2016 vtn issue 028

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

1/24

4500 kipWEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2016 ISSUE 28

The First National English Language Newspaper

Vientiane Times The 10thCongress of LaoPeoples Revolutionary Party

CONTINUED PAGE 2

PRE BOOKING NOW at Huawei Brand Shop Nationwide

Pakxan bridge over Mekongcould be delayed Laos to export electricity toMyanmar, more for Vietnam

A high voltage transmission line that is used for electricity exportsto a neighbouring country. (File photo)

Times Reporters

Myanmar hopes to importelectricity from Laos at aninstalled capacity of about300 megawatts (MW) in thenear future while the exportsto Vietnam may be increasedin the next few months.

The Myanmar governmentproposed this project to Laosabout two months ago, DeputyMinister of Energy and MinesMr Viraphonh Viravong toldVientiane Timesyesterday.

Currently we are studyingthe greater detail of the project,including the transmissionlines and where the electricitywill be used, Mr Viraphonhsaid.

Speaking at the 10th PartyCongress recently, PartySecretary of the Ministryof Energy and Mines DrKhammany Inthirath reportedthat Laos will begin initialelectricity exports to Myanmarthis year.

Mr Viraphonh explainedthat the initial exports will beonly a small quantity for usein a few villages in Myanmarthat are close to Luang Namtha

province of Laos.

For the electricity exportsto Vietnam, Director Generalof Ministry of Energy andMines Energy Policy andPlanning Department, DrDaovong Phonekeo, said thatLaos will begin the exportswith a newly built power

plant , Xekaman 1, this yearin Attapeu province in thesouthern part of Laos.

According to the plan,the plant, that has three energygenerators, will start runningthe rst generator next month;then the second generator willrun in the following threemonths and the third generatoranother three months after

that, Dr Daovong said.The southern region of

Laos will have four morehydropower plants in 2017:Xekaman 4, Xekaman Sanxay,Xekong 3 and Xekong 3 Ha.

Importing electricityfrom neighbouring countries,including Laos, is one of severalmeasures being adopted to helpVietnam meet the electricitydemand for socio-economicdevelopment, according to aVNS report.

These projects are expectedto help partially address

the urgent requirement forelectricity plants for the periodending in 2020.

Dr Khammany said thatas of 2015, Laos has built 38

power plant s at a total costof more than 81.7 trillion kip(US$10 billion), with a totalinstalled capacity of 6,265MW.

They can generate 33,315million kWh of electricity ayear; and some 20.4 percentof the power generated isconsumed in Laos while 79.6

percent is exported.Laos and Thailand are still using some ferries for goods transportation across the shared MekongRiver border in Borikhamxay province. --Photo Poonsab

Khonesavanh Latsaphao

The fth Lao-Thai FriendshipBridge across Mekong Riverin Borikhamxay province maynot be commenced this year asthe government is not readyto finance its share of theconstruction costs.

An official from theMinistry of Public Worksand Transport told VientianeTimes at the end of last yearconstruction of the bridgecould start in 2016.

However Director ofthe provincial Planning andInvestment Department, MrPhonethilat Sitsathone, saidon Monday that it depends onthe decision of some seniorofcials who have unofciallydiscussed the issue and decidedthat it may in fact commencein 2017.

After the unofficialconversation it was decided

that work may not start onthe bridge this year becausethe government is now inquite difficult f inancialcircumstances, Mr Phonethilatsaid.

The design of the bridgespanning the Mekong River hasalready been completed and ithas been agreed that it willhelp to boost trade, investment,tourism and transport in theregion.

Thailand proposed toshare the cost 50/50 for the

construction of the Mekongbridge between Borikhamxayprov ince wi th Bueng Kanprovince in Thailand.

According to the Ministryof Public Works and Transport,Laos has never proposed analternative arrangement toThailand in regards to fundingthe cost of construction ofthe fth Lao-Thai FriendshipBridge. However, Thailand

answered that it is amenableto an alternative proposal fromLaos for its consideration.

Once opened, the bridgewill offer a major transportroute between Thailand andseveral cities in Vietnam.

Coming from Bueng Kanprovince, vehicles will travelaround 150km to reach NgeAn province in Vietnam viaLao National Highway No 8 inBorikhamxay province.

In Nge An, the route thenlinks up with roads to Hanoi,

Danang and other areas ofVietnam.

The new bridge will alsofurther open up northern Lao

provinces like Xieng Khuangand Huaphan to tourists fromThailand.

The bridge will likelypro vide a further boost toBorikhamxays already fast-growing economy.

CONTINUED PAGE 2

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

2/24

2 Vientiane TimesHome news Wednesday February 3, 2016

Supervisor:Savankhone Razmountry

Editor-in-ChiefThonglor DuangsavanhTel: 021 [email protected]

Deputy Editor-in-ChiefPhonekeo VorakhounTel: 021 336042

[email protected]

Lao Press in Foreign Languages

Vientiane Times

Established 1994, Volume 22Tel: (856-21)336042, Fax:(856-21) [email protected]

If you have a problem

accessing the website,

please call directly to

Tel: +856-21 336048;

020 55729209

Email:

editor@

vientianetimes.la

Deputy Editor-in-Chiefand Features Editor:Phon ThikeoTel: 55624351, 021 336047

[email protected]

News Editor:Sisay VilaysackTel: 55615716, 021-336045,Fax: [email protected]

Business Editor:Panyasith ThammavongsaTel: 021-336047,020 77707411

Graphic Designer/IT:Malaythong PhayanouvongTel: 021 336048, 02055729209

Copy Sub-editor:Elizabeth Winch

Finance Manager:

Somphone VongsaTel: 336040, 020 55647291

Marketing Manager:Phoutthasack InthakoummaneTel: 021 336042,Fax: 336041Mobile: 020 55599209email: [email protected]

Online advertisementAdvertising your products at www.vientianetimes.org.

la will bring benets to your company. Customersaround the world will appreciate the quality of your productsvia the Vientiane Times website. For more information please

contact: Tel: 336042, 336048Fax: 336041, Email: [email protected]

Currently, there are four Lao-Thai Friendship Bridges across Mekong River; the rst connects

Vientiane to Thailands Nong Khai province and the second connects Savannakhet province and

Mukdahan province in Thailand. The third bridge connects Khammuan province with Thailands

Nakhon Phanom and the fourth links Bokeo province in the north of Laos with Chiang Rai

province of Thailand.

Currently, the nation has also seen the opening of the rst Laos-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in

Luang Namtha province. The bridge links Xienglab Township in Thachilek district of Myanmars

Shan State with Xiengkok village in Long district, Luang Namtha province, northern Laos.

Pakxan bridge over...FROM PAGE 1

Times Reporters

Vientiane police and authoritiesin Hadxaifong district aresearching for an old sacredBuddha image stolen from VatPartemple of Nalong village,

Hadxaifong district.A n o f f i c i a l o f t h e

Interrogative and Investigativesection of Vientiane PoliceOffice told Vientiane Timesyesterday that someone snuckinto the temple Saturday nightand stole the old Buddha imagealong with four smaller ones.

The old sacred bronzeBuddha image has beenrevered by villagers for a longtime who dont actually knowits age.

Hadxaifong police searching forstolen Buddha image

Every year villagers willwash the Buddha image with itthought to bring good fortuneto devotees.

In the incident, thievesbroke into the temple while twonovices slept. Following initial

investigations Police suspectthe perpetrators maybe livingin the village because of pasttemple break-ins where moneywas also stolen.

Currently Nalong villageauthorities and Hadxaifong

police are working together intheir investigation searchingfor the Buddha image.

Meanwhile, Xaysetthapolice and authorities in Xokyaivillage, Xaysettha district arealso continuing their search for

a sacred Buddha image stolenalmost two months ago that hasnot yet been found.

A monk from Xokyai templeSoukansone Phommanychanhsaid, The Buddha image is

bronze and over 100 years

old. It has been revered byXokyai temple devotees for along time.

Many people in othervillages, not only Xokyai, respectthe sacred Buddha image. MonkSoukansone said.

Author i t ies are a lsourging shops to be vigilantfor anyone trying to sell thestolen Buddha image and tonotify them immediately so thesacred object can be returned toXokyai temple.

Times Reporters

The New Zealand Ambassador-designate to Lao PDR, Mr Ben

King ofcially announced theopening of the New Zealand-Asean Scholar Awards (NZAS)2016 Selection Round onMonday.

Mr King stated that thescholarships aim to empowerindividuals with the knowledge,skills and qualifications tocontribute to the economic,social, and political developmentof their country.

The ambassador noted thatNew Zealands internationallyrenowned tertiary institutionsoffer a wide range ofhighly-valued postgraduatequalications, and encouragedall potential candidates to applyfor the NZAS 2016 Selection

Round. New Zealand is offeringup to 35 scholarships in the2016 Selection Round for thoseseeking to study in areas thatcontribute to the developmentof Lao PDR, according to a

New Zealand AseanScholar Awards open

NZAS students studying English in Vientiane who will depart for study in New Zealand this year.

statement from the embassyyesterday.

The priority areas for the2016 Selection Round include

agriculture development, privatesector development includingtourism, renewable energy,disaster risk management, publicsector management and Englishlanguage teaching. Awardsare offered for PostgraduateDiploma, Masters and PhDlevel study.

The applications for NZAS2016 to undertake postgraduatestudy in New Zealand are nowopen and will close on April 15(Paper Applications) and April30 (Online Applications).

