Social development
Poverty reduction slows
Poverty reduction has slowed a little but the government will strive to reduce the number of poor families from 6.56 percent in 2016 down to 6.09 percent by 2017, the government has told the National Assembly. There are four main reasons for the slower rate ...
High schools to develop ASEAN tourism skills
The ministries of tourism and education have agreed to set up a joint committee to work on the development of materials for vocational training of “ASEAN Tourism Professionals” to be integrated into the high-school curriculum, a government official said on November 7.Keep reading ...
Irrigation systems ‘must be improved’
Experts have urged Thailand to develop its irrigation system to ensure food security for the world’s growing population and a precautionary cover against the impact of climate change. More than 1,200 policy-makers, academics, and NGOs from 45 countries gathered in Chiang Mai on November 6 for ...
Minister slams UN rep over alleged ‘prejudice’
Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon slammed UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights country representative Wan-Hea Lee for alleged “prejudice” in a two-page missive released on November 4. The letter was sent to UN Development Project resident representative Claire Van der Vaeren, blasting Wan-Hea ...
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 ...
Việt Nam to build more transparent gov’t, continue restructuring economy
Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Bình Minh said on November 3 at the Việt Nam Summit 2016 that the country would continue to focus on restructuring the economy, renewing its growth model and integrating into the global production and value chain. Minh, who is also Minister of ...
Flooded schools miss first classes in capital
Three schools in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district failed to open for the first day of the school year due to residual flooding from the Prek Thnout River, Ministry of Education spokesman Ros Salin said on November 3. All schools nationwide were meant to begin classes ...
Surrogacy ban lacks force of law
Anti-surrogacy advocates have welcomed the government’s recent stance to ban surrogacy in Cambodia, though legal experts have warned that the shady practice could still continue if the prohibition is not enshrined in law. In a ministry directive, or prakas, signed October 24, Health Minister Mam ...
University needs to raise standards: PM
The National University of Laos should set its sights on national development, especially in terms of the quality of the graduates it is producing, as they are fundamental to the nation’s progress. The university is only in the initial stages of its success. There is still ...
Kayin farmers criminalised for fighting land grabs: HRW report
Kayin State villagers are losing their land and are routinely persecuted through threats, arson and arbitrary arrest if they attempt to fight the unlawful seizures, according to a report released by an international rights group on November 3. Around 70 percent of the people in ...
