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European Union, CARE Support Nutrition Project in Northern Provinces

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The European Union and CARE Denmark are providing over 17. 4 billion kip (2 million euro) to support food and nutrition security projects in Luang Namtha and Phongsaly provinces.

The four-year project on promoting agricultural production to improve food and nutrition security through multi-sector coordination (SUPA) were signed by CARE Assistant Country Director Ms Alison Rusinow and the Luang Namtha provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department’s Deputy Director Mr Thuang Namvongsa.

Ms Rusinow and Mr Thuang also signed documents on a related project with Phongsaly provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department’s Deputy Director, Mr Visanh Vongnakhone, according to a recent report from CARE.

The signing ceremony took place recently in Luang Namtha province in the presence of representatives from provincial authorities and other guests.

The project will build on the experience of several stakeholders in linking nutrition, agriculture and natural resource management (the LANN approach) and will work in cooperation with these stakeholders to support poor communities to address nutrition challenges.

This project will be implemented in collaboration with concerned government counterparts, including provincial agriculture offices, health sectors and other concerned authorities.

The project shall receive technical support from other organisations most experienced in the LANN approach and hygiene and sanitation, namely CARE, Committee Cooperation with Laos, Lao Organic Promotion in Agriculture and Rural Development Agency.

The project’s aims were to support the government to implement the National Nutrition Strategy and Action Plan. The government has identified 22 priority nutrition-specific interventions (identified by each concerned line ministry, the so called convergent approach.)

The project will contribute to the realisation of all of the agriculture priorities and some key priority interventions under the health sector.

All selected districts in this action are part of the government’s priority districts and the selected activity packages in this action correspond to the government’s priority interventions, as proposed during the consultative planning workshop for this project in 2015 with relevant provincial/district representatives.

The project is designed to provide clear and concrete changes in the nutrition and health status of local ethnic communities in Luang Namtha and Phongsaly. In addition, it aims to support the provincial and district government to address the needs of communities and implement nutrition-related policies.

At the same time, CARE has committed to use this additional four year period to maximise learning, sharing and piloting of good practices.

These projects not only fully align with and complement local government priorities but also link well with other projects within CARE Laos’ Remote Ethnic Women programme.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Kaleang Cave to be New Tourism Site in Saravan Province

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Local authorities of Saravan Province are preparing to develop the Tham Kaleang Cave to be one of the new of tourist attractions of the province.  Tham Kaleang Cave is expected to open for visitor around the Lao New Year in 2017.

Mr Ounthoung Kaophan, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism recently took a working visit to Saravan Province to survey the new tourist site commenting that the site will be the new face of tourism in the province.

During the working visit to the province, the Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism stressed to the local authorities of Saravan Province that while developing the tourist site, it is important to preserve and protect the existing natural environment to impress visitors.

Mr Ounthoung Kaophan and his delegation also took a sightseeing tour to the Tham Nam Lord waterway through the cave and the Tad Nam Lord waterfall while inspecting the basic infrastructure of the area to ensure that will provide convenience to visitors to the area.

Saravan Province spans Laos from its western border with Thailand to its eastern border with Vietnam.  It is situated on the Bolaven Plateau, is devoted to agriculture and offers idyllic natural scenery.

Saravan Province is also home to the ecotourism destination Phu Xieng Thong National Biodiversity Conservation Area.  It is the only park in the country on the Mekong River.  It covers nearly 1,000 sq km in the western part of the province and is home to a wide variety of animal and plant species.

It is thought that Asiatic black bears, banteng (a species of wild cattle), clouded leopards, Douc langurs, elephants, gibbons, guars, Siamese crocodiles and tigers inhabit the area. 

 

Source: KPL

BCEL-KT: Trade Summary (Dec 5, 2016)

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Trade Summary

Lao stock exchange resumed trading after a long weekend with no change in the index. But the trading volume failed to match the pre-holiday volume, with only 300 shares in total. EDL-Gen, BCEL and SVN had 100 shares traded each, with the closing prices of 5,100 kip, 5,100 kip and 3,000 kip respectively. PTL and LWPC closed unchanged with no matching.  

 

Laos Launches New Law Application

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Members of the general public can now download an application about Lao laws via App store, a new choice for disseminating laws that was developed by the Law Dissemination Department, Ministry of Justice.

The launching ceremony of the Lao Law Application was held in Vientiane Capital on Monday Dec 5 in the presence of Minister of Justice Mr Xaysy Santivong, a country representative of United Nations Development Programme, and local media.

The new Lao Law Application aims to create favorable conditions for Lao people to simply gain and access the laws of Lao PDR. The app will give notifications via mobile phones about new and amended laws and help app users to look for specific words about law in both English and Lao.