T h e N e w Z e a l a n dGovernment is committed to

providing opportunities for alland particularly encouragesapplications from suitably

qualied women and provincialcandidates.

The New Zealand-AseanScholar Awards (NZAS)recognise New Zealandsclose cultural, economic, and

geographic ties with SoutheastAsia. They seek to empowerindividuals with the knowledge,skills and qualifications to

contribute to the economic,social, and political developmentof their region. NZAS are offeredfor postgraduate level study.

NZAS are funded by theNew Zealand Aid Programme,the New Zealand Governmentsi n t e r n a t i o n a l a i d a n ddevelopment programme. Theyare managed by the Ministry ofForeign Affairs and Trade.

To date, more than 160fellows have been sent to NewZealand and 135 have completedtheir respective degrees andreturned to Laos since the

programme launched in 2005,according to the embassy.

For further information,please contact Vientiane College,

23 Singha Road, P.O. Box 4144,Vientiane, Lao PDR.Tel: 021 414 873, 412 598,Email: [email protected]

Website: http://vientianecollege.com/

www.aid.govt.nz

Viraphonh said the exports shall be mainlyto Thailand while the rest will go to Vietnamand Cambodia.

Under current arrangements the generatedenergy is for both local supply and export toThailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. The sectoralso has the potential development of anelectricity grid linking Laos and Singapore andtrading in electricity is possible as Thailand andMalaysia would also benet from the project.

Laos will push for the acceleration of energy

integration under the Asean Power Grid (APG)to address the imbalance in the distribution of

power-generating resources in the region.APG aims to connect countries with surplus

power generation capacity to those who face adecit. The intention is to link up power linesin the 10 Asean nations by 2020.

Laos can help Asean countries to reduce theiruse of fossil fuels, which are the main source ofgreenhouse gas emissions, and importantly can

also help Asean to stabilise its power supply.

Laos to export electricity...FROM PAGE 1

A rescue worker at the scene of the building collapse.

Times Reporters

An old building, whichpartially collapsed on Mondayin Vientiane, injured anAmerican lady who was nowrecovering, an ofcial has said.

The woman was walkingpast the two-storey buildingon Setthathirath Road inHaisok village, Chanthaboulydistrict when the front part

Woman injured as old building collapsesof the building collapsedon her between about 4 and

5pm. The building belongs tothe Ministry of Information,Culture and Tourism.

A video clip and picturescirculated online showed theAmerican woman lying on theground surrounded by debriswith some wounds and bloodon her body.

The injured woman was

later transferred to a hospital inVientiane and she was conrmed

as recovering. The ofcial saidLao authorities visited the victim.There i s no off ic ia l

conrmation on the cause ofthe collapse, but the age of the

building was a likely factor.However, the actual date whenthe building was built wasstill unclear as officials arechecking, the ofcial said.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

3/24

3Vientiane Times Wednesday February 3, 2016 Home news

Times Reporters

Chinese visitor numbers to LuangPrabang town are expected toincrease slightly to 6,500-7,000a day during Chinese New Yearfrom February 7-17, accordingto local ofcials.

A senior ofcial from LuangPrabang Provincial Departmentof Information, Culture and

Tourism Mr KhonsavanhChelakha explained the numberof tourists would be up somewhatcompared to last years dailygure of 5,000-6,000.

Last year Luang Prabangshotels and resorts couldntsupply enough rooms forChinese tourists, so this year,the department is working togive visitors other alternativeaccommodation.

Authorities are arrangingtemporary accommodation forChinese tourists such as tentsand extra parking spaces in thesuburbs as these visitors oftenuse private cars to cross the

border to World Heritage LuangPrabang.

According to provincialofficials, Luang Prabangcurrently had 76 hotels andresorts with 1,914 rooms, and 372guesthouses with 2,628 rooms.He expected that over the nexttwo years, the province wouldadd an additional 200 rooms with15 new boutique hotels presentlyunder construction.

Luang Prabang expecting additionaltourists for Chinese New Year

The World Heritage city of Luang Prabang is gearing up for Chinese New Year.

When nished, they will addto the accommodation supplyand help fuel further tourismindustry growth and investment

in the province.Mr Phonesavanh explained

that the number of hotels hadgrown because the province hadimproved its infrastructure whichattracted investors each year, aswell as reforming marketing to

promote tourism through onlinechannels. The province has seenincreasing numbers of Chinese,

Korean and Australian tourists,with direct flights to the cityespecially helping the north Asiamarket.

Tourist arrivals in LuangPrabang last year were 607,584,an increase of 16 percentcompared to 2014, and tourismrevenue reached US$189 million.

The data showed the numberof Chinese visitors was morethan 60,793 in 2015, an increaseof 50 percent compared to the

previous year. The Chinese

business sector has also madefrequent visits to Laos lookingto invest in tourism related

businesses to accommodate the

inux of their tourists.The province expected

revenue of more than 1.41trillion kip over the nextfive years, with around 85-90 percent of tax and dutycollection coming from thetrade and services sector,according to the ProvincialFinance Department.

Times Reporters

Assessment results have shownthat at schools where librarieshave been established by Room

to Read Laos, the number ofchildren who enjoy reading hasincreased to about 60 percent,compared to 37 percent in non-

project schools.Room to Read Laos has

noted the impacts from Room toRead Laos projects, with localchildren improving their readingskills and uency by threefoldcompared to non-project schools.

In collaboration withthe Research Institution forEducation Science, Room toRead Laos develops and pilotsthe new Grades 1 and 2 Laolanguage supplementary student

books for primary schools inLaos.

Currently, 220 girls graduated

from upper secondary schoolsand 139 girls or 63 percent ofthese graduates will continuetheir study at medium or highereducation institutes including at

bachelor level.Room to Read Laos has

received various awards from theMinistry of Information, Cultureand Tourism for its efforts inencouraging children to read,including in 2007, 2008, 2010and 2013.

Room to Read Laos has alsoorganised literacy programmesand girls education programmes,teacher training and supportas well as providing readingmaterials and learning spacesfor communities in Laos. These

programmes are currently runningin the provinces of Oudomxay,

Lao children report moreinterest in reading

Teachers and children read books at a local school in Savannakhet province which has just had alibrary established by Room to Read Laos.

Xayaboury, Vientiane province,Savannakhet, Champassak andSaravan. They just enlargedthe literacy programme to thedistricts of Pakxe and Phonthongin Champassak province thisyear.

Room to Read Laos recentlycompleted projects in Phongsaly,Borikhamxay and Khammuan

provinces at the end of last year.According to the ve year

plan from 2016-2020, theywill expand new projects inChampassak province andVientiane.

Room to Read provides

much more than a space forstoring books. Room to Reads

literacy programme transformsprimary schools into a child-friendly learning environmentthat enables children to developthe skill and habit of readingthroughout primary school and

become life-long, independentreaders.

Room to Read providesmuch more than material supportto girls. Room to Reads girlseducation programme ensuresthat girls complete secondaryschool and have skills tonegotiate key life decisions.

The programme reinforcesgirls commitment to their own

education, works with girlsto develop essential life skills

and increases support for girlseducation among their parents,school staff and communities.

According to Room toRead Laos, in the period from2005 to 2015 more than 2,300girls benetted from the girlseducation programme.

Room to Read Laosorganised more than 1,100school libraries, constructed 84reading rooms, and published184 children books anddistributed books to more than1.7 million children.

It also provided instruction inreading and writing to students

in Grades 1 and 2 at 70 schoolsin Laos.

The Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) has extendedits best wishes to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)on the occasion of its 86th anniversary, which came today.

On behalf of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary PartyCentral Committee, its members and the Lao multiethnic

people, we would like to extend best wishes and fraternalfriendship greetings to the Vietnamese Communist Partys

Central Committee, the Party members, and all Vietnamesepeople on the occasion of the anniversary, the LPRP saidin the message.

The LPRP made note in the message of the foundationof the CPV on February 3, 1930 by Ho Chi Minh, sincewhich the CPV has led all triumphal successes in the ghtfor national liberation, and eventually led to the unicationof the country in 1975.

The LPRP made mention about the achievements ofVietnam in the process of national defence and development,especially in the past 30 years of implementing therenovation policy under the leadership of the CPV.

It noted that political stability and social order havebeen maintained, economic development has been steadilydynamic, and peoples livelihoods have been improved in

both material and spiritual terms.The LPRP leaders expressed their condence that the

Vietnamese people, under the clear-sighted leadership of theCPV led by Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong, wouldgain new and greater triumphal success in implementing the

resolutions of the 12th Congress of the CPV.The LPRP Central Committees External RelationsCommittee Head Ms Sounthone Xayachak also sent a messageto her Vietnamese counterpart Mr Hoang Binh Quan toextend best wishes to the CPV Central Committees ExternalCommittee leaders and ofcials on the occasion.

Party extends wishes toVietnamese counterparts

Xayxana Leukai

The National Programme

of Immunisation (NPI) willprovide the free third roundof Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV)from February 21-29, therebycreating a full lifelong immunityto the disease among recipientchildren aged 15 years oryounger.

The f i r s t round wasconducted from December 21-31, 2015 and the second roundcampaigned between January21-31 this year. The two roundsof the vaccination campaignreached more than 95 percentof the target group on eachoccasion.

About 2.4 million targetgroups in 19 districts receivedvaccines in the rst and second

rounds. The programme isexpected that target people in45 districts will be a part ofthe third round of the vaccinecampaign.

