01.02.2012

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Inside

That Luang mall developer eyes September opening page 2

China to enhance cooperation with UAE page 6

‘EuroCrash! The Musical’ getting laughs amid a sinking economy page 22

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Somsack Pongkhao

A Lao company is building a five-star hotel at the southern end of Don Chan in Vientiane, and vows the project will be finished in time for the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in November.

Krittaphong Group company director Ms Orathay Santikhongkha told Vientiane Times on Tuesday that despite the fact they would have to speed up construction to finish the hotel before the Summit, safety standards would not be compromised.

“We have invested a lot of money in this project, so standards must be our number one priority.”

Ms Orathay said the company expects to spend about US$30 million to build the 8-storey hotel. The high-class facility will have 196 rooms and is set for completion in October, ahead of the Summit on November 5-6.

Located near the Maytichit government guesthouse, the project site is four hectares, with the hotel itself to take up two hectares.

The company reached an agreement with the government to build the hotel in December and has been granted a 50-year

New hotel on track for AsEM summit

The design concept of the hotel to be built for the Asia-Europe Meeting Summit in November.

land concession, which can be extended for another 40 years.

Workers are now leveling the ground before they start sinking the foundations. The foundations are expected to be in by March and all the major concrete work is scheduled for completion in May, before the onset of the rainy season.

“If we can finish all the concrete structures before the rainy season, I think we can

absolutely finish the job on time. If the rainy season starts before May, we will face some challenges but we will do our utmost to finish on time,” Ms Orathay said.

She said there is plenty of room for growth in the hotel business because Laos is now open for trade, investment and tourism, and more and more people are coming to Laos for both business and pleasure.

“Even though many hotels

are now under construction, I think there is still a shortage of accommodation, particularly in the luxury range. Our country is full of attractive tourist sites and cultural interest, which more people are starting to discover.”

The Don Chan area will be one of the most sought-after pieces of real estate in Vientiane once development gets underway, which is why the company chose to build the

hotel there. Ms Orathay said guests staying in any room of the hotel would be able to enjoy spectacular views across the Mekong River.

After the Summit, the company plans to build a trade centre, conference hall and function rooms for receptions or wedding parties. They also plan to landscape the surrounds of the hotel, and provide a lush garden area where people can relax and unwind.

Somxay Sengdara

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has suggested that Laos adopt a new environmentally friendly public transport system in order to bring the country long-term socio-economic benefits.

JICA yesterday staged a meeting in Vientiane to discuss the findings of a basic study on a low-emission public transport system, likely to involve electrically powered vehicles.

“Electric vehicles will help to improve energy use, air quality, the economy, and livelihoods, which will lead to growth in tourism,” ALMEC Corporation Team Leader Dr Shizuo Iwata, whose consulting firm assisted in the study, said in introducing the project.

Laos’ swift economic growth has resulted in

Japan to help Laos with environmentally friendly public transport

growing demand for transport, causing traffic congestion, air pollution, noise, and road accidents, which pose a threat to the environment, economic activities, and tourism.

The larger number of vehicles on the nation’s roads has also led to increased carbon dioxide emissions, which hinders sustainable development and economic

growth.Statistics show that in 2010

there were about 1 million vehicles in Laos, including 804,000 motorcycles, indicating a growth rate of

12.2 percent a year. According to JICA, Laos

has the strength to develop a low-emission public transport system due to its high capacity for hydropower generation, the government’s strong commitment to realising a clean, green, and beautiful Laos through environmentally sustainable transport, and high appeal for both domestic and international tourism.

However, the project is faced with some challenges, namely the country’s undeveloped technologies and industries, low income level, weak infrastructure, a small market, lack of specific regulations, and the unclear business plans of bus companies.

The government previously teamed up with Russian experts to look into the feasibility of introducing trolleybuses in Vientiane,

Congested traffic along Lane Xang Avenue in Vientiane.

Vientiane Times2 Wednesday February 1, 2012

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Souknilundon Southivongnorath

More than 300 officials from various departments of the Ministry of Information,

(From left) Head of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Khanthong Manotham, Federation Vice President Mr Vanna Douangphachanh and Mass Media Department Director General Mr Phin Phattana attend a lecture to mark the 56th anniversary of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions.

Ministry officials tighten links with trade union movement

Culture and Tourism gathered at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane yesterday to learn more about the activities of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions.

Officials from many sections of the ministry pledged to become more involved and work closely with the federation, to further their cooperation and act in the interests of workers throughout the country.

The ministry officials gathered to mark the 56th anniversary of Lao Federation of Trade Unions, which was established on February 1, 1956.

The ministry invited federation Vice President Mr Vanna Douangphachanh to brief those in attendance on the history, role and traditions of the movement, and outline how the two bodies could work more closely together.

Participants called for leading officials from the federation and ministry to work together for the mutual benefit of both organisations going forward.

Khamphone Syvongxay

The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare is developing the technical skills of workers in the automotive assembly and repair sector, with the assistance of experts from the Republic of Korea.

Representatives from the ministries of Labour and Social Welfare and Public Works and Transport, as well as staff from vocational training centres, institutes, schools and a number of motor companies in Laos gathered in Vientiane yesterday to discuss the adoption of national skill standards in the automotive sector.

Meeting participants discussed standardised skill assessment and training, data collection and analysis, along with other issues pertinent to human resource development, with vocational training specialists from Korea.

Developing skill standards in many technical areas of industry will help develop the economy, ensure there are enough skilled personnel to meet labour market needs, and make Laos more attractive to investors and potential entrepreneurs, Skills Development and Employment Promotion Department Director General, Mr Phouvan Chanthavong, said at the meeting.

There is an increasing demand for skilled labourers as the country’s economy continues to expand, and more and more companies are setting up shop in Laos,

Korea drives skill development in automotive sector

Mr Phouvan Chanthavong (centre) speaks at the meeting.

he said. Automotive assembly and repair is a growth sector in Laos, and there has been a lot of investment in the area by both domestic and foreign companies in recent years.

Adopting uniform and certifiable skill standards would give industry professionals certainty they could find skilled personnel in Laos, and be confident in the ability of the workers they hire, Mr Phouvan said, which would help Laos to compete with its neighbours in terms of industrial investment.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has been working with the relevant sectors to develop national skills standards in several areas of industry, ministry officials said.

In 2005, the ministry joined with other Asean nations to establish the Asean skill development and certification project, a collaborative scheme

between Asean and Australia.The project looked at

developing uniform training and assessment programmes in various industries including construction, mechanics and poultry farming. The new standards classify workers according to four skill standard levels, namely semi-skilled workers, skilled workers, tradesmen, and supervisors and overseers.

In 2007, the ministry worked with the International Labour Organisation to improve skill development and assessment standards. In 2009 officials began to implement the project, with grant assistance from the Human Resource Development Service of Korea.

From 2011 to 2015, the ministry plans to work with other relevant sectors and development partners to develop national skill standards in at least 20 vocational pursuits.

Ounkham Pimmata

That Luang Shopping Mall in Xaysettha district, Vientiane, is now almost 60 percent complete, and the developer expects that shops will open for customers as early as September.

Vendors have been booking shop units since December, and 30 percent have now been reserved. A senior marketing manager for the company, Mr Vilasack, said booking prices ranged from 240 million kip to 600 million kip.

Traders who have booked so far have received a 20 percent discount, as part of a special promotion. Traders who want to purchase floor space at the centre but lack the necessary capital to buy it upfront will also be catered for, Mr Vilasack said.

Vendors who want to move from older markets, but can’t raise the necessary capital, can make a 10 percent down payment to enter into an agreement. They are then required to pay another 20 percent before opening a shop at the site, while the remaining 70 percent can be paid back through the ST Bank over a

five to seven year period at an interest rate of 10 percent.

Mr Vilasack said there are a number of malls under construction in the capital, but the That Luang Mall will attract a large number of traders and vendors and should be popular with shoppers due to the large residential community in the area and the lack of alternative retail outlets.

President of the Mall, Mr Bouasone Heuangpaseuth, told the Vientiane Times yesterday during a visit to the construction site that the That Luang Shopping Mall would finally provide a modern retail venue in the area that shoppers could enjoy. He said feasibility studies on the project began in 2005 and the Vientiane authorities gave their approval in 2010, granting the company a 40 year land concession.

Those backing the project want to redevelop what was originally an agricultural produce market into a modern shopping complex, which will cater to retailers selling white goods, household products and other wares.

Construction of the US$12 million mall is a joint venture between three local

companies. The Heuangpaseuth Construction Company holds a majority 60 percent share, while both International Transportation Limited and the Alice Computer Company have a 20 percent stake.

The mall will be four storeys high. It is located on a 7,612 square metre site and will have 378 shop units. The old produce market was relocated to Huakua village, to make way for the development.

The mall is being built by two local contractors, the Saya Irrigation Construction Company and Daosavanh Construction Company. Work is progressing on schedule. The roof is now being finished and workers are making a start on the interior décor, and the mall looks likely to open to the public ahead of schedule.

The first floor will be reserved for retailers of white goods and other electronic products. The second floor will contain jewellery shops, banking and financial units, as well as shops selling Lao silk and other textile products. The third and fourth floors will house clothing and gift shops, as well as restaurants and food and beverage outlets.

That Luang mall developer eyes september opening

A delegation from the That Luang shopping mall project visits the construction site.

but the move was deemed impractical due to weak infrastructure.

A pilot project for the use of battery-powered minibuses by the Vientiane Bus Company continues to run, but no definitive conclusions have been determined.

According to Japanese experts, Laos must seize the opportunity to develop its transport system because the country’s economy is expected

to grow, causing higher demand for better public transport, especially in Vientiane.

JICA Office Laos representative Mr Yuzurio Susumu said the commitment of the Lao government and all officials involved will be key to the success of the project.

The feasibility study will take eight months, during which time JICA will help in collecting basic data on a low-emission public transport

system by analysing best practices worldwide then appropriating them for the local context.

“I personally hope the project plays an important role in setting the pace and promoting the use of electric vehicles, pushing Laos towards realising its goal of becoming the battery of Asean,” Director General of the Department of Transport Mr Viengsavath Siphandone said.

Japan to help Laos... FROM PAGE 1

Vientiane Times 3

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Wednesday February 1, 2012 Home news

3 day weather forecastXieng Khuang

DateTemperature (C)

WeatherMin Max

01/02/2012 11 23 Fog

02/02/2012 11 24 Light rain

03/02/2012 12 23 Isolated showers

Luang Namtha

DateTemperature (C)

WeatherMin Max

01/02/2012 11 29 Fog

02/02/2012 11 30 Light rain


Luang Prabang

DateTemperature (C)

WeatherMin Max

01/02/2012 19 30 Mist

02/02/2012 19 31 Light rain


Vientiane

DateTemperature (C)

WeatherMin Max

01/02/2012 20 25 Partly cloudy

02/02/2012 21 26 Light rain


Savannakhet

DateTemperature (C)

WeatherMin Max



03/02/2012 18 30 Light rain

Champassak

DateTemperature (C)

WeatherMin Max

01/02/2012 21 33 Windy



Xayxana Leukai

The government has advised the Ministry of Health to implement the Resolution of the ninth Party Congress and the seventh five-year national plan on socio-economic development in the health sector to ensure everyone has access to medical services.

That was the message delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Asang Laoly, speaking on behalf of the government at a ceremony last week to congratulate medical staff on their contribution to the 450th anniversary celebration of Vientiane as the nation’s capital.

Mr Asang said the ministry must continue to upgrade health standards in rural and remote areas, and former revolutionary stronghold zones.

“People in these areas are still very poor. They do not have reliable access to health services. Some areas have dispensaries, but lack medical staff, while some areas have medical staff, but face a shortage of medicine,” he said.

The mother and child mortality rates remain high, while promotion of good nutrition and other healthy practices is inadequate.

The medical services offered by some hospitals are very limited, while medical ethics need to be improved.

Mr Asang, who is an adviser for socio-cultural affairs, said improvements must be made to the free medical treatment policy, while health network

expansion is limited both in quantity and quality.

“Scientific research and utilisation of technology has not progressed as it should have,” he said.

To ensure greater efficiency in the health sector, Mr Asang proposed that officials study and realise the Resolution of the ninth Party Congress by considering public benefit to be more important than private benefit.

He also advised health officials to take precautions regarding communicable disease control and prepare to combat disease outbreaks.

Disease prevention should be a priority, while high quality treatment and health services should also be considered important.

Mr Asang also advised health officials to instill a strong sense of ethics in medical staff, so that they treat their patients as if they were their own relatives.

“The Ministry of Health must be courageous about sending medical staff to work at the grassroots level in rural and mountainous areas,” he said.

Establishing model health villages and upgrading hospital services are also important tasks.

In recent years, the Ministry of Health has achieved several milestones to help Laos reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. These include eradicating polio in 2000, and naming 2,777 villages, equivalent to 32 percent of villages nationwide, as model health villages.

