The
Lao government needs between US$700 and US$800 million in Official Development
Assistance (ODA) per year on average over the next five years (2011-15) to
reach its target of annual economic growth of 8 per cent.
To achieve the goal, government sectors need
to display a firm commitment and real intention to utilise ODA provided by
development partners in an effective manner, according to a senior government
official.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dr
Bounthavy Sisouphanthong told Vientiane Times Monday that government sectors
need to strictly follow the requirements of development partners regarding aid
effectiveness, transparency and good governance.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Round
Table Implementation Meeting (RTIM) which will be held in Vientiane Tuesday.
The RTIM is an important forum bringing
together senior officials from the Lao government and development partners to
pursue and strengthen policy dialogue on the country's development agenda.
The gathering also aims to reinforce
partnerships and consolidate support for the implementation of the government's
7th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP), the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) and to foster aid effectiveness.
Bounthavy said the RTIM would discuss
implementation progress, recommend further actions for development strategies
and policies and identify priority projects under the five-year NSEDP.
The RTIM also will highlight the launch of
preparations for the following five-year ‘transition phase' of efforts to
remove Laos from least developed country (LDC) status in 2020.
The theme of this year's RTIM is "Pathway
to the Achievement of the 7th NSEDP/MDGs and 2020 LDC Graduation".
Dr Bounthavy said the government expects to
receive ODA of over US$700 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year but was unable
to provide an exact figure when speaking to the media.
He said the government is committed to
complying with donors' requirements to ensure it receives the target amount of
ODA.
From 2006 to 2010, the Lao government received
ODA totalling US$2.442 billion, exceeding the five-year target set at US$1.75
billion. This means the government received more than US$488 million per year
on average from development partners over that period.
The government wants to obtain more aid over
the next five years in order to ensure continuation of national economic growth
and to reach average annual per capita income of at least US$1,700 by 2015.
The government has also set targets to reduce
the poverty rate to below 19 per cent of the total population and the household
poverty ratio to 10 per cent by 2015.
Since 1983 Laos has been participating in the
round table process, with support from the United Nations Development
Programme.
Somsack Pongkhao
Vientiane Times
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