The NPI Manager, DrAnonh Xeuatvongsa said thatchildren who missed the rstround or second round of thevaccine campaign are advisedto receive the vaccine at nearbydispensaries, hospitals and allhealthcare centres.

However, the periodbetween vaccines given for eachperson should be at least twoweeks apart with the vaccine

being the same.All children who received

all three doses of OPV, they will

have lifelong immunity againstpolio, said Dr Anonh.

Even though medical staffhave been working very hard inthe past months to provide therst round and second round ofOPV they have to continue tosend this message to access thetarget groups who have yet toreceive the vaccine.

Third round of poliocampaign

begins this monthSince the beginning of the

month preparations for thisnationwide campaign have

been underway in the massmedia, mass organisations likethe Lao Front for NationalConstruction, Lao WomensUnion and 10,000 village headsand village elders.

The National Commissionfor Mother and Child has

been briefed on the upcomingcampaign and how they cansupport it in terms of socialmobilisation to encourage theirvillagers to get vaccinated.

In the community, religiousleaders, teachers and villagehealth volunteers are alsoworking with the village headsand mass organisation staffto inform families, parentsand students on the dates of

vaccination.According to the World

Health Organisation, childrenunder one and those that werenot in schools from 1 to 5 yearsof age remained a challengefor health workers/vaccinators.This relies on parents bringingtheir children for vaccination atthe xed locations.

Polio is a serious diseasethat can cause paralysis anddeath. There is no cure for polio;however we can protect ourchildren from polio by gettingthem vaccinated.

If a population is fullyimmunised, they will get

protected against the spread ofthis virus. All children under

15 should receive three dosesof OPV.

It is important for allfamilies to look out for thevaccination campaign fromFebruary 21-29. If you loveyour children, protect themfrom polio, as permanent polio

paralysis cannot be reversed,the WHO stated.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

4/24

4 Vientiane TimesHome news Wednesday February 3, 2016

News in Brief

Suspected drug dealer nabbed in Savannakhet

Savannakhet provincial police recently apprehended a targeted drug dealer in Nongbuathavillage, Songkhon district, of the province and conscated 800 amphetamine tablets.Police stopped the target motorbike in Songkhon district and found 800 amphetamine

pills in a young mans trouser pockets. They have detained Mr Visouk, 18, ofLattanalangsi village, Songkhon district, according toKhuamsangobNewspaper.Police said they set up a roadblock to stop and check vehicles after receiving a tipofffrom local people in Nongbuatha that amphetamines were being traded.Mr Visouk admitted to police the 800 amphetamine pills were his. Police are continuing

to investigate the case.

Dry season crops cover 87,000 hectares

More than 87,000 hectares of dry season crops are under cultivation nationwide equal to17 percent of the plan,LaophatthanaNewspaperreported recently.The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported that most of the crops are sweetcorn, beans and seasonal crops. Besides that, farmers nationwide have transplanted riceseedlings on more than 72,000 hectares equal to 66 percent of the plan and were on targetto nish the transplanting in March. The central areas of the country had transplantedseedlings on 50,000 hectares, or 72 percent of the plan, 18,000 hectares or 54 percent inthe south and 38,000 hectares or 45 percent in the north.

Xayaboury preparing to welcome 200,000 visitors for elephant festival

Xayaboury province is hoping more than 200,000 spectators will experience the elephantfestival from February 15 to 21,LaosphatthanaNewspaperreported recently.Deputy Director of the provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department saidmost sectors were ready for the event, especially hotels, restaurants, and venues hostingfestival activities for visitors, with numbers expected to be up on last years 150,000.

The festival will include activities featuring more than 60 elephants and other eventsaiming to promote the protection of elephants and tourism development in the province.

Saravan invests over 21 billion kip to upgrade infrastructure

In the past ve years Saravan province has used over 21 billion kip for upgradinginfrastructure in the three districts of Toumlan, Ta-oy, and Samuay, Poverty ReductionFund reported recently. Poverty Reduction Fund representatives in the province said they

began the project in 2010 with 73 projects having been implemented in 145 villages.Over 21 billion kip has been spent on education, health, public works and transport,energy and mines, agriculture and forestry projects. Some 12 projects received fundingsupport from the government amounting to 3 billion kip, and more than 1 billion kip wascontributed by local residents.Authorities also said over 5 billion kip would be used for 29 projects this year in threedistricts: nine projects in Samuay district, and 10 projects each in Ta-oy and Toumlandistricts.

Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth

Laos must improve itscooperation and strengthencoordination for preparednessand disaster response betweenthe government and localauthorities.

There have been manyreports on disaster risk

management, disaster reportingand helping victims in thecountry but disaster responsesare still lacking. A meeting took

place in Vientiane yesterdayto discuss disaster response,attended by Project Manager ofthe International Organisationfor Migration (IOM), Mr JamesLette and disaster risk expertsfrom all ministries of the LaoPDR, not just the main actors inemergency management.

During the meeting,pa rt ic ipan ts repo rt ed theprogress of their activities andexperiences in reporting ondisaster response as part of

Nation must improve coordinationfor disaster response

Mr Prasong Vongkhamchanh (seated, right) and Mr James Lette (seated, left).

the project Strengthening theCapacity of the Governmentof the Lao PDR to Respond toHumanitarian Emergencies.

One s en i o r o f f i c i a lworking for the project said theorientation training on disasterrisk management will present

bas ic concep ts to min ist ryofcials that can be used in their

everyday work. This includesa global overview of disasters,how disaster is linked to climatechange, the legal frameworkfor disasters (national, regional,and international), and howto conduct post-disasterassessments.

Speaking at the meeting,Director General of the SocialWelfare Department underthe Ministry of Labour andSocial Welfare, Mr PrasongVongkhamchanh said that forseveral years, the coordinationfor preparedness and responseon disasters in the country has

been lacking in quality. Often the

target groups cannot be accessedand many local authorities inthe country still cannot reportaccurately on what is happeningin their areas.

Mr Prasong said thattraining workshops play animportant role in improvingcooperation and strengtheningcoordination for preparedness

in disaster response betweenthe government and localauthorities.

Mr James Lette notedthat We were able to see thatgovernment ofcials were veryinterested in our training.

We believe that localgovernment ofcials will betterunderstand how to establishemergency shelters such ascollective centres at temples orother public buildings. Ofcialsunderstand how to assessvulnerable groups, appropriate

buildings for shelters, and meetthe needs of men, women, andchildren in these situations.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

5/24

Vientiane Times Wednesday February 3, 2016 Photo news 5

The Lao-German Friendship Association (LGFA) and the Embassy of the Federal Republic ofGermany to Laos donate sporting equipment and other items for Borikhamxay province recentlyto celebrate the 58th Anniversary of Lao-German Diplomatic Relations.

DeputyPrime Minister

and Ministerof Education

and Sports,Mr Phankham

Viphavanh(right) inspectsproducts at the

Lao-ITECC tradefair in Vientiane

on Mondaymarking the 60th

anniversary of theestablishment the

Lao Federationof Trade Unions

(February 1, 1956 -February 1, 2016).

Minister to the Government Ofce Dr Sonexay Siphandone (right), recently received 250 millionkip from Emoun Hydro Power Company to help provide relief for people affected by the chillyweather recently, especially in the northern parts of the country.

Authorities concerned should hurry to repair the many broken manhole covers on the roads becausethey are putting road users lives at risk. This is one example at a crossroads in Saphanthong Taivillage of Sisattanak district.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

6/24

6 Vientiane TimesWednesday February 3, 2016

Region

S

In brief from AsiaNews Network

SOUTH KOREA (The Korea Herald,ANN) -- South Koreas healthauthorities released a set of measuresTuesday to prevent a possible outbreakof the Zika virus, including a plan to

ban blood donations from travelersreturning from Zika-affected regions.

The announcement came just hoursafter the World Health Organisationdesignated the virus and its suspectedcomplications in newborns as aninternational health emergency.

In an emergency meeting chairedby Heal th Minister Chung Chin-youb in Seoul, health authoritiesand medical professionals agreed tostrengthen blood safety measuresat all medical facilities nationwide,

banning those who have traveled toZika-affected countries from donating

blood for at least 30 days upon theirreturn to Korea, as well as comingup with more efcient and scienticmethods to control mosquitos beforethe summer months arrive.

They also agreed to releaseguidelines for pregnant women,

Jeong Eun-kyung, acting head of the Korea Centres for Disease Control andPrevention, speaks during a meeting to discuss measures to prevent the spreadof the Zika virus in Seoul. --Photo Yonhap

Korea to limit blood donations as Zika spreadswho are considered to be the mostvulnerable to the virus, as soon as

possible.Although the possibility of the

Zika virus spreading in South Korea isvery low - as no mosquitos are activeduring the winter months - we willmake sure we are fully prepared andequipped to deal with the virus shouldit spread in the country, Chung saidduring the meeting.

WHO on Monday issued aworldwide warning that the Zikavirus - transmitted through an infectedmosquito that causes mild symptomssuch as fever - is a global publichealth emergency that requires aunited response. The agency claimedthe infection has been linked to casesof microcephaly, in which babies are

born with abnormally small heads andunderdeveloped brains. The specicwarning - officially titled PublicHealth Emergency of InternationalConcern - has been issued by WHOonly three times before, for the 2014outbreak of Ebola, the 2009 pandemic

of swine u and the 2014 resurgenceof polio after its near eradication.