Gov’t spells out way forward for health sector

Khonesavanh Latsaphao

The Department of the Environment is considering applying Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) guidelines to current legislation governing environmental protection.

Department official Ms Khaykeo Chanthavisouk, under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, addressed a workshop held in Vientiane on Tuesday on the subject.

The SEA guidelines are a support tool which can help to clarify environmental risks and opportunities and provide alternatives in the early stages of planning, she said.

Asian experts from various organisations and the Asian Development Bank, who had applied SEA guidelines to some of their own development plans, attended the workshop to share their experiences.

Laos looks to new guidelines for environmental protection

Ms Keobang A Keola.

Ms Khaykeo said “We hope to include and implement SEA guidelines in our environmental laws and regulations. Everything is changing at such a fast pace in all sectors, including the population, industry and agriculture. We can no longer ignore the fact that this is creating a growing demand for energy and will have an impact on our environment.”

Laos may be rich in natural resources but these need to be protected. The SEA guidelines provide a flexible assessment process which informs and supports planning and decision making, taking into account environmental opportunities and risks.

For example, when developing hydropower or mining projects, watershed management must be included in the plans. It is crucial that the social and environmental impacts related to the implementation of any development project be carefully assessed.

The government’s policies related to water and hydropower planning provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable management in these sectors, but application of the SEA guidelines would offer further protection to the environment.

International agencies

and NGOs also provide valuable assistance to the Lao government concerning environmental, development, research, management, biodiversity, and conservation policies.

Ms Keobang A Keola, who is Director of the Lao Greater Mekong Sub-region Secretariat, said the SEA guidelines would be an invaluable tool that would further help in planning the country’s energy development and protecting the environment.

“We would like all participants here today to share their thoughts concerning the adoption of SEA regulations and technical guidelines as part of our environmental legislation,” she said.

SEA guidelines could also assist Laos by suggesting alternatives to controlling greenhouse effects due to deforestation.

Times Reporters

The Lao Federation of Trade Unions will help to resolve ongoing disputes between landowners and a sugar processing factory in Savannakhet province.

Federation Vice President Mr Vanna Duangphachanh said yesterday that a number of landowners in the province had found themselves in debt after agreeing to take part in a project to grow sugarcane for the processing plant.

“Does growing sugarcane help people to reduce or increase their poverty?” Mr Vanna asked. He posed the question while giving a lecture yesterday at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane to mark the 56th anniversary of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions.

According to Mr Vanna, the federation has learnt that a number of farmers

Trade union body to help farmers get fairer price for sugarcane

found themselves in debt after joining the ‘2 plus 3’ sugarcane plantation project, which requires farmers to contribute their land and labour while the processing factory provides funding, expertise and markets.

Under the contract farming project, the factory provides farmers with ploughing services, fertilisers and other inputs, which becomes a debt. Farmers have to pay off the debt after they sell their sugarcane to the factory.

But many farmers are still unable to pay off this debt, even after selling their sugarcane to the factory on many occasions. This raises the question of whether farmers are being paid a fair price for their crop.

It must also be asked whether the amount charged by the factory for ploughing, fertilisers and other supplies is reasonable.

In 2009, Vientiane Times interviewed a number of sugarcane growers in Oudomphone district, about 30km from Savannakhet provincial capital.

The growers said they were disappointed after having decided to give up farming rice and other cash crops to grow sugarcane.

One villager, Mr Phouvong Phayphone, said he had sold more than 1,600 tonnes of sugarcane to the factory for more than 250 million kip. However, in the end he gained nothing because the company took all of the money for loan repayments.

He also said he was still in debt to the company because his sugarcane yield was insufficient to cover the debt.

Mr Vanna said the trade union federation would also help to address disputes between factory workers and project investors. Disputes

arose after a new factory manager refused to pay workers compensation in line with the Labour Law.

Mr Vanna said the federation was very active in protecting the rights and interests of the workforce amid burgeoning economic growth.

One of the successes of which the federation was most proud, he said, was an agreement reached between the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Lao Federation of Trade Unions.

The agreement saw the minimum monthly wage increased from 348,000 kip to 626,000 kip.

This was a significant step in helping low income earners to raise their standard of living, especially in times of rising inflation, Mr Vanna said.

Vientiane Times4 Home news Wednesday February 1, 2012

News in Brief

EMERGENCY AND DISASTER RISK REDUCTION COORDINATOR

CARE International is one of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations fighting global poverty, with a special focus on working with women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities. As a non-religious and non-political organization, CARE works with communities to help overcome poverty by supporting development projects and providing emergency relief.

To manage CARE’s future emergency preparedness and response activities, CARE Laos is now seeking to hire a dynamic and motivated, management oriented Lao National.

Major Duties:• Annually update CARE’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP);• Ensure that relevant tools accompanying the EPP are available and staff are trained in their use,

particularly the Rapid Assessment Forms;• Provide training to CARE staff on emergency preparedness and response;• Represent CARE in relevant inter-agency preparedness and response forums;• In collaboration with the Acting Country Director Programs undertake rapid assessments following a

disaster, document and analyse findings and communicate those with relevant stakeholders;• Regularly communicate with the National Disaster Management Office and ensure formal communication

mechanisms are established.• Prepare the Emergency section’s budgets and manage the available funding.

Required Qualifications: • Bachelor or Masters Degree in Social Science, Environmental Management or similar field;• At least 5 years of progressively responsible management experiences, preferably in development

context;• Experiences in Emergency and Disaster Risk Reduction is an asset;• Excellent oral and written English and Lao language skills;• Demonstrated experience in proposal and report writing;• Demonstrated leadership skills: interpersonal skills, sound judgment, team building and facilitating

skills.• Ability to travel regularly and stay in remote areas during emergency interventions.

Interested candidates should submit an updated CV and a cover letter in English stating why you are qualified for this position to:

CARE Laos, PO Box 4328, 329/25 Sibounheuang Road, Ban Sibounheuang, Vientiane Or send an email to: [email protected]

Deadline for applications is Friday 10th February 2012

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. CVs and other documents submitted to CARE will not be returned.

CARE Laos does not charge or accept a fee at any stage of the recruitment process and has a well established Child Protection Policy

CARE invites qualified members of ethnic groups of Lao PDR, women and people living with disabilities to apply.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Save the Children is the world’s largest independent child rights development organization, making a difference to children’s lives in more than 100 countries. From emergency relief to long-term development, Save the Children secures a child’s right to health, education and protection. Save the Children in Lao PDR implements programs through government partners in Sayaboury, Luang Prabang and Borikhamsay Provinces.

WASH ADVISERAs a member of the primary health care team, the WASH Adviser assists the provincial and district health departments to implement WASH activities in Sayaboury and Luang Prabang Provinces, contributing to reduced infant, child and maternal mortality. The WASH adviser will provide technical assistance to all aspects of the water, sanitation and hygiene program including advice and oversight of technical specifications, tender documents, village and school water systems and village and school latrines. This position requires an appropriately qualified person who is willing to assist health teams and is enthusiastic and committed to improving health outcomes in the community.

Major Duties:• Provide technical assistance & oversight to all aspects of the WASH component of the PHC

Program• Provide technical & managerial advice to the Primary Health Care Program to assist with the

implementation of the WASH component• Prepare and oversee tender documentation• Provide technical advice to provincial and district MOPH WASH teams• Develop village hygiene promotion materials as required• Assist program and MOPH staff to conduct quality monitoring of the WASH component• Establishment & ongoing monitoring of village revolving maintenance fundsThe following qualifications are required for this position:• Post graduate degree in water and environmental management, water engineer or related field• Demonstrated experience (minimum 5 years) working in this field with provincial & district health

departments• Experience in developing health promotion materials for rural communities• Demonstrated experience in monitoring water & sanitation systems for rural villages• Ability to plan and organize workload• Ability to write reports in English language• Demonstrated credibility with colleagues & stakeholders at all levels of an organization• Excellent Lao & English language skills, both verbal and written• Willingness to spend extended time working in remote villages

Sector: Primary Health Care ProgramDuty Station: Luang Prabang with extended periods in remote villages in Luang Prabang & Sayaboury Provinces

Interested candidates should submit a CV with a letter stating why you are qualified for this post, including the contact details of three professional referees. Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer; well qualified female and candidates from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please send your application to:

Save the Children, HR and Support Services Manager, Rue Nerhu, Unit 25, Ban Phonexay (PO Box 7475) or email to: [email protected]

Closing date for application is: Save the Children has a strict Child Safeguarding Policy and conducts background checks prior to any offer of employment.

Electricity reaches rural families in Savannakhet Some 377 families in the six villages of Vilaboury district, Savannakhet province, recently gathered to celebrate the arrival of electricity in their communities, thanks to the generous support of over 2.1 billion kip from the Australian government, through its AusAID programme.The villages included Nanhonneua, Nanhontai, Na-ae, Salor, Paphaknao and Nakhikhang, local media reported yesterday.The unveiling of the electrical system took place at a ceremony witnessed by provincial Deputy Governor Mr Mountha Xayasith and local authorities. The installation was part of the first phase of the Rural Electrification Project, which is 80 percent funded through grant aid, with the other 20 percent coming in the form of a low interest loan. Deputy Head of the project Mr Phoukhong Chanthavong said installation of the electrical system began in November 2010 and would finish in December 2012. Under the project, 8,476 metres of medium voltage transmission lines and 13,963 metres of high voltage transmission lines have already been installed, along with three 50 KVA and four 100 KVA transformers.

Khammuan flood victims receive rice suppliesKhammuan provincial authorities, along with the province’s National Assembly member Mr Inthava Moundala and his delegation, recently provided five tonnes of sticky rice to poor people affected by flooding in Nakai district. The handover of the rice was overseen by district Deputy Governor Mr Bounma Southsadaphone, representatives from the provincial Labour and Social Welfare Department and district authorities. The rice will be distributed to people in Meuangluang and Natan villages who lost their crops during tropical storms Haima and Nock-Ten last year. The storms caused damage in Nongbok, Nhommalath, Mahaxay, Thakhek, Xebangfai, Hinboun, Xaybouathong and Boualapha distructs. These districts have already received more than 80 tonnes of rice from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, but further assistance is still needed, according to provincial authorities.

Villages in Vientiane province aim to be poverty-free by 2015Many villages in Meun district of Vientiane province are expected to be free from all forms of poverty by the end of 2015, and be declared model villages of poverty eradication. District authorities will work hard to implement the government’s policy of merging small villages into larger units, enabling people to work more efficiently towards freedom from poverty. The districts’ residents are also planning to work closely with local authorities to strengthen education, improve primary healthcare, introduce cooperative saving funds, improve infrastructure and develop farming and livestock. Meun district has over 40 villages with more than 20,000 people, the authorities reported.

Times Re porters

A 22.5km sealed road being built from the crossroads at Korjor Hill to Xayphouthong district in Savannakhet province is set for completion in 2013, district authorities have said.

Head of the district Public Works and Transport Office, Mr Bounlouan Sihachack, told Vientiane Times yesterday the road upgrade is now 19 percent complete. The locally-based Khounkham Road and Bridge Construction Company is undertaking the project.

The construction cost of more than 46 billion kip is being financed under several agreements with the government and through contributions from local residents.

The road will be sealed with a double layer of asphalt and will be seven metres in width. Korjor Hill is 47km from the provincial capital.

Mr Bounlouan said the road upgrade would enable faster and more efficient transport of goods and people between the two districts.

Provincial authorities decided to upgrade the road due to its poor condition and potholed surface. In the wet season, the road surface has always disintegrated in past years and become very muddy, making travel very difficult.

This project began last February, since when the surface has been graded and 10km of drainage pipes have been installed.

Mr Bounlouan said 9km to 11km of the road has already been resurfaced past Phonthat village.

Workers lay asphalt on a road that runs through Xayphouthong district in Savannakhet province.

Savannakhet to have new road by 2013

The project is part of the provincial authority’s basic infrastructure development plan and also part of the national socio-economic development plan.

Mr Bounlouan said the improved road would bring in more income for the province, and benefit the local area in particular by attracting foreign investors.

Visitors to the area can stop off at the Phonh stupa, an old temple and an old house built of stone similar to that used in the Vat Phou temple complex in Champassak province.

Mr Bounlouan said provincial authorities believe the house might have been built around the same time.

Vientiane Times 5Wednesday February 1, 2012 Photo news

VACANCy ANNOuNCEMENT (Announcement No. 12/02)

OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOsITION: Information Resource Center Asst/Webmaster, FSN-7OPENING dATE: January 19, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 3, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 40 hours/weeksALARy: Actual grade and salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.

