Vientiane Times

Vientiane Times
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
Inside
USAID provides
funding for Lao Bar
Association legal clinics
[PAGE 2]
Flu vaccine saves
healthcare resources
amid COVID-19
pandemic
[PAGE 5]
Media chiefs debate
the best way forward
[PAGE 10]
Lao opera troupe adds
new note to radio
programming
[PAGE 13]
UN chief determined to defend multilateralism, commends China’s role
U N I T E D N AT I O N S
(Xinhua)--United Nations
Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres has told Xinhua he
believes that the COVID-19
pandemic has underscored
the need to strengthen
multilateralism, while also
expressing hope to continue
to work closely with China
to address the common
challenges facing the world.
“Looking at today’s global
landscape, it is clear that the
common good is best served
through more international
cooperation, not less,” the UN
chief said last week.
“ T h e U N ’s 7 5 t h
anniversary, now more
than ever, reminds us that
multilateralism, consensus
and cooperation must be
instrumental in maintaining
and safeguarding the
The First National English Language Newspaper
ISSUE 184
Laos mirroring int’l trend with
crash in visitor numbers
Somsack Pongkhao
Global tourist arrivals are
expected drop by 60-80
percent this year due to the
coronavirus pandemic, with
local officials predicting a
similar outcome in Laos.
International visitor
arrivals declined by 65
percent or 440 million in
the first half of the year,
according to a report by
the United Nations World
To u r i s m O rg a n i s a t i o n
(UNWTO).
Foreign visitor arrivals
in Laos were recorded at
886,447 in the first six
months of 2020, a drop of
60 percent compared to
the same period last year,
according to the National
Economic Research
Institute.
The UNWTO stated
that global revenues
from the tourism industry
plummetted by US$460
billion in January-June.
Asia and the Pacific, the first
region to feel the impact of
Covid-19 on tourism, was
the hardest hit, with a 72
percent fall in tourists during
this six-month period.
In Europe, tourist arrivals
dropped by 66 percent in the
first six months of this year,
while the Americas saw
a fall of 55 percent, and
Africa and the Middle East
experienced a 57 percent
decline.
UNWTO Secretary-
General Zurab Pololikashvili
said “The world is facing an
unprecedented health and
principles enshrined in the
United Nations Charter,” the
secretary-general said.
Guterres reiterated his
stance on multilateralism
under the current situation,
noting it must be both
“networked” and “inclusive.”
“We need a networked
multilateralism, in which
the United Nations and its
agencies, the international
financial institutions, regional
organisations and others work
together more effectively with
stronger institutional links,”
he said.
“And we need an
inclusive multilateralism,
drawing on the critical
contributions of civil society,
business, foundations, the
research community, local
authorities, cities and regional
governments,” the secretary-
www.vientianetimes.org.la and www.vientianetimeslao.la
The slump in tourism affects businesses in Laos. -Photo Sisay
economic crisis. Tourism
has been hit hard, with
millions of jobs at risk in one
of the most labour-intensive
sectors of the economy.”
In Laos, the slump
in tourism has not only
affected businesses but is
having a huge impact on the
country’s overall revenue as
well as the earnings of local
people.
Deputy Minister of
Information, Culture and
Tourism, Mr Ounthuang
Khaophanh, told Vientiane
Times that if the border
remains closed, the number
of foreign tourists visiting
Laos could fall below one
general elaborated.
Speaking about the
COVID-19 pandemic,
Guterres said “the virus is the
number one global security
threat in our world today
and we need international
solidarity to defeat it.”
“We need to massively
expand new and existing tools
that can respond to new cases
and provide vital treatment
to suppress transmission and
save lives,” he said.
The secretary-general
spoke highly of China’s
contribution to addressing
global challenges and its
success in poverty reduction.
Calling it “a pillar of
multilateralism,” the UN chief
said China has been playing
an increasingly bigger role
in regional and world affairs,
adding that the UN’s close
million this year.
Laos had set a target of
5 million foreign visitors in
2020 but the global health
and economic crisis resulted
in severe travel restrictions
and a widespread slump
in the country’s tourism
industry.
In 2019, Laos welcomed
4.58 million international
visitors, representing
visitor growth of 9 percent
compared to 2018.
Mr Ounthuang said it was
a challenge to pursue any
kind of tourism campaign or
activities because authorities
had been urged to comply
with government guidelines
cooperation with China also
extends to peace and security
issues around the globe,
including in Asia, Africa, and
the Middle East.
“The United Nations
and China enjoy a high
level of cooperation,” he
said. “I welcome China’s
comprehensive position on
a wide number of topics of
common interest, ranging
from climate change to
peacekeeping, and sustainable
development.”
“I hope that China will
continue its proactive policies
to strengthen the UN’s global
work on maintaining peace
and security and encouraging
sustainable development,” the
secretary-general added. The
UN chief also called China’s
achievements in poverty
reduction “very strong.”
on Covid-19.
Some festivals and events
that had been planned for
2020 had been postponed or
cancelled in a bid to prevent
a second wave of the virus.
But Mr Ounthuang was
optimistic that if the virus
could be contained and travel
restrictions were removed,
people would begin to travel
again and spend more on
their holidays.
According to a survey
by the UNWTO Panel of
Experts, domestic demand
is expected to recover faster
than international demand.
Experts expect to see
CONTINUED PAGE 3
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefs
reporters on the upcoming General Debate of the 75th session of
the General Assembly and other matters at the UN headquarters
in New York, on September 16, 2020.
China is in the final stage of
eliminating absolute poverty,
he said. At the end of 2019,
the number of impoverished
people in China’s rural areas
1
45 years
2.12.1975 - 2.12.2020
4500 kip
Revised law
allows foreign
nationals
to own
condominiums
Times Reporters
Foreigners will be able to own
condominiums in Laos once
the authorities enforce the
newly revised Law on Land.
The Lao Official Gazette,
a government website that
publishes state legislation,
has posted the latest version
of the Law on Land, which
permits foreigners to own
condominiums.
Under Article 132
of the law, foreigners can
now purchase and own
condominiums in Laos.
Under the revised law,
foreigners can also own land
use rights under land lease
and concession agreements
with Lao citizens and the
government. However, land
ownership rights are limited
to 30 years and 50 years
respectively.
Land leases and
concessions may be
renewed with the consent of
the government, National
Assembly or provincial
People’s Council, according
to articles 117 and 120 of
the law.
O ff i c i a l s f r o m t h e
Lao National Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
say said the government’s
decision to allow foreigners
to own condominiums will
be a major boost to the real
estate market.
In the past, foreigners
CONTINUED PAGE 3
declined to 5.51 million from
98.99 million at the end
of 2012, with the poverty
headcount ratio dropping to
CONTINUED PAGE 6
2 Home news Tuesday September 22, 2020 Vientiane Times

USAID provides funding for Lao

Bar Association legal clinics
Times Reporters

The United States Agency for

Participants come together after the recent workshop in Bokeo province.
Local authorities bolster governance
efforts in Covid-19 prevention, response
Phetphoxay Sengaseuth
Government and partner
organisations strengthened
local community authorities’
governance mechanisms
in Huayxai district, Bokeo
province recently as part of
broader efforts to implement
necessary Covid-19
prevention, control and
response measures.
A two-day workshop
aimed to identify the needs
and resources of the local
authorities in the preparation
and response to the pandemic.
This included the basic health
needs and the duties and
responsibilities of the district
and provincial authorities
in establishing a resilient
community through revisiting
governance mechanisms
where required.
With the support of the
Multi-Partner Trust Fund
(MPTF) through the United
Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), World
Health Organisation (WHO),
Ministry of Health and
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Bokeo was selected as one
of the pilot provinces to
implement the workshop.
The meeting was attended
by Bokeo provincial Deputy
Governor, Mr Chomsy
Lattanaphan and Head of the
Provincial Health Department
(Deputy Head of the Ad-hoc
Provincial Committee for
Covid-19), Dr Khamchanh
Inthongxay, along with
officials from the Ministry
of Health, Ministry of Home
Affairs, WHO and UNDP,
who assessed the Provincial
Quarantine Centre to ensure
its suitability.
A scenario-based activity
also took place to share views
and provide inputs to improve
understanding and planning.
Speaking at the
‘Strengthening Local
Governance in Prevention,
Control and Response to
COVID -19’ workshop
opening ceremony, Mr Chomsy
Lattanaphan said, “To achieve
the set goals, our province,
which is a place of transit,
requires our joint efforts. This
is for the collective benefits
and wellness of the local
population.”
He said although
advocacy efforts have been
taking place continuously on
raising awareness concerning
the pandemic, many people
have yet to deeply understand
the risks associated with the
needed restrictions which
may affect their convenience
in doing business or going
about their daily lives.
“I sincerely hope that
this workshop would be
taken seriously and that all
participants would actively
participate and discuss the
issues, to ensure that we get
the most out of this two-day
event,” he said.
A new facility assessment
tool, developed by the
Ministry of Health and WHO,
was tested for replication in
other declared quarantine
centres. The tool helps to
inform on capacity and
suitability of rooms, water and
sanitation facilities, screening
and testing protocols, etc.
Bokeo was chosen for
the workshop due to its
long international borders
and transit points making
the province high risk and a
potential location to review and
strengthen Covid-19 prevention
measures, according to the
press release from UNDP.
The two-day workshop
is expected to inform local
planning and policies related
to the topic and potential
adaptation in the time of
Covid-19. It will identify the
needs and resources of local
government in the preparation
and response to the Covid-19
outbreak and strengthen
primary healthcare.
International Development
(USAID) Legal Aid Support
Programme has provided a
grant of 389,556,000 kip
(US$42,700) to the Lao
Bar Association (LBA) to
establish legal aid clinics.
The programme, funded
by the United States of
America through USAID
and implemented by the Asia
Foundation, will support the
Lao Bar Association to open
legal aid clinics in Vientiane,
Champassak, Savannakhet,
Saravan, Luang Prabang,
Oudomxay, Xayaboury, and
Vientiane provinces.
A letter of grant signing
ceremony between President
of the Lao Bar Association,
Mr Khamsay Soulinthone
and the Asia Foundation
Country Representative,
Mr Todd Wassel was held
at the Vientiane Court on
Friday and witnessed by
Deputy USAID Country
Representative to Laos,
Mr Patrick Bowers, Chief
of Cabinet Office Ministry
of Justice, Mr Khamphone
Sipaseuth and other
officials. Mr Bowers said,
“This project reaffirms our
commitment and shared
goals, under the US-Laos
Comprehensive Partnership
to promote the rule of law
in Laos.”
The legal aid clinics,
which will be opened by the
LBA, will provide a greater
number of Lao citizens
with free legal aid services,
including consultation,
documentation, and
court representation. Mr
Khamsay thanked USAID
and hoped they would
continue their cooperation
Mr Khamsay Soulinthone (right) shakes hands with Mr Todd
Wassel during the letter of grant signing ceremony at Vientiane
Capital Court on Friday.
with the LBA in future.
The clinics will
contribute to the successful
implementation of the Legal
Aid Decree’s purpose,
which is to increase access
to justice for all and ensure
equality to help build a
secure, just, and prosperous
society.
The USAID Legal Aid
Support Programme helps
advance the goal of Laos,
as described in the Legal
Sector Master Plan, to
become a rule of law state.
The United States also
partners with Laos on a
wide range of activities to
promote basic education,
improve health and
nutrition, facilitate trade and
investment, and to counter
trafficking in persons.
Beginning in 2006, The
Asia Foundation supported
the Ministry of Justice and
LBA to pilot the first legal
aid offices in Laos.
The legal aid clinics make
justice more affordable for
the poor and vulnerable,
especially women, children
and minority populations.
Mr Wassel said the
first new legal aid clinics
would be opened in October
with the foundation also
supporting the LBA to
conduct training on the legal
aid manual for all lawyers
assigned to the clinics. Over
recent years, the country
has taken serious steps to
ensure that people have
equal access to justice such
as the issuance of the Legal
Assistance Decree in 2018
and the establishment of
legal aid offices in almost
all provinces.
As these efforts continue,
USAID believes the legal
aid clinics operated by the
LBA will be an important
platform to support the
realisation of the Legal Aid
Decree’s goals to further
provide access to justice
for all and to support the
building of a secure, just and
prosperous society.

Lao Red Cross urges more public

blood donations to fill demand
Viengdavanh Banphahaksa donation drive on Friday “We expect to receive outbreak has hindered the
that members of the public more than 500 blood bags ability of blood collection
Lao Red Cross National volunteering to give blood today from students at centres to recruit more donors.
Blood Transfusion Centre is is very important at this time Vientiane upper secondary More blood is now needed
still unable to provide enough with hospital patients in the schools”, he added. because insufficient supplies
blood to meet patient demand capital requiring more than Last year, collection were collected during the
because of the large number 150 bags per day. centres across the country Covid-19 pandemic, and
of dengue fever cases and “This blood collection event held 1,600 blood donation stocks are running low.
road accidents across Laos. has been supported by the Lao sessions and collected 55,405 The Lao Red Cross was set
Director of the Lao Brewery Company Ltd to help bags of blood, equal to 100.74 up in 1955 to support the most
Red Cross National Blood patients in Laos, especially percent of the target for 2019. vulnerable people in society.
Transfusion Centre, Dr those suffering from dengue This year, authorities had It works with communities
Chanthala Souksakhone told fever and recovering from hoped to collect 67,000 bags to improve their health and High school students register and receive health checks from
Vientiane Times at a blood traffic accidents,” he said. of blood, but the Covid-19 livelihoods. nurses before donating blood in Vientiane on Friday.

