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New species Found in Greater Mekong Region: WWF Report

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A rainbow-headed snake resembling David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character, a dragon-like lizard and a newt that looks like a Klingon from the movie Star Trek are three of the 163 new species discovered recently in the Greater Mekong region, according to a report released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The report, Species Oddity, documents the work of hundreds of scientists who discovered nine amphibians, 11 fish, 14 reptiles, 126 plants and three mammals in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

The discoveries also include a rare banana species from Thailand, a tiny frog from Cambodia and a gecko with pale blue spotted skin and piercing dark eyes that was found hiding among the remote mountains of Laos.

This brings the total new species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians discovered in the region to 2,409 since WWF began compiling new species reports in 1997.

The Greater Mekong region is a magnet for the world’s conservation scientists because of the incredible diversity of species that continue to be discovered here, Wildlife Programme Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong Jimmy Borah said.

These scientists, the unsung heroes of conservation, know they are racing against time to ensure that these newly discovered species are protected.

Highlights of the report include a rainbow-headed snake, Parafimbrioslao, that has been likened to David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character.

It was found among steep karst cliffs in northern Laos and while originally thought to exist in only one location, it has since been seen in a second one, increasing its chances of survival.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Lao News Agency to Stop Print Edition of English Paper

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The Lao News Agency has announced that the last issue of its English language newspaper will roll off the presses on December 31, ending more than 10 years of publication of the daily KPL News.

But the newspaper will not disappear as readers can go online for their daily news instead of reading the printed version.

The Editorial Board of the state-owned newspaper issued a notice informing readers, subscribers and advertisers that it will cease publication of the newspaper from January 1 onwards.

Director General of the Lao News Agency, Sounthone Khanthavong, said the newspaper was no longer profitable so they had decided to cut costs and dispense with the printed edition.

He said an online version would be more convenient for readers and pointed to the growing trend in online reading.

We decided to switch to an online service as it’s more modern, he told Vientiane Times .

The decision to end the print edition of KPL News means the Vientiane Times, another daily English language newspaper published by Lao Press in Foreign Languages, will be the only English language newspaper in the country.

A member of the KPL News’ Editorial Board, Sengthong Prasavath, said the online news service would be free of charge.

Established in 1968, the Lao News Agency published daily bulletins in Lao, English and French. Some years later it upgraded the bulletins into daily newspapers, also published in Lao and English, Mr Sounthone said.

In 2003, the English bulletin became a daily newspaper and was also published in French. Last year, the print version of the French newspaper ceased and the content was published online.

Mr Sounthone confirmed that the Lao News Agency would continue to publish its Lao language newspaper, the Pathetlao Daily.

The Lao News Agency delivers news via the Pathetlao Daily, news releases, a magazine, online news, and a short message service (SMS) on mobile phones.

Many printed newspapers and magazines both in Laos and abroad have suffered a decline in circulation as readers turn their attention to social and online media.

A few years ago, Laos’ weekly French language magazine Le Renovateur published by the Lao Press in Foreign Languages ceased to exist in its printed form and has since been published online after suffering a decline in readership and profits.

Earlier this year, the Brunei Darussalam broadsheet, the Brunei Times, announced its closure 10 years after its inception in 2006. The publishers cited reporting and journalistic standards as well as business issues as reasons for its termination, especially in the face of considerable challenges from alternative forms of media.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Laos-Thailand Railway Link Set for Expansion Next Year

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Phase II of the Laos-Thailand railway, which will see the line extended from the suburbs to central Vientiane, is set to resume after the project was suspended in 2011.

The line will be built over a distance of 7.5km to link the track from the outlying Thanalaeng railway station in Hadxaifong district to the inner city, a senior government official in charge of the project said yesterday.

Deputy Director General of the Lao Railway Department, Mr Sonesack N. Nhansana, told Vientiane Times yesterday that the government has instructed authorities to resume construction of the railway in line with the original plan.

The extension will link Thanalaeng railway station on the outskirts of Hadxaifong district near the Mekong River to Khamsavat village in inner Xaysettha district.

Mr Sonesack said the project was previously suspended because Lao authorities wanted to study in detail how the 1-metre standard gauge Laos-Thailand track could be joined to the 1.435-metre standard-gauge track width of the planned Laos-China railway.

The authorities have now agreed that one of the stations planned for Vientiane as part of the 427-km Laos-China railway, which will link Vientiane to the Chinese border, will be built in Thanalaeng village so that the two lines are integrated.

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith recently visited Thanalaeng railway station where he was briefed on the progress of the Laos-Thailand rail link.

The prime minister suggested we resume construction in 2017. We expect to do so at the earliest date possible, Mr Sonesack told Vientiane Times .

