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Lao Handicraft Association Optimistic of Future

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Lao handicraft products can look forward to continued expansion of their markets through improving designs and better quality, according to the head of the sector’s association.

That was the upbeat message from President of the Lao Handicraft Association, Mr. Hansana Sisane yesterday at the official opening of the 15th Lao Handicraft Festival at Lao-ITECC in Vientiane. The event was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Sonexay Siphandone.

Mr. Hansana pointed out the number of festival booths has been increasing each year which showed the growing interest in Lao handicraft products.

The exhibitors will be selling an extensive variety of products including silk and cotton textiles, jewellery, pottery, non-timber and recycled products, green agriculture goods as well as numerous one district one product items.

This year’s festival running until November 1 has more than 230 booths, an increase of around 3 percent compared to last year, an event organiser reported.

Mr. Hansana explained the Lao Handicraft Festival is held to support the marketing of local handicrafts both in rural and urban areas as well as to develop skills and products in handicrafts and weaving.

An event organiser explained the festival would offer opportunities for producers, customers, buyers and sellers to meet and interact, and for craftspeople and exhibitors to learn about new designs, innovations and techniques that might be adapted to improve the quality of their products.

The organising committee invited talented handicrafts people from around the country to exhibit their wares and present the culture and identity of Lao people to local and foreign visitors.

It is envisioned the festival will serve to enlarge the market for Lao handicraft products both domestically and abroad.

Visitors attending the festival can also enjoy fashion shows, craft demonstrations and product design competitions.

This year the association has sent invitations to embassies of ASEAN and European countries.

The festival serves as a platform for handicraft makers to get together and share their business experiences.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Korean Experts Share Techniques in Water Resources Management

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The Ministry of Energy and Mines is partnering with K-water and the Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to organise the Lao Water Resources Academy seminar as part of a corporate social responsibility programme developed by KOTRA and other Korean companies.

The seminar is taking place in Vientiane from October 25-28, where K-water is helping Lao officials to develop their skills in water resources management.

There are 30 participants representing different departments of the ministry, Electricite du Laos and the private sector, including hydropower companies.

Director General of the ministry’s Department of Energy Management, Mr. Sisoukhan Sayarath, Acting Chief Representative of K-water in Laos, Mr Park Sung O, and Director of KOTRA, Mr Kwon Oh Hyung, were present at the opening ceremony on Tuesday.

Lectures aim to promote cooperation between Laos and the Republic of Korea and will enhance the capability of Lao officials, develop technical skills, and ultimately strengthen the close bilateral relationship between the two countries. Topics cover water resources in Korea, integrated water resources management, smart water management technology, hydropower maintenance, flood control systems, dam operation and maintenance, legal system of water resources management, and the roles of related organisations.

K-water staff also outlined Korean technologies used in water management systems, the management of river basins, and flood control countermeasures.

According to the KOTRA Laos office, the seminar is part of the Overseas Water Academy (OWA) programme from K-water, which has conducted such programmes in collaboration with KOTRA since 2013 for 658 people in five countries (Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and China).

In 2014, OWA in Laos delivered lectures to 31 participants on the use of advanced technologies and techniques, flood control, design and construction of dam facilities, safety management, and environmental impact assessments.

KOTRA acts as the commercial section of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Laos and has continuously assisted with bilateral trade and investment between Laos and the Republic of Korea.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Regional Roundtable Backs Call for Moderation as an ASEAN Value

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Sharing ideas with all stakeholders on the local nuances of moderation was the main issue yesterday when ASEAN representatives, government officials, academics and diplomats convened in Vientiane.

Gathering at the 2nd Roundtable Discussion of the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates, delegates discussed current affairs and the main challenges faced by communities in the region.

Executive Chairman and CEO of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF), Dr Nasharudin Mat Isa, led the meeting.

“As the roundtable title aptly suggests, peace and prosperity is the common agenda that we all seek to attain,” he said in his opening remarks.

“And what better way is there than to learn from our ASEAN neighbours, of their own experiences and expertise, for the promotion of an inclusive ASEAN community built upon the values of moderation.”

