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The First National English Language Newspaper

Vientiane Times

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Times Reporters

Myanmar President U HtinKyaw, his wife and a high-leveldelegation are scheduled to paya state visit to Laos on Friday,the Presidential Ofce has saidin a press release.

The visit is in responseto an invitation from hisLao counterpart BounnhangVorachit, who was electedLao President by the NationalAssembly last month.

This is U Htin Kyaw’s rstvisit to Laos after he was sworninto ofce as the President ofMyanmar in March. He willalso be the rst head of state ofa foreign country that PresidentBounnhang has received duringhis term of ofce.

U Htin Kyaw was bornon July 20, 1946 in Yangon,Myanmar. He is the son of MinThu Wun, a respected authorand poet. He married Daw SuSu Lwin, who was a formerchair of the Foreign RelationsCommittee in the lower houseand an NLD MP from ThongwaTownship.

In 1962, U Htin Kyawgraduated from the EnglishMethodist High School. From1962-63, he studed at RangoonUniversity, majoring in arts.

From 1963-68, he attendedthe Institute of Economicsand obtained his M. Econ(Statistics). He also taught asa tutor while attending his M.Econ (Pt. 2). In 1970, he joinedthe Universities’ ComputerCentre as a ProgrammerAnalyst.

From 1971-72, U Htin

Myanmar presidentto visit Laos

President U Htin Kyaw.

Kyaw attended the Institute ofComputer Science University inLondon. In 1974-75, he obtainedan M.Sc. in Computer Sciencefrom Rangoon University.

From 1975-80, he wasDivis ion Chief , HeavyIndustries Corporation, No. 2Industrial Ministry. From 1980-92, he was Deputy Director ofthe Foreign Economic RelationsDepartment, Planning andTreasury Ministry. In 1987, heattended a course at the ArthurD. Little School of Managementin Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1992, he resigned from thegovernment. Later, he becamecoordinator for Aung San SuuKyi in charge of foreign affairs.From 2012 to the present, he has

 been an Executive Committeemember of the Daw Khin KyiFoundation.

U Htin Kyaw was electedPresident of Myanmar byParliament and began his

 presidency on March 30, 2016.

Somsack Pongkhao

Laos and China have signeda number of cooperationdocuments as a guideline tofurther strengthen their relations,friendship and cooperation in thenear future.

The agreements were signedduring a goodwill visit to Chinafrom May 3-5 by SecretaryGeneral of the Lao People’sRevolutionary Party andPresident of the Lao PDR MrBounnhang Vorachit, in responseto an invitation from his Chinesecounterpart Xi Jinping.

The agreements concerneconomic and technicalcoope ra t i on , exchange

 programmes related to Laos’hosting of the Asean Summitthis year, China’s provision ofequipment to wipe out locustsin Laos, production investment,and loans given by China to fundinfrastructure projects.

The agreements also relateto a loan for a processing andlogistics project in Luang

 Namtha province and a loan fromChina to fund the installationof a power transmission linein Borikhamxay province andanother power line linkingSaravan and Xekong provinces.

This is Mr Bounnhang’s rstvisit to China since he becameParty Secretary General inJanuary and President of theLao PDR in April this year.

According to the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, the two leadersreaffirmed their intention todeepen their comprehensivestrategic partnership andmutual assistance, aiming tomaintain peace, stability andcooperation in the region andthe world.

The two countries alsoagreed to further exchange visits

Laos, China signcooperation agreements

 by delegations at various levelsto discuss ways to strengthencooperation.

The two countries alsoagreed to further enhancecooperation in all areas rangingfrom politics, economics, law,special economic zones, energy,education, health, informationand culture.

President Xi Jinping wasquoted by Xinhua as sayingthat the visit showed the Laoside attached great importanceto Laos-China t ies. Hecalled on both sides to seizeopportunities to improve their

 bilateral comprehensive strategiccooperation.

The traditional friendship between the two countries istheir shared treasure, Xi said,stressing that China was readyto work with the new Laoleadership to build a community

Mr Bounnhang Vorachit and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping attend the signing ceremony in China.

with a shared future.Xi called on the two socialist

countries to enhance high-levelcontacts, maintain a high levelof political mutual trust, improveexchanges between the tworuling parties, and promotemutual learning in governance.

Over the past decades, Laosand China have enhanced theircooperative relations in a numberof areas ranging from politics toeconomics and socio-culturalelds.

Apart from exchange visits by delegations at various levels,the two sides also focused on

economic cooperation.Two-way trade between

Laos and China has grownyear-on-year with the totalvalue amounting to US$1.3

 bi ll io n in 20 11, ri si ng toUS$3.6 billion in 2014 butdropping to US$2.78 billionin 2015, according to the Lao

 News Agency.Laos has become the second

overseas investment destinationfor entrepreneurs from China’sYunnan province. The value ofinvestment by this province inLaos has climbed to US$1.04

 billion.

Times Reporters

Japan will provide about 2.5 billi on yen to build bridgesalong National Road No. 9

and 247 million yen for humanresource development.The ag reemen t was

concluded yesterday duringJapanese Foreign MinisterFumio Kishida’s visit to Laos.

Lao Minister of ForeignAf fa i r s M r Sa l eumxayKommasith and his Japanesecounterpart signed an exchangenote on the assistance project,which is part of Japan’s OfcialDevelopment Assistance toLaos.

D e l i v e r i n g a p r e s s

Mr Saleumxay Kommasith (right ) and Mr Fumio Kishida shake handsafter signing the exchange note.

Japan to nance bridges, human resource development

statement, Mr Saleumxay said“The two projects will bean important contribution to

socio-economic developmentin Laos.”

At a bilateral meeting held

 before the signing ceremony,the two sides reviewed their

 past coopera tion and sharedviews on the path of futurecooperation and the deepening

of friendship ties through theirstrategic partnership, whichwill benet the two nations.

They highly valued thesuccessful celebration of lastyear’s 60th anniversary of theestablishment of diplomaticrelations between the twocountries.

Representing the Laogovernment and people, MrSaleumxay extended hiscondolences to the Japanesegovernment and people over

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Home news Thursday May 5, 2016

Times Reporters

The government will spend over1 trillion kip to rebuild the 165-km dirt road that links the two

 provinces of Khammuan andSavannakhet.An official from the

K h a m m u a n p r o v i n c i a lPublic Works and TransportDepartment, who asked not to benamed, told Vientiane Times onWednesday it will take four yearsfrom 2016-2020 to surface Road

 No. 1F with asphalt.The upgrade is starting in the

centre of Xaybuathong district inKhammuan province and willcontinue to the urban centre ofVilabouly district in Savannakhet

 province.Work has just got underway

 but many people continue to usethis road to travel between thetwo districts.

“It’s not an easy journey because of all the potholes on thisroad but people use it because it’sthe shortest route between thetwo towns,” he said.

But although this route savestime and money, taking less thanan hour and a half, the journey isunpleasant due to the mud in thewet season and the dust in thedry season.

The alternative route is a three-hour drive from Xaybuathongdistrict to Vilabouly district.

Work begins on 165km Khammuan-Savannakhet road upgrade

Road No. 1F links the urban centre of Xaybuathong district inKhammuan province to the heart of Vilabouly district in Savannakhet.

When rebuilt, the road willhave a surface that can supporttrucks weighing up to 11 tonnes

 per axle, which is the standard

required by Asean.The project is consideredto be important because itwill improve links betweenKhammuan and Savannakhet

 provinces , and spu r soc io-economic development andtrade and investment in the area.

Speaking at a nationalmeeting on communications,transport, posts and constructionin 1991, former PresidentKaysone Phomvihane said road

 building was key to ensuring

economic development for boththe Party and the state.

Today the Ministry ofPublic Works and Transport is

 prioritising the development ofinfrastructure to link Laos withother countries in the regionthrough the East-West and North-South Economic Corridors.

Road upgrades and new roadconstruction in Vientiane andthe provinces, especially roadsleading to border crossings,roads linking provinces, andaccess roads to villages and newdevelopment areas, will helpsubstantially in furthering ruraldevelopment.

Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth 

Experts from Laos and Japanare meeting in Vientianeto discuss the treatment ofabdominal conditions andgallstones through the use oflaparoscopic surgery.

This form of surgery allowsa surgeon to access the inside ofthe abdomen and pelvis withouthaving to make large incisionsin the skin. It is also known askeyhole surgery or minimallyinvasive surgery.

It is also a diagnostictool that allows physicians toexamine the abdominal organs.A fibre-optic instrument isinserted through the abdominalwall to view the organs in theabdomen or to permit a surgical

 procedure.During their week’s stay in

Laos, Japanese health expertsare explaining the use of thisform of surgery and the benetsit can have for Lao patients.