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Vientiane Times
Laos-China railway company provides
Chinese language experience
Phomphong Laoin
The Laos-China Railway
Company is running Chinese
language courses for 367 Lao
nationals in preparation for
the opening of the railway
next year, when 600 Lao
nationals will be employed in
various capacities.
The courses began in
June and 173 people have
completed the training so far.
They are now studying the
theory of railway operations
with Chinese specialists at the
Confucius Institute, National
University of Laos, until
January 14, 2021.
The company is now
providing language training
for the second and third
groups, comprising 367 Lao
nationals who were selected
after interviews with 1,500
applicants.
The trainees are learning
about passenger operations,
goods transportation, and
maintenance, and their work
as station officers and services
staff.
After they finish their
training in Laos, 600 Lao
nationals will be sent for
practical training in Kunming,
Yunnan province, until the
end of September 2021.
The training programme
for the second and third
Mr Xiao Qianwen (second right) meets with Lao trainees who
completed the first Chinese language training course.
batches began at the Confucius
Institute on Monday.
The event was attended
by the Deputy Director
General of the Technical
and Vocational Education
Department, Mr Saikham
Phanthavong, Vice President
of the National University of
Laos, Associate Professor Dr
Houngphet Chanthavong, and
General Manager of the Laos-
China Railway Co., Ltd., Mr
Xiao Qianwen.
The Lao and Chinese
governments attach great
importance to the railway,
which is part of China’s Belt
and Road Initiative to build a
global trade network.
The Laos-China railway
is part of a regional rail link
connecting China’s Kunming
to Singapore via Laos,
Thailand and Malaysia.
As of August 31, the
railway was 91.11 percent
complete, according to the
company. Construction began
in December 2016 and the
railway is scheduled to be
completed and open to traffic
in December 2021.
The government hopes
the railway will transform
landlocked Laos into a land
link within the region.
Businesses expect the
railway to significantly
lower transport costs and
enable firms to become more faced difficulties in purchasing Lao people living overseas neighbouring countries
competitive.
Laos reaffirms commitment to
graduation from LDC status
Times Reporters
Laos is actively working
to implement the Istanbul
Programme of Action (IPOA),
to ensure the country’s
graduation from Least
Developed Country status.
Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs Mr
Thongphanh Savanphet,
representing the government,
made the statement at the
2020 High-Level Meeting of
Ministers of Foreign Affairs
of Least Developed Countries
held on September 17.
Delegations from 47
countries, development
partner countries, the United
Nations network and related
international organisations
attended the meeting.
The deputy minister
highlighted the achievements
and challenges in carrying out
the programme, including the
impact of Covid-19 on the
economy, especially in the
fields of tourism, trade and
investment. This had resulted
in a huge loss of revenue and
affected people’s livelihoods.
Laos called on development
Revised law allows foreign nationals...
real estate as there was no and from Westerners about r e g a r d i n v e s t m e n t i n
Tuesday September 22, 2020
Mr Thongphanh Savanphet
addresses the meeting via
video link. --Photo Ministry
of Foreign Affairs
partner countries, the UN
network, and international
monetary institutions to
continue to help least developed Meeting of Ministers of
countries, especially in the
form of Official Development
Assistance (ODA).
A press release from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
quoted Mr Thongphanh as
saying that ODA made a
very important contribution
to short-, mid-, long-term
policies, which ensured that
Home news 3
severely affected people,
households, and businesses
were able to receive the
support they needed.
The Lao delegation also
outlined the progress made
towards graduation from
Least Developed Country
status. The United Nations
will assess the progress in
a second review planned
for next year, when it is
expected that Laos will be
judged to have met two or all
three of the criteria required
by the UN for graduation.
However, Laos will reconsider
the process in light of the
Covid-19 pandemic, in order
to ensure that elevation to a
higher development category
is viable and sustainable.
The 2020 High-Level
Foreign Affairs of Least
Developed Countries
adopted the annual ministers’
declaration, and reconfirmed
the commitment of countries
in implementing the UN
programme on least
developed countries, and the
need for continued assistance
from donor nations.
FROM PAGE 1

Ministry makes training videos

supporting legislation. the government’s ruling on condominium construction
T h i s s l o w e d t h e property ownership, adding as a major boost to economic
development of the real estate that this indicated there was growth.

for primary school teachers market, they said, adding a bright future for the real
that some foreigners bought estate business.
property using a Lao proxy.
Observers note that
Laos is a peaceful country
Mr Houmphanh said and centrally located in the
learning, the Research Institute “The new legislation will h e e x p e c t e d C h i n e s e Mekong region.
of Educational Sciences give foreigners confidence investment in real estate T h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s
decided to make three new about buying real estate in would be more visible in the decision to transform the
videos on assessment and Laos as there is now legal coming years alongside the landlocked country into a
ways to support students. backup for such transactions,” completion and operation land link would make
A s s e s s m e n t i s a n the Managing Director of of the Laos-China railway. Laos a new and attractive
important part of the learning RentsBuy, Mr Houmphanh Officials say Laos is not investment destination, they
process and is not just about Salyalath said on Monday. the first country to allow said, especially as it borders
scoring students, an official in He said his company had foreign nationals to own on China, one of the world’s
charge said. received many enquiries from condominiums, adding that largest markets.

Laos mirroring int’l trend...

Staff film a training video for teachers in a Vientiane classroom.
Times Reporters
Staff from the e-learning and
information media centre,
along with curriculum
developers, are making videos
to help teachers use the new
National Primary Curriculum
and adopt new pedagogical
approaches.
The Australian
government and the European
Union are supporting the
Ministry of Education and
Sports to produce three
videos.
The dedicated “Teacher
D e v e l o p m e n t Vi d e o s ”
YouTube channel was
created in September 2019
to complement and reinforce
the initial face-to-face training
that all teachers received prior
to the implementation of each
new grade. An official in
charge of video production
said the channel contains 11
training videos.
The videos demonstrate
key new teaching techniques
such as “how to use the
decodable readers” and
show effective practices
for challenges like “how
to organise a classroom
observation”.
The videos cover a
wide range of topics that
are important for teachers
to master such as Lao
language techniques
and resources, classroom
management strategies, peer-
to-peer learning activities
for continuing professional
development, and techniques
and approaches to effectively
assess students. The “Teacher
D e v e l o p m e n t Vi d e o s ”
YouTube channel also
contains more than 50 Grade
1 and 2 songs and music
from the new curriculum
that teachers can use in the
classroom.
Following feedback on
difficulties encountered by
teachers in assessing student
Finding out what students
know and where their gaps FROM PAGE 1
are in their learning will help
teachers to address them. signs of recovery by the final quarter of 2020, but mostly in 2021. Experience gained
Two of the videos focus on from previous similar situations indicates that tourism and travel are likely to recover
observation and questioning quickly, especially with regard to people visiting friends and relatives, and business travel.
techniques for assessing Since tourism is a main income earner for Laos, the government regards the leisure
learning. industry as a priority for driving economic growth, largely through job creation.
The third video shows Tourism is a form of export from home and generates income for communities in
different strategies to support remote regions that would otherwise struggle to earn revenue.
students during and after
assessment. Like previous Covid-19 data: World: Mon Sep 21, 2020
videos, they are filmed in a
Lao classroom to show real Bangkok time 2:04 pm
examples from educators World 6,946,098 (2,821,190R) (203,377D)
and students using the new
Country Confirmed Recovered Deaths
primary curriculum. Live Country Confirmed Recovered Deaths
classroom demonstrations are
key to helping teachers better US 6,946,098 2,821,190 203,377 Saudi Arabia 329,754 310,439 4,485
grasp the technique. India 5,487,580 4,396,399 87,909 Iraq 319,035 253,591 8,555
The videos can be used Brazil 4,544,629 3,851,227 136,895 Pakistan 306,304 292,869 6,420
by teachers, principals, Russia 1,109,595 911,973 19,489 Turkey 302,867 267,233 7,506
pedagogical advisors and Peru 768,895 615,255 31,369 Italy 298,156 218,351 35,707
teacher trainers for additional Colombia 765,076 633,199 24,208 Philippines 290,190 230,233 4,999
s e l f - l e a r n i n g , l e s s o n Mexico 697,663 499,302 73,493 Germany 273,477 244,000 9,470
preparation, or to refresh a South Africa 661,211 590,071 15,953 Indonesia 244,676 177,327 9,553
specific teaching technique. Spain 659,334 N/A 30,495 Israel 188,427 135,991 1,256
The YouTube channel Argentina 631,365 488,231 13,053 Ukraine 178,353 77,512 3,583
proved to be very useful France 452,763 91,574 31,285 Canada 143,649 124,691 9,217
during lockdown as it allowed Chile 446,274 419,746 12,286 Bolivia 130,676 89,617 7,617
teachers to continue practising Iran 422,140 359,570 24,301 Ecuador 126,419 102,852 11,090
and improving their skills UK 394,257 N/A 41,777 Sources: https://www.newsbreak.com/
even when schools were Bangladesh 348,918 256,565 4,939 topics/coronavirus
closed.
4 Home news Tuesday September 22, 2020 Vientiane Times

Excerpts from the Lao Media

Officials work to prevent
dengue in Champassak
Translated by Meuangkham Noradeth

Villagers in Huaxae, Bachiengchaleunsouk district, Champassak province, are

susceptible to contracting dengue fever and, therefore, officials are leaving no stone
unturned to prevent its outbreak in the village.
Recently, health officials from Bachiengchaleunsouk district, authorities and local
officials joined hands to collect information and prevent the dengue fever outbreak in
Huaxae village. Health officials and local officials after surveying the area destroyed the
breeding grounds of zebra mosquito, the Head of Health office of Bachiengchaleunsouk Vice Mayor of Vientiane, Mr Sihoun Sitthileuxay (ninth left), President of Daokham
district, Dr Oudthaphone Somsytha, informed. Hotel, Mr Khanthong Sixanady (eight left), and representatives of various organisations
Besides, officials are also spraying insecticide to kill the zebra mosquito and attend the opening ceremony of Vanglao Daokham Restaurant in Meuangnoy village,
advertising how to prevent the outbreak of dengue fever, she added. Xaysettha district, Vientiane on Friday evening. The new restaurant, which features
Last month, two people in Huaxae village contracted dengue fever. There were no comfortable huts set around a pond with natural views, hopes to become a major
reports of any fatalities. Officials must work harder to prevent and get rid of the breeding drawcard for diners in the city.
ground of zebra mosquito, she emphasised.
Dr Oudthaphone said that if anyone is sick they should get themselves treated at a
nearby hospital or dispensary and should avoid buying medicines over-the-counter.
--Socio-Economic Daily, September 17

Organic vegetable farming helps

villagers in Borikhamxay
Growing organic vegetables is helping villagers of Huana village, Borikhan district,
Borikhamxay province, earn more and have a better lifestyle.
“Villagers in Huana village have been growing a variety of crops and dabbling
in animal husbandry to improve their living standards. They have also been growing
organic vegetables to earn more,” said the Head of the organic vegetable group of
Huana village, Mr Khammoun Sykhamphone.
He said villagers in Huana village had been working hard and growing a variety of
organic crops for many years. However, this was for self-consumption.
Some villagers used chemical fertilisers and insecticide for pest control to boost
sales, but this impacted their health, said Mr Khammoun.
In 2014, officials from the Agriculture and Forestry office in Borikhan district
supported the villagers and advised them on the techniques of growing organic
vegetables, Mr Khammoun added.
He said that some villagers went on study tours and learnt new techniques to grow
organic vegetables in Thaxang village, Pakngum district, Vientiane.
After that they set up groups of six families to grow organic vegetables. They
received a fund of 12 million kip each from the Agriculture and Forestry office of
Borikhan district, he explained. In 2015, they received a fund of 32 million kip from
the production forest fund. There are seven families growing organic vegetables and an
average family earns 12 million kip per month, Mr Khammoun informed.
In 2018, the demand for organic vegetables grew. Mr Khammoun’s family expanded
the area for growing vegetables and started earning 70 million kip per year.
He said his family will continue to grow organic vegetables as it has helped them
earn more.
--Socio-Economic Daily, September 18

Pork prices increase in Vientiane

Pork on sale in a local market.