NOTE: THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION. THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL COME UNDER LOCAL LABOR LAW, AND BE PAID ACCORDING TO THE EMBASSY’S LOCAL COMPENSATION PLAN. ALL ORDINARY RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST BE RESIDING IN LAOS AND HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of Information Resource Center Assistant and Webmaster in the Public Affairs Section.

bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITIONUnder the supervision of the Information Resource Center (IRC) Director, provides outreach and research of wide scope, markets IRC products and services, manages content on the Embassy’s website page, and assists in IRC acquisitions. For outreach: designs, produces, and disseminates IRC electronic and print products to target audiences (both inside and outside of the Embassy). Responds to clients’ requests in timely manner. Monitors news databases for stories pertaining to Laos and U.S. interests in the region. For marketing: develops and maintains contact with target audience members through programs and outreach services. For content management: Creates content for the Embassy website and works with all Embassy sections and agencies to ensure content is correct, timely, and relevant. For acquisitions: recommends to IRC Director appropriate print resources for IRC and the two American Corners in Laos. Serves as the first point of contact for visitors to the Information Resource Center (IRC). QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREdNOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.

1. Education: A university degree in information science, computer science, communications, or related fields. 2. Prior Work Experience: Two to four years of progressively responsible experience in the field of information research, library

reference services, and content development for websites and social media platforms.3. Language Proficiency: Level III good working in written and spoken English and a high degree of proficiency in spoken and

written Lao are required.4. Knowledge: Knowledge of electronic information retrieval and delivery tools with a focus on the Internet and other web-based

tools. Understanding of standard information science practices and procedures. Knowledge of HTML, email, web page design and production techniques, social media design and management, customer relationship management, and marketing. Versed in wide range of issues dealing with U.S. government and political processes, U.S. foreign policy, legislative and other domestic issues, as well as U.S. society, culture, and values. Good knowledge of reference and resource materials in the subject areas emphasized in the Embassy’s Mission Strategic Plan (MSRP).

5. Skills and Abilities: Excellent customer service orientation, as well as superior interpersonal and cross cultural communication skills. Excellent written and oral communication skills; good public speaking skills. Maintain frequent and close contact with target audience. Work effectively with American and Lao staff. Ability to carry out reference searches rapidly; respond to complex requests in a timely manner on topics that are often “breaking news.” Able to independently plan, organize, and carry out assigned responsibilities using electronic based technologies, including online and print resources. Ability to prioritize work schedule and high volume of incoming requests from various actors.

HOW TO APPLy

Interested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered: 1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/job_opportunities.html 2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

subMIT APPLICATION TOHuman Resources OfficeAmerican EmbassyRue Bartholonie, That DamPO Box 114, Vientiane, Laos(Hardcopy or e-mail attachments are accepted) POINT Of CONTACTTelephone: 856-21-267176Fax: 856-21-267140E-mail: [email protected] (Please clearly specify the JOB TITLE of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email to avoid any delay and/or confusion in communication). Interested persons should contact Embassy Human Resources Office for more information. Blank application forms may be picked up from the cabinet inside the Embassy entrance. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

CLOsING dATE fOR THIs POsITION: february 3, 2012An Equal Opportunity Employer

Head of the Lao Federation of Trade Union of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Khanthong Manotham (left) on Tuesday presents flowers to Lao Federation of Trade Union Vice President Mr Vanna Douangphachanh. Mr Vanna spoke to over 300 ministry officials about the history of the trade union movement in Laos to mark the federation’s 56th anniversary on February 1.

Soldiers clean the roadside outside their base, to do their bit to help keep Vientiane clean and green, in line with the city’s development aims.

Residents of Nongduang village in Sikhottabong district placed tree branches over an uncovered manhole to warn motorists of the hazard, and prevent them from damaging their vehicles.

A vendor in Nongbouathong village, Sikhottabong district, loads pillows that he sells on the back of his motorbike. The pillows are a popular merit-making item among local residents.

6Region

In brief from Asia News Network

Vientiane TimesWednesday February 1, 2012

LT Laos Tin Smelting and Refining Co., LtdLaos Tin Smelting and Refining Co., Ltd. is one of members of O.M. Group, a foreign owned group of Companies with commercial operations in Japan, The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India and now in Lao PDR, with our existing project in Mining and Smelting we are in need of qualified candidates to fill in the following positions:

AdMINIsTRATION sTAff

• Female/30 years old and up• English proficient both in Speaking and Writing• With computer skills• Knowledge in Accounting is an advantage• With 5 years minimum working experience• Positive Attitude and Highly responsible person• Willing to work in Savannakhet or Kammouane Province

PROduCTION suPERVIsOR

• Male/30 years old and up• Can communicate in English both oral and written• With 5 years minimum working experience in factory• Highly responsible person and with Leadership skills• Willing to work in Savannakhet or Kammouane Province

CHEMIsT

• Male/Female 25 years old and up• With or Without experience is welcome• Highly responsible person and aware of safety in working place• Knowledge in Laboratory equipment is an advantage• Willing to work in Savannakhet or Kammouane Province

MINING PROCEss sTAff

• Male• With 3 years minimum working experience in ore dressing plant• Willing to work in Kammouane Province

Interested applicant please send application form, resume with photo, education certificates, transcript of records and other related personal documents to the following:

Laos Tin Smelting and Refining Co., LtdLot 222, Savan Park, Savan-Seno Industrial ZoneNongdeun Village, Kaisone Phomviharn District, Savannakhet, Lao PDRTel. 041-260 337, 041 260 338Fax. 041-260 336Email: [email protected] Contact Person: Ms. Chanthala Xaiyavongsa

Korea to spend 27.3 billion won to promote studiesKOREA (The Korea Herald) -- The education ministry announced on Monday that it will earmark 27.3 billion won (US$24.3 million) this year to promote Korean studies both at home and abroad. As an academic discipline focusing on the study of Korea, areas of Korean studies include Korean history, culture, society and economics.The project to promote Korean studies, launched by the ministry in 2007 with a budget of 4.5 billion won in cooperation with the Academy of Korean Studies, aims to lay the foundation for academic study of Korea by supporting major institutions and scholars in the field. This year, the education ministry will hold its first presentations on Korean studies to draw interest from scholars. The briefing sessions will take place in six major cities in Republic of Korea as well as overseas in such regions as Central and South America, Eastern Europe and Southeastern Asia. Vietnam support for HIV/AIDS fight neededHA NOI (Viet Nam News) -- Social organisations do not receive sufficient support from the Government, especially in terms of finance, in the battle against HIV/AIDS, according to experts and activists in the field. Nguyen Van Tien, deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs said the limitation of the Government’s budget did not allow it to support civil social organisations in HIV/AIDS response. Social organisations, therefore, were much more dependent upon the aid and assistance of foreign organisations to organise their activities and events, he said.

New quake system createdJAPAN (The Yomiuri Shimbun) -- A University of Tokyo research team has developed a system that will use a next-generation supercomputer to simultaneously predict tremors, tsunami and movements in the Earth’s crust after a massive earthquake occurs. The team, led by Takuto Maeda, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo’s Center of Integrated Disaster Information Research, has used the new system on a current-generation supercomputer, which almost succeeded in reconstructing the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11.

DUBAI (Xinhua) -- China’s top political advisor Jia Qinglin said on Monday that China hopes to strengthen its cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in such fields as energy and project contracting.

The recent establishment of a strategic partnership between China and the UAE “provides a broad prospect for the development of bilateral ties and bears great significance,” Jia said during a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, UAE vice president and prime minister.

China pays great importance to its friendship and cooperation with the UAE and hopes to expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of finance, aviation and tourism, said Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Jia told Mohammed, also

China to enhance cooperation with UAE

Jia Qinglin (left) meets with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (right). --Photo Xinhua

ruler of Dubai, that China and Dubai have seen increasingly close relations and the two sides enjoy a sound basis for cooperation.

“I believe the trade and investment cooperation between China and Dubai will be continuously expanded with the joint efforts of both sides,” Jia said.

For his part, Mohammed said the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries will promote high-level exchanges, deepen political mutual trust and lead to more fruitful cooperation in the fields of trade, energy and people-to-people contacts.

The trade between Dubai and China has significantly contributed to the development of Dubai, Mohammed said, adding that Chinese companies are most welcome to invest in Dubai and the sheikdom is ready to create sound environment in this regard.

JAPAN (The Yomiuri Shimbun) -- Japan will become a “super-gray” society in 2060, as people aged 65 or over will account for 39.9 percent of the population that year, according to a survey conducted by a Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry institution.

The nation’s total fertility rate-the average number of children each woman will have in her lifetime-will be 1.35 in 2060, up 0.09 points from the previous survey released in 2006, the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research said Monday.

However, the nation’s total population will continue to drop, from 128.06 million in 2010 to 86.74 million in 2060.

The nation’s population

Survey shows ‘super-gray’ Japan in 206050 years on is estimated every five years in tandem with a national census. The estimate is used as basic data for various indexes such as public pension finances and economic growth.

This time, the institute made three types of estimates based on the census conducted in 2010: moderate, optimistic and pessimistic.

In its moderate estimate, the institute revised upward the long-term outlook for the total fertility rate after it recovered to 1.39 in 2010 from the record low of 1.26 in 2005.

The institute said the recovery of the total fertility rate in recent years can be attributed to women in their mid-30s deciding to have children after previously being reluctant due to worsening

economic conditions.The total fertility rate is

expected to drop again in the years ahead, but eventually move upward and reach 1.35 in 2060, the institute said. However, the population will continue to shrink, as at least 2.07 children per woman are necessary to maintain the population.

In 2048, the population is expected to fall below 100 million, two years earlier than the previous estimate.

The average longevity of Japanese men is expected to increase to 84.19 years in 2060 from 79.64 in 2010, and women’s lifespans will also rise, to 90.93 from 86.39.

The number of people aged 65 or older will peak in 2042 with 38.78 million, and then drop to 34.64 million in 2060.

JAKARTA (Xinhua) -- The World Bank’s Multi Donor Fund ( MDF) for Indonesia’s Aceh and Nias said on Tuesday that remarkable progress has been made in reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts of the two areas following a strong earthquake and tsunami in December 2004.

In its Progress Report 2011, entitled Partnerships for Sustainability, the program highlights key achievements in its reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, and described strong leadership of the national and regional governments as the cornerstone of success.

“Today we are pleased to report that the overall portfolio is achieving high quality results as we enter our final year. Positive impacts are well established in both Aceh and Nias and we will continue to implement projects until December 2012,” said Stefan Koeberle, country director of the World Bank that manages

WB reports big headway in reconstruction of Aceh, Nias

the MDF. Nearly 20,000 homes,511 local government offices or village/ town halls, and 670 schools have been reconstructed or rehabilitated, MDF reported.

The program has helped to reconstruct or build key transportation infrastructure, including five critical ports, 570 km of national and provincial roads, 87 km of district roads, and more than 3,0000 kilometers of village roads.

The programme has also helped build nearly 1,600 km of irrigation and drainage channels and nearly 8,000 wells or other sources of clean water and 1,220 sanitation units. The MDF pools approximately a US$655 million grant fund provided by 15 donors to support implementation of the government’s rehabilitation and reconstruction agenda.

This accounted for about 10 percent of the overall reconstruction effort for Aceh and Nias.

SYDNEY (Xinhua) -- The Australian Federal Government will provide natural disaster assistance to communities affected by floods in northern New South Wales (NSW), Minister for Emergency Management Robert McClelland announced on Tuesday.

McClelland said that assistance would be provided to the five local government areas of Bellingen, Byron, Kyogle, Lismore and

Australian Federal Gov’t gives financial aid to flood-hit communities

Richmond Valley through the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

“A range of disaster assistance schemes are available in the disaster affected areas to support councils, families, local businesses and farmers impacted by the floods,” McClelland said in a statement.

Assistance could be extended to other areas as damage assessments

continued, he said.“The Commonwealth

Government will continue to work closely with the NSW Government to ensure affected councils have the support they need,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, the NSW Government on Tuesday said it was extending natural disaster declarations to six more regions of the state, bringing the total number of declarations to 11.

Vientiane Times 7Wednesday February 1, 2012

World

Lao People's democratic RepublicPeace Independence Democracy Unity Prosperity

Ministry of Health - PR Office, Center of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (CMPE) supported by the Global Fund.

Job Vacancy (Urgent) bACKGROuNd: The Global Fund Project is an international non-profit foundation with headquarters in Geneva Switzerland. The Global Fund Project has supported many grants to the Lao PDR through the Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) over the past seven years to address Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS prevention & control. The approved Global Fund to (GFATM) funded Round 7 for Center of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (CMPE) Ministry of Health and we are seeking for qualified consultant to provide technical assistance to the mentioned below programmed.

