Wind turbine delivery continues as the country carries on with the development of the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia (SEA).
Lao Ministry Partners With ADB to Enhance Capacity in Public Debt Management
![Lao Ministry Partners With ADB to Enhance Capacity in Public Debt Management The Lao Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), concluded a 2-day training on “High-level Policy Dialogue on Good Practices for Enhancing Public Debt Management in Laos” on Thursday. The high-level dialogue aimed to establish links between public debt management and fiscal, monetary, and financial policies, with the goal of creating a comprehensive government strategy for improving public debt management. Consisting of government officials, private sector representatives, experts and development partners from the region and beyond, the dialogue aims to draw on international and regional experience to review past lessons, and make proposals for the Lao government to consider in its plans to strengthen public debt management. In July 2017, the Lao government approved the Public Finance Development Strategy 2025 and Vision 2030, which aims to strengthen public finances to contribute to sustaining dynamic and stable economic growth and a graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, reflecting the objective of the Government’s 2016–2020 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan. “The experiences and lessons of other countries facing similar public debt challenges discussed during the dialogue will greatly help the government, and the Ministry of Finance in particular, to elaborate specific measures to enhance public debt management,” the Ministry of Finance Director General of Public Debt Management Soulivath Souvannachoumkham said during the dialogue. Soulivath also stressed the need for more comprehensive, accurate, timely and transparent monitoring of all public debts, guarantees, onlending agreements and potential future financial obligations of state-owned enterprises and from public-private partnerships. Onlending agreements is the mechanism by which one party borrows money to lend out to another party. “The task for the [Lao] government going forward is to translate good practices identified into specific policies as soon as feasible, including by revising the Public Debt Management Law and elaborating a Medium-Term Debt Strategy,” ADB Deputy Director General for Southeast Asia Emma Veve said. The ADB has reiterated its support to the Ministry of Finance to strengthen public debt management in Laos. All the stakeholders will work in close collaboration with other development partners by providing steady technical assistance to current and future projects. The new country partnership strategy, 2024–2028, is scheduled for ADB Board consideration early next year. The ADB has committed to provide Laos with a total of USD 2.6 billion in the form of 364 public sector loans, grants, and technical support. So far, the bank has already provided Laos with USD 2.41 billion funded by regular and concessional ordinary capital resources, including the Asian Development Fund (ADF). The current ADB’s portfolio in Laos includes 12 loans and 10 grants worth a total of USD 610 million. Lao Ministry Partners With ADB to Enhance Capacity in Public Debt Management The Lao Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), concluded a 2-day training on “High-level Policy Dialogue on Good Practices for Enhancing Public Debt Management in Laos” on Thursday. The high-level dialogue aimed to establish links between public debt management and fiscal, monetary, and financial policies, with the goal of creating a comprehensive government strategy for improving public debt management. Consisting of government officials, private sector representatives, experts and development partners from the region and beyond, the dialogue aims to draw on international and regional experience to review past lessons, and make proposals for the Lao government to consider in its plans to strengthen public debt management. In July 2017, the Lao government approved the Public Finance Development Strategy 2025 and Vision 2030, which aims to strengthen public finances to contribute to sustaining dynamic and stable economic growth and a graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, reflecting the objective of the Government’s 2016–2020 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan. “The experiences and lessons of other countries facing similar public debt challenges discussed during the dialogue will greatly help the government, and the Ministry of Finance in particular, to elaborate specific measures to enhance public debt management,” the Ministry of Finance Director General of Public Debt Management Soulivath Souvannachoumkham said during the dialogue. Soulivath also stressed the need for more comprehensive, accurate, timely and transparent monitoring of all public debts, guarantees, onlending agreements and potential future financial obligations of state-owned enterprises and from public-private partnerships. Onlending agreements is the mechanism by which one party borrows money to lend out to another party. “The task for the [Lao] government going forward is to translate good practices identified into specific policies as soon as feasible, including by revising the Public Debt Management Law and elaborating a Medium-Term Debt Strategy,” ADB Deputy Director General for Southeast Asia Emma Veve said. The ADB has reiterated its support to the Ministry of Finance to strengthen public debt management in Laos. All the stakeholders will work in close collaboration with other development partners by providing steady technical assistance to current and future projects. The new country partnership strategy, 2024–2028, is scheduled for ADB Board consideration early next year. The ADB has committed to provide Laos with a total of USD 2.6 billion in the form of 364 public sector loans, grants, and technical support. So far, the bank has already provided Laos with USD 2.41 billion funded by regular and concessional ordinary capital resources, including the Asian Development Fund (ADF). The current ADB’s portfolio in Laos includes 12 loans and 10 grants worth a total of USD 610 million.](https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/ADB-1-696x423.jpg)
The Lao Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), concluded a 2-day training on “High-level Policy Dialogue on Good Practices for Enhancing Public Debt Management in Laos” on Thursday.
