Top Story: Draft law on science and technology well received
Economics
Govt working to manage the country's debts | Vientiane Times, July 22
The government is committed to imposing measures and mechanisms to manage the country's debts while exploring new sources of revenue and reducing loans for unnecessary expenditure. Lao Minister of Finance Phouphet Khamphounvong was responding to questions raised by National Assembly members regarding the country's rising debts during the ongoing session last week.
Lao stock market closes 1.35 pct higher | Shanghai Daily, July 16
The Lao stock market finished on Tuesday up 1.35 percent against the previous trading day. The Lao Securities Exchange composite index increased by 17.28 points to 1297.10. A total of 23,791 shares worth about 148 million Lao kip (about 19,000 U.S. dollars) changed hands at the stock market. There are only two companies listed at the Lao stock market, which are Laos' largest commercial bank Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL) and state-run energy giant Electricite du Laos Generation Public Company (EDL-Gen).
Lao PDR Increases Interests in Efficient Infrastructure Development Framework | ERIA, July 1
The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) has initiated a series of capacity building program on the issue of Public Private Partnership (PPP) for CLM (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar) countries. ERIA organized the first one day capacity building seminar on PPP "Utilizing Efficient Infrastructure Development Framework" in Vientiane, Lao PDR, in close collaboration with Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), Lao PDR. ERIA launched the program as a capacity building activity and took this opportunity to disseminate the research results and recommendations from its project on PPP.
Energy
Ch Karnchang ready to sign up for Bak power project in Laos | Steelguru, July 22
Ch Karnchang Pic, Thailand's third largest contractor by market value, is set to sign a development agreement for the THD 17 billion Nam Bak power project in Laos next month. The signing with the Laotian government in Vientiane on August 8th will pave the way for a concession agreement, with construction due to begin later this year. The 160 MW plant will be the third hydropower project of holding company CK Power Pic in Laos following the Nam Ngum 2 and Xayaburi projects.
Financial Services
Parliament hears draft social insurance law | Vientiane Times, July 23
Members of the National Assembly (NA) yesterday debated the newly-drafted Social Insurance Law, which aims to develop and expand the social insurance system to broader groups of people in society. Once it is approved by the NA, the new law will add fuel to the government's effort to double social insurance coverage from the current 27 percent to 50 percent of the entire population by 2015.
Food & Agriculture
Lao govt injects billions of kip into irrigation repairs | Brunei Direct, July 22
The Lao government has in jected more than 80 billion kip into repairs of irrigation systems affected by tropical storms nationwide in its effort to successfully carry out this year's rice production plan. The planned rice yield for this year is expected to reach 3.45 million tonnes, almost 93% of the annual plan. Of this, ordinary rice production has resulted in a yield of 2.85 million tonnes, with 1.95 million tonnes from upland rice farms and 500,000 tonnes from dry season rice production. This achievement is thanks to the Party and Government's concerted efforts in providing facilities for the production of rice to farmers in order to increase the rice yield for export.
Forum focuses on linking Lao agriculture | Vientiane Times, July 18
Policy-makers, farmers, businesspeople and researchers met at the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute (LJI) recently to discuss how best to link agricultural producers with processors and traders in Laos. The objective of the forum was to share knowledge and experiences of primary to tertiary industry linkages in Japan, to discuss the current situation of agricultural production in Laos and to look at how to establish industry linkage models.
Health & Life Sciences
Family planning encouraged to reduce mother and child deaths | Vientiane Times, July 18
The public should use family planning as a measure to reduce mother and child mortality rates in Laos, according to Minister for Health, Dr Eksavang Vongvichit. The mother and child mortality rate remains high as most women and girls in rural areas are getting married early and often become pregnant when they are very young, Dr Eksavang told Vientiane Times during the fifth session of the National Assembly's Seventh Legislature in Vientiane last week.
Health & Life Sciences
CDC, UPS comment on vaccine delivery to Laos | Healthcare Packaging, July 10
This article offers additional details related to a recent Healthcare Packaging (HCP) story reporting on a recent delivery of nearly 100,000 influenza vaccines in prefilled syringes that traveled more than 5,000 miles in just three days, maintaining a 3° to 7°C temperature range throughout the journey. The first portion of this article is a Q&A with Dr. Joseph Bresee, Chief of the Epidemiology and Prevention Branch in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Influenza Division.
ICT
Lao officials train to fight cyber crime | AsiaOne, July 4
Training has began for IT engineers set to join the Lao Computer Emergency Response Team (LaoCERT), the country's first body dedicated to fighting cyber crime. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunication's National Internet Centre kicked off the training course on Monday, which will continue until October 11. According to training papers, the course will aim to prepare IT experts who have joined LaoCERT for their upcoming job in encouraging cyber security and investigating cyber crime for government, business and the general public.
Draft law on science and technology well received | Vientiane Times, July 22
The newly drafted Law on Science and Technology received constructive comments from National Assembly members at the ongoing NA ordinary session, after suggesting that more detail should be added the first time the draft was presented. The draft of the law on Science and Technology was presented for debate and approval by the NA at the session on Friday.
Infrastructure
Vientiane approves hundreds of investment projects | KPL, July 23
A total of 435 infrastructure construction projects valued at over 543 billion kip have been approved by Vientiane in the first six months of this fiscal year. The majority of projects are road construction and improvement projects as well as services and land concessions, with the largest foreign investor being China.
Funding for Laos-China Rail Link Hinges on Thai Project | RFA, July 17
Chinese authorities are waiting for Thailand to confirm that it will proceed with a high-speed rail project linking neighboring Laos before Beijing finalizes a loan for Laos to build an ambitious rail link with China, according to a Chinese diplomat. Thailand plans to build a 625-kilometer (388-mile) rail line between Bangkok and Thailand's northeastern province of Nong Khai along the border with Laos. It is intended to connect with Laos's proposed U.S. $7.2 billion railway line between its capital Vientiane and the country's Luang Namtha province along the border with China, with the network linked further to a line from Kunming, the capital of China's Yunnan province.
Other
Structural improvement urged at research institutes | Vientiane Times, July 23
Research institutes have been urged to reinforce their organisational structures in order to develop sustainably based on their roles and ensure strong coordination amongst themselves to expand their potential.
The urge was expressed at a meeting held yesterday at the National Social Research Institute (NSRI) office to review the institute's development and achievements since it was established in July 2006. Party Central Committee's Propaganda and Training Board's (PTB) Head and President of the National Social Science Council Mr Cheuang Sombounkhanh presided over the meeting with researchers and representatives from various social science institutes and other invited guests in attendance.
Banking Institute to take on 1,200 students | Vientiane Times, July 22
The Banking Institute, part of the Bank of the Lao PDR, will hold its annual entry exam next month for students and officials wanting to pursue further studies and a career in finance. Results from the exam will be used to select candidates to study for a higher education course at the institute for the 2013-2014 academic year. This year the prestigious institute has approval from the Bank of the Lao PDR to admit about 1,200 students after applications have rolled in from across the country.
Banking Institute Deputy Director, Dr Meemoua Yongmamoua, said the exams, set to take place at the institute in the middle of next month, will test students and officials on their general knowledge of banking and finance, as well as their proficiency in mathematics. “Undertaking further studies in the banking field is a popular choice among students, who view the expanding banking industry in Laos as providing a promising future,” she said.