Category: Politics

Members of the National Assembly have proposed a number of ways for the government to speed up addressing currency exchange issues which have become talk of the town for the Lao people.

At the ongoing 3rd Odinary Session of the National Assembly yesterday, Mr. Maniso Samuntis, NA member for Attapeu provincial constituency, urged the government to promote the role of commercial banks and facilitate coordination between the Central Bank and the Banking Association.

He asked the government to allow only commercial banks to provide money exchange services according to rates set by the central bank.

“Many countries in the world do, especially in Vietnam. Only commercial banks are allowed to provide money exchange services,” said Mr Maniso.

Mr. Linkham Duangsavanh, Na member for Vientiane constituency urged the government to consider allowing commercial banks to open more currency exchange booths at their branches across the country.

Source: Lao News Agency

SUMMARY

• The southern parts of the country received significantly below-average rainfall compared to the central and northern regions of the country which received above-average rainfall. However, patches of above average conditions are visible in the southern parts of the country in Attapeu province and Salavan province.

• The seasonal calendar shows that the growing season has started especially for the wet season upland (rice) and the wet season (rice).

• The short-term forecast for the month of June indicates that on average the whole country is likely to receive below-average rains, with the exceptions of the eastern parts of Xekong and Salavan provinces that are likely to receive above average rains.

Source: World Food Programme

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia is ready to host the 16th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), on Jun 22, in Phnom Penh, according to a defence ministry’s press statement, yesterday.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Gen. Tea Banh, will chair the meeting, which will bring together defence ministers from all ASEAN member states, the statement said.

A number of documents are expected to be adopted in the upcoming meeting, including enhanced military cooperation among ASEAN member states, to prevent cross-border pandemics, promoting support mechanisms for ASEAN female peacekeepers, and establishing cooperation among ASEAN military educational institutions, it said.

General Nem Sowath, director-general of Cambodia’s General Department of the Defence Ministry’s Policy and Foreign Affairs, said, the meeting is also expected to endorse a Phnom Penh vision on the role of defence institutions, in supporting the post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and a joint declaration of the ASEAN Defence Ministers on defence cooperation to strengthen solidarity for harmonious security.

“As the host of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ meeting and related security meetings in 2022, Cambodia is committed to promoting ASEAN’s solidarity to address current and emerging security challenges in the region,” he said, at a press conference here.

Sowath added, apart from the 16th ADMM, there will also be a virtual ASEAN-China Defence Ministers’ informal meeting and a physical ASEAN-Japan Defence Ministers’ informal meeting.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Ambassador of France to the Lao PDR Siv-Leng Chhuor signed on Jun 13 at the Residence of France, the financing agreements with eight Lao organizations benefiting from the French small grants programme PISCCA (Innovative Projects of Civil Societies and Coalitions of Actors).

This is the first part of the new PISCCA programme which will support, in 2022 and 2023, for an amount of more than half a million dollars, initiatives from civil society organizations in the sector of sustainable agricultural development.

This programme is thus part of the Team Europe Strategy through its support for civil society and the agricultural sector. The eight sustainable agricultural development projects supported in 2022 by the PISCCA fund represent a total envelope of 260,000 USD (3.5 billion LAK).

These projects will be implemented in the provinces of Huaphanh, Khammuan, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Phongsaly, Savannakhet, and Xieng Khuang. “Because sustainable agricultural development is a priority for our cooperation in Laos, we have chosen to focus this new programme on initiatives in the agricultural sector.

The PISCCA fund makes it possible to finance small-scale projects, complementary to larger-scale projects financed by the French Development Agency, in particular in the fields of agro-ecology or coffee growing”, declared the Ambassador of France to Laos in his opening speech.

Mr. Saly THONGSAVANH, director of the Konglor Natane Ecotourism Association (AEKN), came specially from the province of Khammuan to sign the PISCCA grant agreement of 500 million Kip, which will allow his association to encourage organic farming in the villages of Konglor and Natane to supply the local market and tourist activity, in particular with a “signature” menu that will be offered by local restaurants.

Enabling farmers to access the organic fertilizer market and reduce the use of chemicals is the goal of the project of the producer group Bio Compost Ban Phan Group.

This organization represented by Mrs. Sidavanh OUANVILAY received a grant of more than 200 million Kip in order to develop the production of organic fertilizers within several villages of Peak district in Xieng Khuang.

The Association for the Development of Bamboo and Non-Timber Forest Products (BNDA) benefits from a PISCCA grant of 500 M LAK for the training of women and young people in Huaphanh.

Ms. Mayoua PHENGKHAMHUAK, President of the Association was accompanied by Mr. Yerlee TOULEEZONGZOUA, Director of BNDA, to sign the financing agreement.

The Community Development Association (CoDA), based in Savannakhet and represented by its director Mr. Phou KHOUNPHIA, received a PISCCA grant of 364 M LAK to encourage villagers in the district of Xonnabouly of Savannakhet, to practice organic agriculture.

The very young association COSKA (Cooperation for Development and Support to Local Knowledge Association) represented by its general secretary Mrs. Bouaphone VONGKHAMSONE, is awarded a grant of 445 M LAK for the Community Empowerment and Participation (CEP) project which aims to economically integrate the communities, sensitize them to environmental management, and better adaptation to climate resilience in the districts of Nyot Ou and Boun Neua, Phongsaly Province.

Contributing to the development of agro-ecology in Xieng Khuang Province, while promoting and empowering a new generation of young farmers, is the main objective of the innovative project of the Assisting Poor People of the Lao PDR Foundation. Mr. Khamla SIBOUNHEUANG, director of the foundation, came from the Province of Xieng Khuang, to sign the PISCCA financing agreement of 470 M LAK.

The Friends of Pha Tad Ke association, represented by its secretary general, Mr. Sith NITAPHONE, will develop, thanks to a PISCCA grant of 443 M LAK, the breeding of crickets in the district of Chompeth, Luang Prabang, in order to improve the autonomy of women and the food security of the families concerned.

Finally, the company Phou Doi Clean Agriculture Sole Co. Ltd, represented by its director, Mr. Chanthaphone KHAMMOUNTHA will receive a grant of 496 M LAK in order to develop the means of subsistence of rural communities, by introducing the cultivation of coffee under forest cover in Luang Namtha.

Source: Lao News Agency

The Japanese government has donated 47 ambulances to the Lao government to support its Covid-19 prevention and response efforts.

With the latest donation, the number of ambulances provided by the Japanese Government to the Lao PDR has reached 81.

The handover ceremony was held at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane on Jun 6 between Minister of Health Bounfeng Phoummalaisith, and Ambassador of Japan to Laos Kenichi Kobayashi.

At the handover ceremony, Minister Bounfeng expressed gratitude to the Japanese government and noted that the assistance will help the Lao people gain access to health services and respond to the urgent needs, especially of emergency patients.

Since 2020, the Government of Japan has been assisting the Lao government in preventing and controlling the outbreak of Covid-19 by providing medical supplies, ambulances, worth more than 26 million US dollars

Source: Lao News Agency

Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh has sent a message of congratulations to Shehbaz Sharif upon his appointment as Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The message read, “On behalf of the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and on my own name, it’s my great pleasure to extend to you warm congratulations upon your appointment as the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

I believe that under your clear-sighted leadership, Pakistan will continue to witness greater development and growth. I am looking forward to working closely with you to further enhance the friendship and cooperation between our two countries over years to come for the shared benefits of the peoples of our two nations and for peace, stability and cooperation for development in the region and in the world.”

Source: Lao News Agency