The Vientiane Industry and Commerce Department has informed that pork prices have
shot up by 3,000 to 4,000 kip per one kilogramme.
On September 14, the Vientiane Industry and Commerce Department issued an
advisory notice to the head of the Industry and Commerce office of nine districts,
market business units, owners of pig farms, and entrepreneurs buying pigs and selling
pork about the increase in prices. Grade one pork price cannot sell for over 44,000 kip
per kg, which is an increase of 4,000 kip. Grade two pork cannot be over 41,000 kip per
kg, an increase of 3,000 kip. The new pork prices have been in effect since September
15, and will continue until a new notice is issued.
--Pathetlao Daily, September 18
Vientiane Times
In brief from Asia
News Network
Thai protesters
calls for nationwide
labour strike
BANGKOK (The
Nation/ANN) -- Protest
leader Parit Chiwarak
has called for a
nationwide labour strike
from October 14 as part
of steps he has laid out to
fight for the restoration
of full democracy. The
labour strike would also
commemorate the student-
led uprising for democracy
on October 14, 1973.
In a post on Facebook
on Sunday, Parit, also
known as Penguin, a
leader of the United
Front of Thammasat and
Demonstration group
that are organising the
pro-democracy rallies,
suggested eight ways in
which everyone could
play a role in fighting
dictatorship:
Cambodia provided
nearly US$20 million
to working mums
over two years
PHNOM PENH (The
Phnom Penh Post/
ANN)--A report by the
National Social Security
Fund (NSSF) said the
government has provided
nearly US$20 million to
working mothers who are
NSSF members over the
past two years.
The report said the
government first started
authorising additional
allowances for working
mothers at the start of
2018, and through August
of this year, more than
78.7 billion riel (US$19.2
million) had been handed
out to them.
Singapore Covid-19 swab test robot offers safe, more
comfortable procedure for patients
The made-in-Singapore bot allows patients to fully control the
swab process for more comfort.
SINGAPORE (The Strait
Times/ANN)--A robot that
carries out nasal swabbing to
diagnose Covid-19 has been
developed by clinicians who
say the automated procedure
is safe, faster and more
comfortable compared with
manual swab tests.
Although other countries
Students in greater Seoul
return to school as virus
slows, learning gap widens
SEOUL (Korea Herald/
ANN)--Students in Seoul
and its surrounding area
returned to school for in-
person learning Monday as
new coronavirus cases have
declined recently.
The measure, which will
remain effective until October
11, was introduced following
the relaxed social distancing
guidelines amid a recent drop
in new coronavirus cases. It
also reflects worries over the
widening learning gap.
High school seniors, who
have been excluded from
the government’s school
reopening measures, also
switched to a mix of remote
and in-person learning
Monday, as they are wrapping
up the normal academic
schedule and seriously
gearing up for the national
university entrance exam
slated for December. Schools
are allowed to decide what
form of instruction they will
offer for high school seniors.
All students in the
metropolitan area have been
attending virtual classes since
Aug. 26, due to a surge in
virus cases.
Earlier this month, the
measure, originally scheduled
to end September 11, was
extended until September 20 to
further tame the coronavirus.
Schools around the nation are
required to run with antivirus
limits. Attendance is capped
at one-third in elementary and
middle schools and two-thirds
in high schools to guarantee
social distancing.
But some regions with
have developed similar robots,
the made-in-Singapore bot
allows patients to fully control
the swab process so they are
more comfortable. Patients
can activate and terminate the
machine at will.
A patient is positioned
in front of the robot, called
SwabBot, similar to how he
relatively small caseloads,
such as Jeju Island, can relax
the cap to less than two-thirds.
South Korea carefully
instituted a phased reopening
of schools, starting May 20,
amid a slowdown in new
cases. Since then, in-person
school sessions have been on
and off depending on the level
of the pandemic.
Schools are required
to offer more personalized
teaching to mitigate
growing concerns over
widening educational gaps
among children. To enhance
communication between
students and teachers, online
classes should run a two-way
interactive session at least once
a week, and have mandatory
greeting sessions through instant
messenger applications or web
conferencing tools like Zoom.
Teachers are required to
talk with parents weekly, if
virtual classes continue for a
week or longer.
Guwol Middle School in
Incheon reopened Monday
in a phased manner, first for
the third grade students,
followed by the first graders
and lastly the second
graders. Each grade group
comes to school once in three
weeks to reduce crowding.
“It’s been a month and
a half since the last time
I came to school. I don’t
feel as awkward as I felt
in spring, but I am worried
that it won’t be easy to
get used to (in-person
learning) again,” Kwon
Jun-seo, a senior student
at the school, said.
would take a mechanised
eye examination. After the
patient activates the bot using
his chin, the robot will extend
the swab safely and gently
through the patient’s nose to
the back of the nasal cavity,
which is typically about 10cm
from the nostrils.
SwabBot is equipped
with a built-in feature that
withdraws the swab stick
if there is resistance when
it is moved deeper into the
nasal cavity. If patients feel
uncomfortable at any point,
they can stop the process by
moving their head away from
the robot.
Healthcare workers can
assist with the swabbing
process from a safe distance.
The process takes 20
seconds, while a manual swab
test takes a few minutes.
The machine, which is
35cm by 40cm, and 49cm
high, was developed by
A child receives a vaccine shot at a health center in Beijing on March 26, 2020.
Flu vaccine saves healthcare
resources amid COVID-19 pandemic
BEIJING (China Daily/
ANN)--Experts said people
should get flu vaccines
during the COVID-19
pandemic period to prevent
extra burdens on healthcare
resources.
According to the latest
technical guideline on flu
vaccination issued by the
Chinese Center for Disease
Control and Prevention, the
public is suggested to take
flu vaccines in a timely
manner, which is the most
effective and economic way
to prevent influenza.
Flu patients have similar
symptoms to COVID-19
cases, such as fever and
cough, and a hike in the
number of flu patients is
expected in autumn and
winter, according to the
guideline.
The development will
overlap with the country’s
clinicians from the National
Cancer Centre Singapore
(NCCS) and Singapore
General Hospital (SGH), in
collaboration with medtech
company Biobot Surgical.
The team said the robot
can address the limitations
and risks of manual swabbing.
It reduces swabbers’ risk of
exposure to the virus and
the need for training people,
standardises the consistency
of swabs taken, and increases
the efficiency of conducting
swab tests.
“Our team felt that we had
to find a better way to swab
patients to reduce the risk of
exposure of Covid-19 to our
healthcare workers, especially
when patients sneeze or cough
during the swabbing process,”
said principal investigator
Rena Dharmawan, associate
consultant of head and neck
surgery at NCCS’s Division
of Surgery and Surgical
Tuesday September 22, 2020
COVID-19 control efforts,
making it more difficult
for health workers to
identify COVID-19 cases
and increasing isolation
difficulties and healthcare
burdens, said Feng Zijian,
deputy head of the Chinese
Center for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Wu G u i z h e n , c h i e f
biosafety expert at China
CDC, said taking the flu
vaccine could protect
against flu and prevent
symptoms such as fever,
thus reducing burdens on
healthcare facilities.
Wu said the flu vaccine
and COVID-19 vaccine
could be used at the same
time. According to the CDC
guideline on flu vaccination,
inactivated flu vaccine and
other inactivated vaccines
can be used at the same
time on different parts of
Oncology. Beyond that, the
clinicians wanted to make
the swabbing procedure more
comfortable for patients.
SwabBot retains the same
gentle touch and precision as
surgeons who perform very
delicate procedures, said Dr
Luke Tay, consultant at SGH’s
Department of Vascular
Surgery, who is one of the
project’s team members.
5
World
the body. But a person who
has taken an attenuated
live flu vaccine can only
be inoculated with other
attenuated live vaccines
at least 28 days after the
vaccination. Some key
populations should be the
first to take flu vaccines,
according to the guideline.
They include health
professionals, staff and
vulnerable individuals in
venues with gatherings of
people, such as elderly care
centers, nursing and welfare
homes.
Other key populations
include teachers and
students in nurseries,
primary and secondary
schools; prison inmates
and workers; citizens aged
60 and above who stay
in their homes; patients
with chronic diseases and
pregnant women.
“When patients are
empowered and fully in
control of the swabbing
process, they are mentally
prepared and experience
subjectively less pain,”
added Dr Dharmawan,
who is also the clinical
entrepreneur-in-residence at
Duke-NUS Medical School’s
Centre of Technology &
Development.
6 World Tuesday September 22, 2020
Guangxi becoming China’s
financial gateway to Asean
Somsack Pongkhao
China is accelerating efforts
to build the Guangxi Zhuang
autonomous region into a
financial gateway to Asean
countries, including Laos.
Guangxi is now becoming
the channel for facilitating
financial and economic
cooperation between China
and Asean countries after
several years of development.
Guangxi authorities held
a panel discussion via video
conference to update media
in the region last Friday
about the progress made
in building the financial
gateway to Asean.
One of the key
achievements was the
promotion of Chinese
yuan (RMB) which has
become the largest cross-
border payment currency in
Guangxi and Asean.
From January to July 2020,
Guangxi and Asean’s RMB
cross-border payments reached
35.4 billion yuan (47.8 trillion
Storm Noul leaves three dead in central region
HANOI (Vietnam News/
ANN)--Three people have
died and 112 others were
injured after storm Noul
swept through the central
region on Friday, reported
the Office of the Central
Steering Committee on
Natural Disaster Prevention
and Control Sunday.
The typhoon, the fifth
arising in the East Sea so
far this year, made landfall
on Friday morning and hit
central localities, especially
Đa Nang, Thua Thien-Hue,
Quang Binh, and Quang
Trị before weakening into a
tropical low pressure system.
UK at coronavirus “tipping
point”: health secretary
LONDON (Xinhua) --
British Health Secretary
Matt Hancock said Sunday
that Britain is facing a
“tipping point” regarding
the coronavirus pandemic
and more restrictions are
possible to cope with the
spread of virus.
“We face a choice. If
everybody follows the rules
and we’ll be increasingly
stringent on the people who
are not following the rules
then we can avoid further
national lockdowns,”
Hancock told the BBC.
“I don’t want to see more
measures, more restrictive
measures, but if people
don’t follow the rules that
is how the virus spreads,”
he said.
“But we of course have
to be prepared to take action
if that is what is necessary,”
he said. “We will support
people who do the right
kip), accounting for 71.5
percent of the cross-border
receipts and domestic and
foreign currency payments in
Guangxi and Asean.
China is introducing non-
Chinese overseas banks such
as Cambodia Canadia Bank
to participate in regional
RMB transactions to the
Riel inter-bank market and
promoting the use of cross-
regional RMB in a market-
oriented manner, according
to Guangxi authorities.
Guangxi banking
institutions have issued
billions of yuan in cross-
border RMB loans for
related overseas projects.
In addition, Guangxi
has handled a total of
US$85,771,100 in capital
account income payment
facilitation.
As of the end of June 2020,
the balance of the building
of the New International
Land-Sea Trade Corridor in
Western China was 403.564
billion yuan (545,478 trillion
It destroyed 10 houses and
blew away the roofs of 22,562
houses. Torrential rain-induced
flooding submerged 79 houses,
as well as over 3,000 hectares of
rice fields and crops.
Up to 36 power poles
collapsed, while three
transformer stations
were damaged and three
telecommunications towers
and 15 cable car systems
were broken. Many localities
in Thua Thien-Hue have
suffered power outages. So
far, the locality has restored
power to 75 percent of areas
affected. Serious erosion
occurred along 6.2km of the
thing and we will come
down hard on people who
do the wrong thing.”
The government has
announced fines of up
to 10,000 pounds (about
US$12,974) for those
who fail to self-isolate as
requested as part of its
efforts to urge Britons to
follow the rules.
Also on Sunday, the
mayor of London, Sadiq
Khan, warned that London
should be placed under new
lockdown restrictions as
early as Monday to curb the
recent surge in cases, local
media reported.
Britain recorded another
3,899 infections overnight
on Sunday, as the death toll
rose by 18, according to
official figures. Meanwhile,
opposition Labour leader
Keir Starmer called on
the British government to
entrust coronavirus testing
kip), according to Guangxi
authorities.
Over the past decades,
more and more Chinese
enterprises, particularly those
from Guangxi, have come to
invest in Laos.
Authorities and business
leaders of both sides have met
several times to discuss trade
and investment cooperation
and exchanged experience as
part of efforts to strengthen
economic cooperation
between the two countries.
Asean and China
established a Free Trade Area
in 2010, a significant move
in boosting bilateral trade.
China has become the largest
trading partner of Asean for
10 consecutive years.
According to a Xinhua
report, trade between China
and Asean has skyrocketed
tenfold from 16 years ago to
US$587.8 billion in 2018.
Asean became the second-
largest trading partner of
China in the first half of 2019,
with the bilateral trade volume
coast of Thừa Thiên-Huế.
Landslides blocked many
roads in central provinces.
By Sunday morning, traffic
had resumed on most of the
blocked national highways,
provincial highways and
roads in the provinces of
Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang
Binh, Quang Trị and Thua
Thien-Hue.Affected localities
are working hard to repair the
damage. The Office of the
Central Steering Committee
on Natural Disaster Prevention
and Control has directed
localities to support affected
locals and keep a close watch
on the water levels in rivers.
to local authorities who
have a comprehensive
understanding of their
communities.
British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson has warned that
a second wave of COVID-19
in Britain is “coming in”, and
his government may need to
“intensify things to help bring
the rate of infections down.”
Countries such as
Britain, China, Russia and
the United States are racing
against time to develop
coronavirus vaccines.
Hancock said he
remained hopeful that a
vaccine would be ready
before the end of the year.
“We have got the cavalry
coming over the next few
months -- the vaccine, the mass
testing and the improvements
in treatments -- but we have
got to all follow the rules
between now and then to keep
people safe,” he said.
attaining US$291.85 billion,
an increase of 4.2 percent year
on year.
Guangxi is situated in
Southern China, close to
the Asean region. Guangxi
also has close cultural and
commercial relationships with
Asean member countries.
Cross-border financial
cooperation with Asean
continues to expand. The
Guangxi banking industry has
established excellent relations
with national banks in
Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Singapore,
and its cross-border RMB
settlement volume has been
first among the eight border
provinces in China for many
years.
For bond markets,
Guangxi will allow qualified
issuers from Asean countries
to issue yuan-denominated
bonds in domestic markets
and encourages enterprises
and investors from the
region to purchase Chinese
government bonds.
The localities have been
asked to evacuate people in
areas at high risk of landslides
and flooding to safe places,
while remaining ready to deal
with problems occurring at
reservoirs.
On Saturday, Deputy
Prime Minister Trịnh Đinh
Dung, who is also head of the
Central Steering Committee
on Natural Disaster Prevention
and Control asked localities
and ministries to promptly
tackle the storm’s aftermath
and actively respond to its
effects as torrential rains are
expected to continue over the Rescuers are preparing to rescue missing mother and her
next few days.
UN chief determined to defend... FROM PAGE
0.6 percent from 10.2 percent
during the same period.
The secretary-general
said China is “emerging
as a key player within the
UN system.” China is the
second largest contributor
to the UN’s regular budget,
a major contributor to UN
peacekeeping, and the
second-largest financial
contributor to the UN
peacekeeping budget, he
said.
C u r r e n t l y, C h i n a
Attention Vientiane Times subscribers
from inclement weather. Those interested in obtaining a box should
contact the Vientiane Times office or call us at:
Tel: 336042; Fax: 336041
A mother and 2 children
missing in a flash
flood in Myanmar
NAYPYITAW (The Eleven)
-- A flash flood in Sittaung
village in Kyaik Hto Township
in Myanmar on September
20th at 5:00 am, caused a hut
to drift in the flood and three
people, ( a mother and her
two children) are now missing
according to locals.
Due to a flash flood in
Aye Thida section in Sittaung
village, a hut was drifted in the
flood along with mother Khin
Kyi and her two sons aged 2
years and 2 months old. The
other two children managed to
escape from the flood.
There is a lone hut on
that place while other huts
were moved to a new place
arranged by the State Chief
Minister. Due to financial
difficulties, the owner of the
hut was unable to move to
children. --Photo-U Pyaesone Aung
contributes a total of
over 2,500 uniformed
peacekeepers, who showed
“consistently high quality
and professionalism” in
their service with UN
peacekeeping operations, he
said. Guterres said that the
UN is “proud of the strong
presence of the United
Nations family in China.”
“Last year, we marked
the 40th anniversary of the
UN working in China, which
coincided with the period
We at Vientiane Times would like to
inform our subscribers that we now
offer newspaper boxes for use in
homes and offices. The boxes, each
of which is equipped with a lock
and key, help protect your paper
Vientiane Times
another safe place. The two
children who escaped from
the flood were looked after
by the villagers. But now, the
father of those children was
in the village after fishing in
the sea according to Sittaunt
village administrator Hla
Myint.
As soon as we heard the
news, we went for rescue
but we couldn’t do anything.
When looking them along
the coast, we found the hut
but not the missing people,”
said Pyaesone Aung, chair
of Sittaung Village social
relief association. “As the
wind and the rain continued
heavily, we temporarily
stopped the rescue operation.
After the rain stopped, we
will continue,” continued
Pyaesone Aung.
of China’s transformation
through its reform and
opening-up policy,” he said.
“The United Nations
has supported and
w i t n e s s e d C h i n a ’s
remarkable development
achievements during this
period and is committed to
further strengthening our
partnership in all pillars of
the organisation’s work,
including development,
peace and security and
human rights,” he added.

