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Govt Talks Tough in a Bid to Save Money

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Limiting expenses on overseas travel, entertaining foreign guests, and civil servant numbers will be among government measures to save state resources and relieve financial tensions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mr. Somdy Duangdy yesterday outlined the plan at the ongoing ordinary session of the National Assembly (NA) in response to a query by the NA Secretariat.

“We will reconsider what amount of money will be allocated appropriately for overseas trips by officials,” Mr. Somdy said, giving this as an example of a savings measure.

A suggestion was raised concerning the appointment of the head of a ministry or province to lead a committee implementing the savings policy, with results to be reported regularly to higher authorities.

During the debate on the National Socio-Economic Development Plan, NA members questioned the large number of civil servants, pointing to the Ministry of Home Affairs as an example, which they said was overburdened with salary payments.

Mr. Somdy said the government would scrutinise the number of civil servants and jobs at that and other ministries, aiming to streamline government bodies and save resources.

The Deputy PM made mention of the Ministry of Finance’s announcement No. 2878 dated September 1, 2016, on savings measures, which instructed budgetary units not to spend their remaining allocated money on expenses during fiscal year 2015-16.

Mr. Somdy said around 1 trillion kip had been saved following the announcement as about 96 percent of the allocated state budget was spent in the year.

The government also plans to strengthen legislation such as the decree relating to procurement, construction, repairs and services, which uses public money.

“We will improve the determination on office construction and repairs to be more concrete, and use Prime Ministerial Decree No. 03 on procurement, bidding and tenders as a tough tool in managing expenses by government agencies,” the Deputy PM said.

Chronic violation of financial discipline by budgetary units and government officials was a major concern raised by NA members.

Mr. Somdy promised that his ministry would evaluate the use of budgets by sectors at the central and local levels.

Tough and decisive measures will be imposed on budgetary units found to be in violation, while promotion will be given to those who use money transparently and effectively for planned purposes. Allocations will be increased for some units next fiscal year in accordance with government agreements.

The Ministry of Finance will strengthen post-expense monitoring and inspection, which will be done quarterly and reported to higher authorities with appropriate penalties for violations.

Improvements of inspection authorities within ministries and agencies and the enhancement of measures against offenders have been proposed by the government with a special focus on revenue collection.

Mr. Somdy said his ministry is drafting legislation on the management of civil servants and officials within the ministry, especially staff responsible for revenue collection and expenditure.

“This second piece of legislation will be an additional specific tool along with the Law on Civil Servants, which will toughen up the law,” he said.

“Offenders within the finance sector will receive tougher punishment than offenders in other ministries and agencies,” Mr. Somdy added.

Source: Vientiane Times

LPB Film Festival Releases Movie Lineup for 7th Annual Event

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Laotian Times
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The Luang Prabang Film Festival (LPFF) is pleased to release the lineup for its seventh annual event, which will run 2-7 December 2016.

Official selections are made by experts and critics from across Southeast Asia referred to as “Motion Picture Ambassadors,” and represent a carefully chosen collection of what they believe to be the finest contemporary films from their respective countries. By identifying great curators with inside understanding of their community’s film scene, LPFF is able to produce a unique program that ensures in the inclusion of the strongest voices from across Southeast Asia.

Not only is LPFF a celebration of the finest Southeast Asian cinema, it has become well known as a unique forum for regional film professionals to network internationally and to exchange diverse ideas and experiences.

The feature films in the 2016 festival program are:

A Copy of My Mind (Indonesia)*

A Yellow Bird (Singapore)

About a Woman (Indonesia)

Apocalypse Child (Philippines)*

Back to the 90s (Thailand)

Banana Pancakes and the Children of Sticky Rice (Laos)*

Before the Fall (Cambodia)*

Brutal (Malaysia)*

Cambodian Son (Cambodia)*

City of Jade (Myanmar)

The Crescent Moon (Indonesia)*

Diamond Island (Cambodia)*

The Down (Thailand)*

Finding Phong (Vietnam)*

Fundamentally Happy (Singapore)*

Haze (Philippines)

 Joking Jazz 4G (Thailand)

Khunpan (Thailand)*

Louis Loves Baitong (Laos)*

LOVE (Vietnam)

Love Forever (Laos)*

Lovesucks (Thailand)*

Ma’ Rosa (Philippines)

May Who? (Thailand)

Ola Bola (Malaysia)

Question of Faith (Indonesia)*

The Return (Singapore)

The River Flows (Laos)*

Senior (Thailand)*

Sweet Twenty (Vietnam)*

There’s No Forever (Philippines)

Y/Our Music (Thailand)*

 

*Films with confirmed directors, producers, or actors in attendance.