Speaking at a trainingsession yesterday, Chief of theSurgery Department at MahosotHospital, Dr ViengphouthongPhrousavanh, said he wouldwelcome wider use of

Health experts discuss useof laparoscopic surgery

the procedure in Vientianehospitals.

The procedure may berecommended for a patient whohas abdominal pain of unknownorigin or who has sustained aninjury to the abdomen. Injuriesmay occur as a result of blunttrauma such as a road trafcaccident, or penetrating trauma.

Dr Viengphouthong said ble edi ng in the abdominalcavity is considered a medicalemergency and exploratorylaparotomy can be used todetermine the source of pain orthe extent of injury and performrepairs if needed.

Training in the procedureis essential because doctors inLaos lack the skills to performlaparoscopic surgery, he added.

The procedure can also beused in the detection of earlygastric cancer and colon cancerthrough video footage, he said.Lao doctors first carried outlaparoscopic surgery in 1997,

 per formed by a team fromMahosot Hospital.

From 2012 to 2016, doctorsin the following hospitals have

 been trained in the procedure:130 Military Hospital, 150

Dr Khamla Chounlivong explainsthe benefits of abdominallaparoscopic surgery.

Bed (Mittaphab) Hospitaland provincial hospitals inChampassak, Oudomxay,Luang Namtha and LuangPrabang. But health experts inthese provinces lack experiencein the procedure.

The current t ra in ingsession is being attended bythe Deputy Director Generalof Setthathirath Hospital DrKhamla Chounlivong andrepresentatives from Japan’sDoshisha University andKusatsu General Hospital.

Times Reporters The University of HealthSciences in Laos and EwhaWomen’s University in theRepublic of Korea have

 jointly developed skil ls forLao hospital staff in regardsto non-communicable disease

 prevention and management.Officials at Mahosot,

Se t t ha t h i r a t h hosp i t a l sand district hospitals inVientiane will benefit fromthe project, which focuseson the development of skillsconcerning non-communicabledisease prevent ion andmanagement.

C o m m o n n o n -communicable diseases inLaos are hypertension (high

 blood pressure), diabetes, heartdisease, and cancer.

The two universit ieslaunched the second phase ofthe non-communicable disease

 prevent ion and management project in Laos on Tuesday. Itis a one-year project supported

 by the Korea Over seasInternational CooperationAgency (KOICA).

Laos, Korea strengthen non-communicable disease prevention

Participants attend a training course on non-communicable disease prevention and management in Vientiane.

The projec t a ims to pr ov id e tr ai ni ng in no n-communicable diseases andintegrated health care. Afterthe training all participantsshould have acquired newknowledge to use in theirhospitals and in relation tothe treatment of patients.

The training runs from May3-9, with participants learningabout health maintenance to

 prevent non -communicablediseases, including generalhealth, nutrition and physicaltness.

At the opening ceremonyof the training course, DeputyDean of the University ofHealth Sciences, Dr PhouthoneVangkonevilay, said the projectwas a cooperation effort

 be tween the Uni versi ty ofHealth Sciences and EwhaWomen’s University.

In the first phase, whichruns from May 2015 toDecember 2016, the project isconducting a survey among at-risk groups who may developnon-communicable diseaseswithin selected communitiesin Vientiane.

The project teams areleading local communities instudying various methods to

 preven t non -communicablediseases and improve livingstandards, Dr Phouthone said.It was reported that so far the

 project has yielded benets.The two universities opted

to continue with the second phase of the project, whichwas launched on Tuesdayand will run until February2017. The training of non-communicable d iseasesintegrated health care leadersis one activity in the second

 phase.Hospital staff from the

target districts of Chanthabouly,Xaysettha, Sikhottabong,S i s a t t anak , Xay t hany ,Hadxaifong and Naxaithongwere among those in attendanceat the training course.

Dr Phouthone hopedthat after the training all

 participants will have a betterunderstanding of the topic anduse their newfound knowledgein their work to improve localhospitals and the health ofresidents.

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3Vientiane Times Thursday May 5, 2016 Home news

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Attention Vientiane Times subscribers

Weather forecast

Times Reporters

Households affected by stormsand squalls in many partsof the country are in needof assistance despite someemergency aid already comingfrom local authorities, donorsand businesses.

Local media reportedyesterday that more reliefsupplies are needed by at least100 households in areas wherestorms have occurred sincethe end of last month. Somerice elds have been damaged,along with houses, schools, other

 property and livestock.Houses have lost roofs and

some billboards blew downduring squalls that have lashedVientiane and the provinces ofXayaboury, Luang Prabang,Borikhamxay, Khammuan,Champassak and Saravan.

Electricity poles were also brought down in the strong windsand in some areas electricityhas been cut and roads areimpassable, while a monetaryassessment of the damage has yet

Storm victims in need of support

This school in Xayaboury province lost a roof during a storm that whipped through the province onTuesday.

to be calculated, according to theMinistry of Natural Resourcesand Environment’s Departmentof Disaster Management andClimate Change.

Some provincial authoritieslast week provided funding tolocal authorities so they couldhelp those in need. The moneywill be used to provide food and

 basic health services to peoplewho have been displaced or losttheir possessions.

Provincial authorities

also handed out clean water,rice, household essentials andother items to authorities fordistribution to families whoselives have been disrupted and areunable to obtain supplies.

As part of the provinces’emergency relief programme,the authorities will work with thesectors concerned to distributeother items needed by stormvictims, such as food, blanketsand clothing.

Many provincial authoritieswill work with donors andthe public and private sectorsto provide relief packages,

including clothes, bed linen andhousehold utensils.

Author i t ies are nowsurveying and collectinginformation in affected areas.Provincial ofcials from varioussectors, including the military,have been dispatched to helpthose in need.

Meanwhile, some roadrepairs are underway afterlandslides while the electricitygrid and telephone network arealso in need of repair.

Although the storms havenot been catastrophic, provincialauthorities are warning villagersto be on high alert this monthand to closely follow weatherforecasts.

Summer thunderstorms can be expected during this period,with rain, gusting winds and hail.The public should be aware ofthe severe weather conditionsand stay away from insecure

 buildings at all times, accordingto the ministry’s Weather Forecastand Aeronautical MeteorologyDivision of the Meteorology andHydrology Department.

Times Reporters Laos needs to expand itsnat ionwide ski l l s baseas domestic and foreigni n v e s t m e n t i n c r e a s e s ,

 pa rt icul ar ly no w th at th ecountry is part of the AseanCommunity.

To meet the needs of thelabour market and sustain thecountry’s economic growth,especially in the humanresource and technologysectors, Pakpasak TechnicalCollege in Vientiane is planningto expand its facilities.

The college is building aworkshop, laboratory and otherfacilities in a bid to producequalied workers.

In an interview withVientiane Times  yesterday,C o l l e g e D i r e c t o r M rSaykham Phanthavong saidthat in compliance with the

Ministry of Education andSports’ policy, the collegewill continue to develop andintegrate vocational trainingmethods into its curriculum,with the aim of expanding andimproving the skills of theworkforce to meet the needsof the domestic and foreignlabour markets.

To achieve this goal, MrSaykham said the college

More skilled workersneeded as Laos joins AEC

 pla nned to coope ra te wit hskills development centresin Vientiane to enhance the

 professionali sm of the Laoworkforce by raising standardsand developing a curriculum

that covers all trades, especiallyconstruction, electronics,sewing, hospitality and otherelds.

“Our main goal is to bettertrain workers, so that ourworkforce can make a strongercontribution to socio-economicdevelopment,” Mr Saykhamsaid.

“Upgrading the skills ofadministrators at the ministerialand provincial level wouldhelp to provide the necessary

 basis for improved vocationaltraining,” he added.

Mr Saykham said thecollege also had an optionfor upper secondary schools t uden t s t o unde r t ake

vocational training, in anadditional move to meet theneeds of the evolving labourmarket. Improvements willalso be made at different levelsof government by introducinga more centralised system ofmanagement.

Increasing collaboration between the public and privatesectors is the focus of the

 National Training Council in its

role to facilitate improvementsin the vocational trainingsector.

Mr Saykham said that prof ess i onal workpl aceeducators and trainers would

 be encou raged to impro vetheir academic knowledge andabilities, to raise the quality ofLao workers to internationalstandards.

The current emphasis onthe development of technicaland vocational education hasa number of driving factors,

 particularly strong economicgrowth.

Mr Saykham noted thatlarge-scale projects in thehydropower and mining sectorswere being implemented, andthere has been significantgrowth in small and mediumsized enterprises and private

 businesses.“ I n f r a s t r u c t u r e h a s

developed at a rapid pace.Essential to these achievementsis the fact that the country has

 put in place policies that meetthe changing needs of society,”Mr Saykham added.

As local and foreigninvestment increases, humanresource development, theapplication and development ofICT and infrastructure are alsoshowing rapid improvement.