Position 1: Project Assistant Coordinator (1Position)Terms of reference (TORs): 1. Represent the project coordinator during his/her absence. 2. During the coordinator’s absence, certify and sign the request and disbursements orders submitted

by SR-CMPE and provinces, the receipt and the payment as well. 3. Responsible for the annual and quarterly Work Plans to be endorsed by project manager and timely

submitted to PR. 4. Assist in preparing reports (quarterly, annually and final) to be endorsed by manager of SR-CMPE

and timely submitted to PR. 5. Revise and ensure all documents, activities planned and implemented according to the work plan.6. Coordinate all works within the SR-CMPE office especially the financial, procurement/logistic and

M&E units.7. Coordinate all malaria control activities of GF with provinces and other partners for effective project

implementation.8. Ensure that all activities are in line with goal, objectives and take place in the correct sequence.9. Supervise/monitor/evaluate of project implementation.10. Represent CMPE in meetings and workshops upon request of the Manager/Coordinator11. Work closely with project consultant, PR, Sub-SRs (provinces) other SRs offices and related partners

as well.Qualifications:At least 2 years experience in Health Project Management and coordination :1. Lao national. 2. Previous experience in project management with Ministry of Health or NGOs.3. Knowledge of Malaria and/or Primary health care is an advantage. 4. Extensive knowledge of Excel based analysis, Power point, Word. Can use of Internet/Email. 5. Good written and spoken English language skills. 6. Good communication and presentation skills7. Able to work in a team environment. 8. Able to work under pressure and tight timelines. 9. Able to travel to provincial and district level.

Position 2: National Consultant for Monitoring and Evaluation. (1 position) scope of Work:To update monthly data/reports from programme activities and performance framework (PF) indicators from the M&E technical staff in CMPE (Center for Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology). To verify the completeness and accuracy of data received (at the end of every month) from CMPE M&E technical staff and follow up with the relevant unit or province as required including regular feedback to CMPE and provinces and present summary in monthly M&E meeting at CMPE (first week of the following month). To in coordination with the Project Coordinators, and M&E staff, prepare regular programmatic quarterly report for the PUDRs. To provide monthly update through weekly activity tracking on monthly traffic light monitoring on M&E data to the Coordinator, M&E staff and CMPE management

Minimum Qualification and Experience:• At least 2 years experience in Monitoring and Evaluation in the health sector.• Lao national. • Previous experience in project management with Ministry of Health or NGOs.• Knowledge of Malaria and/or Primary health care is an advantage. • Extensive knowledge of Excel based analysis, Power point, Word and managing database (MS

Access etc) and use of Internet/Email. • Good written and spoken English language skills. Excellent communication and presentation skills• Able to work in a team environment. • Able to work under pressure and tight timelines. • Able to travel to provincial and district level.

Term of Contract:1 year contract with renewable and a initial 3 month probation period.

Interested candidates who wish to obtain further information and the Terms of Reference (TOR) for this assignment may contact to Mr. Keophouthone Inthivong, Procurement Specialist. Email address: keophouthone@theglobalfundlao.org----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Applicants should submit their Expressions of Interest, detail resumed experiences with these positions, and Curriculum Vitae to:Center of Malariology, Parasitology and EntomologyBan Khualuang, Chanthabuly, Vientiane CapitalOffice Number: 021 214040 Fax: 021 218131, 021 251524 Attention: [email protected] , [email protected] and CC: [email protected], [email protected],Closing date: 06 February 2012 (Time: 16:30PM)

BRUSSELS (AP) -- NATO’s top official said Monday that the alliance will adhere to its plans to hand over security to local forces in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, comments that came after France said it would push NATO to speed up its timeline for the handover of combat operations by a year.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen acknowledged that the final transition phase, which involves handing over lead responsibility for provinces and districts to Afghan authorities, would start from “mid-2013.” A number of areas and towns already have been handed over to the Afghan army and police since the transition started a year ago.

Nonetheless, the overall NATO plan is still pegged on a 2014 pullout date, Fogh Rasmussen said after a meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu.

“We will stick to the roadmap that was outlined at the NATO summit in Lisbon in 2010, according to which we will gradually hand over lead responsibility to the Afghans, a process that has been started and hopefully will be completed by the end

NATO sticking to 2014 pullout date from Afghanistan

Italian soldiers part of the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force walk to their military compound after attending at the second phase of transfer of authority ceremony from the NATO led International Security Assistance Force troops to Afghan security forces in Guzara. --Photo AP

of 2014,” Fogh Rasmussen said.

Last week, French President Nicolas Sarkozy jolted NATO by announcing France would speed up its exit and ask NATO to end its combat mission in 2013. The announcement came after an Afghan soldier killed 4 French soldiers on Jan. 20.

The move was seen as the latest crack in a coalition already strained by economic troubles in Europe and the United States, the Afghan government’s sluggish battle against corruption, and a Taliban insurgency that remains unbeaten after more than a decade of war.

It’s unclear if Sarkozy’s call for all foreign forces to hand security over to the Afghan forces in 2013 will have traction when is presented on Thursday and Friday at a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Britain and Germany have already indicated they would stick to the 2014 timeline.

Basescu said Romania, with a contingent of 1,900 troops, will focus on training Afghanistan’s paramilitary police forces.

Fogh Rasmussen said “there is nothing new” in

the fact that from mid-2013 the role of coalition forces in Afghanistan will start changing from combat to a support role.

NATO is speeding up the training of the Afghan security forces, which are due to gradually expand to over 350,000 members. But incidents in which Afghan soldiers have turned on NATO troops have raised fears of increased Taliban infiltration of the Afghan police and army.

France, which now has about 3,600 soldiers in the coalition force, joins Britain, Germany and Italy in the top five largest troop-contributing nations. All those national contingents are dwarfed by the 90,000-strong US force.

Sarkozy’s government has been under political pressure to withdraw French troops before the United States’ pegged pullout in 2014. Polls show most French want an early pullout - and such a move could affect Sarkozy’s re-election prospects.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande, the front-runner in the polls, has said that if elected this spring he hopes to withdraw French forces by the end of this year.

CAIRO (Xinhua) -- Egypt Monday unveiled detailed procedures for the presidential polls as part of preparations for the historic vote in June, state media reported.

Any party with seats in the two houses of parliament has the right to nominate its candidate for the coming presidential elections, according to the presidential election law.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued the law on the organizational procedures of the presidential elections

Egypt announces procedures for presidential elections

on January 19, Assistant Minister of Defense and SCAF member Mamdouh Shahin said on Monday.

The presidential candidate must win support of 30 members in the parliament or 30,000 citizens from 15 different governorates, the website of official Al-Ahram newspaper said.

The law also stipulated the nominee and his parents should carry the Egyptian nationality and are not married to a foreigner.

The presidential polls are to be run in one day or could

be prolonged for two days under judicial supervision if necessary.

The Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) will start work next week, head of the Supreme Constitutional Court and PEC chief Farouk Sultan said on Monday.

“All preparations for the presidential elections will begin as of next week,” official MENA news agency quoted Sultan as saying.

The presidential elections will be held in mid June, as the SCAF has pledged to transfer power before June 30.

ADDIS ABABA (Xinhua) -- Only US$5 million out of the pledged US$350 million has been mobilized to address the serious humanitarian situation caused by drought in the Horn of Africa, according to the African Union (AU) Commission.

The revelation was made in a report obtained by Xinhua at the AU’s 18th ordinary summit held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa between Sunday and Monday.

To respond to the needs of the hunger victims in this region of the continent, the AU Commission organised a forum last August at its headquarters in the Ethiopian capital where financial donors promised to mobilize US$350 million.

Only US$5m mobilised to address Horn of Africa drought

There are about 14 million people in need of food aid, especially in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

“The drought situation was described as the worst in the last 60 years,” the AU Commission report said.

The situation is aggravated by the high food prices and the reduction of adaptation capacities as well as humanitarian interventions, it added.

A report by the Network of Early Warning System Against Famine indicated that the current famine was particularly made worse due to the reduction of humanitarian activities amid the ongoing conflict in Somalia.


Lao People’s Democratic RepublicPeace Independence Democracy Unity Prosperity

INVITATION for BIDSDate of invitation: 26th January, 2012Grant No. and Title: ADB Grant 0166-LAO: Strengthening Higher Education Project (SHEP)ContractNo.and Title: ICB/SHEP/CW/CU/04: Construction of Campus Buildings at Champasak University (CU) in Champasak Province, Lao PDR.Deadline for Submission of Bids: 9thMarch 2012 at 09.00 hours.

1. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has received a grant (“Grant”) from the Asian Development Bank (“ADB”) towards the cost of the Strengthening Higher Education Project (SHEP) and part of thisGrantwill be used for payments under the contract named above.

2. The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES), the Employer, now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for:Package 4: Construction of Campus Buildingsat Champasak University (CU) in Champasak Province, Lao PDR. The details of the construction works (“WORKS”)are as follows:

3. International competitive bidding will be conducted in accordance with ADB’s Single Stage: One Envelope procedure and is open to bidders from all eligible source countries of ADB.

4. Only eligible bidders with the following key qualifications should participate in this bidding:Work Experience- Have a good reputation with experience under construction contracts in the role of contractor or subcontractor or

management contractor for at least the last 5 (five) years prior to the bid submission deadline;- Participation as contractoror subcontractor or management contractor in at least 3 (three) contracts within the last 5

(five) years, each with a value of at least US$ 4,500,000(Four million five hundred thousand US Dollars) that have been successfully or are substantially completed and that are similar to the proposed works. The similarity shall be based on the physical size, complexity, methods, technology or other characteristics;

- Experience of building construction, especially for high buildings;- Experience of reinforced concrete construction works.Financial Record- Have a positive net worth which is calculated as the difference between total assets and total liabilities for the last

three years. The figure shall be derived from audited balance sheets years and income statement or other financial statement for the last 3 (three) years;

- The minimum of average annual construction turnover within the last 3 (three) years shall be not less than US$ 7,500,000 (Seven million five hundred thousand US Dollars);

- All pending litigation shall be treated as resolved against the bidder and shall in total not represent more than 50 percent of the Bidder`s worth;

- The bidder shall demonstrate access to, or availability of, financial resources such as liquid assets, unencumbered real assets, lines of credit, and other financial means, other than any contractual advance payments, to meet the financial requirements of the contract in the amount of the Bid. As a minimum, the bidder must show that its resources in terms of at least the latest year`s working capital and lines of credit shall be adequate to cover the total Bid Price and current work commitments on the basis of the following formula: “5 x working capital + lines of credit – 40% (current contract commitments) ≥ bid price.” In case of joint venture bidder, all partners combined must meet the requirement; each partner must meet 25% of the requirement and one partner must meet 40% of the requirement.

Equipment resources- The Bidder must demonstrate that it has access to the key equipment that is listed in Criterion 2.6: Equipment in

Section 3: Evaluation and Qualification Criteria of the Bidding Document.Human resources- Project manager shall have at least 10 years of working experience in similar civil works and 5 years at project

management level;- Senior Site Engineer (Deputy Project Manager)shall have at least 8 years of working experience in similar civil works

and 3 years at site management/supervision level;- Site Engineer (Construction) shall have at least 7 years of working experience in similar civil works and 3 years at site

management/supervision level;- Finishing Supervisorshall have at least 7 years of working experience in similar civil works and 3 years at site

management/supervision level.5. To obtain further information and inspect the bidding documents, bidders should contact:

Strengthening Higher Education Project (SHEP)Department of Higher Education (DHE), Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane, Lao PDRTel: +(856) - (0)21 - 243 540 Fax: +(856) - (0)21 - 243 540E mail: [email protected], [email protected]

6. To purchase the bidding documents (hard and soft copy) in English, eligible bidders should: write to the address above requesting the bidding documents for ICB/SHEP/CW/CU/04: Construction of Campus

Buildings at Champasak University (CU) in Champasak Province, Lao PDR; pay a non-refundable fee of US$ 150.00 (One Hundred and Fifty US Dollars) by cash or bankers order or bank

draft or international money order or by check to A/c No. 010.6.11.01.19415 at BCEL. The bidding documents will be sent by courier service or equivalent if necessary. No liability will be accepted for loss or late delivery. Additional non-refundable charge of USD $120 for international courier service or US$ 20 for national courier service;

All Bidders will be invited to attend a Pre-Bid Meeting in the meeting room of Champasak University, Champasak Province on 9thFebruary 2012 at 09.00 hours. This will be the only opportunity provided for a site visit.7. Deliver your bid:

to the address written in paragraph 5 above; on or before the deadline for submission of March9th 2012 at 09.00 hours; together with a bid security as specified in the bidding document.

