[Tlc] L-Lao news summary

[justinm at ucr.edu]

FYI.
Thanks,
justin



2008-0214 - KPL News

http://www.kpl.net.la/

That Luang marsh development project explained

(KPL) Mr. Somsavat Lengsavad, LPRP CC Politburo member and
Standing Deputy Prime Minister said to the press on 11
February that the That Luang marsh would be developed as the
modern and beautiful area and a new urban development project
in Vientiane Capital.
He said that in the 8th Party Congress, the Party and
government of Laos also would like to develop the nation at a
faster pace but the development require a great fund to reach
the goal of the development. But the Lao PDR has a little fund
which is not sufficient for the national development. Laos is
a small and least developed country which is difficult to
borrow funds from foreign countries. One option to this, the
Party and government will pursue a policy of capitalisation.
Mr. Somsavat said the government had granted a 50-year
concession for the development to a joint venture between a
Lao company and a Chinese company. The companies will develop
the marsh land with a possibility of an extension in
accordance with the land law.
The Lao company expects to retain a 5 per cent share in the
investment. He confirmed that any Lao individual with enough
money could buy a property or business unit in the new
development area.
There would no discrimination among buyers and no special
concessions for Chinese citizens.
Mr. Somsavat confirmed that the Lao Government was not selling
1,000 ha of land to China and the government had not entered
into any agreements with the developers of the That Luang
marsh to bring in 50,000 Chinese families to live in the area.
Mr. Somsavat said the government had agreed to compensate
legal local owners of land in the proposed development areas.

Laos successful in artificial insemination of livestock

(KPL) The Lao PDR has recently been successful in artificial
insemination of cattle to ensure meat supply to meet local
consumption in the future.
The result is advantageous to the development plan of animal
husbandry of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which
aims to extend the livestock and fishery sector by 3.4 per
cent annually or average per capita of 40-50 kg of meat
consumption.
The artificial insemination of livestock has been carried out
by the Livestock Research Centre that the success is being
operated constantly and trained to other cowpunchers nationwide.
The centre has been successful in artificial insemination for
550 livestock, which gave birth to 115 calves. The most
outstanding practice is in Vientiane Capital and Savannakhet
province.
In addition, the centre has supplied 50 lots of sperm on each
to Nong-hinh cattle raising centre of Champassak province,
Nabong Agriculture Science Faculty, Xiengkhouang province and
30 lots of sperm to Vientiane province.
The farmers are interested in the new technique because the
output of the new technique is higher than the natural way of
breeding.
The centre plans to train farmers at its facilities nationwide.

Foreign Minister to visit Singapore

(KPL) Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs and a delegation will pay an
official cordial visit to the Republic of Singapore on 17-18
February to develop the bilateral ties of friendship and
co-operation.
According to a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
visit is at the invitation of Mr, George Yeo, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore.

Champassak: Lao-Viet Bank profit up by 8 times

(KPL) Lao-Viet Bank in Champassak province has increased its
profit by eight times from 2006, said the Head of Lao-Viet
Bank in Champassak Khamsing Sengkeomahavong.
Mr Khamsing said the profit was increased by 29% over 2007
plan. The Champassak based bank has turnover of more than 50
billion kip (US$ 5.4 million, increased by 38% from 2006.
The bank has raked in over 40 billion kip (US$ 4.4 million),
increased by 65% from 2006 or by 47% over its 2007 annual plan.
In addition, last year the bank released over 40 billion kip
(US$ 4.7 million) as loan to the locals, increased by 42% over
the year before and by 33% of 2007 annual plan.Mr Khamsing
added that in 2008, the bank was paying attention to improving
its service especially by applying the cutting-edge technology.
We also plan to increase the bank turnover by 27% and deposit
accounts by 22% from last year.

Bird flu resurfaces in Luang Namtha

(KPL) A fresh outbreak of bird flu among fowls has struck the
northernmost province of Luang Namtha, local media reported on
February 12.
According to a report from the Department of Livestock and
Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, some
600 poultry in Nam Ma village, Long district died last week
and their specimens have been tested positive to bird flu
virus strain H5N1.
The department has banned the movement and sale of poultry or
eggs in the village, and has begun spraying fowls with
disinfectants, the Vientiane Times cited head of the
department Bounkhouang Khambounheuang as saying. All poultry
within one-kilometre radius of the village will be culled, he
added. The department is now trying to check the source of the
outbreak, said Dr Bounkhouang.
Previous outbreaks were successfully contained in Vientiane
capital and in the three provinces of Savannakhet, Champassak
and Vientiane last year.
However, the northern provinces of Oudomxay, Bokeo, Luang
Prabang and Phongsaly are at a very high risk of further
outbreaks of the virus, he said.