Vientiane Times
Read more news at www.vientianetimes.org.la
Indonesia’s flexible oil
and gas contract choice
‘positive’ for investment
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/
ANN) -- The government’s
decision to allow oil and
gas producers to choose
production sharing contracts
(PSCs) is a positive step
forward for investors in the
upstream industry, compared
with the less favorable gas
ceiling policy, according to
energy consultancy Wood
Mackenzie.
The Energy and Mineral
Resources Ministry ruled on
July 15 that all producers
may choose between either
using a gross split-type PSC
An oil and gas rig at the offshore Kepodang Field in the Muriah
Block.
or a cost recovery-type PSC.
The ruling revokes a 2017
regulation that mandated
producers to use the gross
split.
In a cost recovery-
based PSC, the government
reimburses companies for
upstream-related costs in
exchange for a higher share
– up to 85 percent – of each
company’s earnings from
exploiting domestic oil and
gas blocks.
Meanwhile, in the gross
split scheme, companies bear
upstream costs themselves,
but the government receives
a smaller cut of the revenue –
up to 57 percent – determined
in advance.
“One benefit of cost
recovery is the ability to
offer some reward for risks
associated with frontier
developments,” said Lionel
Sumner, research analyst
at Wood Mackenzie, in a
statement on September 17.
“This is important as it
could encourage exploration
to mitigate Indonesia’s
declining production.”
Attracting upstream
investment is key to realising
Indonesia’s long-term goal of
raising oil and gas output and
reducing the country’s trade
deficit in the sector.
Making PSCs flexible is
Business
seen as the ministry’s response
to slumping investment amid
the economic slowdown.
Ambiguities surrounding the
calculation of government-
company shares under
the gross split scheme
“have proven unpopular,
particularly in the current
low oil price environment,”
reads Wood Mackenzie’s
statement.
Brent, a global oil price
benchmark, dipped to a low
of US$19.33 per barrel in
mid-May but had recovered
to US$43 per barrel as of
Friday. Analysts expect prices
to remain below US$50 per
barrel this year.
Due to the global economic
slowdown, upstream oil and
gas investment in Indonesia
is forecast to slip by 14.4
percent to US$11.8 billion
this year, according to the
Upstream Oil and Gas
Special Regulatory Taskforce
(SKK Migas), a development
that is expected to affect
long-term supply levels.
On the other hand, the
ministry’s gas ceiling policy,
combined with bureaucratic
headwinds, was seen “as
deterrents for international
investors,” reads the Wood
Mackenzie statement.
In April, the ministry
guaranteed that certain
industrial end-users would
not be charged more than
US$6 per million British
thermal units (mmbtu) of
natural gas, below the US$8
per mmbtu market average,
for the next four years.
While President Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo has stated
that he wishes to boost
Indonesia’s industrial sector,
which contributes one of the
largest proportions of gross
domestic product (GDP), the
price ceiling has unsettled oil
and gas investors.
A case in point is Spain’s
Repsol, which has hit a snag
developing the Sakakemang
Block as the company cannot
reach economical scale at
US$6 per mmbtu, according
to the Upstream Oil and Gas
Special Regulatory Task
Force (SKK Migas).
The Sakakemang Block
holds Indonesia’s largest gas
find in almost two decades.
“We, from the commercial
division, have intervened to
determine whether or not
this can proceed,” said SKK
Migas deputy for finance and
monetisation Arief Handoko
on August 6.
To attract investment,
the government has issued
other incentives such as
easing taxes for liquefied
natural gas (LNG) and
pushing back deadlines to
pay annual abandonment and
site restoration (ASR) fees.
The government initially
planned to auction 10 blocks
this year but oil and gas
companies stepped back
after oil prices collapsed,
forcing the companies to cut
capital spending by around
30 percent, according to the
energy ministry’s acting oil
and gas director general, Ego
Syahrial on August 5.
Ego said his office would
delay all 10 block auctions
slated for 2020 until the
fourth quarter “with the hope
that oil prices will be back to
normal by then.”
Buyers of gold jewellery are waiting for the price to drop while those who want to make a profit
are hoping the price will rise.
Gold price unchanged
since early September
Times Reporters
Buyers of gold jewellery in
Laos are holding off until
the price drops and will
then make a purchase as an
investment, but many other
people hope to sell their gold
items at a profit when the
price rises.
Observers say there are
few people buying gold
items at jewellery shops in
Vientiane’s shopping centres
as they wait for the price to
fall.
At the same time, the
owners of gold jewellery are
hoping that the price will
rise so they can sell it and
September 21, 2020
9.108 9.128
0,4168 0,4251
318,92 321.31
10.738 10.792
1.325 1.351
make more money on the
transaction.
The price of gold items
at the Phouvong Jewellery
Shop in Vientiane, a leading
gold trader, was recorded at
9.23 million kip per baht-
weight (15 grams) and 2.31
million kip per sleung (3.75
grams) earlier this month.
As of September 21,
gold jewellery weighing 15
grams or baht-weight was
on sale for 9.24 million kip
and for 2.31 million kip
per sleung (3.75 grams).
This means the price
of gold jewellery has
changed only slightly
and currently stands at
9.2 million kip per baht-
weight (15 grams) and 2.3
million kip per sleung.
In July, gold jewellery
was on sale for almost
8.8 million kip per baht-
weight (15 grams) and
2.2 million kip per sleung
(3.75 grams), up from
8.2 million kip per baht
and about 2 million kip
per sleung at the end of
June, according to a recent
update.
President of the
Lao Gem and Jewellery
7
Tuesday September 22, 2020
Traders’ Association, Mr
Phouvong Phamisith, told
Vientiane Times recently
that prices would rise further
if the Covid-19 pandemic
continued.
He said he was unable
to predict the future
direction of gold prices
as they depend on global
market trends and most
gold items are imported.
However, many
consumers are taking
advantage of the rise in
price to sell gold jewellery
at a profit, while others are
reluctant to buy gold to put
away for the future as they
want to save their money for
family expenditure, saying
the Covid-19 crisis is far
from over.
Economists say the
pandemic is the clear
reason for the rise in price
of commodities, especially
imported goods.
In 2012, the price of gold
in Laos peaked at about 7
million kip per baht-weight,
but dropped to 4.55 million
kip in mid-2015. Gold has
continued to rise in value
again since the start of this
year.
8 Business Tuesday September 22, 2020
Globalisation an irreversible
trend for supply chains
CHINA (China Daily/ANN)
-- Globalisation remains
one of the keys to ensuring
the efficiency and healthy
development of supply
chains around the world and
efforts are needed to continue
pursuing a multilateral and
open global trade governance
system, despite the challenges
brought by the COVID-19
outbreak and geopolitical
uncertainties, a new report
said.
The report, published by
the Beijing-based University
Lenovo’s employees work in its Shenzhen plant on Feb 10.
of International Business and
Economics, focuses on the
post-pandemic revolution
of global supply chains and
discusses how enterprises
should use cutting-edge
technologies to build a
flexible and agile supply
chain system.
Qi Yinan, an expert in
supply chain and director of
development planning at the
University of International
Business and Economics,
said globalisation is an
Support for domestic pharmaceutical
industry to rise in Vietnam
HANOI (Vietnam News/
ANN) -- The Vietnamese
Government’s support for the
local pharmaceutical industry
will remain steadfast,
according to Fitch Solutions.
Under a report released
last week, the UK-based
financial information group
said this was in part driven
by the authorities’ push to
meet domestic healthcare
needs. In addition, the
economic potential of the
p h a rm aceutical s e ctor
will incentivise continued
Government support for the
domestic industry.
Although the government
aims to increase the share
of locally produced
pharmaceuticals to 80
percent, an average of 55
percent of medicines in
Vietnam are imported every
year.
One of the reasons
for Vietnam’s reliance on
imports is that most domestic
companies lack research and
development capabilities,
and do not meet the European
Union Good Manufacturing
irreversible trend for
companies.
The COVID-19 outbreak
has posed challenges for
companies’ supply chain
management. Enterprises
that have the resilience,
and can quickly respond to
abrupt changes and recover
their businesses are in a
better position to survive
the outbreak and emerge
stronger, Qi said.
According to him,
companies are accelerating
their efforts to push forward
digital transformation, which
can help them better optimise
supply chain and boost
efficiency.
The university’s latest
report gives an example
by detailing how Chinese
tech giant Lenovo Group
Ltd is embracing digital
technologies to build a
robust and flexible supply
chain. Lenovo has been
ranked 15th in market
research company Gartner
Inc’s list of supply chain
Practice (EU-GMP) or
Pharmaceutical Inspection
Cooperation Scheme Good
Manufacturing Practice (PIC/
S-GMP) standards required
to manufacture high-quality
generic drugs. Further,
Vietnam imports more than
90 percent of drug inputs,
half of which are from China.
According to Fitch,
partnerships with local firms
are integral. As a result of
Government initiatives,
domestic pharmaceutical
firms will play an increasingly
dominant role in Vietnam.
“This accentuates the
need for multinational
pharmaceutical companies to
partner with local drugmakers
to adapt to this trend. Finding
a local company to start such
a joint venture is an important
first step to enter the market
in Vietnam,” Fitch said.
Foreign companies
often work with domestic
companies, such as Diethelm
Vietnam, Zuellig Pharma
Vi e t n a m , a n d M e g a
Lifesciences, to fill in
different needs in the supply
Vientiane Times
top 25 for 2020.
Amid the outbreak, the
company’s plants have
demonstrated their resilience.
Its Shenzhen factory, for
instance, quickly restarted
production in late February
and hit full capacity in March
despite the initial disruptions
caused by the COVID-19
e p i d e m i c . L e n o v o ’s
largest personal computer
manufacturing base in Hefei,
Anhui province also saw
its PC shipments climb 32
percent year–on-year in the
first five months of this year,
despite the epidemic.
Yang Yuanqing, chairman
Wooden handicrafts on display at the Caruso Lao showroom in Nongbouathong Neua village,
of Lenovo, said earlier, “The Chanthabouly district, Vientiane.
COVID-19 outbreak cannot
Handicraft entrepreneur switches focus
damage China’s leading role
in the global supply chain as
the country has the world’s
to domestic market amid pandemic
l a rg e s t m a n u f a c t u r i n g
system with the most
complete industrial chain
and supporting facilities.” Times Reporters we operate to meet the needs normal, the company will
China is also undergoing a of domestic customers,” she advertise its handicrafts on
critical stage of moving from A maker of top-quality added. a website so that people can
a manufacturing powerhouse handicrafts, Caruso Lao, has Some customers who buy them from home.
to a smart-manufacturing switched their target market bought her products wanted The website is under
centre, which will generate from travellers and overseas the company to arrange development and should be up
more opportunities, Yang customers to local buyers in shipment but now shipping and running by mid-October
said. order to survive during the costs are higher than before at www.carusocreations.com
Lenovo has over 30 Covid-19 pandemic. and some customers are Caruso offers a variety
global manufacturing bases Their main customers unable to pay the fees. of high-quality handicrafts,
and more than 2,000 core used to be foreigners as well M s Yu c k s a i d t h e most of which are wooden
suppliers, which has also as travellers in Laos but the company focuses on product with some having decorative
helped the company maintain onset of Covid-19 has seen quality and design rather than silver trim. They include
its business resilience. that market dwindle to almost quantity. carved wooden animals,
Ya n g s a i d , “ We zero. “All the items produced chopsticks, bowls, vases,
are investing in the “Before the pandemic by Caruso are handmade by jars, salad bowls, and Buddha
most advanced digital struck, travellers usually skilled workers so it takes statues.
transformation technologies bought our products as longer but the wait is worth There are also silver-
and capabilities so that we souvenirs to take home. it for the quality of the end plated sticky rice baskets
can build predictability, Those who bought large items product,” she said. and wooden accessories as
visibility and agility into had to ship them home,” said Caruso Lao has two well as hand-made silk fabric
every element of our supply the Creative and Marketing outlets - one in Vientiane and that can be used for home
chain.” Manager of Caruso Lao, Ms the other in Vat Sane village, decoration.
Sandra S. Yuck. Luang Prabang city. Customers can specify
“Covid made a big dent
in our business because no
Their products are also
on sale at shops and hotels in
a particular design of the
wooden carvings.
travellers have come to Laos
since the lockdown was
Vientiane such as the Crowne
Plaza hotel, as well as in
Prices start from US$8
and run to over US$20,000
chain. imposed in March, so we Thailand. depending on the design and
Fitch forecast a shift from have had to adapt the way To adapt to the new size.
pharmaceutical production
to a more research-based
industry was likely. The
5,400 jobs available in food services
boost in attractiveness of the
Vietnamese market comes
and food manufacturing sector
at a time when the business SINGAPORE (The Straits For example, for PMETs, between April and July this
environment for drugmakers Times/ANN) -- Some 5,400 manufacturing managers earn year, more than 1,800 people
in neighbouring countries jobs in food services and food between US$2,500 on the found jobs or took on training
has not been favourable. In manufacturing have been 25th percentile and US$6,050 roles in the food sector through
December 2018, Indonesia available since April under on the 75th percentile, with a Workforce Singapore’s
enacted a regulation for the the SGUnited Jobs and Skills median salary of US$2,850. (WSG) programmes.
compulsory licensing of Package, with about two in In non-PMET roles, Nearly 80 of them were
every medical product that five of them for professionals, bartenders and baristas earn mid-career individuals
is not being made in the managers, executives and between US$1,550 on the who entered the sector
country. technicians (PMETs). 25th percentile and US$2,600 through career conversion
“This is expected to About 2,070 jobs are for on the 75th percentile, with a programmes.
have significant negative PMETs, in roles such as food median salary of US$2,150. For the food manufacturing
consequences for foreign technologists, chefs, food and Besides jobs in the sectors, sub-sector, many of them
direct investment in the beverage services managers there are also about 540 came from the financial
country, with Vietnam being and business development company-hosted traineeships and insurance sector and
the one of the beneficiaries managers. and attachments available, other sub-sectors of the
of pharmaceutical companies The remaining 3,350 jobs with 440 for PMET roles and food manufacturing and
shying away from Indonesia. are for non-PMET roles, 100 for non-PMET roles. wholesale trade, while
This, combined with the including supervisors and Of the 740 training those who converted to
geopolitical position of general foremen for food opportunities available, 420 the food services sub-
Vietnam, place the country processing, bakers, pastry and are for PMET roles while 320 sector mainly came from
in a favourable position confectionery makers, and are for non-PMET roles. accommodation and food
t o b e c o m e a r e g i o n a l shop and store salespersons. Manpower Minister services, transportation and
pharmaceutical research Job salaries are varied, Josephine Teo, in her weekly storage, and administrative
and export hub,” Fitch based on the job nature and jobs situation report on and support service
said. skills requirements. Monday (Sept 21), said that activities.
Vientiane Times
Lao businesses seek
crackdown on illegal operators
Times Reporters
Lao businesses have called on
government stakeholders and
authorities to reinforce inspections
and implement strict measures to
end illegal business practices.
The Ministries of Finance and
Industry and Commerce should
create a task force under the
Ministry of Industry and Commerce
for receiving complaints and
information on unlawful business
operations and taking necessary
action.
Members of the business
community representing numerous
companies made the call at a public
and private consultative meeting
held in Vientiane last week.
The illicit import of goods
by individuals and firms is still
widespread in Laos, and these
business don’t pay or only partly
pay customs duties and taxes, they
said.
Such illegal practices can take
several forms, such as importing
goods for duty-free sales being
diverted to local markets, and
distributing imported goods without
Lao language labelling as specified
by the Ministry of Industry and
Commerce.
They also include selling illicit
products that are harmful for health
without pictorial health warnings or
non-payment of tax revenues that
lead to an unfair advantage over
formal firms in Laos.
The business representatives
cited the example of the supply,
distribution and sale of smuggled
or counterfeit tobacco products for
which duties and taxes are not paid.
According to a response
letter from the Department of
Domestic Trade of the Ministry
of Industry and Commerce dated
May 5, there seems to have
been no progress in dealing
with informal businesses being
operated illegally by foreigners
because the provinces are not
ready to implement the Minister
of Industry and Commerce’s
order on measures to be taken
against such illegal businesses.
The Department of Domestic
Trade plans to draft a law to
reinforce trade inspections to tackle
competition from the import and
distribution of goods on which
taxes have not been paid.
In addition, the department
plans to investigate the import and