In addition to LPFF’s feature film screenings, LPFF will also have four programs of short films: a collection of recent architecture-themed titles including The Man Who Built Cambodia by Christopher Rompre and Haig Balian, and Aditya Assarat’s La Scala; a selection from the 2016 Vientianale Short Film Competition that will showcase budding talent in Laos; Philippine shorts to compliment the festival’s SPOTLIGHT (see below); and recent award winners on Viddsee, an online video platform featuring short films from across Asia.

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There will also be several major public discussions this year for visitors of the festival, including a discussion on online programming and video-on-demand, featuring Siam Film Associates, an aggregator for Netflix, and FilmDoo, a TVOD service with films from over 125 countries. This year’s SPOTLIGHT program is on the Philippines, with a full day of programming devoted to screenings and discussion of Philippine features and shorts, showcasing the nation’s exciting and rapid development in film production. This program will be hosted by Francis “Oggs” Cruz, LPFF’s Motion Picture Ambassador for the Philippines.

In an exciting new collaboration, staff from Tribeca Film Institute® (TFI) will be attending the festival this year, leading a Talent Lab for Southeast Asian filmmakers on grant writing and project pitching. After sessions of instruction, practice, and a pitch forum with feedback given by various industry professionals, one project showing great promise will be selected by TFI to attend the TFI Network market, which will take place in New York City at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival®. There, TFI will arrange meetings for the filmmaker with editors, distributors, and financiers. TFI will then mentor him/her through the completion of the project. Later this month, a call for applications will be released, inviting Southeast Asian filmmakers to apply to participate in this Lab.

Well over half of the festival’s films have already confirmed the attendance of their directors, producers, or actors. These filmmakers will participate in numerous festival events, including post-screening Q&As at the LPFF Day Venue located at Sofitel Luang Prabang.

LPFF will offer five live evening performances on its main stage before headline screenings at its Night Venue, the Handicraft Market at the main intersection in town. There will be live dance, music, and theater, as well as a concert with some of Laos’ brightest stars.

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On display will be an exhibition of photographs from Myanmar ­­­­from the lauded Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project, accompanied by a presentation by the initiative’s founder, Philip Jablon. As a reprise to his trip there over five years ago, Jablon spent February and March of this year researching and photographing movie theaters in Myanmar, a nation experiencing an overall rebirth of cinema-going. Included in the exhibition will be images from both research trips.

All screenings and activities of the festival are free and open to the public.

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The festival’s biggest sponsor this year is the Lao Brewery Company with three of their brands: Beerlao Gold, Pepsi, and Tigerhead. The amount of funds LBC has invested is the largest the Luang Prabang Film Festival has ever received from a single company. It is also the largest amount that LBC has ever given to an external project in its history.

This year, Oxfam International has supported LPFF’s Lao Filmmakers Fund, a publicly-generated fund that allows filmmakers in Laos to apply for grants to help realize their film projects. Oxfam’s donation has allowed local filmmakers to apply for grants of up to $10,000 USD per project. Last year’s grant recipients were Suliyachak Phuntulad and Mattie Do, and this year’s winners will be announced in early November.

Other supporters of the 2016 festival are the US Embassy Vientiane, The Asia Foundation, Exo Travel, Chillax Productions, Dao Coffee, Sofitel Luang Prabang, the Nam Theun 2 Power Company, Indochina Productions, l’Eléphant, DK Lao, Theun-Hinboun Power Company, EQHO, Aenoteca, NP Service & Design, and Final Draft.

