Government
National government
Ministries to be trimmed for ‘efficiency’ under next government
Hoping to reduce bureaucratic red tape, the National League for Democracy revealed that it will slash ministries when it takes control of the government in two months. The ministries have been rushing to compile progress reports with an eye toward easing the transition. But the flurry ...
Party leader proud of accomplishments
Despite rapid and complex changes in the world, Laos has been able to accomplish its socio-economic development plans over the past five years (2011-15) under the leadership of the Party. Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Laos, Mr Choummaly Sayasone, ...
Ex-manager of ThaiHealth named Thai PBS chief
The Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) has appointed a former manager of Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) as its new chief. Two-thirds of the nine-member ThaiPBS policy committee voted Krissada Raungarreerat in as the new director-general of Thailand’s first public broadcasting service. The panel had ...
Cases to be opened over election campaign expenses
Legal cases will be opened against 175 candidates in the November 2015 general election for failing to submit their campaign expenses on time, according to the Union Election Commission. “The election tribunal will start hearing those cases on 21 January in Nay Pyi Taw,” said U ...
Lack of ethnic party MPs ‘serious weakness’ in parliament
During the 8 November election, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide, crushing the army-linked Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) and surprising many by also winning big in ethnic minority-dominated areas where ethnic political parties had expected ...
Brunei backs Laos' ASEAN chair preparations
The government of Brunei Darussalam has provided financial support to the Lao government as a contribution to the country’s work as the Chair of ASEAN this year. Keep reading ...
Consulting Facebook, PM changes traffic law
Despite starting with a bang just a week ago, the Land Traffic Law has already been subject to two amendments from Prime Minister Hun Sen in direct response to a public outcry on Facebook, a stark contrast to the premier’s usual attitude toward online criticism. In ...
Hun Sen nixes ban on dual-national party leaders
In his latest abrupt policy backtracking, Prime Minister Hun Sen used a speech on 7 January to rescind a recently announced plan to ban dual nationals from leading political parties—an effort that had ostensibly been aimed at the self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy. On 28 December, Mr. ...
Hun Sen nixes ban on dual-national party leaders
In his latest abrupt policy backtracking, Prime Minister Hun Sen used a speech on 7 January to rescind a recently announced plan to ban dual nationals from leading political parties—an effort that had ostensibly been aimed at the self-exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy. On 28 December, Mr. ...
Finance ministry weighs in on controversial dairy back taxes of $30 million
Eight dairy importers and producers in Vietnam may be able to escape back taxesof VND700 billion (US$30.69 million) in a controversial case of import tariff calculations that even officials cannot see eye to eye on. The businesses, including Vinamilk and Dutch-owned FrieslandCampina, said they have imported an ...