Times Reporters Laos is looking for uncovered

 potential and opportunities toeffectively integrate with theAsean Economic Community(AEC) in ways that benet the

country.Prime Minister Thongloun

Sisoulith made the statementon Friday when respondingto questions put by the mediaabout Laos’ joining the AEC.

“Asean has been approvedas a community, but Laosis still seeking uncovered

 pos sib ili tie s, pot ent ial andopportunities that will benetthe nation as a member of thecommunity,” he said.

The media questionedwhether Laos is ready tocompete within the regional

Laos needs to consolidate to besuccessful Asean member: PM

community, especially in theeconomic sector.

The p r i me mi n i s t e rreminded the media that Laoscould benefit directly andindirectly from membershipin the community through

trade agreements and mutualassistance in human resourcedevelopment.

He gave examples ofthe many countries that are

 providing scholarships andtraining for Lao students andofcials, saying membershipin the AEC has also eased tradenegotiations and is resulting inincreased exports.

“We can say that exportshave increased since we joinedthe AEC and imports have also

 become easier,” Mr Thonglounsaid. Meanwhile, he remarked

that all businesses and the private and public sectors needto be stronger, saying they werewell placed to make the bestof the opportunities offered

 by maximisi ng the nation’suncovered potential.

With a population of 622million people and a combinedGDP of almost US$2.6 trillion,Asean was ofcially declareda community with a singlemarket and production base onDecember 31, 2015.

Mr Thongloun also referredto Laos being the rst chairof Asean after the regionalassociation became an ofcialcommunity, saying the countryis creating various documentson directions and policies thatwill turn the community Visioninto reality.

the recent earthquake in the south-west of thecountry, which inicted loss of life, propertyand infrastructure.

Both sides said they highly valued the

increase in the number of Japanese investorsin Laos, which they said had created jobs andincome for local people.

According to a joint press statement issued by the two ministers, the two sides are pleasedto continue discussions about and supportcooperation in economics, trade, investment,education and culture, including areas that fallwithin the joint cooperation framework.

Referring to the provision of ODA, theJapanese side promised to consider the projects

 proposed by Laos last year, and would also be

 pleased to assist Laos in chairing Asean this year.Mr Saleumxay represented the Lao

government and people in thanking the Japanesegovernment and people for the valuableassistance provided to Laos.

Speaking through an interpreter, Mr Kishidasaid he would be pleased to support MrSaleumxay as the chair of the upcoming AseanForeign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in July.

The two ministers also exchanged viewson regional and international issues of mutualinterest.

During the visit of the Japanese minister andhis delegation, which continues today, they will

 pay a courtesy visit to Prime Minister ThonglounSisoulith at the Prime Minister’s Ofce.

Japan to nance bridges... FROM PAGE 1

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 News in Brief 

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Vientiane Times on CD-ROM

Vientiane court imprisons two thieves

The Vientiane court on Tuesday ned two thieves 2.5 million kipeach and sentenced them to ve years and four months in prison,the Khuamsangob newspaper reported yesterday.The men were named as Mr Sarttasin, 27, of Phonthan village inXaysettha district, and Mr Xaysouvanh, 33, of Phonsavanh-Neuavillage in Sisattanak district. The defendants confessed they hadstolen more than 1.4 million kip, 9,000 baht and US$120 in cash aswell as seven mobile phones.

 New road, embankment for Luang NamthaThe upgrade of a 158-km highway and construction of anembankment in Luang Namtha province will be completed in thenext two months, the Khuamsangob newspaper reported.The embankment will be 316 metres long and 4-8 metres high andis now 15 percent complete, with a price tag of about 344 billionkip. The project, which includes roads R3, 13N and 3A, will easethe transport of goods between Luang Namtha and other provinces,especially in the rainy season.

Five road accidents occur in Vientiane

From April 30 to May 2, ve accidents in the capital killed two people and injured seven others, the Khuamsangob newspaperreported.In one accident a van hit and killed a motorbike rider inDongkhamxang village, Hadxaifong district. The van driver wasMr Vilasan, 43, of Dongkhamxang village and the deceased wasnamed as Mr Vay, 30, of Dongsavath village, Sisattanak district.In another incident a car crashed into a motorbike in Hadxaikhaovillage, Hadxaifong district, killing the rider.

Another car hit a sidewalk in Khoksa-art village, Xaythany district,injuring two passengers, while in Hay village, Pakngum district, a

 pick-up truck driver hit an electricity pole, injuring three people.Lastly, two people on a motorbike were injured when the bike raninto the back of a car north of the city centre.

Times Reporters

Laos recently hosted the second

meeting of the Asian Law StudentsAssociation Laos (ALSA Laos),which was convened in Vientiane.

A rst year student at the Facultyof Law and Political Sciences at the

 Nati onal Univers ity of Laos , MrThivakhone Souphanthong, toldVientiane Times  on Wednesday thathe and a third year student wererepresenting Lao students at theALSA event.

“According to the overseasstudents who attended the study tour,they were satised with the warmwelcome they received throughoutthe ALSA study trip in Laos,” he said.

The overseas students who joinedthe trip came from Thailand, China,

Laos hosts law students’ gathering

Students from ALSA country members visit the Lao National Assembly.

Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Macaoand Hong Kong.

Several students from faculties

at the National University of Laos,secondary schools and other institutesof education in Vientiane also joinedin activities to share ideas on variousissues.

ALSA is important for lawstudents in the region who can learnabout the different legal systems,legal education systems and culturein other Asean countries.

 Nowa da ys wit h eco nom icactivity in the region expanding,there is a greater need for lawyers toestablish contacts with other lawyers,

 businessmen, and authorities fromneighbouring countries.

ALSA provides a good starting point for law students to gain useful

contacts at the student stage of theircareers.

During ALSA study trips many

different people from Asean membercountries share their ideas and worktogether on issues relevant to the

 profession.This is essential in view of the

trends for economies in Asean toregionalise, which will certainlyresult in more occasions wherelocal lawyers will have to workwith lawyers from other parts of theregion.

ALSA was established in 2002,and first comprised Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippinesand Thailand.

At present, 15 countries aremembers of ALSA, including Laos,which became a member in 2012.

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Vientiane Times Thursday May 5, 2016 Photo news 5

Lao media and staff from the Lao Disabled People’s Association assemble on Tuesday after basicLao sign language training for government staff.

Doctors and nurses from Doshisha University and Kusatsu General Hospital in Japan andSetthathirath Hospital in Vientiane pose together yesterday after a short course on diagnostic andtherapeutic abdominal laparoscopic surgery.

Residents of

Xaybuathongdistrict, Khammuan province, were

unable to use thisroad for an hour after

an electricity pyloncame down in a

storm on Tuesday.

The World Bank Group and the Lao American Alumni Overseas Student Club on Friday visitKaeng Mor Primary School to plant trees, clean toilets, put up fences and paint playgroundequipment. The team also taught students about the importance of hygiene. -- Photo World Bank 

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Region

In brief from AsiaNews Network

Vacancy Notice

The World Health Organization has a vacancy for a Lao National the position of:

National Technical Assistant forEmerging Diseases, Surveillance and Response

To provide technical support to the Ministry of Health, National Centre for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE), andDepartment of Communicable Disease Control (DCDC), in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluationof emerging diseases surveillance, risk assessment and response activities in Lao PDR.

Duties:

1. Assist in planning of activities in the national work plan for emerging infectious diseases with focus on diseasessurveillance, risk assessment and response work area in line with APSED and IHR requirements, and participateactively in the implementation of the annual activity work plan;

2. Assist in inuenza and other infectious disease surveillance by combining information between the epidemiologyand laboratory, planning for and undertaking combined analysis of laboratory and epidemiology data, andsupporting to produce joint laboratory and epidemiology data for sharing information;

3. Assist Emerging Diseases Surveillance and Response (ESR) team and the Ministry of Health, National Centrefor Laboratory Epidemiology in implementing Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) active surveillance and perform

eld monitoring as necessary.4. Assist NCLE in regular monitoring and maintain notiable diseases surveillance database, particularly indicator

and event based surveillance under national surveillance system.5. Assist in maintaining, updating and monitoring all ESR project activities and generate reports as required;6. Provide ESR team with administrative support, if necessary7. Perform translation any other tasks as requested by WHO ESR ofcer.

Project duration: 1 year from June 2016 with possible one year extension.

Education:Essential: University degree in medicine or related public health or equivalent professional training.

Knowledge & skills:• Knowledge and experience in epidemiology, outbreak investigation and response, and communicable disease

control.• Skills in planning, training and implementation, and in the development of locally adapted tools and instruments.• Good communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to interact with health professionals at various levels and

to do work with national counterparts.• Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team, adapt to diverse educational and cultural backgrounds.