Dr Mat Isa said that in efforts to fulfil the agenda of moderation under the L angkawi Declaration, the first roundtable was held in Singapore.

“And now we are embarking in Laos in conjunction with this country’s chairmanship of ASEAN and the 50th anniversary of Laos-Malaysia relations, prior to similar knowledge- sharing discourses in each of the ASEAN capitals,”he added.

“Be it in domestic politics or international relations, more so in addressing issues of violent extremism and terrorism, we cannot afford to be exclusive in our approaches,” he said.

“Inclusiveness is the key and that entails a desire for dialogue, tolerance, acceptance and a spirit of coexistence, for there are no one-size-fits-all approaches,” Dr Mat Isa added.

It is no doubt a daunting task that requires cooperation and contribution from all, be it from government, civil societies and non-governmental organisations alike.

Ultimately, the declaration would only flourish once each and every member of the ASEAN nations recognises that their progress and prosperity are interdependent, following suit upon the maxim ‘prosper thy neighbour’,rather than ‘beggar thy neighbour’.

Only then will the spirit of coexistence prevail over elements of violent extremism as well as terrorism.

Subsequently, at the 26th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2015, leaders agreed to promote moderation as an ASEAN value that promotes peace, security and development. This decision was adopted in the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates.

Following the adoption of the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates, it has become an ASEAN initiative towards the promotion of a culture of peace, not to mention complementing other initiatives including the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations.

Yesterday’s roundtable meeting was organised by the GMMF and attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Thongphane Savanphet, Malaysian Ambassador to Laos Dato Than Tai Hing and other invited guests

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Lao, French Medics to Provide Free Treatment in XiengKhuang

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A medical team from the Lao-French Medical Association is advising people with cleft lips and palates, and people who have problems with their ears and mouth, diabetes or heart disease, to register for free surgery and treatment at the provincial hospital in XiengKhuang province.

Registration is now open and those interested should call hospital officials on 020 55761649, 020 22477787 or 061 213448.

Free treatment for people with the above conditions will take place from November 7-18, while free cleft lip and palate surgery will be performed from November 21-25.

Provincial hospital official Dr Xaysomboun Yayongyia told Vientiane Times a medical team from the association had been providing free surgery and treatment in XiengKhuang province for the past 10 years. More than 20 people, both children and adults, have benefitted from the programme each year.

He explained that surgery and treatment can only take place at the provincial hospital. Patients from remote areas and neighbouring provinces can register on weekdays for free surgery or treatment, but cannot be reimbursed for travel expenses.

Over 60 people have registered so far and the medical team will select those who meet the criteria for surgery.

In the past 10 years, people from Borikhamxay, Oudomxay, Bokeo, LuangPrabang and Huaphan have come to XiengKhuang provincial hospital to get free surgery and treatment, Dr Xaysomboun said.

About 20 Lao and French doctors and nurses will carry out the surgery this year, undertaking four procedures each day.

Hospital officials say that about 1,000 people, both children and adults, in XiengKhuang province are in need of assistance with these conditions.

People with cleft lips and palates have already undergone free surgery by local medical staff in conjunction with teams from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, France, Japan, Republic of Korea and Thailand.

Last year, a medical team led by doctors from Interplast Australia and New Zealand provided free surgery for people in XiengKhuang province suffering from burn scar contractures and cleft lips and palates. More than 90 people received free surgery under the programme last year.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Rice Production yet to Meet Target

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Outbreaks of pests, flooding disasters along with chilly weather that occurred early this year have been cited as the main causes why rice production in Laos has not met its target.

The National Assembly (NA)’s Eighth Legislature reported a summary of the socio-economic development plan implementation for the first 10 months a fiscal year 2015-2016, which expected the rice crop would be around 4.1 million tonnes or equal to about 98 percent of the 4.2 million tonne plan accepted by the NA.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Bounkhuang Khambounheuang, who is a NA member for constituency 13 in Savannakhet province, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday the national yield target was not met because many hectares of rice fields were badly affected by insects, flooding and bad weather.

However, this year’s rice production figure may have been reached if it counted the harvest for the whole year, he said.

