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Chinese Embassy, Lao Police Deport 137 Scammers

Chinese Embassy, Lao Police Deport 137 Scammers
Chinese Embassy, Lao Police deport 137 scammers.

The Chinese Embassy to Laos has urged Lao people to be wary of groups of Chinese scammers after the deportation of 137 Chinese nationals on Tuesday.

Some 137 Chinese nationals were arrested and deported back to China on Tuesday after involvement in a “boiler room” type call center operation.

Chinese officials chartered two Lao Airlines planes at Wattay Airport to repatriate the fraudsters, in cooperation with Lao officers from the Foreigner Control Department, General Department of Police, under the Ministry of Public Security.

According to a warning issued by the Chinese Embassy, the most recent group of Chinese scammers to have infiltrated Lao society have been found offering food or cigarettes laced with sleep-inducing drugs. Victims report awakening to find their belongings and valuables stolen.

The embassy warns that all residents of Laos should exercise caution, and should not accept any gifts from strangers.

Chinese residents and visitors to Laos have been making headlines recently, after graffiti in Chinese language was found on several sacred sites in Luang Prabang, and a group of Chinese nationals beat a Lao motorist when a traffic disagreement spiraled out of control.

Lao Asean Leasing (LALCO) Listed on Lao Securities Exchange

Lao Asean Leasing (LALCO) Listed on Lao Securities Exchange

The Lao Securities Exchange (LSX) has launched the trading of the shares of Lao Asean Leasing Public Company (LALCO), marking the 11th company registered on the bourse.

LALCO’s main business is to provide a credit line for individual and corporate customers to buy motorcycles and cars. The company currently operates branches in seven provinces, namely Houaphan, Xieng Khouang, Luang Prabang, Bolikhamxay, Savannakhet, Champasack and Salavanh.

On October 10, the first day of trading, the company shares were traded at LAK 3,000 (USD 0.34) per share, rising by LAK 300 from LAK 2,700 per share when it was announced for public booking early this month, Lao News Agency (KPL) reported.

KPL quoted LALCO Director-General Tomofumi Suematsu as saying that all 60.3 million shares were fully booked on the first of three days the company offered for booking.

Early last month the company announced to the public booking opportunities for the initial public offering (IPO) after its application was approved in August by the LSX and the Lao Securities Commission Office.

LALCO is expected to use the fund from selling shares to expand its leasing business in Vientiane Capital and all provinces nationwide.

Laos Falls to 113rd Place in Global Competitiveness Ranking

Laos Falls to 113rd Place in Global Competitiveness Ranking

Laos has slipped down to a ranking of 113rd out of 141 surveyed countries in the annual Global Competitiveness Report 2019, while several neighboring countries, including Vietnam, climbed up on the list thanks to improvements in economic and business activities.

The report, which is compiled by the World Economic Forum, contains the Global Competitiveness Index that integrates the macroeconomic and the micro/business aspects of competitiveness into a single index.

It also measures the set of institutions, policies, and factors that set the sustainable current and medium-term levels of economic prosperity to analyze how productively a country uses available resources.

The index is organized into 12 pillars: Institutions; Infrastructure; ICT adoption; Macroeconomic stability; Health; Skills; Product market; Labor market; Financial system; Market size; Business dynamism; and Innovation capability.

Laos achieved its best score in the “Infrastructure” pillar with the ranking at 93rd place. In particular, Laos performed well in the “transport infrastructure” section that measures the quality, connectivity, and efficiency of roads, railroads, liner shipping, and airports, although it still lags behind its peers in the Asia Pacific region.

The country saw its worst score from the “Business Dynamism” pillar that measures the quality of a country’s overall business networks and the quality of individual firms’ operations and strategies. Laos ranked 137th in this pillar.

Within the pillar, the country ranked 140th in the “time to start a business” section, which was measured based on the number of days taken to begin businesses. The 141st place went to Venezuela.

Led by Singapore, East Asia and the Pacific region is the most competitive in the world, followed by Europe and North America, according to the report. Vietnam, in particular, is the country whose score improves the most globally from 77th place last year to 67th spot.

Vietnam performed well in the three pillars, namely “Health,” “Macro-economic Stability” and “Market Size”.