Experience:Essential:  At least 1 year working experience in the eld of public health.Desirable: Experiences in epidemiology or disease surveillance and response.

Language: Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and the local language. Other Skills (e.g. IT): Prociency in standard MS Ofce applications and other data base.

Interested and qualied candidates are invited to submit applications in the English language, with curriculum vitaeand photograph,by 10 May 2016 to:

  The World Health Organization  125 Saphanthong Road, Unit 5 Ban Saphanthong Tai, Sisathanak District.  P.O. Box 343, Vientiane, Lao P.D R.  Tel: (856) 21 353902-904, Fax: (856) 21 353905

Thailand to helprestore Nepal’squake-hit culturalsitesBANGKOK (The

 Nation, ANN) --

Thailand plans to helprestore at least six ofthe hundreds of culturalsites in Nepal that have

 been damaged in the2015 earthquake. “Therestoration budget willlikely be around Bt60million,” Culture MinisterVeera Rojpojanarat saidyesterday. Accordingto him, experts fromThailand’s Fine ArtsDepartment have alreadysurveyed four cities in

 Nepal and believe that itis feasible to restore sixsites in the earthquake-ravaged zones. Thesesix sites include the

Mahabouddha Templeand the Golden Templein Patan, and theChilancho Stupa inKirtipur.

 President Htin Kyaw holds talkswith Japanese FM MYANMAR (TheEleven Media Group,ANN) -- President HtinKyaw received ForeignMinister Fumio Kishidaand his delegation atthe Presidential Palace in

 Nay Pyi Taw on May 3.At the meeting,the Japanese chiefdiplomat outlined his

county’s plans for thecontinued assistance inMyanmar’s democraticreform process underthe new governmentand the promotionof bilateral relations

 between the twocountries, accordingto a report from thePresident’s Office.

CHINA (China Daily, ANN)-- A set of dinosaur footprintsrecently discovered in Zhaojuecounty in Southwest China’s

Sichuan province sheds morelight on the mysterious lifeof Minisauripus-the smallestdinosaur ever found-butscientists are warning thatsimilar ancient traces could belost forever because of mining.

Minisauripus, which wassimilar in size to a sparrow, livedduring the Early Cretaceous

 period (more than 100 millionyears ago) alongside manylarger dinosaurs that havesince become well knownnames, such as the Microraptor.Scientists hope the new printswill help ensure the general

 public can learn as much aboutMinisauripus as its peers.

“ T h e d i s c o v e r y o f

Minisauripus may challenge people’s traditional thinkingthat all dinosaurs were big guyswith scary teeth and claws,” saidXing Lida, a doctoral student

Illustration of Minisauripus based on footprints recently discovered in Zhaojue county, Sichuanprovince. --Photo China Daily 

Fossil footprints bringdinosaurs to life

at the China University ofGeosciences. “On the contrary,the footprints discovered inZhaojue belonged to a small

fluffy dinosaur the size of a bird.”Xing has been investigating

the footprints in Zhaojuealongside experts from the USand South Korea. They foundaround 70 well-preservedfootprints on a 26-square-metersection of rock and reportedthe finding in the scientific

 journa l Pa laeogeography,P a l a e o c l i m a t o l o g y ,Palaeoecology in late April.

“This is the fourth timein the world and the thirdtime in China that tracesof Minisauripus have beenfound,” Xing said. “Due tothe well-preserved conditionof these footprints, the new

evidence may point to somenew research directions for us.”The prints were found in an

area awash with clues about the past. Zhaojue county has been

the scene of many discoveriesof fossilised footprints-theMinisauripus prints were thesixth set of dinosaur footprints

to be discovered there since1990.Based on the many sets of

 prints, scienti sts have mademany discoveries, including

 proving carnivorous dinosaurs- previously thought to be poor inwater-could swim.

But the experts fear the

area and its prints are underthreat from mining. They sayone set of prints, a collectionof around 3,000 dinosaur tracksdiscovered in 1991 on a 1,500

sq m piece of rock, has already been destroyed. It is unclearexactly when they were lost.

E’bi Jiefang, director of

the county administrationof cultural relics, said thetracks are priceless sourcesof information about ancientcreatures.

SINGAPORE (Xinhua)-- Progress in informationsharing has been madeduring the 18th Meeting ofthe Sub-Regional MinisterialSteering Committee (MSC) onTransboundary Haze Pollutionheld in Singapore.

Singapore’s Minister forthe Environment and WaterResources Masagos Zulkifli

told a press conference onWednesday that the close-door meeting was attended

 by mi ni st er s re sp on si bl efor the environment fromBrunei Darussalam, Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore andThailand.

They discussed keyissues pertaining to haze

 prevention measu res in theve MSC countries, including

Countries agree on sharing information to combat hazethe implementation of theASEAN Sub-Reg i ona lHaze Monitoring System,mobilization of internationalassistance to support fire-ghting efforts, and exchangeof i n fo rma t i on amongcountries.

Cha i r i ng t he p r e s sconference, Zulkii said the

 biggest agreement during this

meeting is that the countrieswill be going forward onsharing information.

“There is a preformedagreement where countriesmust share information of theirhotspots. I think this is a bigmove forward on this thing.Of course, the modality is howthis is going to be done, whenand how far and so forth... Butwe have a big achievement

on that, because in the past,there’s a lot of pushback onsharing information, evenanonymous information. So inthis case, at least we have anagreement and we can moveforward on to this,” he said.

During the meeting, theministers also announced to

conduct a regional study on theeconomic, health and socialimpact of haze in 2015 on theASEAN region.

This study is believedto be crucial for ASEAN toassess the implication of the2015 haze incident and enablecountries to have a baseline

economic, health and socialdata to understand the impactof transboundary haze.

Elaborating on that,Zulkifli said countries thatwere affected by the hazehave been collecting differentinformation, depending onhow they were impacted.

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JAPAN (The Yomi u r iShimbun, ANN) -- A researchteam led by Waseda University,Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,Ltd. and others has developeda humanoid robot that can

move up and down a ladder12 times faster than the team’s previous model.

The robot is expected towork in places inaccessible tohumans in situations such asnuclear accidents or seriousdisasters, researchers said.

The latest model measuresnearly 1.3 metres high whenit is standing on two legs. The

 previous ver sion took 120seconds to climb one rung asit could move only one of itsfour limbs at a time.

In contrast, the new robothas been improved to be ableto move more than one limb atthe same time, taking just 10seconds to climb a rung.

As the latest model onlyrequires a short time to climba ladder - a major obstacle forwheeled robots - the researchteam hopes it can be usedwhen a nuclear power plantis hit by an accident so itwill be able to make its way

 past debris and other hurdlesto inspect inside the facility.When it is not being used in anemergency situation, the robotcan be used to check high-rise

 buildings, the team hopes.The humanoid robot has

 been developed as part of a project by the Cabinet Ofceto produce robots that can

New humanoid robotclimbs more quickly

A humanoid robot demonstrates how smoothly it can move up anddown on a ladder at Waseda University in Tokyo on Thursday.

--Photo The Yomiuri Shimbun

respond to disasters.“As the next step, we aim to develop a robot that can climb

up one rung in four seconds,” said Waseda University Prof. AtsuoTakanishi, who leads the research team.

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua) --The Cambodian government incollaboration with the United

 Nations launched the nationalaction plan for Zero HungerChallenge (ZHC) on Wednesday,

an initiative to eradicate hungerin the Southeast Asian country by 2025.

Speaking at the launchingceremony, Deputy PrimeMinister Yim Chhay Ly,also chairman of the Councilfor Agricultural and RuralDevelopment , sa id thegovernment is committedto achieving the sustainable

Cambodia launches planto end hunger by 2025

development goal to “endhunger, achieve food security andimprove nutrition, and promotesustainable agriculture”.

“The government i slooking forward to working

with development partners,civil society organisations andthe private sector to eliminatehunger and malnutrition inCambodia by 2025,” he said.

To assist the government toachieve the goal by the targetdate, the Food and AgricultureOrganisation of the United

 Nations (FAO), World FoodProgramme(WFP) and the

United Nations Children’sFund (UNICEF) are providingcollective assistance to helpCambodia with the NationalAction Plan to implementthe ZHC initiative. FAO

Regional RepresentativeKundhavi Kadiresan said itwas estimated that more than 2million Cambodians out of thekingdom’s 15 million people areliving in hunger. “We commendthe government for its strongcommitment to end hunger andwe are positively optimistic thatwe can achieve this goal withinthe timeframe,” she said.

KOREA (The Korea Herald,ANN) -- South Korea’s deputyforeign minister will visit Laosthis week to prepare for a series ofupcoming regional conferences

Korean deputy FM to visit Laos for ASEAN meetingsand summits, the ForeignMinistry said Wednesday.