The app will benefit students, translators, civil servants and private companies.

The mobile app has been developed since October 2015 by the Ministry of Justice.

Interested persons can do as follow: first open Safari to get access to www.Laolaw.org/laolawterms.html for download and then access via App Store.

The ministry officially opened its website last year under the web address www.moj.gov.la to promote state policies, laws and implementations by the justice sector,” said Mr Xaysy.

 

Source: KPL

Let’s Break Down Stereotypes in Laos: Australian Volunteer

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Gender stereotypes have resulted in serious impediments to the social, political and economic empowerment of women in Laos, an Australian volunteer has said.

Women living with a disability are one of the most marginalised and vulnerable groups due to the many forms of discrimination they face in their homes and communities, and within society as a whole.

When I worked in the Philippines at a community run micro-finance organisation (MFI) providing micro-loans for women living in poverty, I was exposed to the daily hardships faced by people living with disabilities. I became aware of the stigma directed at people with disabilities, Australian Volunteer Ms Zena Van Bemmel said.

Ms Bemmel observed that the experience empowered her to train MFI staff about disability so that they could advocate within their MFIs to ensure that people with disabilities could also be considered for micro-finance loans and livelihood trainings.

There are many attitudinal and environmental barriers which can prevent the full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society on an equal basis with others, and contribute to gender stereotyping.

I now work as a Social Enterprise Support Officer at the Lao Disabled Women’s Development Centre (LDWDC), where I have been working as a volunteer with the Australian Volunteers for International Development programme, an Australian Government initiative, Ms Bemmel said.

According to the results of the National Population and Housing Census 2015, an estimated 2.8 percent of the population of Laos has a disability. Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty that impacts boys, girls, women and men differently.

During her short time at the LDWDC, Ms Bemmel said she has heard many stories from the staff about their struggles in accessing and securing education and employment because of constant barriers at different stages of their lives.

The inspiring Founder and Director of the centre, Ms Chanhpheng Sivila, was home-schooled herself whilst supporting her 11 siblings to attend school.

Another one is Ms Boualiphan Hatsady, who was a child of 10, born into a very poor family and with a congenital impairment in both of her legs. She was only able to study in her village until Year 3, after which it became impossible for her to continue her schooling because of the long journey to school each day, without the support of any assistive devices.

Now Ms Boualiphan is a sewing trainer and wheelchair user at the centre, and defeated all odds by competing and winning a bronze medal in the 100 metre swimming competition at the 7th ASEAN Para Games in Myanmar.

Each employee at the centre brings a unique life experience of being a woman with a disability. This gives the LDWDC a great opportunity to take an active role in advocating bringing change for the rights of women living with disabilities.

Through the LDWDC’s core activities, it is helping to shatter misconceptions about women and disabilities by empowering disenfranchised women.

Through its vocational training programme, young women with disabilities from rural areas are being provided with vocational, literacy and life skills training.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Three Die on Vientiane Roads Over Long Weekend

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Three people were killed and others sustained injuries in road accidents in the capital over the three-day period from December 2-4.

Vientiane Traffic Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security recorded 19 road accidents in the capital from December 2-4 in which three people died, 31 people were injured and 39 vehicles sustained damage.

The accidents resulted in 12 people suffering critical injuries, while another 10 were seriously injured and nine people were slightly injured.

One vehicle was written off, 20 sustained moderate damage while eighteen vehicles sustained minor damage, according to the police report.

Police said most of the accidents occurred as a result of drunk driving and non-compliance with the traffic rules. Meanwhile, Xaythany district recorded the most number of accidents.

An officer with Vientiane Rescue 1623 under the Foundation for Assisting Poor People of the Lao PDR also reported that over the same period the group attended to over 100 accidents in capital in which over 100 people were injured. Most of the incidents occurred between the evening and early morning.

Many accidents occur on weekends and special occasions when people get together to drink. Alcohol is recognised as being a major cause of road accidents, and this year incidents of drunken driving have been higher than ever.

A recent accident occurred in Dongmakkhai village, Xaythany district when a motorbike and a bicycle were involved in a fatal collision which killed a cyclist instantly.

Another accident took place along No.13 North Road in Phangheng village, Naxaithong district when two motorbikes collided, killing the two riders instantly while the two passengers also sustained critical injuries.

Vientiane Traffic Police Department reported that Mr Vilaphon, 20, and his passenger Mr Vilaxay, 20, both of Phangheng village were entering from a side road when they collided with Mr Sinxay, 16, and his passenger.

The Vientiane Traffic Police Department is continuing to investigate the accidents.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Ministry Seeks to Strengthen Home Affairs

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Administrative mechanisms which are not really serving to facilitate development, a lack of respect for the law by state administrative bodies and agencies, and non-compliance with organisational structures are the main challenges facing the home affairs sector.