Vientiane-Khonkaen bus route opened

(KPL) A new bus route between Vientiane and Khonkean, and
Khonkean-Vientiane is started its service today in order to
respond the increment of passengers between Laos and Thailand.
The new bus route is implemented by an agreement on
co-operation in transport between two countries with an aim to
promoting mutual trade exchange of Lao and Thai people.
This route was opened its service thanks to the cooperation
between the Bus State Enterprise of Vientiane Capital and the
Transport Company of Thailand.
According to the Bus State Enterprise of Vientiane Capital
disclosed that the bus with 45 seats would have been available
with a ware of 50,000 kip per one.
The bus service is scheduled for 8.15 am would departure from
Vientiane Capital to Khonkean and return from Khonkean at
14.15 pm.
In 2007, although the petrol price increased for 16 times the
Bus State Enterprise of Vientiane Capital has consistently
served passengers estimated over 4 million passengers.
This figure counted for 94 per cent of the plan with a total
income of 30,500 billion kip compared last year increased by
4.23 per cent and the company contributed over 2,000 billion
kip to state budget.

Ho Chi Minh Association for Helping Poor Patients donates
assistance to Laos

(KPL) The Association for Helping Poor Patients of Ho Chi
Minh, Vietnam, has donated around 50 million kip (US$ 5,000)
to the Lao Foundation for Helping Poor People.
The hand over took place last week at foundation headquarters
in Vientiane. The donation was presented by the Head of Lao
Foundation for Helping Poor People in Ho Chi Minh Mrs Bounsoo
Douangsonthi and received by the President of the Lao
Foundation for Helping Poor People Ms Sisaliao Thammathewa.
The witnesses to the presentation were Lao Consul to Ho Chi
Minh Mr. Thedlakhone Douangsonthi and the consultant to the
Lao Foundation for Helping Poor People Ms Phouthone Phoumsavad.
Last year the Association for Helping Poor People of Ho Chi
Minh donated 100 wheelchairs to the Lao Disabled People
Association and operated Lao patients with cataract.

Champassak burns poultry parts

(KPL) The Veterinary Division, Champassak Agriculture and
Forestry Service, burned over 72 kg of poultry parts and pig
internal organs, totally worth 1.4 million kip, last week.
Local officials said the animal parts had been illegally
smuggled by local merchants.
“If these merchants are found guilty at their second time they
will be fined rigorously according to the law,” said a local
officer.

Luang Namtha to raise bees in rubber plantations

(KPL) Luang Namtha province is conducting a feasibility study
on bee raising in rubber tree plantation of local farmers.
The Lao government has approved a 16,000 ha rubber tree
plantation project. Due to that, Luang Namtha province is
regarded as the largest rubber tree plantation province of the
country.
It is expected that Luang Namtha will export around 800 tonnes
of raw rubber in the near future, said Mr Sounthon.
The bee raising is aimed at helping farmers to generate more
income, said the Head of Houaphan Rubber Tree Plantation
Promotion Office Mr Sounthon Ounthala.
To ensure rubber tree plantation the concerned officials have
provided training courses to the local farmers on techniques
related to planting rubber trees.

German expert awarded with medal

(KPL) The government of Laos has awarded Second Class Labour
Medal to a German expert Dr Rolf Gennrich.
The awarding ceremony took place on 9 February in Vientiane
among the witnesses of concerned officials. The award was
presented by the Minister of Education, Dr Somkot Mangnormek.
Dr Rolf Gennrich has significantly contributed to the
development of Laos’ education, by making his greatest efforts
in improving the vocational and high education of Laos, since
1999.
In addition, Dr Rolf has significantly participated in
developing a number of the long and short-term strategies of
the government to ensure its socio-economic development.

District education heads learn education development plan

(KPL) The National University of Laos held a nationwide
training curse for district education heads on 11 February.
The chairmanship to the training was Minister of Education,
Prof. Dr. Somkot Mangnormek.
Attending the function were also Minister to the Prime
Minister’s Office, Ms. Bounpheng Mounphosay, Deputy Minister
of Education, Mr. Lytoo Bouapao and 140 education officials.
The ten-day training is designed to help district education
heads firmly grasp the national education development plan,
national education reform strategy, district education
administration
and the inspection of education works at grassroots levels.

Preserving Houai Kor water source in Sekong

(KPL) An MOU on preserving and developing Houai Kor water
source and bio-diversity in Sekong province was signed by the
representatives of the Agriculture and Forestry Service of
Sekong and the World Nature-Preservation Fund to Laos.
The signing ceremony took place at the Forestry Department in
Vientiane on Monday.
Activities to be implemented during the next three years with
a USD 185,000 include the allocation of Houai Kor water source
and bio-diversity protection area and Sekong upstream basin.
The project is also to promote the application of land
allocation plan of local authorities and reforest and the
nature-related production of local communities.
It is believed the project will benefit concerned authorities
and locals particularly villagers in the project area to
improve their living condition.
__._,_.___

______________
Dr. Justin McDaniel
Dept. of Religious Studies
2617 Humanities Building
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521
951-827-4530
justinm at ucr.edu