He said resumption of the project would be possible and financing was available as Thailand had provided more than 203 billion kip (more than 900 million baht), of which 30 percent was in the form of a grant and 70 percent was a low-interest loan.

Once construction resumes, it will take about two years to complete the project, Mr Sonesack said.

There is optimism that once the extension is operational, it will result in a significant increase in passenger numbers and tourist arrivals, said Deputy Head of the Railway Management Division, Mr Khamphet Sisamouth.

He justified the construction of a station in Khamsavat village by saying it was just 4km from the city centre (That Luang) and was 17km shorter than travelling from That Luang to Thanalaeng railway station using the existing road network.

Thanalaeng railway station  the only station on Laos’ 3.5km railway that runs to Thailand’s Nong Khai province – handles 2,500 to 3,000 passengers a month, Mr Khamphet said, adding that more people were using the service these days.

Passengers keep asking why we don’t extend the track into the city centre, he added.

The railway only transports passengers at present, but freight transport is set to be provided in the near future following completion of a container yard.

Work on Phase II of the railway began a few years ago, including construction of a container yard, dormitories for staff, and a rail operations office, as well as improvements to the signals.

More than 173 billion kip (650 million baht) provided by Thailand was spent on this work, of which 30 percent was given as a loan and the remainder was a low-interest loan.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

New Year’s Celebration Holiday

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The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that January 2, 2017 will be a public holiday and day off in recognition of the International New Year 2017.

The announcement was made based on the Prime Minister’s agreement on December 19 and article 55 of the labour law in 2013.

Therefore, the Prime Minister’s Office on December 21 issued the notice about the day off on January 2.

Source: KPL

Santiphab Sangkasi to Expand Steel Production for Growing Domestic Market

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Santiphab Sangkasi Lao Co., Ltd, a leading producer and distributor of galvanized iron sheeting, plans to build a new factory to ensure the future growth of its business.

President of Santiphab Sangkasi Lao Co., Ltd. Mr Sangkhom Chansouk gave an interview to KPL News on Wednesday saying that the new factory will sit on five hectares of land in the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone in Vientiane.

“Early 2017, we will commence surveying and design of the factory as well as prepare for business restructuring,” he said.

Mr Sangkhom explained that the new factory will produce steel roof framing, steel ceiling framing, road guardrails, and street light poles to ensure the smooth growth of the steel market in the country.

Santiphab Sangkasi is in the process of getting listed on the Lao Securities Exchange.

“We will spend funds raised through the Lao Securities Exchange (LSX) through our initial public offering (IPO) of shares to build the new factory,” said Mr Sangkhom.

The company has already appointed a financial advisor to facilitate its preparation for registration on the LSX.

“The advisor will assist our company in upgrading our business structure, financial structure, accounting system, and business plan in order to enhance the competitiveness of our business and expand business operations,” said Mr Sangkhom.

The financial advisor is expected to submit the filing for Santiphab Sangkasi Lao Co., Ltd. to the Lao Securities Committee Office to begin raising funds at the end of 2017 or in early 2018.

“In the initial stage, we will install only five lines of machines to produce the steel roof framings and steel ceiling framing, and then we will install additional machines to produce road guardrails, and street light poles,” he said.

The company said that the factory is expected to create at least 200 jobs for local people.

 

Source: KPL

Almost 1,000 Illegal Chainsaws Destroyed in Khammuan

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A chainsaw destruction ceremony took place in Khammuan province recently, demonstrating that the government is getting stricter in the management and inspection of timber exploitation.

The destruction of the chainsaws aimed to implement Prime Minister’s Order No 15 issued recently to enhance the strictness of management and inspection of timber exploitation, timber movements and timber businesses.

The order also bans the export of unfinished wooden products. To realise the order, the relevant sectors have paid great attention over the recent months to inspecting timber exploitation in excess of granted quotas, the exploitation of timber without permission, and the exploitation of timber in preserved forests and protected forests.

This includes companies and involved persons in the illegal exploitation of timber, the ministry said.

After the order was released, provinces around the country have been enhancing their strictness in the management and inspection of timber exploitation, including the confiscation of unauthorised chainsaws for destruction.

Following the order, Khammuan provincial authorities destroyed almost 1,000 unauthorised chainsaws on Tuesday. An official in charge in Khammuan province said the police and authorities confiscated 973 chainsaws from villagers in Thakhaek district, which were brought for subsequent destruction.

He said the Khammuan provincial authorities have been paying attention to inspection and confiscated many chainsaws, especially in Khounkham and Xaybuathong districts.