distribution of goods that avoid
customs duties and taxes.
Duty-free operators desperate for survival
amid protracted COVID-19 pandemic
S.KOREA (The Korea Herald/
ANN) -- Stung by the protracted
new coronavirus outbreak, South
Korean duty-free operators are
struggling to overcome the industry-
wide slump with belt-tightening
measures, including increasing the
number of closing days at some
outlets in major local cities and
cutting their overseas operations.
Industry leader Lotte Duty Free
began closing its outlets at COEX in
southern Seoul and the southeastern
port city of Busan every Sunday and
Monday from this month.
In April, Lotte decided not to
open the two stores every Monday,
as the number of customers sharply
declined due to the COVID-19
pandemic. The latest move came
as a resurgence in virus cases made
it difficult to expect imminent
business normalisation.Since late
May, Shinsegae Duty Free has
closed its outlets in Seoul’s posh
southern district of Gangnam and
Busan every Sunday and Monday.
Hit by the virus outbreak, local
duty-free operators have suspended
the operations of their outlets at
major airports either partially or
wholly.
The pandemic has also dealt a
blow to duty-free operators’ overseas
business.
Local duty-free shops had rushed
to expand their foray into overseas
markets in recent years in a bid to
reduce their reliance on Chinese
visitors and generate decent profits.
Lotte Duty Free plans to close
its duty-free stores in Jakarta and
Tuesday September 22, 2020
Duty-free operators have suspended the operations of their outlets at major
airports either partially or wholly.
Bangkok in the second half and
liquidate its units in Indonesia and
Thailand.
In the first half, Lotte withdrew
its business from Taiwan. The
number of Lotte Duty Free overseas
units will fall to 12 outlets in six
countries if it completes the closure
of the two units in Southeast Asia.
Some improvement in sales
may give some solace to local
duty-free operators, but their
revenues remained far below the
pre-pandemic level.
Combined sales at duty-free
shops in South Korea reached 1.25
trillion won (US$1.08 million)
in July, up 12.4 percent from the
previous month, as small Chinese
vendors returned to scoop up duty-
free goods, according to industry
data.
It marked the third straight
month of gains since the figure fell
below 1 trillion won for the first
time in four years in April.
The number of visitors to local
Business 9
duty-free units topped 500,000 in
July, marking the first time in four
months.
“Duty-free sales are tipped to
further increase in the third quarter,
compared with three months earlier,
on the back of the government’s
eased restrictions on sales channels
of duty-free goods,” said Na Eun-
chae, an analyst at Korea Investment
& Securities Co.
To prop up the pandemic-hit
segment, the government decided
in late April to temporarily permit
sales of duty-free goods via local
sales channels. It also allowed
registered foreign buyers to receive
duty-free products at their home
countries without the need to visit
South Korea.
Meanwhile, major duty-free
players are expected to take part
in the bidding for new business
licenses at the country’s main
international airport as they set
sights on long-term recovery in the
post-COVID-19 era.
10 Tuesday September 22, 2020
Feature
Media chiefs debate the best way forward
Mr Savankhone Razmountry
gives his views on the
development of the media.
Visith Teppalath
T
he Lao Journalists’
Association
recently hosted a
meeting to discuss
ways to improve the media
in line with government and
public expectations for new
approaches.
The meeting, which took
place at the Lao Press in
Foreign Languages (Vientiane
Times), was attended by more
than 60 representatives from
mainstream media agencies
and businesses.
The event enabled
participants to meet each
other and discuss ways in
which the mainstream media
could improve and develop,
with particular reference to
the guidance provided by the
prime minister.
Deputy Minister of
Information, Culture and
Tourism and President of the
Lao Journalists’ Association,
Mr Savankhone Razmountry,
who chaired the meeting, said
it was a golden opportunity
for media personnel to
consider what could be done
to improve the quality of their
work, products and services
in line with government and
public expectations.
“Today, we meet to
discuss how to put into
practice ideas to improve
the media industry that
were raised at a previous
meeting to celebrate the 70th
anniversary of Lao Media and
Publishing Day on August
14,” Mr Savankhone said.
“That meeting also
looked at ways to bring to
fruition the advice given by
Prime Minister Thongloun
Sisoulith on how the media
could stay relevant in the
current context,” he added.
The prime minister gave
political advice at the Media
Day celebratory event, saying
media personnel should raise
their standards in order to
meet the needs of the current
development context as well
as audience expectations.
To improve the quality of
content, he advised personnel
to carry out audience
research and use the results
as a reference for improving
products and services.
The media should also
provide more useful and
relevant information to the
public.
The prime minister said
personnel should be more
professional in their approach
so that their products were
more attractive to consumers.
Mr Savankhone said the
discussion highlighted the
need for the media to raise
their professional standards
while adhering to Party and
government policies.
He likened the media to a
chef who prepares food in a
way that diners will like and
be satisfied with.
During debates,
businesspeople and media
officials said they agreed
with the government’s view
that more must be done to
provide top quality services.
At the same time, they
outlined the challenges they
faced, including the decline
in advertising revenue.
They said media
personnel needed greater
understanding of Party
policy, state laws, and
government policy in order
to raise their standards.
Participants also said
personnel should adhere
to accepted journalism
ethics while providing
audiences with real news
and information they could
make use of.
Business operators said
they would like the media to
address consumer needs and
provide information that was
relevant to today’s world.
They pointed out that
businesses wishing to
advertise their products
and services now had more
marketing options using
social media platforms. This
meant that the mainstream
media must make changes
and adopt new operating
methods to give them a more
Vientiane Times
competitive edge.
Vice President of the
Lao Journalists’ Association
Mr Sipha Nonglath said
“This meeting is a chance to
seriously discuss the further
development of the media.
Over the years the mainstream
media has developed in terms
of content and quality to suit
the changing needs of the
public. Today, more people
make use of social media
platforms than mainstream
media and are using the
internet more and more.”
“To survive in the digital Representatives of media organisations and businesspeople debate what can be done to help
era, the mainstream media the media stay relevant.
must adapt. Unless changes
are made, the media won’t develop the media in many ideas on media development. channels,” Mr Sounthone
survive in its present form. ways. Journalists should The media has worked hard said.
Today, most people don’t continue to learn and fully for over 70 years in fighting “If media organisations
want to read newspapers or understand the policies of the for national liberation and want to survive they must
listen to the radio. Instead Party and state and should driving socio-economic change their mindset.
they get the news from be professional in all aspects development. The media Modern equipment is needed
their smartphones and other of their work. We also need has also worked to suppress and the media must appeal
devices,” Mr Sipha said. more government funding to the false propaganda put out to the public by publishing
“The media in every support the media.” by the country’s enemies and accurate information and
country is making changes Advisor to the Lao has adapted itself to changing getting it out promptly.
amidst strong competition, Journalists’Association, head circumstances.” The media should have
and our media too must of advisors to the Lao National “We have sufficient a greater influence on
improve. The media should Chamber of Commerce and media outlets but we need p e o p l e ’s t h i n k i n g a n d
have more rights and power Industry and President of the to improve their quality. educate them. Finally,
but should only publish Lao Brewery Company, Mr All forms of media now the media should encourage
true information. Some Sounthone Phommachak, use new media platforms to people to absorb the news
journalists don’t have a good said “I am delighted to attend circulate information through with a revolutionary
understanding of the laws this meeting and share my the internet and social media mindset.”
and regulations.”
“Leaders should also
understand the importance
of the media and use
it beneficially by writing
articles themselves, which
would be attractive to
consumers. When writing
an article, journalists should
ensure it is relevant to the
public’s interest and is easy
to understand. And the media
should publish information
about events quickly.”
“We need to continue to The chairing committee and other participants attend the meeting.
The chairing committee and participants gather for a group photo.
Vientiane Times
Southeast Asia: Making the Planetary (Crisis) Personal
Johanna Son with reports
from Kanis Dursin, Mariejo
Ramos, Uyen Diep and
Vannaphone Sitthirath
‘A global reset’, ‘a sick
planet’, ‘health security’ are
huge, heavy phrases that
have been swirling in the
global psyche for most of
this COVID-19-marked year.
They speak of the ‘must-do-
something’ type of issues that
weigh on the minds of people
everywhere, including in
Southeast Asia, as they hope
for a post-pandemic period
to come.
In this worldwide pause
forced by an unprecedented
pandemic, the Reporting
ASEAN se-ries spoke with
a mix of individuals to listen
not just to their worries
and wishes, but the life and
lifestyle changes they have
been making, and what
they believe the human race
should collectively do for its
own survival.
From Indonesia to Laos,
the Philippines to Vietnam,
these individuals do not
always know where to start to
put the pieces of a damaged
planet back together again.
But they do identify human
accountability for its ill
health. They zero in on the
perspective - “arrogant”
is the word an Indonesian
businessman uses - that
human beings are the species
destined to ‘conquer’ nature
rather than be its custodian,
and that the Earth exists to
serve them.
Viewing the pandemic as
a wake-up call for not just
for change but for humility,
the South-east Asians in
our conversations say they
know full well that entire
governments, industries
and communities have to
be part of redefining what
human development and
co-existence really are, if
this global rebalancing is to
take hold.
But equally strong are
their views that people need
to be taking action, now, at
their own level and not leave
the fixing to the future - if
there is one - to everyone else
but them. Be it by ditching
single-use plastics, growing
a vegetable patch or doing
car-pooling, this time of
discomfort requires us to
make the connection from
the planetary to the personal,
they say.
After reading news reports
saying that COVID-19
appears to have jumped
species from bats, Hanoi-
based journalism lecturer
Thu Nguyen knew she had
homework to do with her
own kin. Her parents have
taken bear bile, used as it
a massage paste for aching
joints. For stomach aches,
they have bought porcupine
bezoar, which are the lumps
of undigested material found
in porcupines’ digestive tract
that are said to have curative
A masked sentry stands guard outside the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum in Ba Dinh square, Ha-noi
in March.
value in traditional Chinese
medicine.
“While wildlife traffickers
focus on our health fears,
especially for older people,
and create wrong functions,
I had to reinform my parents
and community about the
effect and harms of wildlife
products,” said Thu, who
teaches at the Academy of
Journalism and Communi-
cation. Products from wild
animals and their body parts
are not miracle treatments,
she told them.
Over in the Lao capital
Vientiane, actors and crew
with the Lao New Wave
Cinema arrive for their
location shoots not just with
their memorised lines and
equipment - but with their
own reusable water bottles or
coffee cups. This is because
in June, the company adopted
a policy of avoiding single-
use plastics - and shifted to
giving out lunches in paper
containers.
“Human beings can
end up at a point where
we can no longer solve
any (of these problems),”
Phanumad Dissatta, a film
director with Lao New Wave,
said, referring to the ac-
cumulation of plastics that
find their way into rivers
and oceans, as well as the
impact of climate change and
extreme weather events.
“Most people do not seem
to act on these problems while
the (worsening) situation has
been reaching the red or
orange (danger) line,” said
Phanumad. At the restaurant
he owns, he has changed the
takeaway containers from
styrofoam to paper ones.
While both the COVID-19
pandemic and the climate
crisis are global challenges,
Filipino sociology teacher
Athena Presto thinks that the
public’s desire to see instant
solutions in the pandemic is
due to the immediacy of its
damage, seen in the massive
death counts.
In contrast, “climate
change is felt by people in
a more general and gradual
manner, so it’s difficult to
pinpoint casualties at a given
time, because it affects all of
us at a gradual pace,” said
Presto.
Conquerers or
custodians?
Our lifestyle choices
send signals about what is
in demand by communities,
says Manila-based
documentary filmmaker
Kathleen Limayo, also a
climate activist. “The more
we be-come dependent on
fossil fuel as individuals, the
more we legitimise and give
social license to extractive
industries to destroy the
planet,” she pointed out.
“Excessive plane rides
increase your carbon
footprint. Your electricity
usage says a lot too, since
electricity comes from a
mixture of dirty energy,
hydro, wind, depending on
where you are located. Using
new plastics as packaging
also contributes to the carbon
footprint since plastics
are from petroleum,” she
continued.
At their core, the shared
crises of the pandemic, the
climate emergency and the
plastics habit reflect how
human beings view their
space in the natural world.
“We human beings seem
to be slow to learn,” mused
Wilhem David, who owns a
publishing firm in Tangerang,
just west of the Indonesia’s
capital Jakarta. “We have
seen several ani-mal-related
viruses before.”
“I sense a certain degree
of arrogance on the part of
human beings. They seem
to have grown up believing
they can do whatever they
want to the environment,”
he said.
Reflections these days
take a good look at how
human beings can too easily
look as themselves as the
--Photo Uyen Diep
lords of the planet, rather than
creatures that are just one
among many living things
on it. As living things, they
are not exempt from how
nature works. They can-
not be delinked from the
environment, whatever their
intellectual and technological
prow-ess.
“People do things without
knowing that the things we
do are hurting us,” said
Vandasay Dejvongsa, a Lao
translator who does regular
meditation. “We consume
too much re-sources because
of our fears of not having
enough, or our own greed of
needing more.”
“At first, I thought that
climate change is far from
our lives,” she recalled.
“Laos may not contribute
hugely to climate change, but
I can still experience serious
air pollution. I will take small
actions through reducing
plastic waste, learning how
to manage waste and share
the information through my
online channels.”
But while Vandasay
may want to better manage
waste, local garbage trucks
do not reach her community,
some 22 kilometres from the
capital.
Indeed, a person’s lifestyle
and consumption choices
depend too on the options
that their governments put
in place. Until these are
also recalibrated, the shift
to rebalance the world as a
truly global commons cannot
be done fully, says Kimberly
de la Cruz, a Filipino
photographer.
“Take the movement for
sustainable solutions toward
climate change. How are we
sup-posed to choose riding a
bike to work when there are
no bike lanes?” she asked.
“The halt of public
transportation (in COVID-19
lockdowns) should show us
the imperative of making
sidewalks and bicycle lanes
more accessible to people,”
Tuesday September 22, 2020
Lao film director Phanumad worries about the point of no
return. --Photo F Duroc
Nature ‘relaxed’ during the pandemic, says journalism
professor Thu Nguyen.
agreed Limayo. “By giv-
ing people easy mobility
through foot and bikes, you
are creating an atmosphere
that veers away from dirty
fossil fuels.”
Radical rethink
Presto is unsure how
long the resolutions to
change behaviour amid
COVID-19 will last,
even if governments are
talking about sustainability.
Retooling the model of profit-
oriented development, which
the world has pursued for
over the seven decades since
World War II, is a radical
move that turns what was
a ‘successful’ model on its
head.
Thus far, “the questions
that we ask ourselves are
pretty much still capitalist in
nature - how much a vaccine
is going to cost, how much
is needed to recover from
COVID-19,” add-ed Presto,
who teaches at the University
of the Philippines.
But for Thu Nguyen, the
pandemic is already showing
the difference that slowing
down can make. As the
tourist hordes disappeared
Feature 11
--Photo Uyen Diep
amid lockdowns, Vietnam’s
south-central Nha Trang
town saw a rare visit by
dolphins off its beach. “When
we stopped, nature re-laxed
and benefited (from this),”
she reflected.
The link between health
and the environment, seen
starkly - and painfully in real-
time - through COVID-19,
may give a new push
for the awareness of the
climate crisis as an ongo-
ing emergency. “Humans
now view climate change
not as something unreal or
as simple as (being about)
rainy or sunny weather, but
one that impacts all aspects
of our lives,” Chi said.
For Lao environmental
engineer Vongsack Mixay,
living in a way that is
congruent with en-suring
that our environment and
co-inhabitants survive too
starts at the per-person level.
“We need to rethink our own
actions. Each of us needs to
adapt, start with ourselves,”
he said.
--This feature is part
of the Reporting ASEAN
Sustainability Series.
12 Tuesday September 22, 2020 Vientiane Times
Opinion

