Aid and development
Bilateral development assistance
Gov’t to borrow over $1B this year: report
The government expects to borrow nearly $1 billion from external creditors this year, primarily for infrastructure development, pushing the national debt over $6 billion, according to a report issued on November 4 by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. About a third of this amount, some ...
Government, development partners prepare for polio vaccination campaign
The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with various development partners, on November 3 held a meeting in Vientiane to prepare for a countrywide polio vaccination campaign. The polio vaccination project is supported by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation. The meeting was attended by health officials ...
US funds construction of Lao-American Nutrition Institute
The United States government has provided US$3.7 million or about 30 billion kip for the construction of the Lao-American Nutrition Institute in Dongphosy village, Hadxaifong district, Vientiane. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Lao-American Nutrition Institute took place in Dongphosy village on November 2, attended by Minister ...
ACIAR extends support to forestry sector
The Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research is ready to continue assisting people’s tree plantings in northern Luang Prabang province and will also extend support to the wood processing sector in Laos. The extension in support comes after the ACIAR project achieved success in the ...
Chinese group backs poverty eradication efforts
The International Poverty Reduction Centre in China will provide US$5 million this year to assist in eradicating poverty in two villages in Vientiane and Luang Prabang province. The money will be used to alleviate poverty in Xam village of Sangthong district, Vientiane and in Xienglome ...
Child Fund Australia supports children in Xieng Khuang
Child Fund Australia has provided more than US$1.1 million to support development outcomes relating to health, education, water, sanitation and nutrition for children in Khoun district, Xieng Khuang province. Funds will also go to support the continued need for improvements in education access and quality, targeting ...
Agricultural research in remote areas to be extended
The National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute and National University of Laos will continue a collaborative research project for the improvement of the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in semi-mountainous areas. The two parties will continue to work at the Japan International Research Centre for Agricultural ...
USAID funds project to monitor HIV prevalence
Laos has a concentrated HIV epidemic compared to other countries, with the prevalence of HIV still at a low level in key groups. But risk behaviours threaten to increase the prevalence of HIV transmission amongst the population so the National Centre for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted ...
Slow ODA disbursement hampers Vietnam
Slow ODA disbursement is badly affecting Vietnam’s credibility and development according to a workshop on ODA programmes heard on October 18 in Hanoi. The problems were discussed at the workshop on accelerating the implementation and disbursement of ODA programmes and projects. According to the Deputy Minister of ...
China to help modernize military, defense minister says
Chinese aid and expertise—and perhaps some fighter jets—will help modernize Cambodia’s military, Defense Minister Tea Banh said on October 17 as navy vessels from China and the U.S. paid courtesy calls to Cambodia’s ports. Speaking after his return from the 7th Xiangshan Forum, a regional security summit ...