The NA also noted that about one million hectares of rice cultivation would be required in order to achieve 2017’s national production target of over 4.3 million tonnes.

Not only that, about 100,000 tonnes of rice seed varieties will be needed to supply farmers across the nation.

In addition, investment in irrigation systems needs to be massively expanded along with the rehabilitation, repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure in a bid to increase crop yields for food security and commercial gain.

Irrigation schemes are particularly required to service large areas of rice cultivation in the eight provinces of LuangNamtha, Bokeo, Xayaboury, Vientiane, Borikhamxay, Savannakhet, Champassak, and Saravan and the capital.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the government was now continuing to build more irrigation schemes using its own budget and low-interest loans with higher yields helping to contribute significantly to socio-economic development and poverty reduction.

More than 778,000 hectares of wet season rice and over 126,600 hectares of dry season rice are grown annually in Laos.

About 226,000 hectares of rice fields in flatland areas are totally dependent on rainfall because irrigation channels have not yet been built in those areas.

However, the government has chosen Savannakhet and Khammuan provinces to be the country’s priority areas in a bid to increase yields for food security and export potential.

The state has chosen them for agriculture pilot projects which will then be extended to other provinces if they progress well.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Improving the Coordination of Nutrition

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Laos needs to increase understanding of the advice of nutritional experts as well as improve coordination with related centres operating in the nutrition sector in order to see improved results in the field.

In positive trends, the recent national child anthropometric assessment survey, conducted in 2015 has shown a slight reduction in stunting among children less than five years of age from 44 percent in 2011 to 36 percent in 2015.

However the survey results also highlight problems in relation to coordination between related centres of nutrition and other departments, particularly in relation to reporting by health and nutrition staff working at the local level.

Deputy Minister of Health, Associate Prof. Dr Phouthone Muongpak spoke on the issue recently at an advocacy workshop on Social and Behaviour Change Communication( SBCC).

The workshop came under the auspices of the Techinal Working Group and Taskfoce on SBCC for Improved Health and Nutrition, which after a review of the implementation in the sector, moved to establish the committee of the SBCC.

In order to facilitate the adoption of recommended nutrition practices it is necessary to understand the full range of determinants of the target behaviours, officials noted at the workshop.

Prof. Dr Phouthone said the Lao government has a strategy for the National Nutrition Committee and its Secretariat to implement the National Nutrition Strategy 2016-2025 and National Plan of Action for Nutrition 2016-2020. The national nutrition strategy and plan of action provide the roadmap for what needs to be done at scale, by whom and by when. SBCC is the process by which more improvement can be achieved and sustained, he said. .

The 10 percentage point reduction in stunting over the past four years is a good sign that if we accelerate progress the goal of graduating from least development country status can be achieved since nutrition is one of the graduation criteria, he added

UNICEF Representative to Laos Ms Hongwei Gao said the objective of the SBCC is to improve nutrition outcomes through more healthful individual and group behaviours as well as strengthening the social context, systems and processes that underpin nutrition.

Unlike nutrition or health education, SBCC relies on social marketing practices whereby effective communication strategies rely on formative research with target populations to understand the context, the issue from their perspective, and factors that influence improved practices, she said.

I understand that some of you will participate in a training workshop later this week where you will learn about the process used to bring about social and behaviour change using various communication methods, modalities and channels, Ms Hongwei added.

She explained that the role of the SBCC is to establish a conducive environment for change by influencing legislation, policies, and strategies that support efforts of communities and individuals to change their behaviour.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Govt Seeks to Increase Bank Deposits to 84 Percent of GDP

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The government has announced its intention to increase deposits in commercial banks to 84 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2020, up from the 57 percent expected in 2016, in a bid to meet growing development needs.

Governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR, Mr. Somphao Phaysith, this week presented the next four-year currency plan to the ongoing ordinary session of the National Assembly (NA) following the government’s proposal to revise the four- year national socio-economic development plan (2017-2020). To achieve this target, it would be necessary to increase deposits to 23,067 billion kip annually, he told the session, which is currently debating the proposal to revise the 2017-2020 socio-economic development plan, the budget plan and the currency plan.

