Industries
In response to pollution complaints, a coal plant in Indonesia offered soap and mops
Village leaders in Sumberejo, East Java, once had plans to entice travelers to their coastal town. Tourist facilities were planned for Ndaki Beach where the waves of the Indian Ocean crash upon this Indonesian island. Nearby Bawur Beach was also seen as having tourism potential. ...
Pacitan villagers say coal plant reduced livelihoods, brought little new employment
The waves of the Indian Ocean crash against the breakwater at Bawur Bay, a protective arm shielding the Pacitan coal-fired power plant. A few meters away, a barge full of coal is berthed. Its cargo is unloaded onto a conveyor belt and transported about 500 ...
Proposed hydropower plant in Laos to affect lower Mekong River in Vietnam
Laos is making hectic preparations for the building of one more hydropower dam – Pak Beng – on the Mekong river section which runs through Oudomxay province, despite strong warnings about the influence on the lower course, especially in Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta. The Mekong ...
Chinese keen to invest in Champassak's Khonphapheng SEZ
A Chinese company has told Lao authorities they want to invest US$10 billion in developing Khonephapheng special economic zone in Champassak province. Deputy Governor of Champassak province Mr Buasone Vongsongkhone told Vientiane Times on Tuesday that provincial authorities held talks with the company recently and ...
Laos buys fewer Thai goods after VAT at Friendship Bridge
Laotians have spent less money on goods in Thailand after Vientiane imposed a 10% value-added tax late last year, a Lao customs official said on January 26. Soutchai Inthavong, deputy chief of the customs international checkpoint at the Friendship Bridge, said the number of Laotians ...
More tourists, less revenue
The Ministry of Tourism released its annual report on January 24 during its yearly meeting, showing growth continued for the sector in 2016, while launching a campaign to eliminate unlicensed tourist establishments that ministry officials claim slowed revenue collection last year. International tourism arrivals increased by ...
'Bio-economy' to draw Bt400 bn
The government on January 23 announced the launch of its ambitious “bio-economy” scheme, which it expects to draw Bt400 billion worth of investment from the private sector during the next 10 years. Speaking at the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding between the public and ...
Passenger numbers rise 8.5% at airports
Passenger traffic to Cambodia’s three international airports continued to grow last year, with total arrivals and departures topping 7 million for the first time, according to the operator’s annual report. Khek Norinda, communication director for Cambodia Airports, the company that holds the concession to manage ...
Mechanized farming on the rise
The use of agricultural machinery in Cambodia has risen noticeably compared with last year, said the Agriculture Ministry. A ministry report released last week showed that the use of agriculture machinery rose to about 91 percent in 2016, compared with 83 percent in 2015, while ...
Workers prepare ground for Laos-China railway
The construction of workers’ camps for the Laos-China railway is under way in Luang Namtha province but there is much to be done before work on the railway itself can begin. There are now 200 or 300 Chinese workers in the camps, but they are ...