Government
Ministry set to introduce social pension in January
Nonagenarians and centenarians are to receive their social pensions starting next month, the government says. The Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement will provide the annual K18,000 payment to 7754 elderly men and 15,619 elderly women aged from 90 upward, a total of 23,373 ...
Transition teams kick off months-long dialogue
Transition committees set up to ensure a smooth handover of power are to meet four times a week until March, a senior National League for Democracy member said on 16 December. The government and NLD both formed eight-member teams on December 10 to coordinate the transition ...
Ho Chi Minh City adopts poverty measures
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council has recently approved adoption of a multi-dimensional poverty measure in the city’s 2016-20 poverty reduction programme. It measures, besides income, also deprivation in terms of five basic needs — education, health care, employment and social insurance, living conditions, and ...
Vietnam NA Chairman holds meeting with Cambodia Senate leader
Vietnam National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung held talks with visiting President of the Cambodia Senate Say Chhum in Hanoi on 16 December, dealing with an array of important issues of comprehensive co-operation between the two legislatures. Hailing Cambodia’s developmental achievements made recently, Hung reasserted that ...
Thailand, US resume high-level talks
Thailand and the United States resumed a high-level dialogue for the first time in three years on 16 December as both sides sought to mend a relationship strained by the Thai military coup last year. At a press conference in Bangkok after the 5th Thai-US strategic dialogue, ...
Laos, South Korea enhance cooperation against money laundering, financing terrorism
The Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence Unit under the Bank of Laos and Korea Financial Intelligence Unit signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange information on preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The MoU was signed on 16 December in Vientiane between Director General of the Anti-Money Laundering ...
Local budget management causes National Assembly concern
The responsibilities of provincial assemblies in approving budget plans and granting rights to provincial administrations to use money they have collected in excess of the target plan has raised concerns among some National Assembly members. The concerns were raised by National Assembly members on 16 December when ...
Research development forum focusing on AEC readiness
The 2nd National Research for Development Forum – “Getting Ready for Asean Economic Community” running from 16-17 December in Vientiane was launched on 16 December at the National University of Laos. The purpose of the forum is to create one platform, allowing Lao researchers and their partners ...
US demands answers over missing Lao activist Sombath
The United States called for Laos to immediately resolve the case of prominent activist whose abduction three years ago sent a “chilling message” to civil society. The State Department statement came as the top US envoy for East Asia prepares to travel to communist-governed Laos, which ...
ASEAN disaster management conference opens
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong called for further regional cooperation in disaster response and adaptation to climate change at the third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management, held at the Cambodiana Hotel in Phnom Penh on 16 December. Delivering the opening ...