The Lao government
has agreed to establish 49 forest protected areas in all 16 provinces, at its
monthly meeting held in Vientiane on March 22-23.
The move aims to preserve the country's forests as a key contributor to
the prevention of soil erosion and landslides, as well as protect the
environment and watershed areas for the benefit of Lao people.
The project will include the allocation of permanent jobs for local
people, who will be employed to ensure that forested areas are protected with
the goal of restoring forest cover nationwide to 70 percent by 2020.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, forest cover in
Laos currently comprises 41 percent of the total land area.
The government meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Thongsing
Thammavong and other cabinet members.
The meeting also agreed in principle to a national strategy related to
unexploded ordnance (UXO) for 2011-2020.
The aim is to minimise the impact of UXO remaining from the Indochina
War on people's lives and socio-economic development, as well as to create a
safer environment for Lao people as they struggle to rise above poverty.
In addition, the government agreed in principle with a draft decree to
enforce the Standards Law, which aims to more clearly define the law, ensuring
that all Lao people understand the law and jointly enforce it.
The government meeting also approved in principle a draft amendment to
the Law on Sports. The amendment aims to respond to changes in the government's
structure and the need for greater international integration.
Thongsing advised the relevant sectors to improve the above-mentioned
pieces of legislation based on the recommendations of meeting participants.
He urged government sectors to prepare for the Lao New Year (Pi Mai
Lao) by ensuring public security and order among Lao people and visiting
tourists.
The Prime Minister also advised the Ministry of Information, Culture
and Tourism to publicise the appropriate way to celebrate the New Year, in line
with long-held traditions.
He advised the ministry to strongly push the “Visit Laos Year 2012”
campaign to bring more tourists to Laos and generate income, so that more
people could rise above poverty.
Thongsing also advised government bodies to encourage their officials
to do more work in local areas to boost village development.
He said government agencies need to complete their socio-economic
development and budget plans for 2012-13 in order to be ready for the
government meeting in April.
He urged the relevant sectors to strongly encourage dry-season
productivity and pay debts the government has approved for infrastructure
projects that were affected by natural disasters.
These sectors need to strictly register foreign labourers, while
encouraging Lao nationals to undergo the necessary processes to work legally in
neighbouring countries.
T he Ministry of Home Affairs needs to play an active role in issuing
notices related to the role and function of various ministries, to make it
easier for the public to contact them in regard to their work.
The Prime Minister urged the relevant sectors to continue to prepare
for Laos' accession to the World Trade Organisation, and for the ASEM Summit in
November.
News Desk
Vientiane Times
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