These matters were revealed by the Ministry of Home Affairs at its annual meeting which opened yesterday in Vientiane.

Some of the main mandates of the ministry, which was established five years ago, are to study organisational improvements at ministry-equivalent organisations, government agencies, ministries, and administrative bodies.

The ministry also has a role to play in improving public administration at the provincial and district levels, as well as studying draft decrees and regulations to govern the sectors concerned.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Khammanh Sounvileuth highlighted some of the achievements made by the ministry in the past year, especially the improvements in relation to governance and public administration.

These measures have made the government agencies at the central and local levels more appropriate and effective.

Aside from providing for improved public services, they have also bolstered governance techniques and strengthened systems and public service mechanisms, thereby facilitating better governance and international cooperation, according to the minister.

Mr Khammanh also noted areas where the ministry needs to make more efforts, especially in relation to improving administrative mechanisms which remain a hindrance to development.

Other areas that require examination include the lack of enforcement of the relevant laws and regulations by various government agencies and the development of new legislation to further development.

Public service management is an important issue the ministry has to evaluate and address, according to the minister, who said this work shall be implemented under the Sam Sang directive throughout the country. At the meeting, which will continue until tomorrow, participants from the home affairs sector throughout the country will discuss capacity building for the improvement of governance structures and administrative and management mechanisms at the central and local levels following the direction of streamlining, strengthening, and effectiveness, and the Sam Sang (Three Builds).

Building understanding and strengthening consensus in regards to the creation of mechanisms on ethnicity and religion management, capacity enhancement of public servants and government employee’s development and management.

The ministry also has to oversee the creation of modern mechanisms for citizens as well as improve the complimentary awards for good performance, all of which are matters on the agenda of the three-day meeting of the home affairs sector.

The priority activities of the ministry for the next five years will also be tabled as part of the meeting agenda.

Some of the rights and powers of the Ministry of Home Affairs include the inspection and appraisal of the work performance by civil servants in all sectors.

However the performance of civil servants has continued to raise public complaints, especially about recruitment and promotion in the public sector, which has been a particular issue of concern among members of the public.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Officials Warn Consumers about Gift Basket Risks

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The health authority has established a system for the inspection of expired goods mixed in markets in an effort to curb the growth in these products according to the regulations.

The sale of fake and expired goods mixed with other products is still a common occurrence in Vientiane, even though the health authorities carry out regular inspections, health officials said.

Before purchasing a product, consumers are advised to observe for degradation of quality, possible imitation, or to see if the product has perished in any way.

The public must be careful when buying consumables because they could pose a serious, perhaps even fatal, health risk, Director General of Setthathirath Hospital, Associate Prof. Dr Khampe Phongsavath, warned.

A senior official of the Food and Drug Department under the Ministry of Health, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times yesterday that before international New Year each year, health officials have visited markets in Vientiane and others provinces to look for expired goods in the interests of consumer safety.

She said that the inspections will run from last month to December of this year to welcome international new year because this year, many shop owners may attempt to sell expired goods or soon to expire goods.

Health officials have started the inspection for expired goods among mixed goods and gift baskets in markets in Vientiane, Xekong province and other provinces around the country This work is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, she said.

Sometimes they carry out inspections twice a month while health officials will visit urgently to markets for inspection if there has been a report from a concerned citizen.

Every time we have inspected import products at the customs posts between countries we find expired or fake products.

Most of them are insecticides, cooking ingredients, or food, especially frozen seafood, snacks, tea and coffee including squid, sea clams and other types of food, she added.

The Ministry of Health also works with the Industry and Commerce Department and the Departments of Agriculture and Forestry, Health, and Science and Technology in undertaking the inspections.

He explained that this year, they discovered imported products and foods that were imitation, such as frozen seafood, tobacco and herbicides.

It was found that some of the products were past their use-by date and some had been mixed with other products. The authorities warned the vendors of these goods to stop importing them.

It is prohibited to distribute food using methods that are inconsistent with the laws and regulations on food.

For example, food must not be in open boxes or packages or separated from its original container. This could cause food to become unsafe, contaminated, adulterated or dried, to deteriorate or lose quality.

According to the Law on Food, which was promulgated on June 14, 2004, particularly Article 34 about prohibitions on the import and distribution of food, it is prohibited to import or distribute food that is unsafe, of unacceptable quality or standard, or inconsistent with the laws and regulations on food.

This includes contaminated food, adulterated food, deteriorated food, counterfeit food, perished food, unlabelled food or food whose quality has not been certified, except for fresh food that does not require labelling, such as meat, fish, crabs, mussels, and fresh fruit.

It is also prohibited to import food whose consumption date has nearly expired.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

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