H5N6 Avian Flu Detected in Oudomxay Province, Laos

H5N6 Avian Flu Detected in Oudomxay Province, Laos

The Oudomxay Department of Agriculture and Forestry has issued a notice stating that authorities have detected the H5N6 avian flu virus in ducks sold at a market in Xay District.

On October 8, a team from the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, together with officials from Xay District, collected 61 sample ducks and chickens from a market in Tin Village, Xay Province. The animals were tested in a laboratory and proved positive for the H5N6 virus.

Authorities said some 300-400 ducks and chickens were sourced from a neighboring country and imported through the international border checkpoint at Bokeo, before being sent to the market in Oudomxay for sale.

The H5N6 virus, known as bird flu or avian flu, is a subtype of the species Influenza A virus. It mainly affects birds, although there have been cases of the virus occurring in humans.

Oudomxay provincial authorities are prohibiting the import of ducks or chickens from any of the surrounding provinces or from neighboring countries until further notice.

Meanwhile, the Phongsaly Department of Industry and Commerce has issued a notice to its district-level offices, instructing them to closely monitor the import and sale of poultry across the province, prohibiting the sale and consumption of poultry in affected areas.

Of the four known cases of H5N6 occurring in humans, three were fatal.

Laos’s Major Telecom Operators Gear Up for 5G Network

Lao Telecom 5G System

Laos is gearing up to roll out a 5G network, with the country’s two leading telecom operators, Lao Telecom and Unitel, testing or planning to test such technology prior to commencing operations.

5G is the new fifth-generation cellular network technology, which is said to offer speeds 100 times faster than 4G. It is primarily used for smartphones and other similar devices. 5G is also expected to support new applications like remote medical procedures and autonomous driving.

Lao Telecom

State-owned Lao Telecom announced on October 8 that it began trialing its 5G system, becoming the first player in Laos to do so.

“This test of 5G technology is a significant step for the company, as well as users, who are keen to upgrade and be on a par with international standards,” said the company’s Deputy General Director, Mr Souphon Chanthavixay, as quoted by Vientiane Times.

Lao Telecom is the first integrated telecommunications provider in Laos. Since 1996, the company has offered wire-line and wireless services to 3.5 million people across the country.

In 2011, the company officially launched 4G network, becoming the first company to provide the system in the country and the second nation to do so in Southeast Asia.

The company also began operating 4.5G services in Vientiane at the beginning of 2017 and then expanded services to the provinces.

Unitel

Vietnam’s Viettel has also announced that it will test its 5G broadcast in Laos in the fourth quarter through its Laos subsidiary, Unitel.

Unitel has been active in Laos for 13 years and is now the biggest network operator in the country with over 3 million subscribers, which accounts for 56 percent of the country’s telecom market, the company said in a statement on October 8.

Viettel tested its 5G network in Cambodia and Myanmar in July and August, respectively, through its local subsidiaries.

Government’s effort

The Lao government has beefed up its efforts to speed up the introduction of 5G technology, with a view that technology is an important tool to drive socio-economic development and integrate with regional and international standards.

The Department of Radio Frequency under the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, for instance, held discussions in May regarding frequency policy, network equipment and terminal equipment needs for the service.

At that time, Director General of the department, Mr Xayluxa Insisiengmay, said one of the key factors in determining whether Laos would develop a 5G network was market demand, and the ministry would be ready to support its provision if the market demands the service.

He added that the ministry was also considering the potential benefits of 5G for the education, health and agriculture sectors.

Several of ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and Thailand, have begun unofficial provision of 5G services in big cities. Thailand, for example, expects the full commercial operation of 5G services to begin next year, while Vietnam also plans to launch such service commercially next year.

BCEL, EV Laos to Launch Payment System for Electric Vehicle Charging

BCEL, EV Laos to Launch Payment System for Electric Vehicle Charging

Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public (BCEL) and EV Lao Company have teamed up to launch a smart card system for the payment of charging costs for electric vehicles.

The proposed smart card would link BCEL’s smart card system and EV Lao’s EVBox charging system, Vientiane Times reported.

BCEL began offering fee and bill payment services in 2009. Its services enable making payments electronically, through ATMs, BCEL One, I-Bank and other services provided by the bank.

BCEL is currently working with more than 50 entities to facilitate payments for goods and services as well as utility bills, taxes, customs duty, cable rental, fuel, loans, and border passes used to cross the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge in Vientiane.