St re et w ise What should be done to tackle

Vientiane’s chronic flooding?
Drainage channels are often blocked by debris because many are close to construction
sites, while increasing urbanisation is leading to more flooding during heavy rainfall. City
authorities plan to spend 7.4 billion kip to improve drainage. Vientiane Times asked local
residents what they thought should be done to remedy the situation.
Lamphone Pasanthong regulations aren’t tough
enough to make them
Mr Sinxay, a resident of care about keeping
Chanthabouly district: the streets and drains
Most of the streets clean. Children are our
in Vientiane are now future so we should
surfaced with asphalt and teach them about this
issue, especially about
understanding and caring
for our surroundings
so that the city stays
clean and green. But of
course we must set a
good example for them
because youngsters obstructs the flow of
always do what their water. It would be good
elders do. We should if everyone showed more
advise them to play a responsibility in this
part in keeping their matter and made sure the
surroundings clean and streets and drains stayed
tidy and when they grow clear of dirt and other
concrete but they’re still up these lessons will be waste.
covered in dust and mud. passed on to the next
Sometimes I see residents generation.
cleaning, but only a few.
Some roadsides have a Mr Soukthavy, a resident
lot of plastic bags but it of Xaysettha district: Of
seems that no one cares course, everyone wants
about this problem. When to drive on an asphalt
it’s windy or it rains, all or concrete road, but mud on our roads. The
these plastic bags and will anyone think about authorities need to pay
dust get into the drains how to take care of more attention to drains
so they become blocked them in the long term? and do a better job of
and then the streets Everything has a limited cleaning them out before
flood when there’s a life span, but things will the rainy season begins.
storm. I think everyone last longer if they’re well
should do more to clean maintained. Sometimes I Ms Phue Inthivong, a
up our roads to prevent see people cleaning but resident of Naxaithong
problems. they push their garbage district: Of course, it’s
and waste into drains, essential to clear away
Ms Noy, a resident of which is not a good the dust and mud from
Sikhottabong district: thing. When drains get
It’s quite hard to keep clogged, there’s always
Vientiane clean because a problem. It would be
most people aren’t better if everyone joined
forces to keep our streets
clean and tidy so as to
prevent flooding and road
damage.

Ms Sadalad, a resident
of Xaythany district: The
authorities employ people
to clean the streets but
local residents need to
be more responsible and main roads. There is so
make sure their rubbish much dirt and rubbish
doesn’t get into drains. on our streets now
If everyone did this it and they look a mess.
would ease the flooding I urge people not to
well educated about problem and help reduce sweep soil and waste
the problem and our the amount of dust and into drains because it
Vientiane Times Tuesday September 22, 2020 13
Entertainment
Chloe Zhao makes a splash in Hollywood
with top Venice Film Festival award
CHINA (Xinhua) -- Chinese-Born filmmaker
Chloe Zhao moves up to international
recognition, making a splash in Hollywood
when she snapped up the Golden Lion
Award - 2020 Venice Film Festival’s highest
award - for her directorial accomplishments
in Nomadland.
Held from Sept 2 to 12 and the first major
film festival to reopen since COVID-19 hit,
the 77th Venice Film Festival remains one of
the top film festivals in the world.
The Golden Lion has helped launch the
careers of many directorial greats, including
Zhang Yimou, Jean-Luc Goddard, Andrei
Tarkovsky, Michelangelo Antonioni, Akira
Kurosawa, Sofia Coppola, Agnes Varda,
Alfonso Cuaron and Ang Lee, and many
others. The prestigious award was won last
year by Todd Phillips’ dystopic Joker.
An opera performance entertains the public. Now with the Lion of her own on her

Lao opera troupe adds new note

mantle, Zhao is on a trajectory to success as
a director to be reckoned with.
“Chloe Zhao made history at a Venice
Film Festival,” commented the Entertainment

to radio programming
Sisouphan
Amphonephong
The Central Lao Opera Troupe
has just completed recording
an opera programme for
radio broadcasting, in a bid
to broaden musical horizons.
The troupe’s Deputy
Director, Mr Saengaloun
Boualavong, told Vientiane
Times they had recorded
an opera titled “Sanayha
Alaihak’’, directed by Mr
Sinouan Chanthaxay, for
broadcast on Lao National
Radio FM 103.7 MHz.
The three-hour opera will
be broadcast at the end of next
month, with programmes
airing every Friday to
promote the musical genre.
The troupe’s performances
are also broadcast on Lao
National Television Channel
1 every Saturday and Sunday
from 5pm. Since 2016, they
have performed more than
10 operas.
The opera troupe has also
broadcast 10 performances
on AM radio.
The shows include local
opera (Lamthongthin),
modern opera (Lamsing)
and Siphandone opera
(Lamsiphandone) for use at
special events such as the
Vat Phou Festival, Elephant
Festival, Khongkhao Festival
in Xayaboury province, and
the Khongkhao Festival in
Sangthong district, Vientiane.
In 2018 and 2019 the
troupe also performed operas
in Saravan and Champassak
provinces.
The troupe has entertained
audiences with open air
shows featuring impressive
sound and light systems
both in Vientiane and the
provinces.
This year, because of
the Covid-19 pandemic, the
troupe has not been able to
perform publicly. Instead,
members have turned their
attention to rehearsing new
operas.
After AM radio was
unable to provide broad
enough public access, the
troupe switched to the FM
103.7 MHz station so that
more people could hear their
broadcasts.
This year Mr Saengaloun
was appointed by the Ministry
of Information, Culture and
Tourism as Director of the
National Lao Opera Troupe
which will gather together the
Central Lao Opera Troupe,
Central Theatre Troupe and
the Central Puppet Theatre
Troupe to perform shows
for the general public and at
official events.
Each troupe will have
its own director to produce
and organise performances
and promote this musical
art form.
He urged everyone to
listen to the performance of
“Sanayha Alaihak’’ on Lao
National Radio FM 103.7
MHZ to learn more about
Lao opera.
Weekly, a leading American entertainment
magazine.
Zhao, a Beijing native who went to the
United States when she was 15, became the
first female director to take the festival’s top
prize since Sophia Coppola a decade ago.
“With the Venice win, Nomadland
has moved into pole position for the 2021
Oscar race,” said The Hollywood Reporter
magazine.
“The win will be seen as a boost to the
film’s already much-fancied prospects in
the upcoming, postponed Academy Awards
season, where hopes are high for Zhao to
become the first woman of color to land a best
director nomination,” Variety magazine
agreed.
Nomadland is the third feature film
from Zhao. Songs My Brothers Taught
Me, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film
Festival, is Zhao’s debut feature film. Her
second feature film, 2017’s The Rider,
was critically acclaimed and received
several leading accolades including
nominations for Independent Spirit
Award for Best Film and Best Director.
At the Independent Spirit Awards,
Hollywood director and Award presenter,
Ava DuVernay, introduced Zhao as, “A
filmmaker with distinctive cinematic
voice who I so admire,” and applauded
her for her uniqueness of vision and her
Chloe Zhao.
breathtaking visuals of the American
West, and her ability to draw authentic,
evocative performances from talented
professionals and non-professional’s
alike.
T h e N e w Yo r k Ti m e s w r o t e o f
the closely knit, two-woman team,
“McDormand, magnificently natural as
Fern, and Chloe Zhao, the writer and
director, are an ideal team. They deliver
an illuminating, tough-minded portrait of
older Americans displaced by society.”
Zhao thanked Frances McDormand
and other strong women in the world,
“For being such good role models for
all of us.”
McDormand’s character, Fern, asserts
in the film, “I’m not homeless, I’m just
houseless ... Not the same thing, right?”
she tells a young neighbor after she loses
her husband, her home, and all she’d
possessed in the economic crash of 2008.
Falling through America’s sketchy
social services safety net, Fern compresses
her life into a small RV and journeys
across the American West earning just
enough to sustain herself somewhere
between freedom and a bone-tired and
stoic acceptance of the savage blows that
life has dealt her.