To book a trip to the Luang Prabang Film Festival, please contact Exo Travel at laos@exotravel.com. As LPFF’s Official Travel Partner, Exo Travel has exclusive access to preferential rates with LPFF’s Hotel Partners, which include: Ansara Hotel (in Vientiane), Apsara, Belmond La Résidence Phou Vao, Cold River Guesthouse, Kiridara, Le Sen Boutique Hotel, Lotus Villa, Maison Souvannaphoum, Mekong Riverview Hotel, Sala Prabang, Sanctuary Hotel, Satri House, Sofitel Luang Prabang, Villa Chitdara, Villa Maly, and Villa Maydou. Furthermore, booking with Exo Travel directly supports LPFF, as a percentage of each booking goes back to the project.

For more information on the festival, visit lpfilmfest.org or stay up to date at facebook.com/lpfilmfest.

For press enquiries, please contact eliza.mott@lpfilmfest.org.

4,369b kip Needed to Repair Riverbank Erosion

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Repairs to riverbank erosion along the Mekong and one of its tributaries, the Heuang River, will cost about 4,369 billion kip, Minister of Public Works and Transport Dr Bounchan Sinthavong has said.

Dr Bounchan made the statement on Wednesday when answering questions put by National Assembly (NA) members concerning riverbank protection during the ongoing debate session.

Some 289 kilometres of riverbank along the Mekong in various parts of the country and alongside the Heuang in Xayaboury province have crumbled, and about 120 km has been shored up with the building of embankments.

Dr Bounchan said there are now about 168 km of riverbank that are suffering from erosion and it will cost 4,369 billion kip to carry out repairs and build embankments.

“The National Assembly will have a big headache with this matter because the cost of shoring up these areas is high,” he said.

A survey undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport found that sections of riverbank in the provinces of Borikhamxay, Bokeo and Xayaboury had collapsed.

A 520-metre section of the Mekong riverbank in Tonpheung district, Bokeo province, was found to be eroded and it would cost more than 13.8 billion kip to rebuild it.

An official told Vientiane Times that since embankments have been built along the Mekong, less erosion is occurring than in the past, after several square kilometres of land disappeared into the river in years gone by.

In some areas 10 to 20 metres of the riverbank eroded away over a period of many years, and even today two to three metres of riverbank is being lost during flooding.

According to the ministry, the Mekong riverbank is increasingly being protected against erosion through the construction of embankments, with the work beginning in 2007 and 2008.

Many towns located along the Mekong are now protected, including Vientiane, and about 50 percent of the riverbank running through towns has been shored up against erosion.

The Mekong River floods perennially during the rainy season in July and August.

A 79-kilometre section of the Mekong riverbank in Borikhamxay province is in need of an embankment, but less than one kilometre has any defences against erosion.

A provincial official, who asked not to be named, told Vientiane Times that a survey of 197 kilometres along the Me kong in the districts of Pakxan, Thaphabath and Pakkading revealed that 79 kilometres were subject to subsidence in the rainy season.

In October last year, people living in 14 houses in the Phonson area of Phabath village in Thaphabath district had to move out quickly after four houses slid into the Mekong and 10 houses were damaged due to torrential rain.

Source: Vientiane Times

Unlawful Financial Institutions Warned of Legal Action

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Illegal financial institutions that have sourced funds by offering abnormally high interest rates will face legal measures, the governor of the central bank has warned.

Governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR, Dr Somphao Phaysith, told the ongoing ordinary session of the National Assembly (NA) that 24 institutions have been found acquiring deposits illegally. He said the bank has issued a notice instructing these institutions to cease their illegal activities, but some are still operating.

Dr Somphao was responding to questions raised by NA members after learning that these financial bodies had carried out unlawful campaigns to persuade people to deposit money with them. Some entities have offered interest rates as high as 9 percent a month.

NA members raised concerns over the potential risks, fearing that people will be tempted by such offers and end up losing their money.

Parliament member for Huaphan province, Mr. Khamvone Bounthavong, said three enterprises including one reportedly owned by a Cambodian national and another one owned by a Thai national were currently mobilising funds in the northern province.

He said these businesses had opened accounts at a branch of a Lao bank in Huaphan as a channel to transfer interest to their customers. He added that the one owned by the Cambodian reportedly had an office in Vientiane, while the location of the head office of the Thai-owned business was not known.

Middlemen helping these operations to source funds are given 5 percent of the money they drum up, Mr. Khamvone said.

“A number of people and some state officials have deposited money with them,” he said, calling for the central bank to look into the matter.