Kim Hyoung-zhin isscheduled to fly to LuangPrabang, an ancient city situated

in northern Laos, on Saturday toattend a series of senior ofcialsmeetings involving membernations of the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations and

their regional partners, theministry said in a press release.Laos holds the chairmanship

of the 10-member ASEANthis year. The meetings comeahead of a foreign ministerialmeeting in July and a summitin September. South Korea is amember of the ASEAN+3, theEast Asia Summit, the ASEANRegional Forum and Friends ofLower Mekong.

During his two-day trip,Kim plans to attend the SOMsof all four forums to discusscooperation in a wide range ofissues, including nance, health,education and security.

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World

Plan International in Lao PDR  Terms of Reference

Lao Language School Readiness Curriculum and Materials Consultant April 2016

Plan International in Lao PDR (Plan) is currently supporting the Lao Ministry ofEducation and Sports, in collaboration with other development partners, to strengthenchildren’s transition into primary school with special attention to school readiness inLao language. We seek a consultant to support us in developing a framework, studentlearning materials and teacher guidelines for Lao language teaching for ethnic minoritychildren at the start of grade 1. This activity will build on ECD, emergent literacy andschool readiness interventions and materials that already exist in Lao PDR, shapingthem into a holistic transition course. We anticipate approximately 30 working days forthe consultancy, to start as soon as possible and complete all deliverables by 1 July 2016.Preference will be given to Lao-based consultants but remote work will also be possible.Consultant teams may also be considered, for example if a Lao national consultantis required to complement the knowledge and skills of an international consultant.Competitive candidates will have:

• A strong technical background in early childhood development, school readiness,emergent literacy, early grades reading or a related area

• Understanding of appropriate teaching and learning approaches for second languagelearners with little prior exposure to the language of instruction

• Experience developing thematic, outcomes-based curriculum and teacher trainingmaterials

• Previous knowledge of the Lao education sector and in particular the real-worldcontext in pre-primary and the early grades of primary school in remote communities

• Excellent (native or near-native) written English,with knowledge of Lao-Tai or otherethnic languages in Laos a plus

• The ability to work under tight deadlines and produce high-quality work with minimalsupervision

 To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter explaining your interest in, availabilityfor and qualications to undertake the consultancy, along with a relevant writing samplein English. Please indicate your expected daily fee and provide references from previousassignments undertaken. Documents must be submitted electronically to PlanLaos.

 JobVacancies@plan-internat ional.org by no later than Monday, 9May 2016. Onlyshortlisted candidates will be contacted.For a more detailed TOR, please contact Phonesavanh Sivilay, LEARN ProjectCoordinator, at Phonesavanh.Sivilay@plan-international.org 

WASHINGTON (Xinhua)-- About 500 million peoplein the Americas are at risk of

 being infected by the Zika virus,which can cause birth defectssuch as microcephaly, a seniorofcial from the Pan AmericanHealth Organisation (PAHO)said Tuesday.

“It’s important to notethat all countries which havereported, detected Dengue andChikungunya virus outbreaksduring the last years, that’s15 years, are considered atrisk for having outbreaks ofZika,” Sylvain Aldighieri, Zikaincident manager for PAHO,told reporters here. “It meansthat we are expecting outbreaksof Zika from Middle Americato Latin America to the north ofArgentina and in the Caribbean.

So it’s a very large portion ofterritory of the region.”Aldighieri said so far

500 million people at risk ofcontracting Zika in Americas

Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases speaks during a Zika brieng in WashingtonD.C., the United States. --Photo Xinhua

the number of countries andterritories in the Americasreporting Zika virus transmission

has increased to 37, of whichve countries including Brazilhave reported microcephaly.

Anthony Fauci, directorof the US National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious Diseases,told reporters at the brieng thathis agency is working to begin aclinical trial for a Zika vaccine inSeptember. “We will probablyknow if it’s safe by the beginningof 2017,” said Fauci. “And if itis, we’ll engage in a very largeefcacy study likely in SouthAmerica or in the Caribbean andthat should take anywhere fromone to three years to prove that itworks or does not work.”

Zika is transmitted primarilythrough the bite of an infected

Aedes species mosquito, whichalso spreads chikungunya anddengue.

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta(AP) -- The entire populationof the Canadian oil sandscity of Fort McMurray,Alberta, has been ordered toevacuate from a wildre thatofcials said destroyed wholeneighbourhoods.

More than 80,000 residentshave been ordered to ee asames continued to make their

Residents evacuated as res threaten Canada oil sands townway into the city Tuesday.Alberta Premier Rachel Notleycalled it the biggest evacuationin the history of the province.Residents were panicked.Highway 63 is the only roadout of the city and flames

 jumped the road.Fire chief Darby Allen

said they did not have anestimate of the number of

homes destroyed, but said there is burning in several areasin the city’s south end and haddestroyed a mobile home park.

There have been no reportsof serious injuries and Allensaid right now the prioritywas to keep everyone safe.Allen said they have requestedmilitary assistance and expectthe army and air force will start

sending out troops within acouple of days.

Fort McMurray is the heartof Canada’s oil sands region.The Alberta oil sands are thethird largest reserves of oil inthe world behind Saudi Arabiaand Venezuela.

Most oil sands projects arewell north of the community,while the worst of the ames

were on the city’s south side.Allen said they are trying

to maintain the crucialinfrastructure in the city,including the only bridgeacross the Athabasca River andHighway 63, the only route tothe city from the south.

“We appreciate that someof you have lost properties. Wehave people working here right

now that have lost property,too,” he said.

Brian Jean, the leader ofAlberta’s opposition partyand a resident of the city,said much of downtownFort McMurray is beingdestroyed by fire, but the firechief said there had mostly

 been spot fires which have been extinguished.

UNITED NATIONS (AP)-- The head of the UN agencyfor Palestinian refugees

expressed hope Tuesday thatSaudi Arabia, the United ArabEmirates and Kuwait willcome up with US$80 millionto ensure that 500,000 boysand girls who are refugees canstart the next school year ontime in August.

Last year, a US$101million shortfall in the budgetof the agency, known asUNRWA, almost led to a delayin starting school.

Pierre Krahenbuhl told anews conference Tuesday thatthe three Gulf countries cameto the rescue last year and hehopes they will “renew thegenerosity this year.”

“If we could have that,

then we will be able to avoidanother crisis this summer,”he said.

UN needs US$80 millionfor schools

for Palestinian refugeesUNRWA operates 700

schools for Palestinian refugeeswith 22,000 education staff in

the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan,Lebanon and Syria. Last year’sfunding crisis almost led to adelay in the start of the schoolyear.

Krahenbuhl stressed theimportance of education forPalestinian refugees, manywho have spent their lives incamps, as key to giving themhope for the future.

Compared to school systemsin the United States, Krahenbuhlsaid the Palestinian refugeeschool system would be the thirdlargest after New York and LosAngeles.

He said UNRWA, “has been in challenging nancialcircumstances for many years

and many decades, and thenotion is to learn from lastsummer’s large-scale crisis.”

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Vientiane Times   9

BusinessRead more news at www.vientianetimes.org.la Thursday May 5, 2016

 

Euro 50-500 9,274 9,321

  Foreign Currencies Buying Selling

US Dollar 50-100

Thai Baht

8,087

230.77

8,127

232.49

Exchange rates as of May 4, 2016

Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public

Times Reporters

The Bank of the Lao PDRhas warned the public tocarefully consider the wisdomof depositing money withmicronance institutions afternding that a large numer ofcompanies are operating sucha business unlawfully.

The bank has authorised143 micronance institutionsto operate in Laos, of which 15are deposit taking entities, 41are non-deposit taking bodies,22 are leasing companies, 26are pawnshops, ve are money

transfer companies, 32 aresavings credit unions and twoare nancial institutions.

The names of theseinstitutions can be seen in the

 bank’s announcement in daily

CHINA (China Daily, ANN)-- A key index gauging China’sfactory activity dipped in April,which analysts said is a signthe world’s second-largesteconomy is still suffering fromslow growth despite improvedmacroeconomic data in the rstquarter.

Released on Tuesday, theCaixin/Markit ManufacturingPurchasing Managers’ Index,which surveys mainly mid-sized and small enterprises,fell to 49.4 last month from49.7 in March, the 14th month

 below the 50 mark that divideseconomic expansion fromcontraction.

According to the survey, thesubindex of new export ordersdropped for the fth straightmonth. It was largely on parwith the March level, and totalnew orders from at home andabroad were unchanged.

“All of the index’s categoriesindicated that the foundationfor China’s economic recoveryis yet to be solid. The economymay continue to fluctuate

 before bottoming out and thegovernment needs to keep aclose watch on the risk of afurther economic downturn,”He Fan, chief economist atCaixin, said in a note.

The ofcial PMI, compiled by the China Federation ofLogistics and Purchasing

newspapers or obtained bycontacting the bank directly.