When asked about WHOsdecision, Jeong Eun-kyung, actinghead of the Korea Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, said thecurrent situation was alarmingworldwide, especially because thereare no vaccines or rapid and reliablediagnostic tests available.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) --Australias prime minister toldgovernment colleagues on Tuesday thatan earlygeneral election within weekswas a live option, an ofcial said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbullalone decides the timing of the nextelection. He has maintained that he

plans for his government to run a fullthree-year term which would make theelection due around September.

Australian ofcial says PM isconsidering an early election

But he told his colleagues at theirrst meeting at Parliament House forthe year that the election could be calledmuch sooner, a government ministersaid.

Turnbull said he could call a doubledissolution election, so-called because

both the House of Representatives andthe Senate are dissolved.

Turnbull told his colleagues wecan reasonably expect an election to

be at the normal time, in the August-to-October period, but that is not setin stone, the minister told reporterson condition of anonymity because hewas speaking as a spokesman for themeeting rather than as himself.

He said a double dissolution wasa live option, which would have to beweighed up, the minister said.

An ordinary election in which theentire House of Representatives andhalf the Senate go to the polls can beheld any time from Aug. 6 until January14 next year.

A double dissolution election canbe called earlier to break a legislative

dead lock after the Senate has twicerejected a bill passed by the Houseof Representatives. After the earlyelection, the rejected bill goes to a votein a joint sitting of both chambers.

The Senate has already twicerejected a minor bill on improvinggovernance of organisations, meaningTurnbull could call an election as earlyas March 12.

He can also use the threat of an earlyelection to pressure a hostile Senate into

passing legislation, for example, a billto create a new construction industrywatchdog that the Senate has alreadyrejected once.

Constitution doesnotpermit foreign judgesSRI LANKA (The Island)-- Pledging to make the SriLankan Parliament the strongest

in Asia, Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe said inColombo on Monday that theConstitution only permittedparticipation of foreign

judges in domestic inquiries,but did not allow them to sitin judgment. Addressing theCommonwealth ParliamentaryAssociations Asia RegionalSeminar under the theme, Roleof Parliament in the Promotionand Protection of HumanRights, the Prime Minister saidthat the election of MaithripalaSirisena as President had led tothe protection of human rightsof all communities.

Widespread rain and

windy conditionsexpectedSINGAPORE (The StraitsTimes) Dont forget yourumbrella when you go visitingthis Chinese New Year, as amonsoon surge is expected tohit the region, bringing with itwidespread rain and occasionalwindy conditions. Rainfall forthe rst two weeks of Februaryis expected to be slightly aboveaverage, with short-durationthundery showers in theafternoons of four to ve days,said the Meteorological ServiceSingapore on Monday.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

7/24

Vientiane Times 77Wednesday February 3, 2016 Region

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Burapha Agroforestry Co., Ltd is a Swedish/Lao plantation and wood productsmanufacturing company, with it's own sawmill, processing facilities and plantations.We are committed to managing and developing our business in a sustainable manner.Balancing our economic, environmental and social responsibilities is necessary forsustainable business and benecial to all stakeholders.

We are looking for Lao Nationals or Expatriates to join our Company.

Sales Manager Location: Vientiane Head Ofce Candidate prole:We are looking for a high-performing Sales Manager to increase our revenue growthtargets in both export and Lao markets. We expect you to be service minded andprofessional in contact with our customers and you will also be responsible for ndingnew markets and customers.

Key Responsibilities: - Design and implement a strategic business plan that expands companys

customer base - Build and promote strong, long-lasting customer relationships by partnering

with them and understanding their needs - Present sales, revenue and expenses reports and realistic forecasts to the

management team

Qualications/Experience:

- Bachelor or Master degree in business administration or a related eld - Successful previous experience as a sales representative or sales manager - Ability to communicate, present and inuence - Proven ability to drive the sales process from plan to close - Strong business sense and industry expertise - Evaluate customers needs and build productive long lasting relationships - Fluent in English and Lao - Good computer skills

Deputy Chief Financial Ofcer Location: Vientiane Head Ofce Candidate prole: We are looking for a high-performing Deputy CFO to asssit our CFO and Finance

team of 8 people.The Deputy will help improving accounting accuracy and key process controls.He/she will be involved in the teams projects, including move to a new accountingsoftware and to online banking, review of asset registers, update of internal policiesand trainings. He/she will be part of a fast growing company, and can expect rapidcareer advancement accordingly.

Key Responsibilities:- Responsible for nancial report submissions to Lao tax authorities- Oversee account reconciliations

(Balance sheet accounts, SSO, salary tax, VAT)- Review and approval of day to day payments,- Review of accounting entries- Conduct random audits of past entries and payments sent from the eld

Qualications/Experience:- Bachelor or Master degree in Finance / accounting, or related qualication- Completion of Lao CPA course is preferable- Successful previous experience in accounting- Ability to work independently and take initiative- Ability to communicate with and inuence others- Advanced computer skills (Microsoft Excel)- Native speaker or uent in lao, working knowledge of English

Receptionist / Secretary Location: Vientiane Head Ofce

Key Responsibilities:- Perform clerical function by preparing correspondence, translating

documents, receiving visitors and answering or directing inquiries.- Word processing.- Audio and copy typing.- Letter writing.- Creating and maintaining ling systems.- Scheduling and attending meetings, creating agendas and taking minutes.- Ordering and maintaining stationery and equipment;- Maintain and update websites- Arranging travel and accommodation for staff or customers and other external

contacts- Liaises between department of the company

Qualications/Experience:- At least 1 year experience in administrative or secretarial job- Fluent in English and Lao- Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, Power point, Outlook)

Interested candidates should send CV, proof of qualications and a cover letter to: [email protected]: 021 451 841 -2. 46 Kaysone Phomvihane Road, Ban Phonesaath, Xaysettha District,Vientiane Capital.

Any questions concerning Sales Manager position will be answered by Industry Manager,Mrs. Anna ForsenTel: 020 9865 2891, E-mail: [email protected],Deputy Chief Financial Ofcer position will be answered by CFO, Mr. Hugues Ameline.Tel: 020 761 499 57E-mail: [email protected],

Closing date: 19-02-2016

CHINA (China Daily, ANN)-- The national environmentalauthority found severelyexcessive pollution emissionsduring inspections of 648companies in 59 cities inDecember, and it promised

tougher punishment this yearunder a newly enacted air

pollution control law.In Decembers monthly

i n s p e c t i o n s t a r g e t i n gcompanies that discharge air

pol lut ants, the Mini str y ofEnvironmental Protection andits inspection teams foundthat excessive emissionswere a big problem in the59 cities that were inspected,said Zou Shoumin, head ofthe ministrys EnvironmentalInspection Bureau, on Monday.

Among the 648 inspectedcompanies, the ministry found31 polluters that directlydischarged pollutants intothe air or did not use required

facilities to reduce pollution.The December inspections

covered many provinces innortheastern, northern, centraland southern regions, including

Shanxi, Sichuan, Guangdongand Shaanxi provinces.

Some companies failedto obey requirements. Forexample, a thermal power plantin Zhongshan, Guangdong,continued to pollute, despite

bei ng ord er ed 11 ti me ssince June 29 by the citysenvironmental bureau to stop

polluting.ive of the companies that

were found to be pollutingprovided heating services tothe cities of Xianyang, Shaanxi

pro vince, and Cha ngchun ,Jilin province.

All the polluters havereceived tough punishment,said Zou.

F o r e x a m p l e , t h eenvironmental watchdog ofAnshan, Liaoning province,exposed an iron mine companyin the city with excessiveemissions and fined it ona daily basis, totaling 4.82

million yuan (US$733,000).Imposing daily fines for

companies that persist inpolluting is one of the powerfultools provided by the Law on

Environmental Protection.Between January and

November, the total amount ofdaily nes levied against 611

polluting companies reached485 million yuan, Zou said.

The ministry and local

bureaus inspected 1.58 millioncompanies, exposing 51,000

polluting companies in the rst11 months of last year.

Meanwhile, the Law onthe Prevention and Control ofAtmospheric Pollution tookeffect on January 1.

We will highlight theresponsibilities of localgovernments in protectingair quality during the lawsimplementation, said WangJian, deputy head of theministrys Pollution ControlBureau. The punishment of

polluters will also get tougher.The newly implemented

law will facilitate air pollutioncontrol, along with the law

revised last year and a nationalcampaign against air pollution,increasing the cost to companieswith excessive emissions if theyworsen air quality, Wang said.

Excessive emissions a bigproblem in 59 cities

INDIA (The Statesman, ANN)-- Agitated over the allegedassault on student protesters by

police, students from variousuniversities across Delhi onTuesday taged a protest outside

po li ce head qu ar te rs he reblocking the trafc at ITO.

A video of police thrashinga group of students withsticks and fists and draggingwomen by their hair outsideRSS headquarters here duringa protest over Dalit studentRohith Vemulas suicide hadtriggered widespread outragewith Congress and AAP seekingaction against the erring cops.

The students from KrantikariYuva Sangathan (KYS) andLeft-backed All India StudentsAssociation (AISA) staged ademonstration outside the policeheadquarters demanding actionagainst the cops who allegedly

Students protest against copattack on protesters

assaulted the protesting students.Government is not listening

to our demands, police isattacking us, where are thestudents supposed to go? Hangourselves like Rohith did andsuccumb to their atrocities?,said JNU Students Union Vice

President Shehla Rashid Shora.A KYS protester said, The

poli ce commissi oner needsto tell the country why cops

behaved in this manner and onwhose instructions they did so.They were so prompt in takingaction against the students, whyis the top cop not acting againsthis own policemen now?