South Koreans defy virus to attend groundbreaking approach to filmmaking.

drive-in circus
SOUL (The Jakarta Post/ANN) -- A clown
juggled and acrobats launched themselves
through the air above a stage in an open
field in Seoul at the weekend as the audience
watched from the safety of their cars,
cocooned from the risk of coronavirus.
The annual circus - usually held in May
- was pushed back twice this year because
of the virus until organisers turned it into a
drive-in event.
“The performing arts are very important
even during a pandemic,” said Cho Beong-
hee, manager of the Seoul Street Art Creation
Centre.
“So we came up with different ideas in
trying to make this event happen and the
drive-in option was chosen as it was deemed
the safest idea.”
Each event allows 30 cars to park in front
of the stage, while the event is also streamed
online for free.
The lack of interaction with the audience
Illustration of an acrobatic circus.
posed new challenges for the performers.
“I had to re-imagine and re-think new
ways to go about my performance,” said Lee
Sung-hyung, a performer at the circus.
The crowd clapped and honked car horns
as acrobats swung above the giant stage,
hoisted by a crane.
In the audience, Yu Hye-jin said she was
satisfied with her seat.
“Her work shines so bright it burns
my eyes,” DuVernay praised.
In Nomadland, Zhao revisits her
favorite region - the rugged American
West - a timeless, remote area she seems
irresistibly drawn to.
Xinhua caught up with Chloe Zhao
recently and asked about her deep
relationship with the American West.
“This is the forgotten America, its
heartland, and I want to make more films
there,” she said, revealing that she also
formed a deep bond with the people she
filmed.
Five-time Oscar nominee and two-
time winner, Frances McDormand,
produced and starred in the film, an
adaptation of Jessica Bruder’s 2017
non-fiction book, Nomadland: Surviving
America in the Twenty-First Century.
McDormand tapped Zhao to write,
direct and edit the project, for her
nuanced understanding of the stoic
characters of America’s heartland, her
Zhao seems to identify with Fern,
describing herself as not having “a strong
sense of identity,” and not feeling at home
anywhere because she drifted around so
much growing up.
“What I love about America is not
necessarily the American Dream but the
fact that there’s so much spirit of fighting
to continue to dream once the dreams are
broken,” she said.
When asked about her future plans,
Zhao said though she has been heavily
influenced by American and European
cinema, she now also finds herself
looking toward Asia.
“I would love to return to China
one day to make films,” she has said
previously. “I’ve been away for too long,
so I’ll need to spend some time back
home before I can come up with an idea.”
Having been born in China and raised
partially in America, Zhao feels that gives
her a unique perspective and understanding
of both cultures. “I hope I can bring the two
worlds together,” she told Xinhua.
14 Tuesday September 22, 2020
LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRATIC UNITY PROSPERITY
Ministry of Education and Sports
Technical and Vocational Education Department No: 2444/TVED Technical and Vocational Education Department
Vientiane Capital, date: 22 September 2020
Invitation for Bids
Date of Invitation: 22 September 2020 Date of Invitation: 22 September 2020
0Project: Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project
Grant No.: 0503-Lao (SF)
Contract No and Title: SSTVETP-NCB-GOOD-IT-2020-02. Supply of equipment and tools for IT including delivery,
installation and training for Pakpaksak Technical College, Polytechnic College, Khammouane Technical and Vocational
College and Savannakhet Technical and Vocational College
Deadline for Submission of Bids: 22 October 2020, 1330H (Lao Time)
1. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has received financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) toward the cost of
the Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project (SSTVETP), and intends to apply part of
the proceeds toward payments under the contract for the supply of equipment and tools for IT including delivery, installation
and training for Pakpaksak Technical College, Polytechnic College, Khammouane Technical and Vocational College and
Savannakhet Technical and Vocational College, (Contract ID: SSTVETP-NCB-GOOD-IT-2020-02).
2. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES), Department of Technical and Vocational Education (TVED) now
invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for the supply of equipment and tools for IT including delivery, installation and
training for Pakpaksak Technical College, Polytechnic College, Khammouane Technical and Vocational College and
Savannakhet Technical and Vocational College. The location and delivery date are as bellows:
3. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedures as specified in the Procurement
Guidelines of the Asian Development Bank (2015, as amended from time to time),and is open to all eligible bidders
as defined in the Procurement Guidelines. The complete list of required goods, details of technical specifications, and
scope of supply and related services are provided in Section VII of bidding document.
4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Technical and
Vocational Education Department, Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project and inspect
the bidding documents during office hours from 0800H to 1630H, Monday to Friday at the address given below.
5. A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested eligible bidders upon the submission
of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of LAK700.000 The method
of payment will be by cash or by a bank transfer to the project bank account: A/c No.010.6.11.00.24232 at BCEL,
in the name of Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project. The bidding document will
be collected in person or sent by courier service when requested by the bidders, upon confirmation of payment of an
additional courier fee. No liability will be accepted for loss or late delivery. An additional non-refundable charge of
LAK 1.000.000 will be made for international courier service or LAK170.000 for national courier service.
6. Bids must be delivered to the address below before 1330H, 22 October 2020. Electronic bidding will not be permitted.
Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and
anyone who choose to attend at the address below on 22 October 2020 at 1400H.
7. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid-Securing Declaration.
8. The address referred to above is:
Ministry of Education and Sports
Technical and Vocational Education Department
Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project
Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane Capital Lao PDR
Attention: Mr. Nouphanh OUTSA, Director General of TVED, SSTVET Project Director
Floor and Room No: First floor, Room No. 01
Telephone: (856-21)216473, Fax: (856-21) 216473, E-mail: SSTVET2@gmail.com
Vientiane Times
LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRATIC UNITY PROSPERITY
Ministry of Education and Sports
No: 2445 /TVED
Vientiane Capital, date: 22 September 2020
Invitation for Bids
Project: Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project
Grant No.: 0503-Lao (SF)
Contract No and Title: SSTVETP-NCB-GOOD-ADV-2020-01. Supply of equipment for advance technology including delivery,
installation and training for Pakpasak Technical College and Champasak Technical and Vocational College
Deadline for Submission of Bids: 22 October 2020, 1330H (Lao Time)
1. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has received financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) toward the cost of
the Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project (SSTVETP), and intends to apply part of
the proceeds toward payments under the contract for the Supply of equipment for advance technology including delivery,
installation and training for Pakpasak Technical College and Champasak Technical and Vocational College, (Contract ID:
SSTVETP-NCB-GOOD-IT-2020-02).
2. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES), Department of Technical and Vocational Education (TVED) now invites sealed
bids from eligible bidders for the supply of equipment for advance technology including delivery, installation and training for
Pakpasak Technical College and Champasak Technical and Vocational College. The location and delivery date are as bellows:
3. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedures as specified in the Procurement
Guidelines of the Asian Development Bank (2015, as amended from time to time),and is open to all eligible bidders
as defined in the Procurement Guidelines. The complete list of required goods, details of technical specifications, and
scope of supply and related services are provided in Section VII of bidding document.
4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Technical and
Vocational Education Department, Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project and inspect
the bidding documents during office hours from 0800H to 1630H, Monday to Friday at the address given below.
5. A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested eligible bidders upon the submission
of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of LAK700.000 The method
of payment will be by cash or by a bank transfer to the project bank account: A/c No.010.6.11.00.24232 at BCEL,
in the name of Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project. The bidding document will
be collected in person or sent by courier service when requested by the bidders, upon confirmation of payment of an
additional courier fee. No liability will be accepted for loss or late delivery. An additional non-refundable charge of
LAK 1.000.000 will be made for international courier service or LAK170.000 for national courier service.
6. Bids must be delivered to the address below before 1330H, 22 October 2020. Electronic bidding will not be permitted.
Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and
anyone who choose to attend at the address below on 22 October 2020 at 1400H.
7. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid-Securing Declaration.
8. The address referred to above is:
Ministry of Education and Sports
Technical and Vocational Education Department
Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project
Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane Capital Lao PDR
Attention: Mr. Nouphanh OUTSA, Director General of TVED, SSTVET Project Director
Floor and Room No: First floor, Room No. 01
Telephone: (856-21)216473, Fax: (856-21) 216473, E-mail: SSTVET2@gmail.com
LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRATIC UNITY PROSPERITY
Ministry of Education and Sports
Technical and Vocational Education Department No: 2446/TVED
Vientiane Capital, date: 22 September 2020
Invitation for Bids
Date of Invitation: 22 September 2020
Project: Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project
Grant No.: 0503-Lao (SF)
Contract No and Title: SSTVETP-NCB-GOOD-AT-2020-03. Supply of equipment and tools for automotive including delivery,
installation and training for Khammouane Technical and Vocational College
Deadline for Submission of Bids: 22 October 2020, 1330H (Lao Time)
1. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has received financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) toward the cost of the Second
Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project (SSTVETP), and intends to apply part of the proceeds toward
payments under the contract for the supply of equipment and tools for automotive including delivery, installation and training for
Khammouane Technical and Vocational College, (Contract ID: SSTVETP-NCB-GOOD-AT-2020-03).
2. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES), Department of Technical and Vocational Education (TVED) now invites sealed
bids from eligible bidders for the supply of equipment and tools for automotive including delivery, installation and training for
Khammouane Technical and Vocational College. The location and delivery date are as bellows:
3. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedures as specified in the Procurement
Guidelines of the Asian Development Bank (2015, as amended from time to time),and is open to all eligible bidders
as defined in the Procurement Guidelines. The complete list of required goods, details of technical specifications, and
scope of supply and related services are provided in Section VII of bidding document.
4. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from the Ministry of Education and Sports, Technical and
Vocational Education Department, Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project and inspect
the bidding documents during office hours from 0800H to 1630H, Monday to Friday at the address given below.
5. A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested eligible bidders upon the submission
of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of LAK700.000 The method
of payment will be by cash or by a bank transfer to the project bank account: A/c No.010.6.11.00.24232 at BCEL,
in the name of Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project. The bidding document will
be collected in person or sent by courier service when requested by the bidders, upon confirmation of payment of an
additional courier fee. No liability will be accepted for loss or late delivery. An additional non-refundable charge of
LAK 1.000.000 will be made for international courier service or LAK170.000 for national courier service.
6. Bids must be delivered to the address below before 1330H, 22 October 2020. Electronic bidding will not be permitted.
Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and
anyone who choose to attend at the address below on 22 October 2020 at 1400H.
7. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid-Securing Declaration.
8. The address referred to above is:
Ministry of Education and Sports
Technical and Vocational Education Department
Second Strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training Project
Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane Capital Lao PDR
Attention: Mr. Nouphanh OUTSA, Director General of TVED, SSTVET Project Director
Floor and Room No: First floor, Room No. 01
Telephone: (856-21)216473, Fax: (856-21) 216473, E-mail: SSTVET2@gmail.com
Vientiane Times Tuesday September 22, 2020 15
What’s on
Virtual film screening Talk on the ethics Japanese Master’s
of Getting Lao’d of exhibiting degree scholarships
Lao Heritage Foundation presents “Getting Guest speaker Dr Marie-Pierre Lissoir will address two The Project for Human
Lao’d: The Rise of Modern Lao Music & Films important issues encountered during the creation of a Resource Development
(free virtual screening). The Foundation welcome museum exhibition: the ethical questions of collecting Scholarship under
donations of any amount to support LHF’s objects and the importance of repatriating collected Japanese Grant Aid is
mission. Registrants donating more than US$50 recordings, videos, and information in the visited accepting applications
will receive a special gift. Donations will go to communities. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, seating will from people who

Cultural Studies Series talk

support our Luang Prabang Summer Programme. understand its aims
be limited to 40 people, on a first-come-first-served
Our goal is to raise US$2,500 or half of the cost of and wish to take a
basis. Please wear a mask and use the hand sanitiser
the Luang Prabang Summer Camp. Free tickets
available at the door. 2-year Master’s degree
are also available for reservation. The Cultural Studies Series (CSS) presents
Where: Meeting room at Kualao Restaurant. programme at Japanese
When: September 27, 7am-8:30am a talk titled ‘The Ethics of Exhibiting Music in
When: From 7pm. For more information please universities in the
Where: Online. For more information please Laos’, by Dr Marie-Pierre Lissoir.
visit https://bit.ly/2RDZR6A academic year 2021-22. Courses will be taught
visit https://bit.ly/3hHetwO Entry fee 30,000K (standard), 10,000K (Lao in English.