The announcement by the bank will tell people whichmicronance institutions areregistered with the bank andoperating legally in line withthe bank’s regulations andgovernment policy.

However, some companiesare operating this kind of

 business but have not registeredwith the bank.

These companies may tryto take advantage of peopleand customers may not benetin any way.

Through cooperation withthe police and the industry andcommerce sector, the bank has

 banned some companies fromcarrying out this line of businessas they have not complied with

the bank’s regulations. But the bank says it cannot reveal thenames of these companies.

Bank ofcials are certainthere are more companiesrunning this kind of businessunlawfully.

To address the problem,the bank requires cooperationfrom various sectors as well asthe public.

The bank will try to stop theoperations of companies thathave not registered with the

 bank as well as micronanceinstitutions that do not followthe bank’s regulations.

If these companies wishto operate like a micronanceinstitution by lending moneythey must register with the bank

 before they begin operations.Microfinance institutions

are those nancial institutionsthat undertake microfinancetransactions as outlined inthe Decree on MicrofinanceInstitutions issued by the PrimeMinister, comprising deposit-taking and non-deposit-takingmicronance institutions andmicronance projects.

The decree defines the principles, regula tions andmeasures for the establishment,operations and supervision ofmicrofinance institutions inLaos to ensure security andstability.

It also sets out conditions to

enable the multi-ethnic peopleto have access to financialservices, contribute to povertyreduction, and develop theeconomy and society as awhole.

and the National Bureau ofStatistics, dropped to 50.1in April, down from 50.2 inMarch. Although it dippedsl ight ly , i t remains inexpansionary territory. Theofcial PMI mainly monitorslarge enterprises in China.

The Chinese economyexpanded at 6.7 percent year-on-year in the rst quarter, downfrom 6.8 percent a year ago, but aslew of stimulus measures, suchas relaxed purchasing policiesfor the real estate sector, have

led to soaring home sales anda quick recovery in relatedindustries, such as steelmaking.

Therefore, despite the dipin April’s PMI, economistsremain confident that theChinese economy is expectedto continue to recover, at leastin the short term.

“We expect that realestate activities and industrial

 product ion may continue to be growing ste adi ly,” sai da research note by UBSeconomists led by Zhang Ning.

“But the momentum may easemoderately.”

“We think, this year youare going to see stabilisation,”Kelvin Tay, analyst at UBSWealth Management, toldCNBC.

“You may probably expectunemployment to tick up, youmay expect manufacturing toactually slow down a little bit,

 but we do expect the situationto stabilise because of thestimulus measures the Chinesegovernment has put in place.”

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)-- Siemens AG, maker of heavyindustrial equipment including

 power stations and trains, sawnet prot fall in the most recentquarter due to large one-timegains in the year earlier period.

But the company’s earnings beat analyst estimates and itreported a strong rise in neworders.

 Net prot fell to 1.5 billioneuros (US$1.7 billion) in theJanuary-March quarter from 3.9

 billion euros in the same quarterlast year. In the year-ago quarterthe company booked 3.0 billioneuros in gains from selling its

hearing-aidbusiness and a stakein a home appliances company.

 Net pro fit bea t ana lys testimates for 1.1 billion eurosas compiled by financialinformation provider FactSet.

With one-time effectsfrom a year earlier tossed out,underlying industrial prot grew28 percent, to 2.1 billion euros(US$2.4 billion).

Munich-based Siemens said

BRUSSELS (Kyodo) -- Japan’s

Prime Minister Shinzo Abeand European Union leadersagreed on Tuesday to expeditenegotiations for a free tradedeal and reach a broad accord

 by the end of the year, Japaneseofcials said.

Abe shared the view in ameeting with Donald Tusk,

 pre sident of the EuropeanCouncil, and Jean-ClaudeJuncker, president of theEuropean Commiss ion,the executive branch of the28-member bloc, they said.

Tusk was quoted as sayinga free trade agreement should

 be reached during an annualJapan-EU summit in the latterhalf of the year.

Japan and the regionalgrouping, which began freetrade negotiations in April 2013,missed the earlier envisioneddeadline for reaching a deal setfor the end of 2015.

During the meeting, Abesaid Japan is trying to improverelations with China. Heexplained that China seemseager to reciprocate, thoughthere were sharp exchanges of

BOL advises caution over depositing

money in microfnance institutions

China growth remains sluggish in April

A jogger runs on the Bund after a rain with the skyline of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings in Shanghai.

Wednesday that orders grew 7 percent to 22.3 billion euros, boosted by a 3.1 billion eurosorder for power plants in Egypt.Orders are crucial for futureearnings, since the company’s

 business is focused on long-term infrastructure and transport

 projects that will add to protsin the quarters and years ahead.

The company, which does business all over the world, gavea cautious outlook for the yearahead, saying it would meet itsearnings targets but warning thatit expected “further softening” inthe global economy. It predicted“moderate revenue growth.”

Revenue grew 5 percent to19.0 billion euros.

“We delivered anotherconvincing performance in thesecond quarter, compared to

 both the prior year and ourindustry sector,” CEO JoeKaeser said in a statement.“Despite ongoing challenges inthe market environment, we willcontinue to focus rigorously on

 protable growth.”

Siemens’ underlying proft

 jumps as order book swells

views during last Saturday’s

Japan-China foreign ministers’talks in Beijing.

The Japanese premier saidhe will seek to hold a bilateralsummit between the Asianneighbors in early September,when China will host a summitof Group of 20 major economies,the ofcials said.

He also expressed concernabout Beijing’s ongoingmilitarisation of the South ChinaSea, while Tusk supported theidea of sending a joint messagefrom the Group of Sevenindustrialised nations on theneed to observe international andmaritime laws.

Touching on increasinguncertainty in the global

economy, Abe pointed to theneed for exible scal policy inorder to spark demand. Junckersaid he is in full agreement onthat point.

Meanwhile, Abe revealeda plan to map out humanitarianand other support measures tohelp stabilise Middle Easternand African nations at the G-7summit to be held in Japan laterthis month, the ofcials said.

Japan, EU leaders agree toaccelerate free trade talks

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10 Vientiane TimesBusiness Thursday May 5, 2016

IN BRIEF 

Asian Development Bank (ADB)Lao PDR Resident Mission

Invitation for Bids

The Asian Development Bank now invites sealed bids from eligible and qualied bidders forthedemolition of an existing building and construction of a new ofce block within the compoundof ADB at Vientiane. The construction work is to be completed within 8 months f rom the dateof notication of contract award.

National Competitive Bidding (NCB) will be conducted in accordance with ADB’s Single-Stage:One-Envelope procedure. The NCB is open to all Bidders from eligible countries as describedin the Bidding Document.

Only eligible Bidders with the following key qualications should participate in this bidding:(i) Should be a reputable rm with independent legal existence for a minimum of three(3)

years and registered with the Ministry of Public Work and Transport;(ii) Have a minimum of three(3) years’ construction experience related toinfrastructure buildings

located in urban areas (ie. institutional and commercial ofce projects);(iii) Have an average annual construction turnover of at least US$ 400,000 over the past three

(3) years from 2013 to 2015;(iv) Have successfully completed at least one similar project in Lao consisting of demolition

and reconstruction of ofce block to showcase company’s expertise/capability inthis kind ofproject which require environmental control and pollution prevention while some buildingsin the compound are used for business operation;

(v) Should be a rm with a business license providing only building construction servicesinvolvingexterior and interior architectural, civil, and structural engineering works; and

(vi) Should not be under a declaration or record of ineligibility for corrupt and/or fraudulentpractices issued or kept by ADB.

To obtain bidding documents, further information and inspect the bidding documents, Biddersshould contact:

Senior Finance/Administrative Ofcer  Asian Development BankLao PDR Resident MissionCorner of Lanexang Av. &Samsenthai Rd.P.O. Box 9724Vientiane, Lao PDRTel: 021 250 444E-mail: svongthevanh@adb.org

From 8:30-11:30 and 13:30 – 16:00 hours, Monday to Friday, from09May 2016 to 26 May 2016.

Deliver your bid• Address to: Country Director

 Asian Development BankLao PDR Resident Mission

  Corner of Lanexang Av. &Samsenthai Rd.  P.O. Box 9724  Vientiane, Lao PDR• On or before 27May 2016 at 14:00 pm• together with a Bid Security as described in the Bidding Documents.

www.adb.org/lrm

Times Reporters

Savannakhet provincialauthorities have authoriseda local company to conduct

a feasibility study on theconstruction of a small scalehydropower plant on the XeponRiver in Xepon district.

A M emorandum o fUnde r s t and i ng (M oU)on the project was signedrecently between provincialPlanning and InvestmentDepartment Deputy DirectorMr Kongkham Xaypanya,

 p rov inci a l Energy andMines Department DirectorMr Bounlouan Lisayalath,and Khamviengngam Co.,Ltd. Director Mr PachitKhamviengngam.

