Laos is stepping up efforts to attract foreign investors in its power and mining industries to help speed its economic growth, according to Vilaysone Sourigna, a senior officer for the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
''We would like to promote power generation exports to provide revenues to meet the government's development objectives to eradicate poverty,'' he said at the Powering Asean seminar yesterday in Bangkok.
Mr Vilaysone said the Vientiane government expected to see at least 20 new hydropower projects funded in part by foreign investors in the near future.
Private investors will need to submit business plans to the government as it has no bidding policy. Investors also need to be aware of any agreements between the Laotian government and the governments of their home countries.
The Vientiane government's policy is to hold stakes of 15% to 30% in high-potential ventures. It holds 30% in the largely Thai-funded Huay Ho hydroelectric dam project, which has generated direct revenue of US$60 million for the state to date.
Currently, Thailand is the only major electricity buyer from the 210-megawatt Theun Hinboun power project and the 150MW Huay Ho plant in Laos.
The two governments signed an agreement last year to develop an additional 5,000 MW of hydropower capacity by 2015, with another 2,000 MW by 2020 now being discussed.
''We are situated among neighbouring countries where demand for electricity is steadily increasing,'' said Mr Vilaysone.
He said the main priority was to increase the country's income from foreign direct investment (FDI), while also creating employment, earning land-leasing fees and royalty payments from mining.
Laos expects to obtains loans from the Asian Development Bank to build up its national power grid by 2012.
Laos has huge potential in electricity, estimating that major tributaries flowing into the Mekong River could generate at least 15,000 MW of power.
In addition, its massive lignite coal reserves have attracted investors, among them the SET-listed miner Banpu Plc.
Yes, Laos will be very different soon. many wonderfull thing will happen, very sample because of the new genation lives in a new society's conditions so they have thier own value, many Lao student are studying in modern country, so they have a very strong hope to develop thier mother land after thier graduation. and in the future when Laos ( also Vietnam) gets strong enough then Laos is also accept multi-party to lead the country more stronger, now Laos and Vietnam Party are recheaching the lesson from Singapore and Japan ( multi-party but one party lead head ). but not now. because it's not time. now Laos and Vietnam allow to establish THE INTEREST / PRESURE GROUP like business group...the group represents for interest of its group, influence unreason able of the government policy , now the groups are under sharping and developing untill it is enough strong and allowed by the law then they can become a party
i agree whith you, now is not a good time to allow to have multi party lead the country, Laos is very small and not enough strong, if you do so at this time Laos will be seperated into many smaller countries, Laos today is only 32 years after war but have to develop and defence country at the same time, some neigbour country maybe more delveloped but what and how much that they had to pay for what they have today.
I agree with you that now is not the time to have many parties...yet. LAO is not rich yet, many things need to be done, so when we are rich we can put up that sort of show. If we look around the world let take country like France and Australia...the current government has one policy while the opposite party has anoher policy something like that....so the current government has a policy about work place and concerning workers...then opposite party says that if the party win, they will abolish the work place policy something like that....so perhaps this sort of thing must wait when LAO is rich enough to provide support or pay for multiple parties. The most clear example is East Timor....the country is not rich and because of that the following of many parties failed....and created lot of issues and problems for the country. East Timor....you can verify it for yourself.
i agree with all of you, look at a model in a lovely suit on the stage then everyone say that it is very beatifull. if you like it (the suit ) and wear it (the suit): 1. you will look beautiful if you have the same size with the model and you are enough beautifull ( or handsome) 2. you will be a joker if you are to short, too tall, too small, too fat... or urgry face...then if you like the suit, you have make another one fit with your size, your face ( it can be a little bit or much different but it can make you good looking). i hope my friends can regconize some thing throw the story
Let me share with you! we can take a look at the law too, the law in each country is different, that's why? with the same behavior, in this country can be considered as a crime but in another country it is not or the level of punishment can be very diffirent too, EXample in muslim country, every behavior looking down thier religion can be consider as a crime, look down Thailand's King is a crime for Thai... just because of each country has its special standard, culture, moral, religion, politic...so we should pay respectation to each other. Lao vientiane
It’s quite interesting discussion. I cannot help sharing my thought, please let me say something. In fact, I do agree with all who mentioned earlier that now in Laos it is not the time to have many party. The reasons are many as someone have said, but mainly Laos is still a poor country and its people have a low education. Definitely, when our country becomes rich and people mostly are educated, of course, we might be able to talk about such a thing. By then, nobody would want to be the servants of foreigners who want to destroy our country. Now, some even cannot read and write. Some still have problems with what they would eat tomorrow and the like. That is why under this circumstance people can be easily told a lie and welcome to take money and serve foreigners to destroy our country. The only way we can do now is we need ensure stable in our country. This would only make country prosperous. The investors from abroad would like to come to do business in our country. People will get the jobs and then they can live with happiness.
However, I would like to say something more. Really, I see nothing bad with one party system. As long as the country system is transparent, as long as we can keep our system with no corruption, as long as our country concentrates on people education, the country development would be fine. Please look the example of China. Its GDP growth was more 10% last year. Experts predict 2050 that China will be the first country in the world. Its secret is a system harmony, making friendly for country development. If you don't like the China example, please look at the example of Singapore, the country I believe that everyone knows quite well. Here, what I actually would like to say is one party system will not disturb the development of our country at all.
I am tentative to agree with you all, and strongly agree with the comment before my comment that one party is not distube the development of our country, if that party is for all people. since our country is still poor, so what we need right now is the development, not many party, because development firstly need peaceful environment, and fast decision. the plan of government is to have 20 big dams for export in the near future which do not count on many small dams for internal use. that is what all lao people need. and the first thing people want is peace and development, but not competation among many parties to earn vote. regard