The protest by the studentscaused trafc jam at the ITOstretch as they did not allow thevehicles to move ahead.

The students alleged thatthey have been treated in similarmanner by the police whenever

they have tried to stage anydemonstrations and raise theirvoice against any issue.

Be it the Occupy UGCmovement or protests againstsexual harassment by any

professor, we always had toface similar crackdown from

police. So many times we triedto go to the HRD Ministry butwe were not even allowed tosubmit memorandums, saidSunny Kumar, a protester.

The students from JawaharlalNehru University had decidedto go on an indenite hungerstrike last week when theywere detained from outsideHRD Ministry for staging a

protest there against the allegeddelay in justice to Vemula, aDalit PhD scholar who wasfound hanging at HyderabadCentral Universitys hostelon January 17.

TAIWAN (AP) -- A Taiwanesecounty has built an enormousglass shoe as a tribute to localwomen who suffered from adebilitating foot disease.

Completed last month,the transparent 17-metre tallstructure in Chiayi county inthe southwest of the islandhas already attracted largenumbers of visitors even

before it official ly opens intwo weeks.

Intended for use as a weddinghall and tourist attraction,the shoe honors women whosuffered in the past from arsenic

poisoning from well water thatcaused gangrene, a conditionsometimes known as black feetdisease.

Because feet often had to beamputated, many women faceddiscrimination and were unableto marry or start families, letalone wear high-heeled shoes.

Basically, this is built not

only to remind us of the timewhen people suffered from thedisease, but also to representour hope that women can nowrealise their dreams of walkingtoward their blissful future intheir high-heels, said the countygovernment head Helen Chang.

Visitor Lin Yi-ling, 56, saidthe glass shoe was a fittingtribute to the women whodsuffered from the disease. Sowhen I learned the history

behind the high-heel weddinghall, I thought I should come tovisit, Lin said.

Taiwan county builds huge glass shoeas tribute to women

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

8/24


World

Cubas Castro payshistoric visit to France

French President Francois Hollande (left) welcomes his Cubancounterpart Raul Castro at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France.

--Photo Xinhua

PARIS (Xinhua) -- CubanPresident Raul Castro onMonday paid a historic state

visit to France, the rst ever bya Cuban leader in two decades,with a view to reinforce bilateralties, increase trade links, anddiscuss debt relief.

The two-day visit reectsCubas friendship and highesteem, the French presidentsofce said in a press release.

At the Elysee Palace, FrenchPresident Francois Hollanderolled out the red carpet for theCuban leader, who is seeking to

bolster Havanas connectionswith the West after beingisolated for decades.

During a one-hour talk, bothleaders are to discuss ways to

inject dynamism into a bilateraleconomic partnership viatourism and transport, in addition

to development accords.Besides, they are to sign anagreement to write off US8.5

bill ion of Cubas US$11.9-billion- debt, to convert it intofinancing for development

projects expected to help Havanaquicken its growth.

Frances sales to Cubatotalled 131 million euros(US$142.8 million) for Januaryto November 2015, down from157 million euros in 2014,figures which, according toMathias Fekl, junior ministerin charge of foreign trade andtourism, were not in line withour ambitions.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands(AP) -- Authorities dealingwith Europes migrant crisis

have lost track of about 10,000unaccompanied children amidfears that organised crime gangsare beginning to exploit thevulnerable youngsters, a seniorofcial at the European Unions

police agency said Monday.Europol Chief of Staff Brian

Donald said that the figurewould be a conservativeestimate across all the countriesthat are dealing with this migrantcrisis over the past 12-18months.

The revelation that so manyyoungsters are unaccountedfor is the latest worryingdevelopment in the migrantcrisis and underscores the risksfaced by people eeing conict,

poverty and persecution in theMiddle East, Africa and Asiaeven once they have reached theapparent safety of Europe.

Donald said the estimateof 10,000 missing was basedon reports by law enforcementauthorities, governmentsand non -gove rnmen t a lorganisations.

Theyre lost in the system,he said of the minors. I thinkour concern is that we know thatthere are people out there whowill exploit minors. We knowthere are people who will takethem and use them for their own

purposes.

10,000 young migrants unaccounted

for EU police agency says

Migrants and refugees disembark from a ferry after their arrival at the port of Piraeus near Athens. -- Photo AP

Sweden , a popu l a rdestination for migrants, alreadyis aware of the problem.

The Stockholm countygovernment released a report lastweek citing Swedish MigrationAgency statistics that said 1,900of the 55,000 unaccompaniedminors who have appliedfor asylum in Sweden in the

past six years disappea red.The whereabouts of 1,250 ofthose is still unclear. About88 percent of those who wentmissing are boys. There is verylittle information about whathappens after they disappear.These children are particularly

vulnerable to being exploited invarious ways, the report said.

A m i r H a s h e m i - N i k

of the Stockholm CountyAdministration said someof those who disappear are

believed to be in the grip ofhuman-trafcking rings and endup in prostitution, begging orother criminal activities. somedisappear simply because theydont like the place where theyhave been assigned and decideto leave, others go when theyapproach their 18th birthday

because they are worried it willbe harder to get asylum.

Nor th Afr i can boys

are particularly likely to gounderground because, unlikeSyrians or Afghans, they are

unlikely to get asylum.Many of them have livedon the streets in many othercountries before coming toSweden, the report said.Many of these children becomeinvolved in crime. Last weekBritain announced it wouldaccept an unspecied number ofrefugee children, after charitiesand opposition politicians

pressured the government to helpthe thousands of unaccompaniedminors eeing conicts in Syriaand elsewhere.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

9/24

Vientiane Times 9

Euro 50-500 8,847 8,891

Foreign Currencies Buying Selling

US Dollar 50-100

Thai Baht

8,125

228.89

8,165

230.6

Exchange rates as of February 2, 2016Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public

BusinessRead more news at www.vientianetimes.org.la Wednesday February 3, 2016

Advertorial Desk

The Joint Development Bank(JDB) recently held a meetingto review the banks businessoperation results for the year2015 and a gala dinner to launchits new products at Don ChanPalace hotel in Vientiane.

The event was attended byDeputy Governor of the Bankof the Lao PDR Mr SonexaySitphaxay, President of JDBAdministration Board MrEkkaphan Phaphithak, JDBDirector General Mr SounthornChanthavong, chief executive

ofcers, staff, businessmen andcustomers.

JDBs meeting reviewedthe business operation resultsof year 2015 and set next years

plan and together launched itsnew products including ATMHealthy Life and Payroll Loans.

In addition to this, the bankcongratulated its outstanding

banking staff who have activelycontributed to bank developmentwork by presenting JDB awards,

premium awards, and goldenawards.

This was the banks secondmeeting with customers and

businessmen in a bid to buildcloser relationships betweenitself and its customer base.

This meeting provided anopportunity for the banks chiefexecutive ofcers and customersand businessmen to exchangeviews on the business operationsof customers and businessmento understand more about the

banks policy and new products.Besides that, it provided an

opportunity for businessmento be able to access funding

sources. The bank has asufficient amount of moneyin order to provide customerswith loans and support their

businesses to expand and growmore and more.

Henceforth it has made anotable contribution to nationalsocio-economic developmentin line with the slogan JointDevelopment Bank develops to

succeed stably.JDB is one of the largest

banks in Laos and has been inoperation since 1989. It providescomplex finance services andseeks to upgrade the servicestandards provided to Lao society

by stepping up to the internationallevel in all aspects.

N o w a d a y s , J o i n tDevelopment Bank has opened

service units across the countryto provide all-round financialservices including depositservices, with customers able toopen accounts in Lao kip, Thai

baht and US dollars, with interestcalculated on a monthly basis.

The headquarters of JDBis located on Lane XangAvenue, Vientiane. At present,Joint Development Bank has

expanded to encompass 31service units, a gure which isexpected to grow further to reach40 units this year and increase to50 units in 2017.

The Joint Development Bank(JDB) is currently preparing itsreadiness for going public andlisting on the Lao SecuritiesExchange (LSX) at some pointin the near future.

JDB reviews 2015 outcomes

and launches new products

Mr Ekkaphan Phaphithak presents an award to an outstandingbanking staff member at the meeting.

Mr Sounthorn Chanthavong addresses the meeting.

Times Reporters

A new tea processing plantin Laos northern province ofOudomxay, which is beinginvested in by a Chinese

business, is ready to processgood quality tea for export toChina after the constructionof the facility was completedlast year.

A senior official fromthe provincial authoritiesdelivered a report duringthe signing ceremony of theland concession for the newtea processing plant. Presentwere representatives from the

provincial land managementoffice and the Chinesecompany, with the ceremonyheld recently in the province.

The new plant, whichhas been built in Pakbaengdistrict, will have the capacityto process up to 8,000 tonnesof tea per year, adding fuel tothe provinces tea production

potential.Current ly , there are

only a few small-scale teaprocessing plants operating in

the province. The new plant isable to produce a better qualityof tea products, the ofcialfrom the provincial investment

promotion section said.Tea is now being grown

on over 8,000 hectares of landin 11 villages in the district.Tea planting and processinghas the potential to be oneof major cash crops for the

province and local authoritieshave encouraged farmers tocultivate it on a commercial

basis in a bid to drive economicgrowth.

Export products grownin Oudomxay also include

rubber, sweet corn, bananasand other crops.