Bids will be opened immediately after the deadline in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who chooseto attend.For the purpose of determining the equivalent amount of the requiredBid Security in a freely convertible currency, the selling exchange rates published by the Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL) for similar transactions prevailing on the date 28 days prior to the deadline for bidsubmission shall be applied.Yours faithfully,

Dr. Phonephet BouphaDirector General, Department of Higher Education (DHE)Project Director, Strengthening Higher Education Project (SHEP), Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES)

Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project Additional Funding (NNRBDSP-AF)Department of PlanningMinistry of Agriculture and ForestryADB Project Number: 2780-LAO (SF)

Job AnnouncementProject Management Advisor (International/Regional)

Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project Additional Funding is financed by ADB. The expected impact is the optimal use of the Water resources, especially in the Nam Ngum River Basin. The project outcome will be integrated watershed management improved in the Nam Ngum River Basin. The Additional Funding Project covers 3 provinces (Vientiane Province, Luang Prabang Province and Xiengkhuoang Province), 10 Districts and Headquarter located at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Vientiane. Nam Ngum Watershed covers 16,906 Km2 are including 8297 Km2 of upper watershed, 5000 Km2 of Forest area and 40,000 Ha of irrigated areas. Project Activities are implemented through three components and one office of the national project Manager: (1) Integrated Water Resource Management Component assigned under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) (2) Integrated Watershed Management Component assigned under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and (3) Agriculture extension Component under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (4) The Office of the National Project Manager which is under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The consultant will be assigned to the Project Component (4) the Office of the National Project Manager.MAF now invites qualified individuals to indicate their interest by providing their CVs (including information showing the candidate’s general experience for similar assignments and experience in similar assignments, knowledge of local conditions, etc.).

duties and Responsibilities Project management advisor will be responsible for overall project progress and Performance, under the supervision of the national project manager and Director General, DOP of MAF. The expert will supervise other experts engaged for the Project and work closely with project staff. The expert will, inter alia:

1. Facilitate project activities and coordination among project components and related agencies;2. Monitor project progress and performance, provide recommendations, and assist project

staff in implementing corrective actions;3. Update institutional and human resources capacity and needs assessments and annual

capacity development plans of the EA and IAs for project administration and coordination including information sharing;

4. Strengthen the capacity of the EA and IAs through the implementation of the annual capacity development plans;

5. Assist ONPM and PIUs at NAFES and districts in facilitating semi-annual review and planning at village, khet, district and central levels;

6. Assist ONPM and PIUs at NAFES and districts in facilitating the participatory village development planning process;

7. Prepare annual reports including detailed project progress and performance, lessons learned and recommendations;

8. Assist ONPM to prepare quarterly project progress reports; and 9. Report project-related issues to MAF, PSC and ADB as required.10. Assist ONPM as required for the whole project management.

Expected Outputs Project Coordination meeting report and the report on the follow up status of the meeting agreements produced.Human resource and Capacity Building, training need assessment report producedAnnual Capacity Building Plan (Training plan) producedAdditional target villages selectedPRA plan, PRA reports producedMonitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and reporting system updated following the Design and Monitoring FrameworkProject Quarterly Progress Report and Annual Progress Report producedAnnual Work Plan and Budget Plan producedAnnual procurement plan (including the consultant recruitment plan) producedTimely project implementation within budget

Training Conduct Project Administration Manual Application Training Conduct Financial Management and Procurement TrainingConduct Safeguards Training Jointly with M&E team, conduct M&E and Reporting TrainingConduct district staff training in preparing and/or revising district land use zoning in accordance with the Watershed Land Continuum Plan

Qualification Required• Master degree in agricultural economics, agronomy, and/or rural development, project

management. A first level university degree (Bachelor degree) with a combination of relevant experience can be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

• At least 10 years of experience with the Management of the Agriculture development and livelihood development projects, Water resources management projects in the remote upland areas of Southeast Asia.

• Experience in participatory methods in extension and development and in working with ethnic minority groups and on gender issues; and

• Previous experience with the Project Management of the International Financial Institutions, be a team leader, project management advisor will be a good asset.

• Proficient in English. • Lao or Thai language capability is more preferable.• Computer literate.

Assignment duration: Six (6.5) Person months intermittent (Input spread over the three years of the Project Life) duty station: Vientiane Laos (conduct field visits as required)

The deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest (EOI), including the CVs is at 14:00 hrs 10th February 2012 at the address below. EOIs should be submitted (i) electronically (completed EOI form in CSRN on the ADB website), and (ii) manually (one hard copy and one electric file: CD-ROM). Late submissions will not be accepted.

Mr. Sisovath PhandanouvongProject Director Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project Additional FundingDepartment Of PlanningMinistry of Agriculture and ForestryVientiane 01000, Lao PDR Tel. +856-21-263161 Fax +856-21-416556E-mail: [email protected]

CHAMPA MAI & SAVANPHATTHANA WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS

To subscribe or advertise your products in Champa Mai and Savanphatthana weekly newspapers, please contact Vientiane

Times office, corner of Pangkham and Setthathirath Roads, Vientiane, Laos.

P.O. Box: 5723 Tel: (856-21) 216364, 217593 Fax: (856-21) 216365, 252631 Mobile: (856-20) 5599209 Email: editor@

vientianetimes.org.la Website: www.vientianetimes.org.la To subscribe or advertise your products in Vientiane Times newspaper in Champassak province please contact Champa Mai weekly newspaper, Pakxe district. Office: (856 31) 252543;

Mobile: (856 20) 5633630 Email: [email protected] Savannakhet province at Savanphatthana weekly newspaper, Kaysone Phomvihane district. Office: (856 41) 214204; Mobile:

(856 20) 2313102


United Nations Development Programme

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build a better life.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LAO NATIONALProgramme Associate for Governance Unit (Re-advertised)

Fixed Term Appointment (FTA Local - GS6 level)Contract 12 Months (renewable)

UNDP-UNCDF is seeking a qualified National Programme Associate, to provide financial and administrative as well as operational support for the management of the UNDP-UNCDF Joint Programme under the Governance portfolio and the Inclusive Finance Progamme. The National Programme Associate will have the following duties and responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities Support to formulation of programme strategies and implementation of the United Nations Development

Assistance Framework Action Plan (UNDAF Action Plan) and UNDP Country Programme , work plans, budgets, and proposals

Support to management of the UNDP CO/UNCDF programme/projects Provide guidance and to the implementing agencies on routine implementation of projects Review programme/project financial and substantive reports and help Programme Analysts to prepare

project budget in Atlas Track and report on mobilized resources. Review and follow up contribution agreements Maintain the donor reporting system and ensure delivery of the reports to donors in a timely manner Contribute to CO newsletter and website, UNDP-UNCDF knowledge networks and communities of practices Follow up, monitor and update the unit financial monitoring table regularly Assist and arrange appointments, organize meetings and draft correspondence Update logs, project inventory lists, factsheets and other relevant public information materials Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing Maintain the counterpart and partner contact list for the unit Maintain database of project files

Competencies Demonstrate commitment to UNDP-UNCDF’s vision, mission and values Understand the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position Possess basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures of the position and applies them

consistently in work Promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office Work effectively toward continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas Ability to carry out a wide range of varied, inter-related complex administrative services Focus on results for the clients and respond positively to requests and feedback Consistently proactive approach work with energy and a positive attitudes and behaviours Ability to analyze and resolve problems carefully and logically Research best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things

Qualifications and experience Secondary Education, preferably with specialized certification in Accounting and Finance. University Degree

in Business or Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences and Social Sciences would be desirable Minimum 6 years of progressively responsible administrative or programme experience is required at the

national and international level Experience in the use of computers and office software packages and handling of web based management

systems Good written and spoken communication in both English and Lao is required This UNDP fixed-term appointment is based in the UNDP Country Office in Vientiane

Detailed job description available in the Human Resources Office and on line fromhttp://www.undplao.org/vacancies/

The applicants are required to Apply Online via the website above by 14 February 2012Telephone: (856-21) 267 777 or Fax: (856-21) 267 799

Female candidates are encouraged to applyOnly short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview

Lao PDR

Vientiane Times 11


UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build a better life

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LAO NATIONALICT Analyst for the ICT Unit at NOB Level, FTA

Contract 12 months – Renewable BackgroundUNDP is seeking a national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Analyst to work with UNDP ICT Unit to provide ICT Support services. Under the guidance and supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (Operation) the ICT Analyst works in close collaboration with ICT Specialist to provide daily technical support for users of the Local Area Network (LAN), information management tools and technology infrastructure. The ICT Analyst should be competent in the technical aspects of ICT systems (included LAN System, daily support, training, and implementation) in order to ensure 100% availability of the technology environment.

Duties and responsibilities• EnsuringeffectivefunctioningoftheICTsystemanduseofmanagementtools• ProvidingeffectivedesktopICT,andLANsupport• ManagingefficientNetworkAdministration• Ensuringeffectivewebmanagementservice• Facilitatingknowledgebuildingandknowledgesharing• RepresentingICTUnitwhentheICTSpecialistisabsent

Competencies• DemonstratescommitmenttoUNDP’smission,visionandvalues• Displayscultural,gender,religion,race,nationalityandagesensitivityandadaptability• Focusesonresultfortheclient• Consistentlyapproachesworkwithenergyandapositive,constructiveattitude• Abilitytoprovidenetworksupportservicesincludinghardware/infrastructuresupport,Atlassupport,other

LAN applications support, web design and maintenance• Good knowledge of PC/LAN operating systems, Microsoft Windows, corporate ICT security and viral

protection systems, knowledge of web design, knowledge of Microsoft Windows network administration.• GoodKnowledgeofMicrosoftSharePointTechnologiesandMSExchangePlatforms.• Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, elaboration and implementation of new

systems

Qualifications and experience• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with four years of experience in, Computer Science or related

discipline.• CiscoCertifiedNetworkEngineer(CCNE)andMicrosoftCertifiedSystemsEngineer(MCSE).• 5 years of relevant work experience in network administration and use of hardware/software,

telecommunications facilities, knowledge of Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint Technologies, database packages, experience and web design.

• ExperiencewithEnterpriseResourcePlanningsystemsispreferred.

Detailed job description available in the Human Resources Office and http://www.undplao.org/vacancies/

The applicants are required to Apply Online via the website abovePlease apply by 10 February 2012 to:

Telephone: (856-21) 267777 or Fax: (856-21) 267799

Female candidates are encouraged to applyOnly short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview

Lao PDR

Wednesday February 1, 2012

Vientiane Times14VACANCy ANNOuNCEMENT

(Announcement No. 12/04)

OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOsITION: EngineerOPENING dATE: January 26, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 10, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 40 hours/weekCONTRACT: Two YearssALARy: Actual grade and salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.

NOTE: THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO LAO CITIZENS AND U.S. CITIZENS. THE SELECTED CANdIdATE WILL COME uNdER LOCAL LAbOR LAW, ANd bE PAId ACCORdING TO THE EMBASSY’S LOCAL COMPENSATION PLAN. ALL ORDINARY RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST BE RESIDING IN LAOS AND HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION. The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of Engineer. The position is temporary, for two years bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITIONConstruction of the New U.S. Embassy Compound will soon start in Vientiane. A qualified Construction Engineer will fill a position requiring the inspection of our the construction to verify compliance with Contract requirements and adherence to U.S. Building Codes. The incumbent will review plans; recommend approval of shop drawings and submittals; maintain a daily log of construction activities; develop change orders including preparing cost estimates; and other construction engineering duties related to the construction of the Vientiane NEC as directed by the OBO Project Director. He/She shall be capable of working independently and shall provide professional engineering services.QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREdNOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.1. Education: A Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from accredited institution2. Prior Work Experience: From seven to nine years of experience in the field of civil engineering, preferable

related to building construction and renovations – two of those years must include experience with U.S. codes and criteria

3. Language Proficiency: Fluent English and Fluent Lao 4. Knowledge: Experience in computers using Microsoft windows operating system, general principles of filing,

general office procedures; additional background in computer-based data management.5. Skills and Abilities: Must have knowledge in design and construction practices with U.S. civil codes and

specifications, thorough professional knowledge in civil design calculations and criteria, preparation of engineering drawings and specification.

HOW TO APPLyInterested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered:

1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/job_opportunities.html

2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.

3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

subMIT APPLICATION TOHuman Resources OfficeAmerican EmbassyRue Bartholonie, That DamPO Box 114, Vientiane, Laos(Hardcopy or e-mail attachments are accepted) POINT Of CONTACTTelephone: 856-21-267176Fax: 856-21-267140E-mail: [email protected] Interested persons should contact Embassy Human Resources Office for more information. Blank application forms may be picked up from the cabinet inside the Embassy entrance. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

CLOsING dATE fOR THIs POsITION: fEbRuARy 10, 2012An Equal Opportunity Employer

JOB OPENINGTITLE: Marketing OfficerDATE: January 2012

PSI is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that harnesses the vitality of the private sector to address the health problems of low-income and vulnerable populations in more than 60 developing countries. With programs in malaria, reproductive health, child survival and HIV, PSI promotes products, services and healthy behavior that enable low-income and vulnerable people to lead healthier lives.

PSI seeks to hire an individual with strong skills in sales and communication and a background in public health to join our team as Marketing Officer. The position requires experience in private sector sales and familiarity with health products in areas such as HIV, family planning, and TB. The Marketing Officer is responsible for promoting, delivering, and monitoring sales of PSI health products at participating private sector outlets.

DUTIES include but are not limited to: • Conducting daily sales activities at pharmacies, shops, and other private sector sites;• Collecting sales data and other information from trade partners and consumers;• Assisting in design, packaging, and promotion of health products;• Designing and implementing marketing and promotion activities.