Mr. Khamvone said the central bank was aware of this issue because banks in Huaphan had alerted officials to the situation.

“Some operations have persuaded as many as 200,000 people to deposit money with them,” Dr Somphao said, adding that as much as 6 to 9 percent in interest had been offered.

Given that these businesses have offered such a high rate of interest, the governor believed they would be unable to survive.

Dr Somphao said the central bank had carried out inspections in some provinces.

Some 19 out of the 24 institutions have been licensed by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the activities they were allowed to operate were outlined. But it was found that they were mobilising funds from members of the public, which was a banking operation and they were not entitled to do so, Dr Somphao explained.

The remaining five transnational institutions were also sourcing funds in Laos without permission and appeared to have no offices in the country .

Dr Somphao admitted it was hard to regulate these five institutions when they did not have offices in Laos.

Despite the fact that the central bank has instructed these institutions to cease their illegal operations, some were continuing to breach the regulations.

“To address this issue, the relevant sectors need to step up coordinated action and strictly enforce the law,” he said.

“Those found to be in violation must face measures in accordance with the law,” he added.

Enterprises wanting to operate as financial institutions are required to undergo the proper procedures and legalise their businesses, Dr Somphao said.

There are currently 158 legal financial institutions operating under the management of the central bank.

Source: Vientiane Times

Authorities Bolster Efforts to Stem Illegal Wildlife Trade

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Despite concerted efforts by officials to end the illegal wildlife trade through regular inspections at markets throughout the country, the trade continues to flourish.

To reduce illegal wildlife trading in Laos, especially in the main towns, the authorities have asked various agencies to join the Cooperative Action to Stop Illegal Wildlife Trade project.

The new collaborative initiative was revealed on Wednesday by officials from the Wildlife Conservation Society in Laos with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

The agreement was signed by the Director General of the Department of Forest Inspection at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr.  Khamphout Phandanouvong, and the Director of Conservation Initiatives for the Mekong Region, Dr Christopher Holmes.

The five-year project costs US$832,350 (over 6.7 billion kip) and will be implemented in the provinces of Vientiane, Borikhamxay, Khammuan, Savannakhet and Champassak.

The project is supported by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the International Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and the US Fish and Wildlife Services.

With the support of these organisations, a multifaceted programme of trade regulation, capacity building, and dissemination of information will be implemented in the target areas.

At present, many animal species in Laos face a high risk of extinction because they are overexploited in poor, rural areas. These species are generally hunted and killed for sale to individuals and restaurants.

Vientiane is the centre of the illegal wildlife trade because of the large population and access to the international market. According to a recent report from the Department of Forest Inspection, wildlife is traded illegally for a variety of reasons, including human consumption, keeping as pets, use as ingredients in traditional medicine, and for releasing during festivals.

While loss of habitat poses an additional strain on wildlife populations, persistent over-harvesting of species is having devastating results. The unsustainable harvest of wildlife constitutes the single greatest danger for species on the decline.

The authorities continue to encourage restaurants and international border checkpoints to assist in enforcing control measures to prevent the illegal trade of protected species.

To end the illegal trade of wildlife, all sectors concerned should work together to increase public awareness of the value of biodiversity and the importance of conserving Laos’ natural areas.

Since 2002, WCS has worked with various ministries and development partners to patrol markets and restaurants in search of people involved in the illegal trade. Many seizures continue to occur in Vientiane or other provinces as well.

In the hopes of changing the consciousness of the next generation, the department is undertaking public campaigns on the impact of illegal wildlife trading in schools and other entities throughout the country.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

BCEL-KT: Trade Summary (Oct 27, 2016)

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LSX continued its losing streak, down by 8.18 points to close at 987.03 points with just 8,900 shares traded. The turnover was 43,165,000 kip. EDL-Gen closed down 50 kip at 4,850 kip on 8,900 shares traded. Other stocks closed unchanged with no matching. BCEL closed at 5,200 kip, LWPC at 6,100 kip, PTL at 2,300 kip, SVN at 3,000 kip.

Over 76 Tonnes of Illegal Timber Found Buried in Savannakhet

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Savannnakhet authorities are trying to determine who is behind a huge pile of illegal timber found buried in the ground at a timber processing factory in Napasad, Napangthong district.  An initial investigation suggested that the timber belonged to a Vietnamese national who is reportedly on a homeland trip.