Days Off in ASEAN: Which is the Most Holiday-Friendly Nation
As the festival season approaches, people across Southeast Asia are looking forward to spending quality time with family and unwind.
But, when it comes to time off from work, not everyone will enjoy the same amount of leisure time.
Here’s the ranking of ASEAN nations from the least to the most generous in terms of public holidays.
New Report Highlights Key Elements of Cloud Workload Security Landscape
To access a full copy of the Forrester report, please visit: https://www.forrester.com/report/the-cloud-workload-security-landscape-q3-2023/RES179850
Forrester’s report, The Cloud Workload Security Landscape, Q3 2023, lists Trend Micro as one of six vendors that generate $250m or more in annual revenue from their cloud workload security (CWS) portfolio.
The report also covers extended use cases that include three areas of focus for Trend: agent-based cloud workload protection; container protection; and cloud security posture management (CSPM). Trend has decades of experience innovating in all three product areas, and will be showcasing further advancements at AWS re:Invent in November.
Container and cloud workload protection will be enhanced, unified and integrated with XDR to deliver centralized detection and response for the cloud (CDR).
Trend will also look to integrate its CSPM and container runtime vulnerability capabilities into a major new offering to help customers better manage risk across their cloud attack surface.
These enhancements are part of the Trend Vision One™ strategy designed to deliver visibility, control and risk management across the entire IT and OT environment from a single platform.
“Trend Micro pioneered cloud security as we know it,” said Kevin Simzer, COO at Trend. “We remain focused on innovating for our customers, whatever stage of the cloud journey they’re at. Our upcoming announcements at AWS re:Invent will deliver even more value as we accelerate our platform-based security strategy to help global organizations improve attack surface risk management.”
Hashtag: #trendmicro #forrester #trendvisionone #visionone
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About Trend Micro
Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,500+ employees across 70 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.hk.
Empowering Industries: Remego Implementation Of Innovative Software Showcases Its Role As A Value-Added Company
Remego’s recent implementation of PRTG – an IT monitoring software developed by Paessler AG, is a testament to the company’s adaptability to satisfy the industries’ changing demands and provide value to its clients.
PRTG, which stands for Paessler Router Traffic Grapher, is designed for telecommunication providers to effectively and efficiently monitor their IT infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance and quality of service to their customers. Understanding this, Remego deployed PRTG to a notable telecom operator in Singapore, helping the client collect, monitor, and analyze data from various network elements, such as switches, routers, and firewalls. These data include bandwidth usage, latency, jitter, packet loss, availability, and SLA compliance.
However, the client also wanted to learn more about the trends and patterns in their network data, as well as spot and be warned about any abnormalities that would point to problems or threats. As such, Remego paired PRTG with Elasticsearch – a distributed AI-based search and analytics engine capable of handling large-scale structured and unstructured data. This integration allowed the client to perform advanced analysis and visualization, in turn enabling them to identify root causes of network problems, optimize network performance and capacity planning, and enhance security and compliance.
This particular customer service story serves as one of the many examples of how Remego pursues a goal of excellence and adapts quickly to customers’ requests. Remego has three main pillars of excellence: on-premise and centre solutions; outbound dialer solution and network monitoring solution. Remego prides itself on being a nimble, reliable and experienced solution provider that aims to delight its customer by delivering high-quality, value-added technology in both the contact center and network monitoring space.
Moving forward, Remego is looking to stay ahead of the competition by continuously introducing state-of-the-art and innovative technology to its clients, as well as offering exceptional customer experiences. As seen with the implementation of both PRTG and Elasticsearch, the company will always look for ways to meet the requests and needs of its clients.
For more information, please visit https://remego.com.sg/ or contact us via email sales@remego.com.