Vientiane Food Fest
Everyone is invited to this event featuring
food from more than 100 popular restaurants.
The Boxxx band will provide musical
entertainment and prizes will be on offer from
Foodpanda, Money, Pepsi, Lipton, Tplus and
BanBan ice-cream.
When: September 24-27, from 11am - 8pm
Where: NAGA Mall near the Vientiane Center,
Khouvieng Road, Sisattanak district.
Textbook donation
People having old textbooks that they no longer
use but which are still in good condition, are invited
to donate the textbooks to the Vientiane secondary
school. The books will be kept in the school library
or shared with other schools that don’t have
enough textbooks.
Where: Vientiane secondary school.
For more information, please contact 020
28173404, 020 55799582.
When: No specified date but people can donate
students).
When: Applications accepted until November 6
When: September 24. Doors open at 7.00pm Where: Download form at: https://jds-
for a 7.30pm start. scholarship.org/country/laos/index.html
Where: Kualao restaurant meeting room, For more information call: 021 451430/ 020
Samsenthai Road, Vientiane. Bar service 55519802, email: jds.laos@jice.org
available. Entry fees are donated to charity.
NOTE: Due to covid-19 measures, seating will
be limited to 40 chairs. Please wear a mask,
International coffee day
and use the hand sanitizer provided. Everyone is invited to
this event which features
Essay writing contest demonstrations and
training sessions with
for students coffee professionals.

Essay writing contest textbooks during the school’s working hours. Learn from experts about
the “sustainability around

Undergraduate or graduate students in Asean
countries and the Republic of Korea are invited to
submit essays with the theme “Asean-Korea Digital
Partnership in the Post-Covid-19 Era to the Asean-
Handicraft fair
Handmade products crafted by artisans.
On show are textiles, jewellery, non-timber
Students currently enrolled in college and coffee” and about how to
university, with valid student enrollment cards, taste coffee and prepare it
can apply for an essay writing scholarship. in different ways.
When: October 9-11
Write a 1,000-word essay about talented
Where: Vientiane Center
women to have a chance to win a US$2,500

Short film competition

Korea Centre Essay Contest. The essay must be forest products, salvaged timber products, cash award for the best candidates. The
written in Korean or English. pottery, and cultural items. There are also
scholarship has been started with the aim of
When: Submit before November 8 One District, One Product displays, and stage
highlighting the hidden talent of women with The Ministry of
Where: Submit your essay file to http://bit. performances.
the motto “First woman to achieve big”. All the Information, Culture
do/2020akessay When: September 24-27
candidates, male/female, can participate but and Tourism in
For more information please visit https://bit.ly/2RF8Iox Where: Vientiane Center
you need to find stories on those women who cooperation with
Lao New Wave
Classified
were the first ones to do certain projects ever.
Where: Apply online. For more information, Cinema Productions
and Mind Media
please visit https://bit.ly/2NKLdZv
invites filmmakers
When: The application deadline is October 15. nationwide to enter
this competition. Films

Thai scholarship must not be more than

12 minutes long. The
winner will receive
The Thailand government is offering graduate US$800.
scholarships to meritorious students of all When: Applications accepted until November 7.
nationalities to enroll for master’s and doctoral Where: Submit online at: https://bit.ly/LXSform
degrees at the Sirindhorn International Institute of For more information call 020 5525 1199.
Technology, Thammasat Univer-sity, Thailand.
When: Applications can be sent till September 30
Where: More information can be had Cover Dance Contest 4
at www.siit.tu.ac.th.
Young people aged between 12 and 22 years
are needed to join
International virtual the Vientiane Center
Dance Contest 4
run for children by Fanglao Dance
Company and
Vientiane Center.
Everyone is invited to run for the sake of
The contestants
ໂຮງພິມ ມັນທາຕຸລາດ children – to ensure a healthy life for them.
The international virtual run will raise funds to
will get a chance to
participate in Cover
Manthaturath Printing Press support the Lao Friends Hospital for Children, Dance and All Style
so that all children have access to free quality Battle categories
B. Nongbouathong, medical care. and win a prize of 10
Sikhottabong district, When: Submission till October 15 million kip.
Vientiane Lao PDR Where: Submits online at http://www.gotorace. Where: Vientiane Center.
Tel: 217 243, com/event/international-virtual-run-for- When: The Cover Dance Final Round will take
children-2020/
Moblie: 020 55516138 place on November 2 from 3 pm. For more
information contact 021228000.
Appeal for donations Textbook donation
SMS news service on mobile phone by Vientiane Times Lao Youth Radio FM
90.0 MHz and ADRF People having old textbooks that they no longer
Laos are asking for
use but which are still in good condition, are
How to get daily news from our service: donations of food,
clothes, stationery and invited to donate the textbooks to the Vientiane
 For Lao Telecom (LTC) users:
other essential items secondary school. The books will be kept in the
 Type R in SMS, send to 1135 to register.
for schoolchildren in school library or shared with other schools that
 For Enterprise Telecom Lao (ETL) users: Phoukhoun district, don’t have enough textbooks.
 Type ON in SMS, send to 2246 to re gister. Luang Prabang
Where: Vientiane secondary school.
 Service fees are 500 kip/day. province.
When: Donations For more information, please contact 020
 Charged from your mobile account day to day.
accepted until November 30 28173404, 020 55799582.
We provide 6 news clips per day including exchange rates and world news. 6
Where: Lao Youth Radio FM 90.0 MHz, When: No specified date but people can
days a week; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Phonthun Neua village, Xaysettha district, donate textbooks during the school’s
Vientiane. Call: 030 5815 389
working hours.
16 Tuesday September 22, 2020 Vientiane Times
Sports
Leipzig make winning start
in Bundesliga
BERLIN (Xinhua) -- Goals Julian Nagelsmann’s foot to restore their two-goal
from Emil Forsberg, Yussuf men gained momentum and lead three minutes later as
P o u l s e n a n d A m a d o u doubled their advantage only Haidara made no mistake to
Haidara helped Leipzig four minutes later when Dani tap home Forsberg’s square
make a winning start after Olmo had sufficient space pass.
beating Mainz 3-1 in the at the edge of the box and The third goal took the
opening round of Bundesliga chipped the ball into the path wind out of Mainz’ sails
on Sunday. of Poulsen, who headed the as Zentner had his hands
The “Bulls” staged a ball over Zentner. full of work. Dani Olmo
powerful start on home turf Mainz were unable to put should have made it 4-1 but
and pressed the “Nullfunfer” up resistance but were lucky Zentner denied him at the
onto the back foot. enough that Forsberg rattled hour mark.
Mainz goalkeeper Robin only the woodwork in the The goalkeeper protected
Zentner had to be on guard to 31st minute and Angelino his side from a bigger defeat
defuse Dani Olmo’s effort in hit the side netting from after neutralizing the chances
the 4th minute before Marcel tight angle before the half from Angelino and substitute
An Ezra FC player (left) tries to shield the ball from his Viengchanh FC opponent in their Halstenberg headed just wide time. Christopher Nkunku in the
Commando Cup 2020 clash at the Km 16 sports field in Xaythany district on Saturday. from a promising position The visitors caught a closing stages.
--Photo LFF four minutes later. bright start to the second “ We w e r e h i g h l y
The host’s efforts paid h a l f t h o u g h a s R o b i n motivated today, and we are

Eight teams through to

off with 17 minutes played Quaison’s perfectly timed ready to battle for the top
as Mainz’ Leandro Barreiro through ball allowed Jean- spots in the Bundesliga,” said
fouled onrushing Dani Olmo Philippe Mateta to halve the Forsberg.
inside the area. Forsberg deficit against the run of the “We played too passive

Commando Cup second round

broke the deadlock with a game in the 48th minute. and were not aggressive
well-placed shot from the L e i p z i g , h o w e v e r, enough in the tackles,” Mainz
spot into the bottom right responded straight away and sporting director Rouven
corner. pressed Mainz on the back Schroder said.
Sangkhomsay regular time) and HBT 941 match against Police FC also
Bubphanouvong FC beat STT FC 2-1. at the National Stadium on
In the second round on October 11.
Eight teams have progressed October 17, Young Elephants Meanwhile, Master 7 FC
to the second round of the Lao FC will take on Police FC is currently in second place
Football Federation (LFF) and Lao-Top FC will face on the league table and has to
Commando Cup 2020 in Ezra FC. win all three of its remaining
Vientiane on October 17-18 On October 18 HBT FC games and hope that Lao
after the weekend’s matches faces Meuang Hat United Toyota FC loses matches to
of the knockout tournament. and Lao Toyota FC plays have any chance of claiming
In the first round at the Master 7 FC. the title.
LFF and Km 16 sports fields Lao Toyota FC will be The Commando Cup
in Vientiane on Saturday, aiming to retain both this 2020 semi-finals will be held
Yo u n g E l e p h a n t s F C year’s Lao Premier League on October 24 with the final
defeated KPS 2-0, Police and the Commando Cup on October 31.
FC demolished Vientiane knockout comp titles after The cup champions will
Capital FC 5-0, and Ezra FC taking home the trophies in receive 30 million kip and
overpowered Viengchanh 2019. players will be awarded
FC 4-2. Lao Toyota FC is currently medals while the runners-up
In Sunday’s results, on top of the league ladder, will get 15 million kip and
Master 7 FC edged out and its remaining matches medals.
Garuda FC 4-3, Meuang Hat comprise Vientiane FT at All participating teams
United defeated Vientiane the Km 16 sports field on will take home 1 million kip
FT 4-2 on penalties (after September 27, Viengchanh with trophies awarded to the Amadou Haidara (left) of Leipzig controls the ball under the defense from Karim Onisiwo of
both were locked up at 2-2 FC at the National Stadium top scorer, best goalkeeper, Mainz during a German Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and 1.FSV Mainz 05 in Leipzig,
Germany on Sunday. --Photo Xinhua
following 90 minutes of on October 3 with its final best coach and best referee.

Liverpool beat Chelsea to start title Nadal stunned, Djokovic struggles

defense, Son nets four for Spurs
LONDON (Xinhua) --
Liverpool gave an early
statement of intent over their
Premier League title defense
as two goals from Sadio
Mane gave them a 2-0 win
away to Chelsea.
Chelsea were the
summer’s big spenders and
the game was a big test of both
their and Liverpool’s title
credentials, but things swung
dramatically Liverpool’s way
as Andreas Christensen was
sent off for pulling Mane
back when he was through
on goal in the first half injury
time.
Liverpool took advantage
of the extra man early in
the second half when Mane
opened the scoring with
a powerful header after a
move involving Fabinho and
Mohamed Salah in the 50th
minute.
Four minutes later it was
2-0 after Mane slotted the
ball home after a terrible
error from Chelsea keeper
Kepa Arrizabalaga, whose
attempted clearance was
blocked by the forward.
It looked as if it was going
to be a stroll for Liverpool,
who were in total control and
brought Thiago Alcantara
on for his debut. The new
signing from Bayern Munich
was then guilty of a needless
foul on Timo Werner to
give Jorginho the chance to
level from the spot, only for
Allisson to save his tame
spot kick.
In the day’s other match,
South Korean striker Son
Heung Min scored four goals
as Tottenham produced a
second half blitz to win 5-2
away to Southampton.
Danny Ings put
Southampton ahead after
half an hour and Spurs looked
slow until Son equalised after
an assist from Harry Kane
two minutes into first half
injury time.
Everything changed after
the break with Son latching
onto another Kane through
ball in the 47th minute to put
his side ahead, before adding
two more in the 64th and 74th
minutes.
Kane got in on the act
when he turned home a
rebound in the 82nd minute,
before Ings netted his and
Southampton’s second of
the game with a 90th minute
penalty.
Brighton produced a
surprise as they won 3-0
away to Newcastle United.
Neil Maupay scored twice in
the opening seven minutes,
the first from the penalty spot,
and Aaron Connelly added a
third with seven minutes left
to play.
in Italian Open quarters
ROME, (Xinhua) --
Undisputed clay court king
Rafael Nadal suffered a
straight-set loss to Argentina’s
Diego Schwartzman in the
quarterfinals of the Italian
Open on Saturday.
Nadal, seeded second,
lost 6-2, 7-5 to eighth-seeded
Schwartzman, who will
next play 12th seed Denis
Shapovalov of Canada for a
spot in the final.
American DeChambeau wins US Open
Golf Championship
WASHINGTON (Xinhua)
-- American Bryson
DeChambeau won the 120th
edition of the US Open
Golf Championship held at
Winged Foot Golf Club in
Mamaroneck, New York on
Sunday.
To p s e e d D j o k o v i c
labored for two hours to win
6-3, 4-6, 6-3 against German
qualifier Dominik Koepfer.
The 33-year-old Serb
now faces a semifinal against
Casper Ruud of Norway,
who beat fourth seed Matteo
Berrettini of Italy 4-6, 6-3,
7-6 (5).
I n t h e w o m e n ’s
tournament, Simona Halep
advanced to the semifinals
The win marks the first
victory for DeChambeau
at one of golf ’s major
championships.
DeChambeau, who
turned 27 this week, won the
tournament by a comfortable
margin of six strokes.
after Kazakhstan’s Yulia
Putintseva retired with the
scores at 6-2, 2-0. She is to
meet ninth-seeded Garbine
Muguruza of Spain, who
beat former number one
Victoria Arazenka.
Defending champion
Karolina Pliskova, the
second seed, will play
fellow Czech Marketa
Vondrousova in the other
semifinal.
DeChambeau’s final
score of 274 made him the
only golfer to finish the
tournament with a score
under par.
He shot two birdies, a
bogey and an eagle in the
final round.