QUALIFICATIONS:• Superior interpersonal and communications skills;• Ability to communicate in English;• At least 3 years’ experience in marketing/sales, especially of medical or public health

products;• University degree preferably in Marketing, Public Relations or a related field;• Able to travel to provinces;• Must be a Lao national.• Valid Driver’s license required.

The successful candidate will have a high level of honesty and integrity, be results oriented, have excellent communication skills and a strong work ethic, proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, be a positive team player, and possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Mr. Sittiphone Thapesuphanh, PSI/Laos Human Resource Coordinator, by February 14, 2012. Submit by email ([email protected]) or deliver a hard copy to PSI/Laos (Donkoi Village, Unit 16, Sisattanak District, Vientiane Capital). Only short listed candidates will be notified.



VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT (VANG VIENG)

The Riverside Boutique Resort is a new 32-room luxury resort under construction in Vang Vieng. It operates under international management and is committed to provide its employees with attractive remuneration packages and development opportunities. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/Riversidevangvieng

The Riverside Boutique Resort is looking for motivated staff for the following positions:

1. INTERNATIONAL GENERAL MANAGER with experience working in the hospitality industry in South-East Asia, excellent management skills and a strong focus on client services.

2. FINANCE MANAGER with good knowledge of accounting and financial management and demonstrated integrity and ethical standards.

3. HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER with experience working for an international clientele.

4. F&B MANAGER with strong organizational skills and experience working for an international clientele.

5. CHEF with excellent cooking skills and knowledge of both western and Lao cuisine.

For more detailed job descriptions or to apply to any of these positions, please contact us by email at: [email protected]

or by phone at: 020 589 77 684 or 020 595 32 315

Vientiane Times16

JOB OPENINGTITLE: Medical TrainerDATE: January 2012

PSI is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that harnesses the vitality of the private sector to address the health problems of low-income and vulnerable populations in more than 60 developing countries. With programs in malaria, reproductive health, child survival and HIV, PSI promotes products, services and healthy behavior that enable low-income and vulnerable people to lead healthier lives.

PSI seeks to hire an experienced field outreach officer with strong communication skills and a background in public health to join our team as Medical Trainer. The position requires deep experience and familiarity with the full range of public health programs including but not limited to TB, family planning, and reproductive health, Nutrition, Malaria and HIV. Reporting to the Health Services Manager, the Medical Trainer is responsible for facilitating the process of integrating new products and services into participating private sector outlets.

DUTIES include but are not limited to: • Take the leading role in designing, organization and facilitation of trainings;• Develop the curriculum for the training;• Oversee and monitor the trainees after the training;• Report the result of the training and feedback back to supervisor • Capacity strengthening the team.

QUALIFICATIONS:• Superior interpersonal and communications skills; and able to communicate in English• Must have the Master degree or equivalent, preferably the field which is related to

public health; Medical Doctor Certificate is required;• Has Experience in training design, plan, facilitation especially in Medical or public health

at least 3-5 years;• Familiarity with private health sector in Laos and understand the INGO working

system;• Able to travel to provinces;• Must be a Lao national.

The successful candidate will have a high level of honesty and integrity, be results oriented, have excellent communication skills and a strong work ethic, proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision, be a positive team player, and possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Applicants should submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to Mr. Sittiphone Thapesuphanh, PSI/Laos Human Resource Coordinator, by February 05, 2012. Submit by email ([email protected]) or deliver a hard copy to PSI/Laos (Donkoi Village, Unit 16, Sisattanak District, Vientiane Capital). Only short listed candidates will be notified.

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build a better life.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Dear Sir / Madam:

The United Nations Development Programme in Lao PDR (hereinafter referred as “UNDP”) hereby solicits your proposals for provision of services for Development of Information Tracking System. submission of proposals:Propsals must include Technical and financial part duly signed and stamped and submitted by electronic mail (in PDF format) to the following secure e-mail box: [email protected] or in sealed envelops via mail/express mail or by hand to the address below no later than close of business on 13 february 2012

UNDP Country Office in Lao PDR Lane Xang Avenue PO BOX 345 Vientiane Lao PdR Full set of bidding documents which includes Terms of Reference (TOR), proposal submission requirements, evaluation criteria, UNDP General Terms and Conditions can be downloaded on our web-site www.undplao.org using the following link: http://www.undplao.org/vacancies/procurementnotice.php

Proposals must be valid for 60 days. All documents must be submitted to UNDP in English or in Lao language supported by adequate English translation.

ATTENTION: Please indicate on the envelop or on e-mail subject the RFP reference i.e. “RFP/002/2012 “Development of Information Tracking System”.

uNdP will not be responsible for postal delays, if any, in the delivery of the bid documents or non-receipt of the same.

Request for additional information:Firms/companies with questions regarding this request should send them in writing to the following e-mail: [email protected]. Please indicate on e-mail subject the RFP reference i.e. “RFP/002/2012 “Development of Information Tracking System”.

Late or partial quotations will be rejected.

Lao PDR

NAME & ADDRESS OF FIRM: Interested consultants/firms/organisations

Date of issue: 26 January, 2012

REFERENCE: RfP_002_2012“Development of Information Tracking System”


Vientiane Times 17VACANCy ANNOuNCEMENT

(Announcement No. 12/07)

OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOsITION: ObO Admin AssistantOPENING dATE: January 30, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 17, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 40 hours/weekCONTRACT: Two YearssALARy: Actual salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.

NOTE: THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION. THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL COME UNDER LOCAL LABOR LAW, AND BE PAID ACCORDING TO THE EMBASSY’S LOCAL COMPENSATION PLAN. ALL ORdINARy REsIdENT APPLICANTs MusT bE REsIdING IN LAOs ANd HAVE THE REQuIREd WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of OBO Administrative Assistant. The position is temporary, for two years.

bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITION:Provides various administrative and clerical support for the Overseas Building Operations (OBO) Project Director during the new embassy construction period. Bookkeeping and accounting experience is required. Position supervises two other staff members.

Full position description is available in HR Office.

QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREd:1. Education: Completion of University degree in administration, accounting or construction related subject

required.2. Prior Work Experience: Four years of progressively responsible clerical and secretarial work including at least

two years experience in basic accounting, bookkeeping principles, or cash management. Some supervisory experience required.

3. Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English and Lao required. 4. Knowledge: Must have good working knowledge of budget reporting and accounting principles. Excellent organizational skills, excellent computer abilities (MS Office - Word, Excel, Internet), ability to work

under pressure; ability to work effectively in a construction environment.

HOW TO APPLYInterested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered: 1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/job_

opportunities.html 2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that Addresses the

qualification requirements of the position as listed above.

subMIT APPLICATION TOHuman Resources OfficeAmerican EmbassyRue Bartholonie, That DamPO Box 114, Vientiane, Laos(Hardcopy or e-mail attachments are accepted) POINT Of CONTACTTelephone: 856-21-267176Fax: 856-21-267140E-mail: [email protected]

Interested persons should contact Embassy Human Resources Office for more information. Blank application forms may be picked up from the cabinet inside the Embassy entrance. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.



OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOSITION: Shipping Assistant (OBO)OPENING dATE: January 30, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 17, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 40 hours/weekCONTRACT: Two YearssALARy: Actual salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.


The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of Shipping Assistant. The position is temporary, for two years.

bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITION:The incumbent is responsible for tracking, clearing, and receiving at the Vientiane New Embassy Construction (NEC) Project Site all diplomatic and commercial shipments intended for use on the project. He/she also assists with resolving any customs clearance issues and overseeing the progress of local utility installation.Full position description is available in HR Office.

QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREd:1. Education: Completion of Secondary School is required.2. Prior Work Experience: Two years experience in managing logistics, freight forwarding, and customs clearance

for a major corporation or government entity is required. 3. Language Proficiency: Level III (good working knowledge) of English and level IV (fluent) Lao. 4. Knowledge: Must develop knowledge of the Department of State regulations and procedures governing the

shipment of household and personal effects, POV, and other private property, US Embassy Construction Materials, and U.S. Government property. Must have detailed knowledge of the Lao government’s custom clearance, immigration and border regulations and procedures. Must have knowledge of the abilities, general procedures, and quality of work of local shipping carriers and transfer companies. Should have knowledge in design and construction practices, preparation of engineering drawings and specification. Must have general knowledge of vehicle operation and safety.

5. Skills and Abilities: Must have a valid Lao driver’s license. Must have good organizational and interpersonal skills. Must be tactful, yet effective, in dealing with host country customs, immigration, border and other officials, and with officials of shipping, packing, and transfer companies, and with US Embassy and other project personnel. Ability to negotiate best prices and services. Must be a MS Office package and engineering management software user. Ability to review utility construction drawings for code compliance.

HOW TO APPLyInterested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered: 1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/job_

opportunities.html 2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the





OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOSITION: Chauffeur (OBO)OPENING dATE: January 30, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 17, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 48 hours/weekCONTRACT: Two YearssALARy: Actual salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.


The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of Chauffeur. The position is temporary, for two years.

bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITION:Operates motor vehicles in accordance with Overseas Building Operations (OBO) Administrative Assistant instructions to transport Embassy personnel, official visitors, cargo, or documents within the city and surrounding areas. Maintains vehicles in clean and serviceable condition and purchases fuel for all project vehicles. Strictly follows US Embassy Vientiane Vehicle use Policies. Completes daily vehicle logs and accounts for all gas coupons received. Full position description is available in HR Office.

QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREd:1. Education: Completion of High School is required.2. Prior Work Experience: At least two years progressive experience as a chauffeur. 3. Language Proficiency: Be able to communicate in basic working English (Level II) with fluent (Level IV)

knowledge of Lao language is required. 4. Knowledge: Must be familiar with local traffic laws and patterns. Must know and be able to navigate to

commonly known places of interest such as main government buildings and hotels, main road intersections and common tourist points of interest. Must have sufficient understanding of Vientiane geography to navigate to/from these locations by multiple routes. Must know and be able to navigate to principle cities in Laos using road maps.

5. Skills and Abilities: Possess valid driving licenses for both passenger cars & trucks. Ability to maintain accident-free driving record. Be able to drive to other provinces and to Thailand.

HOW TO APPLyInterested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered: 1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/job_

opportunities.html 2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their

application.3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the


subMIT APPLICATION TOHuman Resources OfficeAmerican EmbassyRue Bartholonie, That DamPO Box 114, Vientiane, Laos(Hardcopy or e-mail attachments are accepted) POINT Of CONTACTTelephone: 856-21-267176Fax: 856-21-267140E-mail: [email protected]

Interested persons should contact Embassy Human Resources Office for more information. Blank application forms may be picked up from the cabinet inside the Embassy entrance. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.



OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOsITION: Security Investigator (OBO)OPENING dATE: January 30, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 17, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 40 hours/weekCONTRACT: Two YearssALARy: Actual salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.


The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of Security Investigator. The position is temporary, for two years.

bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITION:Incumbent conducts security investigations, maintains daily liaison with Government of Laos police authorities and responds to security emergencies as directed or in concert with the New Embassy Construction Site Security Manager. Full position description is available in HR Office.

QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREd:1. Education: University graduate in police or military studies or related field.2. Prior Work Experience: From three to five years of progressively responsible experience in security/

investigative work with a military, police or private security organization with a minimum of two years of experience in investigations;

3. Language Proficiency: Level IV (fluent) English and Lao required. The incumbent must possess the ability to speak, write, read and translate both English and Lao as he/she will be required to accurately comprehend detailed investigative and security procedures/regulations which are written in English. Investigative reports and statements must also be submitted in English.

4. Knowledge: Knowledge of the Lao political, social, economic and cultural processes. A good working knowledge of investigative techniques and the Lao legal system is also necessary.

5. Skills and Abilities: Ability to successfully conduct all types of investigations. Skills in interviewing, report writing and organization are required. Must have initiative and be resourcefulness in obtaining information or evidence. Must possess a valid driving license.

HOW TO APPLyInterested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered: 1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/

job_opportunities.html 2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that Addresses the





Vientiane Times18

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Opinion

CAPE TOWN (IPS) -- When a food crisis hits the continent, African countries tend to look to the international donor community to mobilise aid. But a fast-growing, drought- resistant tree with extremely nutritious leaves could help poor, arid nations to fight food insecurity and malnutrition on their own.

A 15-hectare plantation of the “miracle tree” with the botanical name Moringa oleifera has already started to make a positive change in the rural village of Tooseng, which is located in one of South Africa’s poorest provinces, Limpopo.

Moringa leaves are dubbed a “super food” because scientists found that they contain the calcium equivalent of four glasses of milk, the vitamin C content of seven oranges, the potassium of three bananas, three times the amount of iron found in spinach, four times the amount of vitamin A found in a carrot and twice the amount of protein in milk. It is like a supermarket on a tree.