Despite that tea is notour main export product,the department official MrKhamchack Laocheubengsaid, adding that the provincehas the potential to furtherexpand tea planting initiativesin the future.

The province also haswild tea trees aging from400 to more than 1000 yearsold, whose leaves fetch

considerably high prices oninternational markets.

We have set a clear planto continue promoting tea

pl an ti ng and pr od uc ti on ,through collaboration withChinese investors, he said.

In addition to tea, thepro vincia l aut hor iti es wil lcontinue promoting animalhusbandry enterprises toalleviate poverty and improvethe living conditions of localresidents, whose incomesremain relatively low.

The average incomeper capita of the provincesresidents is only just over 9

million kip (about US$ 1,200)per annum.

In order to maximise thepotential of these cash crops,the provincial authoritiesrecognise the need to upgradethe knowledge of technicalstaff so that they can provide

better planting know-how tolocal farmers.

More training courseswill be conducted, alongwith on-the-job experience aswell, he conrmed.

New plant aims to

process quality tea for export

CHINA (China Daily, ANN) -- Petro China Co, the countrys biggestoil and gas producer, fell in Hong Kong after saying2015 prot mayhave fallen 60 percent to 70 percent from a year earlier because of

the slumpin energy prices.The stock closed down 3 percent at HK$4.61 in Hong Kong,

after earlier falling as much as4.2 percent. The citys benchmarkHang Seng Index lost 0.45 percent.

Petro China cited crudes fall and lower domestic natural gasprices for the estimated drop infull-year earnings, estimates forwhich were compiled according to Chinese accountingstandards,it said on Friday in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The company sees the oil market continuing to be weak this yearand is seeking to cut costs.It reported net income of 107.2 billion yuan(US$16.3 billion) for 2014. Prot is seen dropping by59 percent,according to the median of 22 forecasts compiled by Bloomberg,

based oninternational accountingstandards.

What likely matters forthe bulk of Petro Chinas share

price movement over the nextfewmonths is oil prices, anynews on gas pipeline subsidiarysale and, to a lesser extent,anyannouncement of furthercapex cuts, James Hubbard,a Hong Kong-based analystatMacquarie Capital SecuritiesLtd, said in an research note afterPetro China issued itsstatement.

Petro China is a gearedplay on oil prices that is safefrom the perspective that it hasaccessto low cost State fundingif it ever needs it.

Brent crude, the benchmarkfor more than half the worldsoil, plunged 35 percent last

year,punishing producers andforcing drillers from the UnitedStates to Asia to slash spendingandcut staff.

Petro Chinas State-owned parent China NationalPetroleum Corp plans to keepoil productionsteady and boostgas output with only limitedamount of money to invest thisyear, DeputyGeneral ManagerWang Dongjin said last month.

Petro China slides after prot alert

Workers conduct security checks on PetroChinas pipelineequipment in Kunming, Yunnan province.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

10/24

10 Vientiane TimesBusiness Wednesday February 3, 2016

IN BRIEF

Somsack Pongkhao

The continuing decline inoil prices has significantlycontributed to a lower inationrate in Laos, the lowest in six

years.The inflation rate in Laos

in 2015 averaged 1.28 percent,down from the average rateof 4.62 percent recorded the

previous year.Over the past six years, the

ination rate had ranged from4.13 to 7.58 percent, except2009s gure which was recordedat 0.03 percent, according to theBank of the Lao PDR.

A senior economist from theNational Economic ResearchInstitute, Dr Leeber Leebouapaotold Vientiane TimesyesterdayThe falling ination rate wasmainly attributed to the drop infuel prices as it contributes tolowering the cost of production.

Another significant factorwas sufficient supply of foodproducts and other goods to meetthe demand in society, whichused to be one factor drivingination, Dr Leeber said.

He observed that since theestablishment of the AseanEconomic Community goodscould cross the border moreeasily with many Lao peopleimporting a lot more goods fromThailand particularly food items.

Dr Leeber said the Bank ofthe Lao PDR recently loweredthe interest rate which shouldfurther contribute to reducingthe cost of products and boosting

productivity in the country.

JAPAN (The Yomiuri Shimbun,ANN) -- Technology like CDsand Internet streaming hasdiversied the ways we listento music, but the value of vinylrecords is being recognisedonce again, and various types ofrecord players are being released

in keeping with that trend.According to the Recording

Industry Association of Japan,production of vinyl records hasbeen increas ing since 2010,with production volume in2014 reaching 401,000 units,about 1.5 times as many asthe previous year. The 2015

production volume was 534,000units as of October.

Many popular artists,i n c l u d i n g A K B 4 8 ,KyaryPamyuPamyu andMasaharu Fukuyama, haverecently released analog versionsof their work. The opening of avinyl record specialty store in

Asean remains toptrading partner

for Guangxi for 5yearsNANNING (Xinhua)

-- The Association of

Southeast Asian Nations

(Asean) remained thebiggest trading partner for

south Chinas Guangxi

Zhuang Autonomous

Region over the past ve

years, authorities said on

Monday.

As a gateway for

cooperation between

China and Asean,

Guangxis total

imports and exports to

Aseaneconomies grew to

568 billion yuan (US$92

billion) from 2011 to

2015, accounting for

almost half of the regions

total foreign trade,

according to Nanning

customs.

In terms of building the

Silk Road Economic Belt

and the 21st-Century

Maritime Silk Road,

Guangxi has expanded

cooperation with

Aseanmembers, said

Wang Yadong, deputy

customs chief.

Last year, the Ministryof Industry and Commerceapproved 12 changes in fuel

prices, with a majority being pricereductions which contributed tolower production costs in Laos.

In January this year theministry adjusted the fuel pricedown twice.

The latest fuel prices inVientiane are 7,970 kip a litre for

premium petrol, 6,970 kip a litrefor regular grade petrol, and 5,600kip for diesel.

According to the Bank of theLao PDR, last year in Januarythe Consumer Price Index stoodat 122.7 with the ination rate at2.04 percent.

This trended downwards to1.44 percent in February, 1.19

percent in March, 0.95 percentin April, 1.19 percent in May,1.37 percent in June, 1.17 percentin July, 1.29 percent in August,1.23 percent in September, 1.32

percent in October, 1.27 percentin November and 0.90 percent inDecember.

In general, the ination ratein Laos was lower than the rateof economic growth which wasrecorded at 7.5 percent this year.

Economists forecast that theeconomy will continue to growat 7.5 percent this year whichwill be driven by several large-scale projects such as the Hongsa

power plant and hydropowerprojects.

In addition, a number ofprojects which have been stalledin past years have recommencedconstruction further drivingeconomic growth.

Falling oil prices contributeto lower inflation

Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, is alsogiving young generations moreopportunities to experiencevinyl records.

According to TsuyoshiKurokawa, a clerk at theYodobashi Camera MultimediaAkiba store in the Akihabara

district of Chiyoda Ward,Tokyo, a broad range ofcustomers visit the storesrecord player section, from oldergenerations who are familiarwith the heyday of vinyl recordsto young people.

I think the warmth of thesound on vinyl records attractsmany people, Kurokawa said.

In addition to a record player,the usual devices necessaryfor listening to vinyl recordsare an amplier and speakers.According to a record playermanufacturer, a player in the50,000 range would mean atotal cost of about 100,000 with

the amp and speakers.However, there are some

affordably priced entry-levelproducts on the market.

Amadana Corp., knownfor the design of its homeappliances, released a record

player with a built-in speaker

called Sibreco (16,200) inDecember. After turning on the

player and putting the needle onthe record, the music emanatesfrom the speaker built into the

bottom of the player.For those who listen to

music on a portable player,inMusic Japan K.K. releasedin November the Air LP(nominal price of 14,800),which allows users to connectthe record player to a computer

by using a USB cable. Vinylrecords can be recorded ontothe computer and the data canthen be transferred to a portablemusic player or smartphone.

Record players for newbies and oldies

Various record players are displayed at the Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba store in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

11/24

Vientiane Times 11

Asean Economic Community

11Wednesday February 3, 2016 Business

Lao stock market report

Times Reporters

Manee Micronance institution(a business unit of ManeeGroup Limited) is now opento taking deposits and grantingloans after its headquarters wasofcially launched in Vientianeon Monday.

The ofce is located closeto the Talatsao shopping mall inHatsady village, Chanthabourydistrict.

Manee Microfinance isoffering interest rates of 4.50

per cen t a yea r for sav ingsdeposits. Meanwhile fixeddeposits attract interest rates of7.50 percent for three months,8.50 percent for six months,12.50 percent for 12 months, 15

percent for 24 months, 16 percentfor 48 months and 17 percent for60 months.

The institute is one of theimportant micronance institutesin Vientiane to expand its

services by offering modernservices, facilities, speed andsafety guarantees, the ManeeGroup Limited President MrXaysana Phommavixay said atthe ceremony.

The institution is alsocontributing to competition afterthe country integrated with theAsean Economic Community atthe end of last year.

The institution plans toestablish one branch in Sihomvillage in the same district forservice expansion to supply

demand in society, Mr Xaysanasaid.He promised that on behalf of

the Manee Group Limited he willtry to administrate and developthe institute with transparencyof service, safety, condentialityand international standards.

The institution should takehigh responsibility in two major

positions, Bank of the Lao PDRDeputy Governor, Mr Sonexay

Sitphaxay, stressed.One is to manage deposits

well for the confidence ofdepositors while the other isto follow the loan credit afterreleasing it for peoples benet,he said.