Laos is currently pushing for a new electric vehicle project, joining its neighbors in Southeast Asia where the growth of the EV market is set to boom.

EV Lao teamed up with Electricite du Laos (EDL) for the project in August, which is designed to compare operating costs between electric vehicles and those running on fossil fuels, as well as safety measures, and to ascertain the quality of the vehicles.

The collaborators are to install test charging stations at EDL, EV Lao headquarters, and the Ministry of Energy and Mines. They hope to install 20 stations in Vientiane this year with a view to begin imports of electric vehicles next year.

Laos imports a large volume of fuel annually which has caused a huge trade deficit over the years, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Vientiane Times noted.

For instance, imports of gasoline increased from 187,755 kilograms in 2010 to 234,199 kilograms in 2015, according to Lao PDR Energy Statistics 2018 by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

During the same period, the consumption of gasoline also jumped from 187,755 kilograms 223,318 kilograms.

“Laos is promoting the use of clean energy in the transport sector as part of measures to translate the government’s policy into an action plan until 2025, and a strategy for 2030,” the paper said. “The proposed project on the use of EVs will help to lower fuel consumption.”

S Korea Criticized for Failing to Protect Children’s Rights over Laos Dam Collapse

S Korea Criticized for Failing to Protect Children’s Rights over Laos Dam Collapse

South Korea has been criticized for failing to protect children’s rights after a dam collapse in Laos caused dozens of deaths last year. The United Nations has advised the country to “closely look into” its overseas projects for possible violations of such rights.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child said on October 3 that South Korea should consider whether its companies or organizations infringe on the rights of local children if they go abroad for investment or international development cooperation projects, and set up a system to ensure that officials are properly responsible in the event of damage.

The UN statement came after a conference in Geneva last month where South Korea was called out for violating children’s rights with businesses and projects in developing countries. In particular, the participants cited palm oil farms in Indonesia run by South Korean firms as an example.

Some observers also said the collapse of the saddle dam in Laos was another example demonstrating a lack of measures by South Korea to protect and promote children’s rights in overseas projects.

A saddle dam at the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy hydropower project collapsed last year at a site which is a joint venture between South Korea’s SK Engineering & Construction and Korea Western Power. The incident killed dozens of residents and displaced thousands of others.

The project was also supported by the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, which is designed to promote economic cooperation between the South and developing countries. The fund is overseen by the government-backed Export-Import Bank of Korea.

Accordingly, the South Korean government was criticized for failing to conduct enough research on the project and a lack of preparation for adequate treatment measures.

“It is essential to require the Export-Import Bank of Korea to reveal information related to overseas projects to enable the substantial assessment and monitoring projects invested by the bank,” said Lee Ha-nee, a director at Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation, as quoted by Seoul-based daily Chosun Ilbo.

Chosun Ilbo also quoted lawyer Jeong Shin-young as saying that there is a channel to report the violation of children’s rights by South Korean firms overseas, which is operated by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, but it is open without any business with needs for further promotion.

Chinese Cement Plant Explosion in Northern Laos Kills One, Injures 20

Chinese Cement Plant Explosion in Northern Laos Kills One, Injures 20

An explosion at a Chinese-owned cement plant Luang Prabang Province last Saturday has caused one death and multiple injuries.

At least 20 residents of Phonemany Village, Nambak District, have been injured, while houses and vehicles were destroyed in the powerful blast.

More explosives than usual were apparently used in Saturday’s blast, causing a much larger explosion than expected.

Image may contain: one or more people and outdoor

Mr. Khamvone Keolounan, Vice Governor of Nambak District, said in an interview with the Lao Post that prior to blasting, district authorities would inspect the site, ensuring that proper preparations had been made. He said that explosions caused by the blasting had never been this powerful in the past, and debris had never reached the homes of surrounding villages.

A massive piece of debris from the explosion falls on a nearby home
A massive piece of debris from the explosion falls on a nearby home

During Saturday’s blast, explosives had been mounted on the side of a cliff, which may have caused debris to fly in a different direction than usual, added Mr. Khamvone.

An investigation into the incident is still ongoing, and officials will put stricter measures in place for future blasting operations.

A video of the incident can be seen below, as aired on Lao Star channel: