Comité de Coopération avec le Laos

Comité de Coopération avec le Laos
Boîte postale 4791, Vientiane, Laos
Tél : (856-21) 25 40 39 - Télécopie : (856-21) 21 69 25
Email : cclvientiane@ccl-laos.org
Site : www.ccl-laos.org
Revue de presse du 30 Mars au 03 Avril 2015
Vous trouverez ci-joint un choix d'articles publiés au Laos en anglais dans le quotidien "Vientiane Times"
et en français dans l'hebdomadaire le "Rénovateur".
Bonne réception et bonne lecture,
Cordialement,
Bureau du CCL à Vientiane
 Vientiane Times :
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Security ministry rolls out new ID card
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Vientiane Centre adds to capital's shopping options
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Govt discloses belt-tightening measures
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Chinese trade, investment grows in Laos
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Students debate forest conservation
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Improved job skills necessary in readiness for AEC
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Khao kay noi could be registered as Lao rice seed
Security ministry rolls out new ID card
(By Phetsamone Chandala)
The Ministry of Public Security has started
issuing new ID cards for Lao nationals
across the country, with the new card set to
be more modern and secure than the existing
card. The official launch of the new ID card
took place yesterday at the ministry's Family
Management and Grass Roots Development
Department. The ceremony was attended by
Deputy Minister of Public Security Brigadier
General Sinthavong Xayakone, Commercial
Counsellor of Embassy of China to Laos, Mr
Zhao Weny, CEO of Huawei Device Laos
Mr Zhang Dongya, and senior officials from
the ministry. Speaking at the event, the Department's Director General Colonel Khamxay Chanthavong said the electronic identification card (E-ID) programme is being
implemented through cooperation between
the Ministry of Public Security and Huawei
Device Laos. The main objective is to issue
new identification cards for all Lao citizens
across the country, progressively rolling out
the technologically advanced card that will
replace the older ones. In its entirety, the
project covers the ID card production centre,
a data collection centre and 160 data supply
stations. The E-ID programme is one of the
ICT projects that government has given
great importance to because it utilises higher
technology in the data management of the
government. This programme is also the first
collaboration between ministry and Huawei,
a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider,
Colonel Khamxay said. “This ceremony
shows the success of the programme and the
official announcement of the new, modern
and more secure ID card system which will
help ensure the integrity of the government's
data management,” he noted. The ministry
will start issuing new ID cards in Vientiane
first and then issue them across the country
as the project is progressively rolled out.
Huawei Device Laos' Services Section Mr Li
Kun said in light of the current situation of
Lao society and requirements for human
resource development, the ID card will enable additional functions in the years ahead.
“High technology systems, modern information management and administration is a
very specific demand of the ministry's leaders for the electronic ID card programme and
also a target of programme conductors as
well as Huawei,” Mr Li said. The programme commenced in 2011 and was able to
successfully issue new ID cards from earlier
this year. The new ID card is different from
the existing card, with modern techniques
employed in the card's production in order to
prevent copying while the card will be able
to store data securely. There will also be the
addition of an ID card number and standard
on card management which will ease travelling, moving and increase security for Lao
citizens, he added. Besides this, the new ID
card will have a fingerprint scan which will
help prevent fraud and maintain the security
of people's data, Mr Li added. As part of the
project, foreign residents in Laos are also
expected to be issued with identity cards as
the project rolls out, which will be yellow
rather than the green colour for Lao nationals.
(Vientiane Times 31 March 2015)
Vientiane Centre adds to capital's shopping options
(By Times Reporters)
Shoppers will no longer have to cross the
border to buy brand-name products after a
new high-profile shopping centre opened in
Vientia ne on Saturday.
Mr Somsavat Lengsavad ( centre ) attends the opening ceremony
of the Vientiane Centre on Saturday along with other officials
and company representatives.
The shopping centre is a jointly developed
three-phase project by the Yunnan Construction Engineering Group Company Limited
and Krittaphong Group Company Limited.
They have a concession period of 50 years
and the option to extend for a further 20
years. The four-storey Vientiane Centre is
one part of the three-phase project, which is
being developed on a 5.3 hectaresite on
Nongchan marsh in Xaysettha district. The
developers have signed agreements with the
suppliers and owners of internationally renowned products, cinema chain, brand-name
fashions and cosmetic products. Many
brand-name pr oducts are on display at the
shopping centre including Gucci, Longines,
Omega and other well-recognised watch
brands. Sporting equipment made by Adidas,
Nike and other globally known names are
also on display in the various shops. The
newly-opened shopping centre also features
a wide range of cosmetic products such as
Shiseido, CK, Dior and oth er high-end
goods. The Bank of China has also opened a
branch at the centre to boost economic exchange in Laos and other Asean countries.
Deputy Prime Minister Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, Mayor of Vientiane Dr Sinlavong
Khoutphaythoune, Chinese Ambassador to
Laos Mr Guan Huabing, General Manager of
Yunnan Construction Engineering Group
Company Limited Mr Chen Wenshan, Managing Director of Krittaphong Group Company Limited Ms Orlathay Santikhongkha
and other invited guests were present at the
opening ceremony. In his opening remarks,
Mr Somsavat said the Vientiane Centre will
help to boost economic development in Laos
by attracting more Chinese traders. “The
opening of a high-profile shopping centre is
a boost for the image of Vientiane and will
bring in the world's well-recognised and
high quality products for Lao consumers. At
the same time, it will also attract more foreign visitors to Laos,” he said. Mr Chen
Wenshan said the Vientiane Centre would
also create more than 300 jobs for local employees. The shopping centre, and a ninestorey office block which has not yet been
built, are being developed under the project's
first phase at a cost of US$70 million. According to the plan, the second phase of the
project will involve the construction of hotels, clubs and lakefront businesses, and is
expected to be finished by the end of this
year. The third phase of the project will see
residential apartments constructed in 2016.
The last two phases will cost about US$50
million, bringing the total investment in the
Vientiane Centre to US$120 million, according to the project developers.
(Vientiane Times 31 March 2015)
Govt discloses belt-tightening measures
(By Times Reporters)
The government has announced measures
intended to curb spending, in a move to use
the state's budget and resources in the most
effective manner. The government last
month issued a 16-page decree on frugality
in a bid to rein in lavish practices. The decree requires state departments and encourages members of the public to follow a
more thrifty lifestyle. Under the decree, all
state departments and enterprises are prohibited from using state funds and the budgets
of state-owned enterprises, as well as official
development assistance (ODA), for the purchase of luxury vehicles. Vehicles to be purchased for work use or for use by administrative-level officials must not exceed 400
million kip in price. Any such purchases
must go through a bidding process, the decree states. State vehicles may not be used
for personal business. State departments and
enterprises needing to purchase vehicles are
required to work with the Ministry of
Finance and a special committee will assess
whether there is a real need for the purchase.
The request will then be submitted to the
higher authorities for consideration. The
provision of vehicles to officials holding
high-level administrative positions must be
made in line with a separate Prime Ministerial Decree No. 81. The organisations concerned are required to monitor the situation
and vehicles judged to be provided unnecessarily will be handed back to the relevant
department. In addition, state departments
and enterprises are prohibited from holding
seminars or training sessions in hotels, restaurants and other commercial venues except
for events financed by ODA that has been
approved by donors for that use. Central and
local state organisations and sectors are not
allowed to hold more than two meetings a
year and are prohibited from hosting receptions at their annual meetings. State departments and enterprises are not allowed to
spend state or state enterprise funds on expensive alcoholic drinks for parties and receptions, except to host high-level foreign
delegates. The purchase of office equipment
for state departments must take competitive
price and quality into account, and locallymade goods should take precedence. Furniture to be purchased for state departments
must be locally-made and should not be expensive or luxurious. Officials who are assigned to make working trips away from
their office but who do not reach their stated
destination will be required to reimburse all
monies spent. Those who produce fake receipts to claim more money than they spent
will be disciplined and required to reimburse
the money they received earlier. The decree
also requires state officials to work to the
full extent of their office hours to maximise
their effectiveness and efficiency. In addition, the government demands the most effective use of the state budget when it comes
to infrastructure and requires all projects to
undergo bidding. The decree also stipulates
that all state departments and enterprises
should be frugal when celebrating occasions
of national and historic importance such as
National Day and various anniversaries. The
general public are also advised to practice a
thrifty lifestyle in their daily activities, especially when celebrating weddings and traditional and seasonal festivals.
(Vientiane Times 01 April 2015)
Chinese trade, investment grows in Laos
(By Times Reporters)
Chinese investment in Laos has continued to
rise after the government established a new
policy for foreign investors. The Ministry of
National Defence and Latsavong Development Co., Ltd. held a seminar on economic
relations and trade between Laos and Chinese personal enterprises yesterday in Vientiane. The seminar was attended by representatives from more than 100 leading companies in China and Lao government officials from the ministries of Planning and
Investment, Industry and Commerce, Energy
and Mines, Public Works and Transport,
Agriculture and Forestry, and Information,
Culture and Tourism. Through the seminar,
Chinese companies got to know and understand more about the investment policy, socio-economic development and potential of
Laos. The number of investors and tourists
that come to Laos has continued to increase,
making a good contribution to socioeconomic development, said Deputy Minister of National Defence Lieutenant General
Chansamone Chanyalath.This development
has helped to improve the living conditions
of Lao people. Laos and China enjoy a long
and close relationship and are good neighbours, friends and partners, he added. The
value of Chinese investment in Laos is cur-
rently substantially larger than that of oth er
countries. The investment from China is a
major factor in boosting economic growth in
Laos and generating significant income for
the government. In addition, Chinese investment has contributed to local development and created a number of jobs for Lao
people. Their projects are mostly in the mining sector, however. The investment has also
served to increase the close relationship and
cooperation between the two countries.
The Ministry of National Defence has entered into investments with many Chinese
companies, one of which is the Latsavong
Plaza construction project which is being
developed by the Chongqing F.U.N.D Real
Estate Company Limited. This is a large
project, highly significant for trading, investment, tourism and real estate development. When construction is complete, it will
change much of the outward appearance of
Vientiane and is expected to become something of an icon for the newer, more modern
city. According to the Chinese Embassy to
Laos, bilateral trade volume rose from US$1
billion in 2010 to over US$1.7 billion in
2012, and to US$2 billion in 2013, and
reached more than US$3 billion in 2014.
(Vientiane Times 01 April 2015)
Students debate forest conservation
(By Times Reporters)
Students of the National University of Laos'
Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLP)
took part in a workshop and debate on forest
conservation and livelihood development
yesterday. The event was organised by the
FLP Debate Group and supported by the
Committee for Cooperation with Laos
(CCL), CARE, World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF), the Land Issues Working Group
(LIWG), and the European Union (EU). The
workshop and debate examining the crosscutting issues of conservation and livelihoods also retroactively marked the International Day of Forests, which took place on
March 21. The eager students debated how
conservation initiatives in Laos could be
balanced with fair and equitable livelihood
improvement activities. Addressing the
workshop, Project Advisor at CCL, Mr Anthony Gueguen said “One issue we should
always aim to focus on is when implementing conservation activities are assisting
communities dependent on the forest.” “We
need to make sure they are a part of the conservation planning process and that they
have input into crucial decisions.” With
Laos' population being predominantly rural,
many people rely on nature resources and
non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for their
livelihoods. As part of efforts to conserve its
biodiversity while supporting these communities, the government has designated 3.3
million hectares of land as protected forest
and a further 3.4 million hectares as production forest. The government has also set an
ambitious target of 70 percent forest cover
by 2020 and it is appreciated that properly
managed forest utilisation, forest protection
and reforestation is a key priority. More
people are starting to acknowledge that this
will require the greater involvement of local
communities, who are crucial to the success
of strategies for su tainable forest management and poverty alleviation. At the outset
of the workshop, the pupils were given a
training talk on debating skills and also listened to a series of presentations given by
key speakers, including the Programme Director of the Green Community Alliance
(GCA), Mr Douangprachanh Champaphonevilay and Country Director at the World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Mr Somphone Bouasavanh. The workshop and debate took place at the Faculty of Law and
Political Science (FLP) yesterday. Mr Somphone Bouasavanh said “Our own experience has shown that when people are given
the opportunity to be a part of conservation
decision-making and management, success
is more likely. We have seen this through
our community fisheries and sustainable
rattan production project to great effect”.
The workshop further looked into the ways
in which communities gain benefits from
forest conservation, whether it is through
income generating activities or alternative
livelihood practices. Students remarked that
the workshop gave a tremendous insight into
how special Laos' forests and their biodiversity are, while it also allowed them to express ideas on conservation measures that
positively impact communities. At the conclusion of the workshop, the main speakers
highlighted once again the significance of
the International Day of Forests, which is a
global day for the celebration of forests and
all types of trees. “We would like to continue raising awareness about our forests,
which are home to magnificent biodiversity,
and ensure that communities thrive sustainably along with them,” said project advisor
Mr Anthony Gueguen.
(Vientiane Times 02 April 2015)
Improved job skills necessary in readiness for AEC
(By Somxay Sengdara)
Laos has to make domestic accords regarding the structure of labour skill standards and
set out the responsibilities of the government
and employers when it comes to skill development. The move to lift standards in education and vocational training is even more
imperative as nations throughout the region
move to implement the Asean policy of mutual skills recognition, which is necessary to
facilitate the free flow of skilled labour that
will come with regional integration. The
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare's
Department of Labour Skill Development
and Employment has outlined the need for
change. The department's Director General
Mr Phouvanh Chanthavong made some observations about deficiencies in skill development in his speech on the sector's preparations for joining the Asean Economic Community (AEC). “We should have one general
structure for labour for the entire country but
currently each ministry has its own structure,” Mr Phouvanh said. The department,
with support from the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) and the „Korea partnership programme for the implementation of
Asean Mutual Recognition of Skills' organised a consultative workshop to discuss
preparations for the AEC yesterday. Mutual
recognition of skills among Asean member
states is a process to drive the free flow of
skilled labour through a formal scheme, ensuring equality, and mutual benefits, while
immigrant and local workers will receive the
same wages and welfare accordingly, and
not be taken advantage of by one another.
However, Mr Phouvanh said, there are chal-
lenges and procedures to be addressed, especially the differences in labour skills among
the respective countries. He posed the question as to whether labour skill standards in
the country comply with those defined by
Asean and the ILO, saying shortcomings
should have been identified which will require improvement. The accord on the understanding of competency and skill development among various sectors within the
country was also a challenge, according to
him. He said there should not be confusion
on the meanings defined in glossaries. Further discussion will also relate to vocational
training and labour skill development. The
director general commented that the distribution of responsibility between the Ministry
of Education and Sports and Ministry of
Labour and Social Welfare should be clarified through the Law on Vocational Training
and the Law on Labour. Laos has selected
masonry and plastering as the first professions into the scheme of recognition, and
only with the new Asean members – Cambodia and Myanmar. The ILO and the Department of Skill Development of Thailand
will be partners in implementing the scheme.
According to Mr Phouvanh, after the accords
of the mentioned matters were put in place, a
committee and technical team will be responsible for researching and implementing
their recognition. This will include a review
of the methods and components such as the
existing skill standards, tests and certification to ensure Laos' standards are in compliance with those of Asean.
(Vientiane Times 03 April 2015)
Khao kay noi could be registered as Lao rice seed
(By Times Reporters)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is
pursuing research of the kay noi rice variety,
hoping to refine its quality and register it as
an original Lao rice variety. This rice is in
high demand both in Laos and neighbouring
countries, and it is considered important to
maintain its quality and original characteristics so that its appeal is not diminished. Researchers from the National Agriculture and
Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) on
Wednesday met with Department of Planning and Cooperation representatives, AgroBiodiversity Initiative (TABI) officials and
representatives from Xieng Khuang and Huaphan provinces in Vientiane to discuss
ways to improve kay noi rice and enhance
the market chain. The workshop was chaired
by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and
Forestry, Dr Phet Phomphiphak. Kay noi
rice is produced in only a few areas of Laos,
mostly in Xieng Khuang and Huaphan provinces, and the rice in each area has a different quality, said Dr Phet. There are also different varieties, such as kay noi hom, lai,
daeng, dam, leuang and khao, with each having a different quality and taste. Dr Phet
called on researchers to closely cooperate
with other sectors and local authorities to
refine each seed type and then grow it for
local consumption and sale.
He stressed that each sector should work
together to improve the rice strain so that it
could be registered as a traditional Lao rice
seed. In 2003 NAFRI, with support from
TABI, conducted studies of kay noi rice in
six districts of Huaphan province and was
able to collect many good quality varieties.
The Institute received good cooperation
from farmers and local authorities, and the
studies helped them to understand more
about the quality and cultivation of each kay
noi rice type. This rice variety has different
characteristics compared to other varieties
due to its pleasant aroma and soft texture.
Studies on improvements to the strain and
market chain enhancement in Xieng Khuang
and Huaphan provinces were also well received and beneficial. After the project began in Xieng Khuang province last year, 246
kay noi rice samples were studied, from
which 263 were selected. The project focused on rice grown on more than 7,200
hectares in four districts, while in Huaphan
province studies were conducted in six districts on more than 5,000 hectares. Each year
Xieng Khuang and Huaphan provinces export thousands of tonnes of kay noi rice to
Vietnam, while some is also sold to China
and to other provinces in Laos.
(Vientiane Times 03 April 2015)