Hashtag: #Remego
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Schneider Electric’s new research shows that digital and electric solutions can cut carbon emissions in office buildings by up to 70%
- Study quantifies impact of technology upgrades on energy performance and carbon reduction in office buildings
- Research finds retrofitting buildings using a digital-first approach is best pathway to decarbonization
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 6 October 2023 – Retrofitting buildings using a digital-first approach is the best pathway to decarbonization, according to new research from Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation.
Buildings represent an estimated 37% of global carbon emissions[i], and as about half of today’s buildings are still likely to be in use in 2050[ii], the sector must urgently reduce operational carbon emissions, by making buildings more energy efficient.
The research findings show that deploying Schneider Electric’s digital building and power management solutions[iii] in existing office buildings could reduce their operational carbon emissions by up to 42% with a payback period of less than three years. If fossil fuel-powered heating technologies are replaced with electric-powered alternatives, and a microgrid with local renewable energy sources is installed, all-electric, all-digital buildings will see an additional 28% reduction in operational carbon emissions resulting in a total reduction of up to 70%.
Mike Kazmierczak, Vice President of the Digital Energy Decarbonization Office, the team leading the science-based research and product innovation to accelerate the energy transition within Schneider Electric’s Digital Energy division, explained that, “Tackling operational emissions is the number-one lever to decarbonize existing buildings at scale and achieve net-zero emissions targets by 2050. This breakthrough research reveals that reducing carbon emissions by up to 70% is feasible if we transform our existing building stock into energy-efficient, fully-electrified and digitized assets.”
The research, carried out with the global design firm WSP, is based on modeling the energy performance and carbon emissions of a large office building built in the early 2000s across various U.S. Climate Zones[iv]. This digital approach to building renovations is, however, applicable to all building types and climates, and is, therefore, the most effective building decarbonization strategy, yielding fast results with lower ‘upfront carbon’[v].
Renovating through the deployment of digital technologies is not only less disruptive to daily operations, but also more effective from a lifecycle carbon perspective. Failing to rapidly decarbonize buildings could also result in stranded assets that lose value and are unattractive to both investors and tenants.
Furthermore, recent research from the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability and the Schneider Electric Sustainability Research Institute estimates that there is a sizable potential to create new jobs through the transition to low-carbon buildings.
Schneider Electric is widely recognized as an impact company and a leader in decarbonization. Its connected products, software and sustainability services help drive operational efficiency, eliminate energy waste, and provide strategies for carbon reduction in buildings, factories, data centers, infrastructure, and homes. Schneider Electric’s research and decarbonization scenarios offer immediate, practical solutions to help organizations navigate the complexities of the energy transition.
To learn more about the findings of Schneider’s research and three step process (strategize, digitize, decarbonize) to accelerate the path to net-zero buildings, visit here.
Related resources:
- Decarbonize the Office: Unleash the Power of Digital Solutions for Building Renovations
- A structured methodology for planning commercial real estate portfolio decarbonization
- The Path to Net-Zero Buildings: A 3-step guide to turn sustainability ambitions into actions
- Back to 2050: a major report on how 1.5°C is more feasible than many think
Hashtag: #BuildingsoftheFuture
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About Schneider Electric
Schneider’s purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.
Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.
We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.
We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.
Discover the newest perspectives shaping sustainability, electricity 4.0, and next generation automation on Schneider Electric Insights.
Vietnamese NA Chairman Praises Outgoing Lao Ambassador to Vietnam

Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue welcomed outgoing Lao Ambassador to Vietnam Sengphet Houngboungnuang in Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday.
Ink Asia 2023 Integrating Art and Technology: Celebrating the Premier Ink Art Event of the Year 5-8 October

About INK ASIA
INK ASIA, the first-ever art fair specialising in ink art, was successfully inaugurated in 2015. INK ASIA aims to promote ink art at an international level through an art fair platform. The fair presents galleries and artists from Hong Kong and other Asian countries, featuring ink works in a wide variety of different forms. INK ASIA explores the limitless possibilities of ink art and fosters a dialogue between traditional aesthetics and contemporary interpretations of ink, with the goal of promoting this traditional ink art to an international audience in an innovative way, particularly among young viewers.