The institution should notlook to get only the interest and

property security from borrowersbut should monitor how theyspend their loans, Mr Sonexaysuggested.

The g r and open i ngceremony was also attended

by the the Direc tor Genera lof the Financial InstitutionSupervision Department atthe Bank of the Lao PDR, DrAkhom Praseuth, Chanthaboulydistrict Governor, Ms BoualoneVongdarasaen, General Directorof Manee Group Limited, MsBounhom Phommavixay alongwith government ofcials fromthe relevant sectors and businessoperators.

Trade Summary

The LSX continued its losing streak, with BCEL and PTL leading the decline. With moderateturnover of 50,000 shares, the Lao market index closed at 1,164.56 points, down 3.62 pointsor 0.31 percent.

EDL-Gen nished at at 5,850 kip on 14,600 shares matched, while BCEL and PTLlost 100 kip each. BCEL hit a new low of 4,700 kip in this session. LWPC and SVN had no

trades, closing at 7,100 kip and 3,400 kip respectively.Daily Turnover by Investor Types (LAKm)

Last 7 days Trading Information

BCEL-KT Securities Company Limited Email: [email protected]

Manee Microfnancelaunches in Vientiane

Mr Sonexay Sitphaxay (fth left), Dr Akhom Praseuth (fourth left) and Mr Xaysana Phommavixay (sixthleft) pose for a group photo with senior ofcials of the institute and local authorities in Vientiane.

BRUNEI (The Brunei Times,ANN) -- GLOBAL oil priceis expected to recover to

between US$40 and US$60

per barrel this year with thecurrent supply glut anticipatedto shrink, according to global

bank Standard Chartered.Fundamentally, the current

price of US$30 per barrel isnot economically sustainable,said Quan Lim, InvestmentCounsellor at Standard CharteredBrunei.

Our own research team isexpecting oil to go up to betweenUS$40 and US$60 per barrelwithin this year. And that is

based on their expectation thatthe current oversupply in themarket will start to shrink, hetold The Brunei Times on thesidelines of a market outlookseminar last week.

Lim said while it remainsunknown when oil prices will

begin its rebound, he said at somepoint, it has to rise.

I think what were going tosee sometime in 2016 is that oil

producers somewhere will startto exit from the markets becausethe prices are just way too low forthem to make prots, he said.

Eventually, he said, a fall insupply will consequently raisedemand hence bringing the priceof oil back up.

He admitted that while bigoil producing nations mightafford to do this, countries thatare highly dependent on oil andgas or commodities for theirsource of income will go througha tough period ahead.

Citing Australia as anexample, which has bankeditself on the China boom, Limsaid the mineral-rich nationseconomy has been hurt byChinas slowdown.

So when we look at ironore, a key raw material insteel production and one of its(Australias) key exports, whenChina started slowing down, youstarted seeing this adjustment incommodity prices, and that has

hurt the Australian dollar, it isgenerating less revenue for thegovernment while workers inthe mining sector in Australiahave to leave the job, he said.

Oil and gas accounts for 90percent of Bruneis economy.

During the market outlookseminar held last Wednesday,EvonGoh, Senior Investment

Advisor at Standard CharteredSingapore in her presentationsaid the current supply glutneeded to ease before oil prices

could recover.Insufcient storage capacity

remains the biggest risk tooil prices in the short term

but likely supply cuts areexpected to improve demandand supply balance goingthrough 2016, she said.

Oil prices fell on Mondayafter China and South Korea

posted weak economic data,while fading prospects for acoordinated output cut by leadingcrude exporters also hurt themarket, global news agencyReuters reported yesterday.

Chinese manufacturing dataindicated that the sector hadcontracted at the fastest ratesince 2012 in January, putting

more concerns on demandfrom the worlds top energyconsumer at a time when themarket is already weigheddown by a large oversupply,it added.

Weak South Korean dataalso piled up the pressure, withexports down to levels last seenduring the 2009 nancial crisis.

Oil price may rise to US$40-US$60

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

12/24


Chinese New Year BrunchFebruary 08 - 11:30-14:00 hrs

Lion Dance will be performed on February 08

around 11:30 am at the hotels Lobby

Kip250,000++ for adult & Kip200,000++ for child (6-10years)

BBQ Suckling Pig Hong Kong

Style (Kip 900,000 net)

Roasted Duck Hong Kong Style

(Kip 600,000 net)

Braised Duck with Herb

(Kip 600,000 net)

BBQ Platter

(Kip 350,000 net)

Water Chestnut Pudding

(Kip 300,000 net)Chinese Bun 28 pcs

(Kip 300,000 net)

Turnip Cake

(Kip 300,000 net)

Ma Lai Go

(Kip 450,000 net)

Chinese New Year - Prosperous Special TakeawayFebruary 01-08, 2016

Our chef presents Chinese inspired buffet lunch including

Suckling Pig, Roasted Duck, Sharks Fin Soup, Dim Sum andTraditional dishes...

Valentines Buffet DinnerFebruary 14, 2016

Dok ChampaCasual Dining

This is includes:* A glass of Sparkling wine on arrival* Free Flow House Wine and Draught Beer

* Dinner set also available

(Kip 600,000++)

Special Offer :For a group of 10 persons receivea complimentary bottle of wine.

Our Pastry Chef Sampan will design and create

various sweets for your gifts. You will feel happy

together with someone special

Valentines GoodiesFebruary 7-14, 2016

Strawberry CakeKip 380,000net

Sweet Heart BoxKip 60,000net

Sugar Box-ChocolateKip 60,000net

Kip450,000++ for adult & Kip300,000++ for child (6-10years)

Featuring a selection of Seafood, Roasted Beef Tenderloin,Baked Virginia Ham also Chinese, Japanese corner

and special dessert.

Cookies Heart ShapeKip 250,000net

Sweet Heart BoxKip 100,000net

Strawberry TartKip 380,000net

* Chinese set also available (Kip 6,800,000++)

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

13/24

Vientiane Times 13Wednesday February 3, 2016

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

14/24


7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

15/24

Vientiane Times 15Wednesday February 3, 2016

Lifestyle

JAPAN (The Yomiuri Shimbun,ANN) -- The art of paper cutting is a

simple but enriching experience thatcan add enjoyment to your daily life.Plants, owers, animals, good luckcharms and countless other beautifulmotifs are all around you, so why not

pick up a pair of scissors and depictthem in paper?

Plum blossoms in full bloom.Narcissus owers. A Japanese bushwarbler perching on an old plum tree.A monkey, this years zodiac animal.These are just a few of the traditionalJapanese motifs that serve as modelsfor paper cutout artist Fukino Sato.

Her pieces in various colours lookbrilliant. Some are as elaborate andne as lace, and their beauty neverfails to enchant others.

Traditionally, various motifsdepicting the seasons are effectivelyused for decorating kimono and otheritems in Japan, Sato said. I depictthe feeling of each season by usingsuch motifs in my paper cutting.

Sato was born in Tokyo in 1982,and started creating her work under thetutelage of the late Kunio Ekiguchi, a

pioneering papercraft artist.Sometimes she places a paper

pattern on a sheet, and cuts the pieceaccording to the pattern. Anothermethod is to fold a sheet once or moretimes, place a paper pattern on it andthen start cutting. When the sheetis unfolded, a beautiful geometric

pattern appears.Sato also uses thin, translucent

paper so that when she places onenished piece on another, a wonderfulvisual effect is created. You dontalways have to place one on top ofanother meticulously so there is nogap, she said. Its intriguing if youintentionally place them slightlyoff-centre, so new patterns emergeon the layers. They have a colorfulkaleidoscopic look.

She draws designs and makespaper patterns by herself. The process,however, is difcult for beginners, sousing published paper patterns is the

best way to start out.I learned how to make a simple

pi ece ca ll ed mukai -c ho (t wobutter flies with their heads facingeach other).

Sato said I needed a paper pattern;a regular square coloured sheet of

paper, such as that used for origami;a stapler; a paper cutter and a pair ofscissors.

I prepared a sheet measuring 15by 15 centimetres, a regular size fororigami. A cutter for handiwork isuseful for detailed work.

To make the mukai-cho, I followedthese instructions:

1. Fold the paper into two to makea triangle, and fold it again to make asmaller triangle.

2. Place the paper pattern on thesheet and staple them together at

several spots. Dont staple the partthat will be cut out.

3. Cut out and remove the innerwhite parts of the pattern with thecutter.

4. Cut out and remove the outerpart of the pattern with the cutter andthe scissors.

5. Gently unfold the sheet and apair of butteries with wings bearinga beautiful pattern will appear.

When you unfold it, you oftensee a pattern you didnt expect. Its adelightful surprise, Sato said.

After a work has been completed, itcan have various uses, such as pastingit on a plain envelope. Translucent

pieces can be pasted on windows orused as room ornaments after puttingthem between transparent acrylicsheets to create a special lightingeffect.

When Im passionately involvedin working with the cutter and scissors,Im really satised. When I nishmaking something, I feel extremelyfullled, Sato said.

Make a mobileYou can make an ornamental

mobile by hanging up your nishedwork. Seeing it swing gently in a

breeze can be very relaxing. If youmake a mobile, use thicker sheets.Theyre strong and wont easily tear,Sato said.

To make a mobile, attach a threadto each of two works and hang them

from the ends of a thin bamboo stick or something similar, and make sure itsbalanced. You can use different lengths of thread, or suspend multiple piecesfrom the same thread to produce a more dazzling image.