Mavis Mathabatha, a former school teacher from Tooseng, has been working hard to set up a Moringa farm over the past three years that will produce enough leaves to make a positive difference in her community and further afield. “I want to make an impact in my area, province and across the country through

this project,” she explains. In 2009, she started

harvesting, drying und grinding Moringa leaves from the first few trees she had planted, to sprinkle them on the meals provided to about 400 poor children at the local Sedikong sa Lerato (meaning “Circle of Love” in Sesotho) drop-in centre.

The centre feeds children from households with a combined income of less than US$250 a month, which includes practically all boys and girls in Tooseng, a community suffering from high rates of unemployment, poverty, food insecurity and low diet-diversity, malnutrition and HIV-infection.

“The results were visible almost immediately. The health of the children improved in a short period of time,” says Elizabeth Serogole, the drop-in centre’s manager who works closely with Mathabatha. She says many children had been showing signs of malnutrition, like open sores on their skins, which started to heal soon after the children regularly ate the leaves.

Supplementing their meals with Moringa also notably increased children’s ability to ward off new illness and infection and boosted their mental development, Serogole adds: “Most can now better concentrate at school.” All it needed was one teaspoon of leaf powder a day.

Dr Samson Tesfay, a postdoctoral scholar at the South African University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Horticultural Science Department, confirms that Moringa is truly a multi-purpose wonder.

“The Moringa plant is unique in that every part can be utilised for beneficial purposes. It has medicinal, therapeutic, nutritive and practical uses. It is extremely effective in combating malnutrition,” says Tesfay. In addition, Moringa’s immature pods were full of essential amino acids.

Moringa leaves can also be used for medicinal purposes, to treat skin infections, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, reduce swelling, heal gastric ulcers and to calm the nervous system, Tesfay further explains. The plant, which is native to northern India, has been used in Ayurveda medicine for centuries and is said to prevent 300 diseases.

Moreover, the seeds of the tree can be used to purify water in rural areas where access to clean drinking water is difficult and often a cause for disease. “The seeds are effective in removing about 98 percent of impurities and microbes from contaminated water,” says Tesfay.

The slender tree with drooping branches is non-invasive, needs little water and grows fast, reaching a height of three metres within a year. It even grows steadily in Tooseng,

in South Africa’s northeast, an arid region that has been suffering from repeated lack of rainfall in recent years.

“The tree can survive in relatively unfavourable conditions and does not require sophisticated and expensive farming methods or inputs,” explains Tesfay.

Moringa could thus indeed become a widely used hunger prevention method, food experts say, as it can grow in all of the world’s subtropical areas, where droughts and malnutrition are prevalent – in most parts of Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Since 2009, Mathabatha has built up her Moringa plantation little by little. After she heard about the multiple benefits of the tree, she applied for a grant from regional funding agency Southern Africa Trust, which help her to set up her own plantation. Today, she is the proud owner of 13,000 Moringa trees.

But Mathabatha did not stop here. She wanted to share her discovery of Moringa’s nutritious benefits with others and has therefore distributed more than 6,000 Moringa seedlings to poor families in various communities around Tooseng, together with a nutrition education campaign.

“Planting and distributing Moringa is a holistic approach to deal with the problem of food insecurity,” Ashley Green-

Miracle tree is like a supermarket

A Moringa tree in fruit, near Sprokieswoud in Namiba. Moringa leaves are dubbed a “super food”.

Thompson, who managed the project grant, explains why the SAT decided to finance the project. “The level of

household food insecurity is one of the key indicators of poverty, and it’s very high in this region.”

Vientiane Times 19Wednesday February 1, 2012 Opinion

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Internal Vacancy Announcement forTheun-Hinboun Power Company Limited

Theun-Hinboun Power Company Limited ("THPC"), which is a private, limited liability company that owns a 210 MW hydropower station in Khammouane Province, is currently looking to fill the following position for its Corporate Affair Office at Site, Khounkham Village, Khammouan Province:Re-Advertised: Corporate Affair Officer (1 Position)Responsibilities:• Coordinating with THPC Site activities with government authorities and relevant

government agencies at village, district and provincial levels;• Assisting Senior Government Affair Officer in working with GOL counterparts; and to

ensure that THPC activities are carried with GOL approval and within the framework of GOL policy and guidelines;

• Translating documents, grievance and claims from Lao into English and English into Lao for Corporate Affair Site Office;

• following up the claims records and ensuring that the claims responses are reached the claimers on time;

• Organising workshops/ meetings together with THPC and GOL agencies at village, district and provincial level; and Arranging Public Events within THPC Site;

• Coordinating with OMD,THXP and SED on behalf of THPC regarding PA/GA Issues• Other issues as assigned by CA Site Manager;

Qualifications:• Degree in Law, Public Administration, Community Development or Social Science.• Minimum two (2) years experience in Lao Government Systems, Public Relationship,

Complaints and Grievances; or working with non-government organization.• Good interpersonal skills and ability to demonstrate good judgement.• Keen to learn and be able to work under the pressure or unsupervised.• Good command of English skills both verbal and written.• Good Efficiency of Microsoft office• Lao national.Any interested staffs are invited and send their CV and a copy of their lasted performance review with cover letter indicate how you meet the requirements specified above by e-mail to: [email protected]. : Closing date 01 February 2012.

Attn: Ms. Panichanh XanalathSenior Admin officer

Theun-Hinboun Power Company Limited2nd Flr. Simuang Commercial Center

Fa Ngum Rd., Ban Phia Vat, Sisattanak DistrictPO Box 3382, Vientiane Lao PDR

Tel: 856-21-217515Fax (856-21) 217 529

All applications will be handled in confidenceOnly short listed candidates will be contacted for interview

Applications will not be returned

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS (IPS) -- A long-awaited report by a UN high-level panel on global sustainability recommends several far-reaching proposals, including the establishment of new institutions and the creation of global indicators, aimed at protecting the world’s environment and strengthening the UN’s sustainable development strategy.

The proposals include a new “ever-green revolution” to double productivity and reduce resource use; a Sustainable Development Index to measure environmental progress; a Global Sustainable Development Council to replace the current Commission on Sustainable Development, and a Global Fund for Education.

The panel also calls for a regular Global Sustainable Development Outlook report that integrates knowledge across different sectors and the establishment of a science advisory board or a UN scientific advisor.

The 56 recommendations will go before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, scheduled to take place in Brazil in June this

year. Speaking at the launch

of the new report, on the margins of the African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa Monday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the recommendations had added importance because “I have made sustainable development my number one priority for my second (five-year) term in

office.” “Both science and

economics tell us our current path is unsustainable,” he warned.

Ecosystems are under stress. Economies are faltering. The human appetite for resources keeps growing, he added.

“We need to chart a new, more sustainable course for the future, one that strengthens equality and economic growth while protecting our planet,” he said.

Sustainable development offers our best chance to change course, Ban declared.

The 22-member panel, co-chaired by South African President Jacob Zuma and Finnish President Tarja Halonen, was set up in August 2010, and includes current and former heads of state, government ministers, and representatives of the private

sector and civil society. Zuma told reporters that

with the possibility of the world slipping further into recession, policymakers are hungry for ideas that can help them to navigate these difficult times.

“Our report makes clear that sustainable development is more important than ever given the multiple crises now enveloping the world,” he said.

Halonen emphasised the importance of placing people

at the centre of achieving sustainable development.

“Eradication of poverty and improving equity must remain priorities for the world community,” she added.

Titled “Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future Worth Choosing”, the report is being described as “a new blueprint for sustainable development and low-carbon

prosperity”. The proposals made

by the panel are aimed at progress primarily in three key sectors: empowering

people to make sustainable choices; working towards and sustainable economy; and strengthening institutional governance to support sustainable development. Among its recommendations are proposals for ensuring that women have full and equal access to and control over productive resources through the equal right to own property and the right to inherit, and equal access to credit, financial and extension services along the entire value chain.

“Governments and non-governmental entities should promote the concept of sustainable development and sustainable consumption, and these should be integrated into curricula of primary and secondary education.”

The report also calls on governments to work with appropriate stakeholders to provide citizens, especially those in remote areas, with

UN panel launches blueprint for sustainable developmentaccess to technologies, including universal telecommunications and broadband networks, by 2025. As international sustainable development policy is fragmented and, in particular, the environmental pillar is weak, the Nairobi-based UN Environment Programme (UNEP) should be strengthened.

The secretary-general has been called upon to “expedite the development of a sustainable development strategy for the UN system in order to contribute to coherence, better define responsibilities among UN bodies, reduce overlap and duplication and improve accountability for implementation.”

This strategy should be reviewed by all relevant UN bodies and governing boards, with a special effort being made to forge a unified view among countries common to all boards and processes.

“Governments and non-governmental bodies should promote the concept of sustainable

development and sustainable consumption, and these should be integrated into

school curriculums.”


Feature

Vacancy Announcement1. Project Title: Making access to Finance more Inclusive for Poor People2. Position Title: Project Coordinator (Lao National)3. Duty Station: Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR4. Duration of Appointment: 12 months with possible extension5. Expected Starting Date: 15 February 2012

BackgroundThe “Making access to Finance more Inclusive for Poor People” (MAFIPP) is a joint programme of UNCDF and UNDP, nationally implemented by the Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL). Operating under the UNCDF Inclusive Finance initiative, MAFIPP is designed to expand financial services outreach to low income households and entrepreneurs in Lao PDR on an equitable and sustainable basis.The project is seeking a qualified National Project Coordinator who can provide significant support to the Project during the course of the project implementation.

Duties and ResponsibilitiesProject Coordinator will work with the National Project Manager (NPM) and Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) in daily management activities in their respective project teams. S/he will also work closely with the assigned UNCDF staff, international consultants and concerned government officials as listed below:• Assist the NPM with the design of strategies, work plans for project implementation, budgets and other

progress reporting• Act as a liaison point among the project team, the BOL, other government agencies concerned and UNCDF/

UNDP to ensure timely implementation of the project and information flows• Provide input to the Project Manager on follow up actions required for the successful implementation of

project activities on a day-to-day basis• Assist the Project Manager and CTA with the preparation of meetings, workshops, training programmes

and technical discussions• Strengthen the project team’s ability to develop financial projections, planning and administrative

procedures consistent with the principles of results based management• Collect programme related information and other necessary data• Provide necessary translation and interpretation(Lao-English)• Perform other project coordination related duties as required

Qualifications and Experience• Bachelors degree in economics, business, international development or other related field• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional and technical experience working in development projects.• Knowledge and professional experience in micro finance• Demonstrated understanding of government systems and procedures• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English and Lao• Excellent coordination and networking skills• Creative, practical approaches to challenging situations• Excellent computer skills, including full working knowledge of standard MS Office products• Ability to use information technology effectively as a tool and resource• Excellent interpersonal skills, including negotiating ability to interact with people at all levels;• Outstanding planning and prioritizing abilities, ability to work accurately and with reliability and meet

tight deadlines• Effective communication skills in a multidisciplinary working environment• Cultural sensitivity in a diverse working environment

Requirements for submission of applications: A letter of interest with updated CV and three (3) references to be sent no later than 03 February 2012 by e-mail to [email protected] and CC: [email protected] Tel: 264616, Please indicate in the e-mail subject line “Application-Project Coordinator ”. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

The Theun Hinboun Power Company Limited (THPC), a private Company that owns a 210 MW hydropower station in Khammouane Province, the Social and Environment Division (SED) is seeking a Lao national for the position of Livelihood and Community Development (LCD) Manager for its Resettlement Unit. The LDM Manager will be based in the THPC Office in Lakxao, Bolikhamxay Province.

Position: LIVELIHOOD AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (Lao National)

Key responsibilities:

The main duties and tasks of the LCD Manager will be to:• Make detailed monthly activity plans and expenditure forecasts; • Introduce an implement a participatory planning system for the resettlement

villages;• Management and follow up of the of resettlement village centers to ensure optimal

resource use and integrated implementation of planned activities;• Management of the Resettlement Unit staff including task assignments,

performance assessment and coordination with THPC’s HR Unit;• Coordination with provincial and district authorities, including the District Working

Group and the Resettlement Management Unit;• Coordination with other SED Unit and be part of the SED management team;• Contribute to the preparation of monthly reports and the Annual Implementation

Plan;• Take part in development of livelihood restoration policies and strategies

Required Qualifications:

Eligible candidates for the position should have the following qualifications• University degree within a relevant field; • A minimum of five years of experience as a manager of rural development /

community development projects in Lao PDR;• Experience with participatory planning approaches and integrated

implementation;• Good communication skills and ability to work in a team;• Good English and computer skills.

Interested candidates should send their CV, and a covering letter explaining how their experience meets the requirements, and referee details no later than17:00 hr on 2 February 2012. Attn: Ms. Malavanh, Senior HR Officer, By email: [email protected] or fax: 021-217387

Keoxomphou Sackdavong

Early next week, devotees from around the country will make their way to Thakhek district in Khammuan province to pay their annual homage to the Sikhottabong stupa.