Highlight Galleries
To celebrate the return of INK ASIA, participating galleries from different regions will proudly present works by a number of ink art masters and well-known contemporary artists, interpreting ink art in a brand new way.
Participating galleries from Hong Kong are showcasing a strong line-up, including Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery, which features works by ink masters Li Huayi and Pan Gongkai, as well as contemporary ceramic artist Bai Ming; Hanart TZ Gallery presents works by renowned contemporary calligrapher Wang Dongling; Grotto Fine Art features works by several local artists, such as Hung Hoi, Yau Wing Fung, Wai Pong Yu, and Shum Kwan Yi; Alisan Fine Arts showcases works by prominent artists including Irene Chou and Lui Shou-Kwan; and Chelesa Art Co. Ltd. presents works by artists who are highly sought-after, such as Ren Zhong and Stewart Wong.
Galleries from other regions are also presenting an impressive line-up, including Beijing galleries No.55 Art Space, which features works by ink master Shen Qin; TAIHE ART GALLERY featuring large-scale ink works by Bei Dao; Yunmiao Art Center, White Art, and Yi.Project are each presenting solo exhibitions by three artists. These exhibitions include works by esteemed artist Zhao Lengyue, as well as young artists Li Na and Wu Huaheng. Shenzhen gallery Bamboo Space presents an exhibition commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of Feng Zikai which showcases artworks and letters from the three generations of the Feng family. Macau gallery Lotus Art exhibits works by ink masters Zhang Zikang and Feng Zhongyun. Additionally, two of the most important galleries from Taipei, Xi Zhi Tang Gallery and CHINI Gallery, are bringing works by several notable Asian contemporary artists, including Wu Chi-To, Chen Chien-Fa, Teng Pu-Chun, and Lee Kuang-Yu.
*Please refer to the appendix for all highlighted pieces of INK ASIA 2023
The Diversification of Ink Art
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a transformative force, bringing unlimited opportunities for the future development of art. In recent years, integrating technology with art has become an inevitable trend to enhance viewers’ experience. Immersive Ink Art Experience Corner and metaverse project via The Sandbox enable students to understand Ink Art through diversification of Ink Art, fostering an engaging and interactive learning experience. INK ASIA 2023 will reinterpret contemporary ink art through innovative technology and new media by featuring six diverse special exhibitions, six large-scale installation artworks, and an ink workshop, providing viewers with a brand-new visual experience.
Special Exhibition: “Ink Asia 2023 Immersive Ink Art Experience Corner”
Collaboratively created by Sine Motion – Steven Ng and Flamesquads. The immersive ink art space not only provides viewers with an immersive experience but also offers an innovative way of exhibition. There are two experiences at this corner: The Eight Principles of the Character “Yong”: Audiences can learn about the fundamentals of calligraphy by using motion capture technology. “The Splendor of Ink”: Combining traditional ink art elements with LED technology, bringing audiences into ink art paintings that span more than a millennium.
Special Exhibition: “INK ASIA 2023 metaverse project via The Sandbox”
By bringing traditional ink painting into the metaverse, players can immerse themselves in the breathtaking scenery of ink paintings. Additionally, the exhibition area offers mini puzzles, artworks, and historical topics for everyone to appreciate and learn from, presenting ink art in an intriguing and engaging way.
Special Exhibition: “Ink+: Light Play”
To encourage innovation in ink art and expand artistic horizons, INK ASIA 2023 will once again showcase the “Ink +” project. The exhibition invites nine artists from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to present alternative ink artworks. These artworks utilise non-traditional ink art mediums, including video, new media, dynamic installations, and AI technology, resulting in a refreshing contemporary ink art experience. Curated by the experienced curator Eric Leung, the exhibition titled “Light Play” conveys the concept of ink wash through the use of light and shadow effects, offering the audience a unique and alternative ink art experience.
Special Exhibition: “A Tribute to Chu Hing Wah”
The Ink Society will present the special exhibition, “A Tribute to Chu Hing Wah” at INK ASIA 2023. It marks the seventh instalment of the Ink Society’s “Tribute” series, which celebrates the art and legacies of master ink painters. Now in his 80s, Chu Hing Wah is one of Hong Kong’s most original artists, recognised for his evocative ink paintings of human figures and depictions of life in the city.
