassination of His Excellency Ambassador Andrei Karlov on December 19, 2016, while attending the opening of a photo exhibition in Ankara, Mr Saleumxay said in the message.

In the message, he noted the government’s strong condemnation of such terrorist acts against Russian diplomats, which he said was no doubt, aimed at undermining the good Russian-Turkish relations.

On behalf of the Lao government and people, and on my own behalf, I would like to convey our profound condolences and sympathy through Your Excellency to the Russian government and people as well as the bereaved family, the minister added in the message.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Lao Government to Forgo Luxury Vehicles

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Laotian Times
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Luxury Vehicles in Laos
Luxury Vehicles Laos

The Party and Government have agreed to forgo luxury vehicles in a new bid to curb excessive spending and promote frugality. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith made the announcement during a two-day meeting on the socio-economic development plan and the budget for 2017.

The Prime Minister raised the issue of frivolous luxury vehicles when addressing central and local departments, singling out leaders driving Mercedez-Benz and BMW brand vehicles. He said that these vehicles would be reclaimed, and sold through a bidding process.

His reasons for the tough stance included the high cost of fuel and maintenance for such vehicles, which are not economical, saying that the value of one Mercedez-Benz was equal to three Toyota vehicles. He then added that he would start with the President’s car, and would of course be pleased to hand his own luxury vehicle back to the state as well.

Top ranking officials and retired leaders make up eleven BMW 7 Series cars, and five Mercedez-Benz (S350 and E350) vehicles. The remainder of the government fleet includes 30 Mercedez-Benz, which were initially purchased for state affairs.

Many leaders currently hold more than one vehicle, and a reduction of surplus vehicles will be considered as well.

New Decree to Govern Use Of Luxury Vehicles

Prime Ministerial Decree No. 81 on the use of state vehicles is now being amended and brought in line with the new push to curb spending, and will likely prohibit the use of luxury vehicles altogether.

Under the amended decree, Politburo members will be entitled to drive a Toyota Camry 3.0, ministers a Camry 2.5, and deputy ministers will be entitled to a Camry 2.0, while other vehicles such as SUVs and pick-up trucks may be provided to leaders as appropriate.

The new decree is expected to clarify regulations on vehicle allocation for civil servants and leading officials, and will outline which vehicles are to be reclaimed upon retirement.

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