Colorful papercraft: Motifs themed on

plants, animals can enrich your life

A papercraft mobile.

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

16/24


LifestyleSINGAPORE (The StraitsTimes, ANN) -- Call it the yearof the Digital Monkey. Virtualred packets, e-yusheng, LED-litlucky plants - Chinese New Yeartraditions are getting a new techiespin.

Here are six new products foryou to stay festive and up to date.

1 Led-lit plantsThese glowing, LED-lit

tangerine, cherry blossom, plumblossom and desert rose plantsrange in price from under US$100to more than US$500, and can

be found in at least four shops inChinatown.

One shop, which is at78 Pagoda Street but has nosignboard, sells a 90cm-tall,1kg shrub for US$78. Its mostexpensive plant - a 1.8m-tall, 9kg

bush - costs US$538.The shops manager, Mr

Roland Teo, 40, started importingthese plants from China in 2012to cater to families who wantdecorative plants, but have notime to care for them.

He says: My plants requirezero maintenance. They dont

have to be watered daily. They canalso be re-used every year. Whilethey run on electricity, they areenergysaving.

He sells 100 to 200 LEDplants every Chinese New Yearand has already sold 60 plantssince Christmas.

Housewife Doris Yeo, 59,who is thinking of decorating herhome with them, says: They aredenitely eye-catching and havean interesting concept. I like thatthey can be used year after year.But the drawback is that theyconsume electricity and add tothe bills.

As to whether LED-lit plantsare as good as the real thing, she

says: Many people decorate theirhomes with articial owers. Itsperfectly ne.

2 Automated mahjongtables

They are fast, quiet and canarrange mahjong tiles into stacksneater than players ever can.

These automated tables,which run on electricity,reportedly hit the local market inthe mid-2000s. Priced from $988,they typically come with twosets of magnetic mahjong tiles,which are shufed and arrangedunderneath the table in betweengames. Thirty seconds to oneminute is all it takes to play a newround of mahjong.

The Straits Times found atleast three companies here sellingsuch tables. Local companySgAutoMahjong.sg, for example,started selling such tables in 2013.

It sells hundreds of units, allimported from China, every year.

Prices range from US$988 tomore than US$1,288, dependingon the features.

Some tables, for example, canbe operated by remote control.Others are built into larger,exquisitely crafted tables.

Mr Cheo Kae Jer, 42, boughtan automated mahjong table in2014 for US$1,288. The interiordesigner, whose family playsve to six hours a day during the

Chinese New Year period, wasattracted by the amount of time itsaves between mahjong games.

It lets him play 25 percentmore games in the same amountof time, he says. I can just pressa button and the table will mix andarrange the tiles for us within oneminute. This gives us more timeto enjoy the game.

But Dr Lim Lee Ching,a senior lecturer at SIMUniversity who has doneresearch on the relationship

be tw ee n te ch no lo gy an dmodern culture, warns that suchtables omit the physical motionof shuffling tiles. For some

players, this is an important

part of the mahjong experience,he says. For them, shufing thetiles themselves lets them feellike they are in charge of theirown destiny. Like they have anelement of control. This is crucialto the whole experience.

3 Digital louheiThis Web application, which

is called Digital Louhei (go tohttp:// cny.2359media.com), lets

people prepare and toss a plate ofyusheng at any time, even if theyare alone.

It guides users throughthe whole process of addingingredients such as fish, lime,sauce, pepper and powderedcinnamon. It will also promptthem to recite auspicious sayings.

Created by local digitalconsultancy firm 2359 Mediain February last year, it has beenviewed 1.7 million times to date.

Sixty per cent of its users arewomen and most of its users areaged 35 to 44.

Assistant Professor QiuLin, 42, from NanyangTechnological University,whose research interests includesocial psychology and cultural

psychology, says: If this app isused when families and friendsget together to toss yusheng, itcan coordinate the activity andmake it more engaging. The appalso plays lively music, which canmake the occasion more festive.

One of the apps users,businessman Arthur Loh, 47,received a link to the app from afriend last year.

He says: The app is a cuteand novel idea to brighten theseason. But Im not sure howhelpful the sayings will bewhen actually tossing a plate ofyusheng. In restaurants, the waitstaff will prepare the dish for you.And if you lohei at home, you caneasily nd the sayings online.

4 Hongbao with qr codeThis year, asset management

rm Schroders Singapores redpackets come with a twist: Theyhave QR codes printed on them.Scan the code with a smartphoneand users are directed to its freeChinese New Year mobile app.There, they encounter a liveanimated monkey somersaultingor juggling peaches and can take

photos with it.People can also use the app to

send personalised e-greeting cardsto family and friends. So far, a fewthousand sets of hongbao have

been distributed to the companysclients and business partners.

Sales analyst Audrey Tay, 38,who has two daughters aged fourand six, says: My children hada great time taking pictures with

the virtual monkey and it was funseeing it come alive.DBS and POSB have also

been put ting QR codes onhongbao since 2014. The codesallow users to send festive e-cardsto friends.

During last years ChineseNew Year, about 12,000 e-cardswere sent, mostly through thecodes.

Dr Lim Lee Ching, a seniorlecturer at SIM University, sayshe does not believe QR codes onhongbao will catch on. You canalso access such features throughe-mail and WhatsApp messages,so I do not see QR codes takingoff in a big way.

Year of the Monkey goes digital

LED-lit plants, which are sold in Chinatown, require zero maintenance and can be re-used.--Photo benson ang

7/25/2019 2016 VTN Issue 028

17/24

Vientiane Times 17

Mail this completed form with your cheque to:

Vientiane Times, Kamphaengmeuang Rd, Phonpapao Village,

Unit 32 Sisattanak District, Vientiane Lao PDR

PO Box 5723. Tel: 021 336042, Fax: 021 336041

Website: www.vientianetimes.org.la

Email: [email protected]

Payment in advancePlease request rates for other destinations at

[email protected] . Make your payment to

Vientiane Times bank account at the BCEL (US$) A/c

010110100989471001 or (kip) A/c 010110000989471001

4. ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION FEEWebsite is update four (4) times a day and every issue is published on our website in HTML and PDF

3 months ( 78 issues) 150,000 6 months (156 issues) 270,000 1 year (312 issues) 500,000

Please return this form with the following information to Vientiane TimesFULL NAME: _________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________________

TEL: _________________________FAX:____________________EMAIL:_________________________________FOR ONLINE: Name:________________________________PREFERRED PASSWORD_____________________(Password not more then 8 characters)

Deliver to Provinces

+ online fee

Vientiane Times Subscription 20151. DOMESTIC SUBSCRIPTION (6 issues/week) and online fee

Regular price

Home Delivery (City Centre)

Area: Thadeua Rd. Dongdok,Ban Tanmixay and Sikhayvillages.

78 issues (3 months) 305,000k +100,000k 405,000k


312 issues (1 year) 1,217,000k +100,000k 1,317,000k



312 issues (1 year) 1,560,000k +100,000k 1,660,000k

2. DOMESTIC SUBSCRIPTION FOR PROVINCES (6 issues/week), inclusive of postage cost

Deliver to Provinces156 issues (6 months) 1,451,000k

312 issues (1 year) 2,902,000k

156 issues (6 months) 1,451,000k +100,000k 1,551,000k

312 issues (1 year) 2,902,000k +100,000k 3,002,000k

3. OVERSEAS SUBSCRIPTION (6 issues/week) and online fee Total + Online fee

Thailand, Vietnam,Cambodia

Asia, Australia & NewZealand

Europe (Including Russia)

America and Canada


312 issues (1 year) 7 ,488 ,000k +100,000k 7,588,000k


312 issues (1 year) 8 ,736 ,000k +100,000k 8,836,000k


312 issues (1 year) 9 ,984, 000k +100,000k 10,084,000k


312 issues (1 year) 12,480,000k +100,000k 12,580,000k

Vacancy AnnouncementFor Locally Recruited Staff

The World Bank is one of the worlds largest sources of funding for the developing world. Its pr imary focusis on helping the poorest people and the poorest countries. It uses its nancial resources, its staff, andextensive experience to help developing countries to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, enhanceenvironmental and social sustainability, and improve their quality of life. The World Bank continues tostrengthen its Vientiane Ofce as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the development vision ofLao PDR. The World Bank invites applications from qualied individuals for the following locally RecruitedStaff positions to join the Lao PDR Country Team in Vientiane.

PROGRAM ASSISTANT (JOB NUMBER: 160159)

Key ResponsibilitiesThe Program Assistant will:i. Provide quality administrative support to task teams in preparing World Bank documents; formatting

and editing reports, aide-memoires, letters and memos prepared by the Task Team Leaders accordingto the Bank guidelines; log incoming mail, le in the Banks electronic ling system and distribute tothe task teams; and dispatch outgoing letters in a timely manner;

ii. Provide logistical support for missions, seminars and workshops; follow up on requests fromWashington team members and correspond with them appropriately;

iii. Maintain project and other records in accordance with system in the work unit; ensure smooth owof information among other program assistants in the ofce;

iv. Provide back-up support to other program assistants as required by the work program, especiallyduring peak periods; and

v. Other ad hoc duties as assigned from time to time arising from business needs of the ofce.

Selection Criteria:i. Bachelor degree with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience or High School Certicate/Diploma

with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience;ii. Dedicated team player with excellent organizational skills and a

2016 vtn issue 028

Documents