Every effort will be exerted to increase the total credit in commercial banks to 74 percent of GDP by the end of 2020, an increase on the 50 percent expected by the end of 2016. To attain this target, an annual increase of 16,817 billion kip must be secured.

The central bank governor pledged to endeavour to increase credit quality, while limiting non- performing loans to not more than 3 percent of total credit.

“We will work to guarantee the security of the banking system. We will strive to resolve weaknesses in the financial situation and the administration and management of some state and private banks,” he told NA members.

The move is aimed at boosting economic growth, with the government asking the Assembly to lower the average annual growth rate from the previously approved 7.5 to 7.2  percent over the next four years. Next year, a target will be set to ensure that deposits in commercial banks reach 57 percent of GDP, an increase of 13,189 billion kip compared to the year before, while bank credit  is expected to reach 54 percent of GDP. The central bank will endeavour to ensure that the inflation rate is less than the economic growth rate. Under the proposed plan, the economic growth rate for next year would be set at 7 percent. The kip exchange rate would be allowed to fluctuate between plus or minus 5 percent against major foreign currencies.

Mr. Somphao said the central bank would strive to ensure that foreign reserves could cover the cost of imports for more than five months, and would control money supply growth (M2) so that it did not exceed 24 percent compared to the previous year.

As of July 2016, commercial banks have recorded deposits totalling more than 59,616 billion kip, representing 54.84 percent of GDP. This was an increase of 5,692 billion kip compared to the same period last year.

Credit in the banking system climbed to more than 60,262 billion kip, equivalent to 55.43 percent of GDP. The credit held by all 42 commercial banks accounted for 49.55 percent of GDP.

In addition, 158 non-bank financial institutions have released credit amounting to more than 884 billion kip. Over the first 10 months of the 2015-16 fiscal year, Laos maintained an average inflation rate of 1.26 percent. The kip was weaker by 0.30 percent against the US dollar compared to the previous fiscal year. By the end of July 2016, money supply growth increased by 9.63 percent compared to the same period last year. Foreign reserves were sufficient to pay for at least five months of imports.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

NA Hotline Helps Public Air Concerns

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The National Assembly (NA)’s telephone hotline has allowed the public to raise concerns, including the misconduct of government officials, which reaches high level leaders and concerned sectors.

However, the mechanisms to address these concerns were not effective enough with some top administrators declining to respond to public questions.

An official from the National Assembly’s Department of Justice Inspection Mr. Khampasong Rasachak made the remarks in his introduction on the role of the NA’s hotline services at a seminar held on Tuesday in Vientiane to share national, regional and international experience on corruption complaints.

“An important advantage of the NA’s hotline is that information on misconduct of government officials and various public concerns rapidly reaches the higher leaders,” Mr. Khampasong said.

The National 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 452627, posting to PO Box 662 or emailing an_session@ na.gov.la.

According to Mr. Khampasong, more than 1,200 hotline calls and messages were sent to the NA during the July 2013 session. Many of the calls focused on the same issues such as the slowness of road construction, environmental and social impacts cause by development projects, and government policies among others. He said the calls and complaints were summarised before being delivered to NA members, concerned sectors, high level leaders, and the media for response.

He revealed that 80 percent of public complaints raised through the NA’s telephone hotline provided factual information on corruption activities, while the rest failed to give an accurate account or were exaggerated and defamed the government.

Maladministration by government officials had been minimised since the existence of the NA hotline, which had also addressed issues quickly, according to Mr. Khampasong.

“Directly or indirectly, the hotline has forced or motivated officials to improve their behaviour in implementing their obligation of public services,” the official from the NA’s department said.

Meanwhile, he noted some deficiencies around the hotline responses, especially mechanisms for addressing public concerns, which he said weren’t effective enough.

“A minister declined to respond directly to some questions, but appointed a junior technical official to respond instead,” Mr. Khampasong explained, adding that the lower ranking official offered a response but did not give a satisfactory answer.
He also revealed the NA planned to extend the hotline term, which is currently opened only 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.
“The NA ordinary session takes place twice a year and informants could not raise concerns as the NA hotline was off when the session was closed,” the official from the NA said.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

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