Officials in provinces around the country are concentrating on the strict implementation of the Prime Minister’s Order No 15 issued to enhance strictness on the management and inspection of timber exploitation.

According to initial data reported recently by the task force committee, more than 55,421 cubic metres of illegal timber has been seized since the order.

Also confiscated were a number of vehicles and equipment used for illegal logging, including 11 snigging trucks, a bulldozer, a log crane vehicle, and a Toyota Fortuner amongst others. Some 1,253 chainsaws were also seized and destroyed.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Public Complaints Go Unanswered

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Public concerns raised with the National Assembly (NA) through the hotline during the recent ordinary session are still waiting for responses from the sectors concerned.

According to the NA’s Inspection Department, which is entrusted to collect complaints, around 1,900 calls and messages were made via the hotline during the second ordinary session of the NA’s Eighth Legislature, which ran from November 24 to December 18.

Land issues topped the public concerns, followed by complaints concerning infrastructure, especially roads, along with salaries.

During the previous NA Seventh Legislature, officials from concerned ministries and agencies were invited to give their explanations on issues of public concern through the media along with each NA session or within a couple of weeks after the session ended.

No officials from ministries and agencies were invited to give explanations during the recent session.

The NA’s department Director General Mr Sinthala Lasouksamay told Vientiane Times yesterday he raised this with NA leaders, but they have yet to decide how the department will coordinate with the ministries and agencies.

According to him, his department had gathered and delivered the concerns received through the hotline to the NA’s committees, members, and the session organising committee.

The NA’s hotline has allowed the public to raise concerns, including misconduct by government officials, with the complaints passed on to high level leaders and concerned sectors.

The 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 021 452 627, posting to PO Box 662 or emailing an_session@na.gov.la.

According to a report disseminated at a seminar in Vientiane late October to share national, regional and international experience on corruption complaints, 80 percent of public complaints raised through the NA’s telephone hotline provided factual information on corruption activities.

The report also said that maladministration by government officials had been minimised since the existence of the NA hotline, which had also addressed issues quickly.

However, some deficiencies around hotline responses remained, especially mechanisms for addressing public concerns which weren’t effective enough. A minister also declined to respond directly to some questions, instead appointing a junior technical official to respond.

The government also launched the 1516 hotline number in mid last month to enable ordinary people to provide recommendations regarding government performance.

Earlier this year, the NA planned to extend the hotline term, which is only currently open 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.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

Traffic Police Gear Up for New Year Duties

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The Vientiane Traffic Police Department has rostered over 200 police for security detail over the Christmas and New Year period.

Deputy Chief of the Vientiane Traffic Police Department, Major Sangkhom Phommalath, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that guidelines from the Ministry of Public Security require them to assign 207 police officers to various duties.

Traffic police will be stationed around the capital from December 22 to January 2 in the districts of Sikhottabong, Xaythany, Chanthabouly, Naxaithong, Sisattanak, Hadxaifong, and Xaysettha.

They will focus on roads No. 13 North and South, Thadeua Road, Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue, 450 Road, Lane Xang Avenue, Samsenthai and other main roads.

Police will direct traffic, monitor motorists’ speeds and assess their levels of sobriety along roads No. 13 North and South, and Thadeua Road. They will also be on standby to deal with any accidents.

They will also explain road safety regulations and make them known to drivers along roads and in villages and schools as well as at the southern and northern bus stations in a bid to reduce accidents and traffic congestion.

Traffic police warned that reckless driving, intoxication and general violation of the traffic rules would not be tolerated over the festive period.

Minor infractions will incur warnings but fines and other penalties will be imposed in the case of more serious offences.

Traffic police reminded members of the public to drive with caution, observe the traffic rules and show courtesy to other road users. They expressly reminded people not to drive while drunk.

The department’s records show that over the five days from December 29, 2015, to January 2, 2016, there were 33 road accidents in Vientiane in which 52 people were injured and two people died.

The main causes of accidents over the New Year were intoxication and speeding. Most accidents involved motorbikes and pickup trucks and occurred around midnight and during the early hours of the morning.

President of the Society of Volunteers Rescue Vientiane, Mr Lam Ngern Vongphachanh, said he had arranged for staff to be on duty to take emergency calls at three stations in Vientiane from December 24 to January 1.

Some 65 volunteers will be on standby to rush to the scene of an accident from stations in Hadxaifong, Xaythany and Xaysettha districts.

This year the society will join forces with rescue teams from the Chinese Foundation, Pasanchai and Phatthana Phasouk to help accident victims. When they receive a call asking them to go to the scene of an accident or other incident they will contact the team nearest to the event.

The rescue team can be reached on hotline no. 1624, which is open 24 hours a day.

 

Source: Vientiane Times

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