The signing ceremony waswitnessed by the provincialAdministration Ofce Deputy

Head Mr Phousamay Kittalath.The provincial authoritiesas well as the governmenthave attempted to promote

development in untapped naturalresources within the province.

Therefore, the authoritiesgave their approval forthe provincial Planning and

Investment Department, p rov inc ia l Energy andMines Depar tment andKhamviengngam Co., Ltd. tosign an MoU on the developmentof a small hydropower plant onthe Xepon River.

  Under the MoU, thecompany will take 18 months tosurvey and study the possibili tyof the project, for whichthe company needs to payinsurance worth US$15,000for the MoU implementationand US$5,000 for monitoringthe project.

The project is located inKengluang village, Xepondistrict and will have an installedcapacity of less than 15MW.

Speaking at the event,Mr Pachith said in the nextfew months the company, inconsultation with the relevant

sectors and authorities, will begi n a survey and coll ectinformation on the viability of thehydropower plant’s constructionand its potential social and

environmental impacts.The company will thensubmit the results of the feasibilitystudy to the authorities for theirconsideration, he said.

The province currently hassix potential hydropower projectswith an installed capacity of lessthan 15 MW in Xepon, Nong andVilabouly districts.

Three projects are in the process of signing MoUs onconstruction with the provincialadministration, while the otherthree projects are still undergoingfeasibility studies.

Savannakhet province alsohas seven potential hydropower

 projects with an installed capacityof more than 15MW in Nong and

Phin districts.Six projects are undergoingfeasibility studies, while one is

 preparing to start construction.

MoU kicks off hydropowerstudy on Xepon River

Mr Kongkham Xaypanya shakes hands with Mr Pachit Khamviengngam after signing the MoU.

WASHINGTON (The statesman, ANN) -- TheWorld Bank has warned that water scarcity,exacerbated by climate change, could impactgrowth, spur migration and spark conict acrossthe globe including in India where several regionsare facing water decit.

A World Bank report ‘High and Dry: Climate

Change, Water and the Economy’ released onTuesday said the combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes and expanding citieswill see demand for water rising exponentially,while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain.

Calling for need to enhance efciency ofwater use in India, a top World Bank ofcialsaid there is going to be mounting, increasingwater decits, or at least increasing demands forwater across India.

In India, property related violence increases byabout four percent when there is below averagerainfall and communal riots become more frequentfollowing episodes of oods, the World Bank said.

In Gujarat, when groundwater irrigation became less available or more expensive due to adeclining water table, farmers migrated to citiesinstead of seeking alternative adaptation strategiessuch as shifts in cropping patterns or more efcientirrigation technologies, it said.

“According to one estimate, groundwater pumping accounts for no less than four to six percent of India’s total carbon emissions,” theWorld Bank said.

“Water scarcity is a major threat to economicgrowth and stability around the world, and climatechange is making the problem worse,” said WorldBank President Jim Yong Kim.

“If countries do not take action to bettermanage water resources, our analysis shows thatsome regions with large populations could beliving with long periods of negative economicgrowth. But countries can enact policies now thatwill help them manage water sustainability for theyears ahead,” he said.

World Bank Lead Economist RichardDamania said the climate models projectionsabout the monsoons have wide variability; they

come out with a number of results.“So people do not know with the same measure

of precision, for example, what will happen inIndia as they would, for example, in the MiddleEast. Having said that, all the models convergeon a world in which the monsoons become much,much more intensive for a shorter period of time,”

Damania said.“So we are going to get either the same amountof rainfall or less rainfall in a shorter period of timewith greater intensity, but that will vary of courseacross the years.

“Now having said that, what does this actuallymean for India. Even if you stripped away climatechange, the projections for India seem to suggest,

 because we combine population growth, wecombine urbanisation which is reasonably rapidand we combine economic growth, all thoseforces together combine to increase the demandfor water,” he said.

“So there is going to be mounting, increasingwater decits or at least increasing demands forwater. And this really, really suggests that we needto enhance efciency of water use,” Damania said.

As such one needs to look closely of coursealso at how ground water is used, because at themoment there is a large reliance on ground water,

often pumped at unsustainable levels and it alsoimplies allocating water more efciently to moreefcient uses.

“Let us not forget water is a natural resource.So if we neglect the water cycle, if we neglect theupstream forests, which are so essential to ensurethat the water cycle endures and water goes whereit should go, we really worsen the decits that weactually have. So the same conclusions that thereport would apply with equal force to India, but

 perhaps with somewhat more urgency given therising demands,” he said.

The report also warns that reduced freshwateravailability and competition from other uses suchas energy and agriculture could reduce wateravailability in cities by as much as two thirds by2050, compared to 2015 levels. Water insecuritycould multiply the risk of conict, the report added.

Water scarcity to costgrowth, spark conict

 Southeast European business forum draws global investorsSARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) -- The countries of southeastern Europe are aiming

to attract more investment from international business executives gathered at a conference inSarajevo. The annual event, which opened Wednesday, this year has gathered investors from 30countries, including China, India, Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and others.First held in 2010, the Sarajevo Business Forum has positioned itself as one of the most important

investment events for southeastern Europe.

 BMW reports record Q1 salesMUNICH (Xinhua) -- German car producer BMW Group reported here on Tuesday that its saleshave reached a new record in the rst quarter of the year. According to the group’s statistics,

sales volume in its automotive segment for the Bavarian company rose by 5.9 percent to a totalof 557,605 units in the rst three months of the year. A total of 127,167 units were sold on theChinese mainland in the rst quarter, representing an increase of 10.5 percent.

 Economic climate in euro area continues to fall MUNICH (Xinhua) -- The Ifo index for economic climate in the euro area continue to weaken,research institute Ifo said in a report on Tuesday. The quarterly released index declined to 112.7

 points from 118.9 points in last quarter, but it remains above its long-term average, the reportnoted. According to the survey results, the economic climate deteriorated due to both less

favorable assessments of the current economic situation and slightly more skeptical businessexpectations.

German rms upbeat on Chinese market growth: report BEIJING (Xinhua) -- German rms in China are still optimistic about their local sales growth

despite the economic slowdown, a report showed on Tuesday.About 90 percent of the surveyed 189 German rms, based in China, planned to continue businessin China despite the economy seeing the weakest quarter-on-quarter expansion in the rst quartersince 2011, according to the report released by the German Chamber of Commerce in China. Overone third of the surveyed German rms have taken steps such as rolling out new products and

services to adapt to market changes, the report showed.

 Establishment of Fishing Control System Underway in DPRK Pyongyang (KCNA) -- The establishment of a shing control system between control centers at

shery stations and shing boats is now underway in the DPRK.The system makes possible the rapid exchange of marine information between them. Experts saythat the system would be conducive to putting shing on a more scientic basis.

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Vientiane Times   11

Department of Custom, Ministry of FinanceCustoms and Trade Facilitation Project – Additional Financing

IDA Grand No. H843 - LA, Project No. P144992

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTERESTNational Project Analyst, based in CTFP Ofce, Vientiane Capital

( ref. no.: CS-003-CTFP-2016 )The Lao PDR has received nancing of US$ 12.5 million equivalent from the International Development Association (IDA)to support the Customs and Trade Facilitation Project (CTFP), which has two main components:(a) Automation Support focused on progressively shifting responsibility for the support and maintenance of the ASYCUDAsystem from heavy reliance on UNCTAD to the Customs Department’s own personnel and on building a strong in-housecapacity to effectively manage current and future ICT systems and related infrastructure; and,(b) Organizational Development designed to consolidate and further extend the improvements achieved in customs workpractices, procedures and organization that have progressively been implemented over the past ve years.

The project builds on reforms implemented as part of an earlier World Bank nanced project and will assist the Lao CustomsDepartment (LCD) to simplify customs procedures, eliminate duplication and redundancy; reduce transaction costs andtime to clear goods; and increase transparency and accountability. The Customs Department, which is responsible forimplementation of the project,

The LCD now intends to hire a National Project Analyst to provide coordination and liaison assistance to project teamto carry out their tasks. The Project Analyst will have the overall responsibility of ensuring that the Project is executed inaccordance with the Financing Agreement. In this regard, he or she will assist the Project Director & Project Task Team

Leader in the overall coordination and management of the project implementation. He/she will work closely with ProjectImplementation Unit and the Customs Reform and Modernization Team (CRMT) to assist the project implementation inan effective and efcient manner, and ensure that integrity and transparency are maintained in all activities of the Project.