Special Exhibition: “Unknown Mountains and Rivers”
Curated by Grace Cheng, artist Seth Hon deviates from traditional ink and brush portrayals and instead focuses on presenting data from various perspectives and dimensions through different media. By studying the patterns of various minerals, the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) generates stones with diverse colors and patterns. After exploring the potential of natural hues, the stones transition into flowing ink, ultimately forming a landscape of mountains and rivers.
Special Exhibition: “Ink Smile”
Presented by artist Hong Ko, “Blinkeyes” is an art series he has been working on. The iconic star-eyes smiley is an eye-catching emoji through which he expresses the spirit of times. The plush spheres of different sizes, like totems, or some kind of creatures, are the three-dimensional interpretation of the transformation between the brush and ink. Spheres, like cells dividing and converging, symbolise the tiniest and grandest imaginations.
Workshop: CopyINK Cat by project CAT COPY CAT
Hong Kong-based digital artist Kevin Ng seamlessly combines contemporary technology with urban motifs, building upon the expressive marks and essence of ink art. His work explores the convergence of technology and art, innovation and tradition, while delving into the mysteries of the night and the depths of a cat’s soul. From an animal’s perspective, it questions what imbues the creative spirit and life with meaning. By capturing the cat’s nocturnal moments and reimagining them through unique displays enhanced with digital art, the exhibition harmoniously merges technology and art. Moreover, it sheds light on the creative processes that breathe life into our artistic endeavors. The workshop welcomes participants of all painting backgrounds, offering them the opportunity to create distinctive works under the guidance of the artist.
Large-scale Ink Art Installations
INK ASIA 2023 will present six large-scale public art installations at the venue, including works by well-known artists Xu Longsen, Wang Dongling, Liao Jianhua, Lee Kuang-Yu, Kan Tai Keung and Danny Lee Chi Fai; an album by traditional Chinese ink painting master Shi Lu will also be presented at the same venue.
Academic Programme
INK ASIA 2023 is grateful to have The Ink Society as the Education Partner, hosting the Academic Programme at the fair by inviting experts from different fields. The line-up of speakers is impressive, including Cai Heng, the Senior Curator from the National Gallery Singapore; Luk Yuping, the Curator of Chinese Paintings, Prints, and Central Asian Collections at the British Museum; Professor Zhang Zikang, Director of Central Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum; Dr Susan L. Beningson, Independent Curator; and Professor Huang Zhiyang, Dean of the College of Humanities and Arts at Huafan University in Taiwan. These esteemed experts will share their valuable insights with the audiences during INK ASIA 2023.
Fair Sponsors
INK ASIA 2023 is sponsored by LG Electronics which provides top-quality OLED TV and display screens throughout the fair area. Additionally, the fair is also sponsored by The Macallan, one of the world’s leading single malt whiskies.
Ink Art Programmes in the City 2023
In addition to all the exciting exhibitions at the fair venue, the outdoor installations and exhibitions of INK ASIA 2023 will continue until the end of the year across various locations in Hong Kong, with the aim of promoting new ink art to the general public. Several exhibitions will take place at prominent venues such as Hysan Place in Causeway Bay, the public space of Star Ferry Pier in Central, the courtyard and outdoor areas of Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, the Hong Kong Arts Centre, and various art galleries in the city. Further details to be announced.
Dates & Times
Wednesday, 4 October 2023
2 – 9pm Preview (by invitation only)
Thursday, 5 October – Saturday, 7 October 2023
11am – 7pm Open to public
Sunday, 8 October 2023
11am – 6pm Open to public
Venue
Hall 3E, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Hashtag: #fineartasia #fineartasia2023 #inkasia #inkasia2023 #ArtsinHongKong
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Fair Organiser
Art and Antique International Fair Ltd (AAIF) is the pioneer of art fairs in Hong Kong. Founded in 2006 by well-known antique Chinese furniture dealer, Andy Hei, providing a vibrant new platform for the art world in Asia and worldwide. The inaugural edition of Fine Art Asia was the first international art fair in Hong Kong in more than a decade.
AAIF has successfully organised 22 fairs in Hong Kong to date. Fine Art Asia is recognised worldwide as a home-grown, Hong Kong-based art enterprise, which has gained a reputation for quality and value in the international art world. Ink Asia was inaugurated in 2015 and has quickly been acclaimed as the only international fair devoted to modern and contemporary ink art.