Local authorities said that the factory was owned by Ms Meody, 46, a villager of Thongkhankham, Chanthaboury district, Vientiane Capital.

Ms Meody said that the timber didn’t belong to her but was hidden at her timber factory by a Vietnamese business person.  Relevant authorities in the province are investigating the case to bring the perpetrator to justice.

On Oct 16, police searched the premises of the factory and found more than 6,900 pieces of sawn timber buried in the ground and hidden in the workers’ dormitory of the factory after being tipped off by a local resident. The timber weighed more than 76 tonnes and included rosewood (114 pieces), padong (124 pieces).

 

Source: KPL

Chef Jeremy Herzog Brings Parisian Pastries to Vientiane

By
Laotian Times
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Photo credit: Jeremy Herzog Official Facebook Page

I walked into Jeremy Herzog Patisserie on an average evening wanting something flavorful and was not disappointed. I tried three cakes, had an unfortunate incident with a spoon, and was treated like a Michelin Star restaurant judge.

Upon opening the door, I was greeted by a lamp-man straight from a Dr. Seuss story, who bowed so politely and sternly in front of me, he must have thought I was the Emperor of Japan! Upon seeing me, the waiters all warmly smiled as one of them proceeded to ask for my order. I looked at the delightful array of choices and chose three that caught my eye: the Vanilla Religieuse, the Black Stone, and the Chocolate Éclair.

THE DESSERTS

Vanilla Religeuse

The Vanilla Religeuse, a.k.a the incomplete snowman with a beret (how French!), is delightful. While I feel the overly-generous use of fresh cream slightly overwhelms the taste of the crème patissiere used in the filling, the sprinkled icing more than makes up for its lack of sweetness. I believe this to be quite deliberate on the part of Jeremy Herzog. Superb.

The Black Stone - Jeremy Herzog

The Black Stone is akin to a stone only in appearance, and when you sink your teeth into it, its appellation does it no justice. The texture is so gratifyingly soft that you can’t help but appreciate Chef Jeremy’s soft spot for irony (pun intended). Moreover, the addition of coconut into the sponge imbued it with an interesting texture. The raspberry mousse has the perfect touch of tartness that beautifully offsets the sweetness of the chocolate. Sublime.

Chocolate Éclair - Jeremy Herzog

Last but not least, the Chocolate Éclair is phenomenal. I daresay that it is my favorite of all the three. The chocolate filling is simply to-die-for, the constitution and presentation are gorgeous, and the taste is heavenly. It just melts in your mouth, drowns your tongue with bliss and envelops your taste buds with so much “chocolateness” that it leaves you wanting more.

THE DÉCOR & SERVICE

The restaurant décor at Jeremy Herzog is remarkably elegant. The clean, gray on white color scheme reflects the owner’s preference for minimalism, with some splashes of paint here and there to add character. This is all tied together nicely by a humungous portrait of Chef Jeremy himself arching one brow like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (Do You Smell What Jeremy is Cooking?).

Elegance aside, one minor faux pas on my waiter’s part did irk me somewhat. While well groomed, well mannered, and with great posture, he held the spoon by its bowl before presenting it to me. I’m no expert but I think a spoon should be offered by its handle. And perhaps, it may have been more ‘user-friendly’ to have eaten the Vanilla Religieuse and the Chocolate Éclair with a fork, as opposed to a spoon.

The restaurant quickly redeemed itself, though, when I clumsily dropped my spoon on the floor and the manager promptly replaced it. Perhaps he thought I was from the Michelin Star organization (Michelin Men are known for dropping their utensils on the floor to appraise the service response time – popularized by the movie Burnt). Next time, I’ll silently put one of my eating utensils on the floor on purpose to see if they notice.

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JEREMY HERZOG – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

All in all, a wonderful time was had. And all three desserts cost only $11! That’s value for money given the time, effort, skill and ingredients used to prepare them. Jeremy Herzog’s Patisserie is highly recommended for dessert lovers and everyone else!

You can find Jeremy Herzog here. It is open from 7AM – 9PM, and you can call 020 56328445 to make enquiries. Also, check out the official facebook page.

Written by Dr. Pascal Haettenschweiler

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