The National Project Analyst will be a full-time position and expected to commence by end of May or early June 2016through the initial 12-months contract. In order to be considered for the position, the candidates should meet the followingqualications and experience requirements:

  Minimum master’s degree in international trade, public sector/customs administration development economics or arelevant discipline;

  Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience with proven project management skills;  Prior work experience with government organizations, international agencies or technical assistance projects is an

asset;  Familiarity with government structure, customs and public sector development issues;  Capable of strategic thinking and have the ability to advocate and engage in policy discussions with senior

representatives of the government and private sector;  Excellent communication skills, including speaking and writing in both English and Lao languages;  Excellent analytical and presentation skills;  Computer literate (Microsoft Ofce package);  Good interpersonal skills and result orientation.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employmentof Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 (“ConsultantGuidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conict of interest. The Consultant will be selected based on IndividualConsultants selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

The Customs and Trade Facilitation Project (CTFP) of the Customs Department, Ministry of Finance, now i nvites interestedapplicants to provide information indicating that you are qualied to perform the services (curriculum vitae with expressionsof interest and references). Interested Applicants may obtain further information at the address below. Expressions ofinterest must be delivered to the address below or no later than May 16, 2016, 16:00 o’clock (submissions via email arealso acceptable). Only Short-listed candidates will be contacted.

 Athsaphangthong Siphandone (PhD.)Director General, Customs DepartmentMinistry of Finance, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDRTel. & Fax: +856 (21) 254034E-mail: athsaphangthong@gmail.comCopy: vongvanhpheng@gmail.com and thanongsakd@gmail.com

REQUEST FOR EXPRESS OF INTEREST

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICMINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE

Small and Medium Enterprises Access to Finance ProjectCredit No. 5471-LA, Grant No. H958-LA

International Consultant for the Developmentof a Strategy and Action Plan for the Collection and Analysis of SME Data

The Government of Lao PDR is receiving US$20 million nancing from the World Bank Group’s InternationalDevelopment Association (IDA) for the Small and Medium Enterprise Access to Finance Project (SME A2F). TheProject’s development objective is to provide long-term funding sources for banks to provide long-term credit tosmall and medium enterprises (SMEs). The project will support the growth of privately-owned SMEs by increasingthe supply of long-term nance provided by commercial banks and by strengthening the capability of Department ofSME Promotion to formulate and implement public policies that promote access to nance for SMEs. The Projectincludes three components: 1) A Line of Credit Facility; and 2) Technical Assistance.

Under Component 2, DOSMEP intends to recruit an International Consultant to provide technical assistance todevelop a strategy and action plan for the collection and analysis of data on the SME sector. The assignment is ona part-time basis and will involve working from home as well as in Lao PDR.

The estimated inputs for this assignment are for 3 months to be provided part-time over a 12-month period. Itis expected that the majority of inputs will be delivered in Vientiane, Lao PDR working alongside governmentofcials. During the remaining time the consultant will ensure periodic contacts with her/his counterparts in Lao

PDR and continued supervision and monitoring of the work program distantly. The Consultantwill be supported bythe DOSMEP team during his assignment in Vientiane Capital and in the provinces.The full text of the ToR can be accessed at the NIU’s website: http://t4dlaos.org/index.php/en/work-with-us/vacancies.

In order to qualify for this assignment, the candidates shall meet the following experience and competencerequirements:

• Masters Degree in Statistic Economics, Economics, Business Administration, Engineering or related eld.• Minimum 5 years of experience in statistic and data collection for development projects, including planning,

coordination, technical and eld surveys.• Experience with similar assignments in ASEAN countries will be an advantage.• Knowledge and experience with SMEs promotion and development will be an advantage.• Knowledge of Computer Information Systems including packages such as Microsoft Ofce, Database, etc.

would be an advantage.• Ability to communicate effectively, in writing and orally in English is essential.• Excellent interpersonal skills and willingness to work as part of a team.• Excellent analytical and presentation skills.• Ability to work in a complex, cross-cultural working environment.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection andEmployment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers, January2011 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conict of interest. The Consultant will

 be selected based on Individual Consultants selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

The NIU now invites interested applicants to provide information indicating that you are qualied to perform theservices (curriculum vitae with expressions of interest and references). Interested Applicants may obtain furtherinformation at the address below. Expressions of interest must be delivered to the address below or no later than May31, 2016, 16:00 o’clock  (submissions via email are also acceptable). Only Short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Attn: Mr. Sengphanomchone Inthasane, NIU Manager CC: Mr. Keophouthone Inthivong, Procurement Ofcer Ministry of Industry and Commerce, National Implementation Unit (NIU)Ban Phonxay, Xaysettha District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR Tel: +856 (21) 41 39 16 – 45 39 82; Fax: +856(21) 41 39 16,E-mail: keophouthone.in@laosaft.org; cc amphaphone.t@laosaft.org

Asean Economic Community 

Thursday May 5, 2016 Business

Lao stock market report

VIETNAM (Vietnam News,ANN) -- Education is an attractive

sector for foreign investors.However, investors should beaware of the opportunities andthe challenges in investing in thesector.

Vietnam’s World TradeOrganisation commitments onopening up the education sectorhave, in fact, created opportunitiesfor foreign investors. WithVietnam in desperate need of aninternational-standard learningenvironment, the education

 business may lead to signicant protability for the investors.

W h e n e s t a b l i s h i n geducational institutions, foreigninvestors and enterprises do not,in all cases, have to build andcomplete the construction of the

facility before starting operations.For educational institutionsthat are registering to operatefor less than 20 years, it is notnecessary for foreign investors to

 build separate facilities; instead,they can rent schools, classes,workshops and other areas thatare suitable and stable for at leastve years.

For those that are registeringto operate for 20 years or more,the construction of new facilitiesis mandatory. In the initial periodof up to ve years, these facilitiesmust have a lease contract oran agreement, in principle, to

 provide necessary and stable

facilities for training and teachingand to ensure investment for the

construction of such facilities isin accordance with the progressof the project. Foreign investorscan also open their branches in thesame province or city as the maineducational institutions or in other

 provinces and cities.According to the schedule

of commitments with theWTO, for the education sector,Vietnam has only committedto the fields of engineering,natural sciences, technology and

 business administration, as wellas business science, economics,accounting, international law andlanguage training. However, forthe aforementioned elds, which

 belong to the higher educationand adult education sectors,

the training programmes must be approved by the Ministryof Education and Training ofVietnam.

With respect to generaleducation services, whichincludes elementary schools,secondary schools, high schoolsand pre-schools, Vietnam hasnot yet committed to openingthe sector to foreign investors.Institutions operated by foreigninvestors that provide generaleducation are meant for foreignstudents and a xed number ofVietnamese students only. Pre-schools can only enroll foreignstudents, not Vietnamese children.

Investment risks and opportunitiesin the Vietnam education system

Vietnam’s World Trade Organisation commitments on opening up theeducation sector have, in fact, created opportunities for foreign investors.

Trade Summary

On Wednesday, LSX index continually increased, rising 1.51 points to 1,131.96 points. The

highest activit ies came from the two stocks BCEL and EDL-Gen. BCEL traded a total of 16,300

shares and the price increased 200 kip at the end of the session, closing higher to 4,700 kip, its

highest level in three months. EDL-Gen saw about 1,800 shares change hands, worth about

10,260,000 kip. For the rest, the prices were unchanged with no trade, however PTL’s price

went down 50 kip to close at 2,600 kip due to a technical adjustment.

Daily Turnover by Investor Types (LAKm)

Last 7 days Trading Information

BCEL-KT Securities Company Limited Email: Broker@bcel-kt.com

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12 Vientiane TimesThursday May 5, 2016

 Vacancy Announcement

 The Lao PDR – U.S. International and ASEAN Integration (LUNA II) project is funded by USAID. It seeks to improve theoverall business-related legal and regulatory environment in Lao PDR by supporting efforts to meet the country’s commitmentsunder the WTO, the AEC, and the U.S.-Lao Bilateral Trade Agreement.

LUNA II is currently seeking a qualied Lao candidate for a long-term position as an Ofce Assistant. The hired candidate would initially work under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, obtaining greater independence and responsibilitycommensurate with professional development.

Starting Date: 01 June 2016Duration of Assignment: Full time (01 June 2016 – 20 September 2018)

 Work Location: Vientiane Capital (with occasional trips to other parts of the country)Main tasks and responsibilities:• Manage all logistics for local and expatriate experts, including coordinating travel and hotel arrangements, transportation

and in-country logistics.• Coordinate project car arrangements• Maintain record of project contacts (phone, email, fax, photo if possible, etc.)• Maintain project asset registry • Assist with the organization of workshops and seminars, including sending out invitations and traveling to provincial

 workshops as necessary to collect participant information, assist with workshop implementation, etc.• Assist the Project Coordinator to work on VISA and ID card for the COP and experts, as necessary.

• Prepare participant feedback forms and sign-in sheets for