The stupa becomes the focal point for devout Buddhists every year during the festival held in its honour from February 5-7, in the third month of the lunar calendar. The event coincides with the Phanom stupa festival held across the river in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand.

This year’s festival is expected to draw even more visitors from Vientiane, the provinces and neighbouring countries, after the opening of a bridge across the Mekong River.

The bridge, which opened in November, connects Nakhon Phanom province to Thakhek district, and is facilitating travel between the regions.

If you haven’t yet seen this majestic new structure, now is a great time to view it while taking part in two very colourful festivals.

The Sikhottabong stupa is located on the riverbank about 8km south of central Thakhek district. The festival features cultural performances and traditional games along with a fair that puts on sale products from the nine districts of Khammuan province and from Thailand.

According to the Department

of Tourism of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Sikhottabong stupa was built at the same time as the That Inhang stupa in Savannakhet province and That Phanom in Thailand.

These were built during the Sikhottabong Empire to house some of the precious bones of Lord Buddha. The original stupa was built by King Nanthasene for King Soummitham and was then restored by King Saysetthathirath in the 16th Century. This 29 metre high golden stupa is one of the most sacred sites in Laos.

The provincial capital of Khammuan, Thakhek district is pleasantly situated on the east bank of the Mekong River. Much of its architecture can be traced to French colonial construction in the early 20th century.

The town's name in Lao means "guest landing" ("khek" literally meaning guest), a reference to its earlier role as a boat landing for foreign traders. The centre of the old town can be found around the fountain square near the river where many old buildings remain.

If you’re planning a visit to the festival, here are some other places worth seeking out in Khammuan province.

Kamphaeng yak (The Giant Wall) is 15km long and was built in the 9th century during the Sikhottabong Kingdom. However, some experts say it is a natural sandstone formation

which was incorporated into the civilisation's defence system. The best place to see the wall is 8km north of central Thakhek district on Road No. 13 where it reaches a height of 16 metres with an unbroken section 75 metres long. Here there is a small shrine built by the French which contains a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Buddha Cave (Tham Pa Fa Cave) is located near Nakhangxang village in Thakhek district and recently came into the news following the discovery of 229 Buddha statues in a previously unexplored cave.

Konglor Cave is a truly amazing 7.5 km-long limestone cave formed by the Hinboun River which still flows through the cave year round. You can take a boat ride right through the main cave, which is up to 90 metres wide and 100 metres high. The cave can be reached via a 40km overland trip from Khounkham village (the Gateway to Konglor) or by taking a slightly longer but more adventurous boat trip up the Hinboun River beginning in Naphouak village. Homestays are available in Natan and Konglor villages.

Other scenic spots include Tham xang Cave, Tham Xienglieb Cave, Tham Nang Aen Cave, Tham Pha Nya In Cave, Tham Phachan Cave, Tham Phi Seua Cave, Nam Don Resurgence, Tham Heup Cave, Tham Phabang Cave, Tad Nam Sanam Waterfall, Tad Mouang Waterfall and Khoun Kongleng Lake.

Time to pay homage at Sikhottabong stupa

Sikhottabong stupa.

Vientiane Times 21Wednesday February 1, 2012 Feature


OPEN TO: All interested candidatesPOsITION: Computer Operator (LAN), FSN-7OPENING dATE: January 18, 2012CLOsING dATE: February 3, 2012WORK HOuRs: Full-time; 40 hours/weeksALARy: Actual grade and salary will be based on the qualifications of the applicant.

NOTE: THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION. THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL COME UNDER LOCAL LABOR LAW, AND BE PAID ACCORDING TO THE EMBASSY’S LOCAL COMPENSATION PLAN. ALL ORDINARY RESIDENT APPLICANTS MUST BE RESIDING IN LAOS AND HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane is seeking an individual for the position of Computer Operator (LAN) in the Information Programs Center (IPC).

bAsIC fuNCTION Of POsITIONThe incumbent assists the Information Programs Center (IPC) in four distinct areas: computer and network- related duties, computer application and operating systems, maintaining the embassy Website, the Embassy telephone system, and radio installation and maintenance. S/he is responsible for the day-to-day operations, installation, and maintenance of the embassy’s unclassified OpenNet Local Area Network (LAN) – consisting of nine Windows 2003 Servers and 124 Windows XP workstations. As an IRM staff member s/he is also responsible for interfacing with all Embassy OpenNet users and developing solutions to improve their productivity on the embassy LAN. S/he also interfaces with all embassy sections in maintaining AmEmbassy Vientiane's Unclassified OpenNet Website. QuALIfICATIONs REQuIREdNOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.1. Education: An Associate degree in computer science is required. Commercial computer certification may be substituted (Comptia

A+ , Net+ and Security+, MCP, MCSA, MCSE).2. Prior Work Experience: Three years to four years of progressively responsible experience as a Computer Systems administrator.

This experience should encompass LAN/WAN operations and extend down to basic hardware troubleshooting and repair.3. Language Proficiency: Level III – A thorough working knowledge of English is required to include technical terms used in

Computer Systems administration. Level III Lao - A thorough knowledge of spoken and written Lao is required to interface with local providers.

4. Knowledge: Familiarity with systems analysis and basics of LAN/WANs. Working knowledge of Windows 2003, Windows XP Professional, Exchange 2003, and SMS operating systems and applications. Advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office 2003 applications.

5. Skills and Abilities: Advanced Familiarity with systems analysis and basics of LAN/WANs. Working knowledge of Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP, Exchange 2003 and SMS operating systems and applications. Advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office 2007 applications, Adobe Photoshop CS, and SharePoint. Be able to train groups of users in new programs, procedures, etc.

HOW TO APPLyInterested applicants for this position must submit the following for the application to be considered: 1. Universal Application for Employment (Form DS-174). Download the form at: http://laos.usembassy.gov/job_opportunities.

html 2. Candidates who claim U.S. Veterans preference must provide a copy of their Form DD-214 with their application.3. Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements

of the position as listed above.

subMIT APPLICATION TOHuman Resources OfficeAmerican EmbassyRue Bartholonie, That DamPO Box 114, Vientiane, Laos(Hardcopy or e-mail attachments are accepted) POINT Of CONTACTTelephone: 856-21-267176Fax: 856-21-267140E-mail: [email protected] (Please clearly specify the JOB TITLE of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email to avoid any delay and/or confusion in communication). Interested persons should contact Embassy Human Resources Office for more information. Blank application forms may be picked up from the cabinet inside the Embassy entrance. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

CLOsING dATE fOR THIs POsITION: february 3, 2012An Equal Opportunity Employer

Luo Wangshu

CHINA (China Daily, ANN) -- Fifteen-year-old Jenny Chen from Beijing is packing her bags for a study tour of the United States.

“I can’t wait to see the top universities and the Statue of Liberty,” says the Tsinghua International School student, in Beijing, who intends to study in the US when she graduates.

The number of Chinese students going to overseas study camps during vacations has boomed.

“Student numbers enrolling for the global study tour at New Oriental School (NOS) have increased 10 times since 2007,” says Liu Ting, director of Global Study Tour Promotion and Management Center at New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc, one of the largest private English education providers in China. “We had 10,000 participants in 2011, compared with about 1,000 in 2007.”

Liu says the study tour gives students an opportunity to live with host families, participate in school activities and immerse themselves in local culture abroad.

The global study tour is an overseas trip with peers, led by one or two teachers, costing from 30,000 yuan (US$4,740) to 40,000 yuan.

The tours typically last for two to four weeks and involve travel and lessons on local culture and schools.

Luo Tao, director of Global Study Tour Department in Beijing NOS, says: “The tour provides students a great opportunity to experience classes and life abroad, in addition to providing face-to-face meetings with faculty members and students from the universities involved.”

Chen Hui, manager of Global Study Tour at NOS, says the study tour is often inspirational for students.

“They followed me every second for the first three days, like babies,” says Chen, who took teenage students to the United Kingdom in 2010, as a teacher. “But they grew up quickly in the new environment and were soon able to cope on their own.”

Chen recalls an occasion when her students got separated from her at Westfield Mall, the largest shopping center in Europe, but finally managed to find their way back to the meeting point.

Chen says the students developed in many aspects because of the study tour experience.

Liu Sai, mother of a former student participant, agrees with this assessment.

“The tour eliminated my daughter’s fear of living and studying abroad,” Liu says. “She has become more confident and wanted to stay longer in the UK by the end of the trip.”

Another mother, Liu An’an, has been sending her son on study tours

abroad since he was at primary school.

“My focus is on educating my son to be an independent man.”

Her 13-year-old is about to take off on his third study tour, this time to the US.

“He rang me once during his tour to Australia in 2011,” Liu says. “But he told me he wouldn’t call during

the two-week tour this time. He has grown up.”

However, Xiao Chuan, a professor of education at Beijing Normal University, has some reservations about the benefits of short-term study tours.

“The ability of students to absorb knowledge depends on their existing knowledge and experience,” Xiao

explains. “An overseas tour won’t make a huge difference.”

Even so, Jenny Chen is excited about her first trip to the US.

“I’d like to visit the School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York because my dream is to be a television anchor,” Chen says.

“I’ve heard Columbia is one of the best universities in the world.”

Flying the nest

Beijing high school student Sun Fengyue during her 2011 study tour in Cambridge.


Art & Entertainment What’s On

Luang Prabang

Big Brother Mouse helps young people practise their English at free drop-in sessions, 9-11am and 5-7pm, open every day. Just come to our office at 9am or 5pm in Ban Vat Nong, around the corner from 3 Nagas Hotel. www.bigbrothermouse.com. Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre. Open 9am-6pm, Tues-Sun. www.taeclaos.orgOck Pop Tok Living Crafts Centre open daily for free guided tour. Natural dyes, weaving and batik drawing classes daily. 9am-5pm. Free transfer from Ock Pop Tok shops in town to the weaving centre on the Mekong. Call 071 212597Royal Palace National Museum. Open 8.30-11.30am and 1.30-4.30pm from Wednesday to Monday.UXO Visitor Centre. Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-12 and 2-5pm. Right turn just before President’s Monument on the Northern Rd.

MuseumsLao National Museumon Samsenthai Road opposite National Culture Hall. Open Mon-Fri during office hours and on weekends from 9am to 4pm.Horphakeo Museum on Setthathirat Road opposite Vat Sisaket. Open Mon-Sun during office hours.

Sports ANZ Vientiane Lions Women’s Rugby Club – Wednesday night fitness sessions from 7:30 at VIS. Pitch trainings Thursday nights from 19:30 and Sunday from 16:00 at Polytechnic Pitch in Ban Phonphapao. Contact Vieng on 020 54234111 or Maggie on 020 78110019 for more information. Champa Ban Youth Rugby – Rugby activities with a focus on fun, games and healthy living message. Free and open to all. Visit www.laorugby.com or contact Noui 020 54905090 or Maggie on 020 78110019 for more information. Lao Elephants Australian Rules Football Club -Meet at 6.30 pm on Thursdays for training, please contact the LE President at [email protected] for

Vientiane - Elephant Festival in Xayaboury district, Xayaboury

province: Art and craft fair from Feb. 15-19 and Elephant Festival from Feb 17-19.

- Sikhottabong festival in Thakhek district, Khammuan province and neighbouring That Phanom festival in Thailand will be held from Feb. 5 to 7.

- Vat Phou Champassak annual festival will take place from Feb. 2 to 7.

- Action with Lao Children Library: Open Mon to Fri 9am to 6pm and Sat 9am to 3pm. Come in and read and borrow Lao, Japanese, Thai and English books. Located in Ban Saphangmor, Xaysettha district.

- Permanent UXO exhibition and the provision of artificial limbs for victims. COPE Visitor Centre, Khouvieng Road, opposite Green Park Hotel. Every day: 9am-6pm.

- Chess Club meets at 1pm every Sunday at City Inn on Pangkham Road, Vientiane.

Contact: [email protected] Women’s International Group. For activities and times

email [email protected] - Toastmasters Club meets every Sun. from 4-6pm at

Khopchaideu restaurant (3F). Everyone is welcome.- Meditation at Vat Sokpaluang every Saturday, 4-5.30pm.

Contact Venerable Mr Khuan or Venerable Ms Keo on 021-231938.- English Language Church Service every Sunday 10am

at the ARDA Language Centre (near the Mercure Hotel - formerly Novotel). Call (021) 261441, or visit http://www.the-chs.org

details and other meeting areas.Buffalos Rugby - men’s rugby training Tuesday evenings 6 - 7:30pm. All welcome. Sunday morning social touch rugby - male, female all ages welcome. Free. For either, contact John (020 77140176), Bob (020 55510443) and Tom (020 2281111) for more information.Wild Hogs Rugby training at the Polytechnic pitch in Phonpapao village, Sisattanak, at 8pm on Tues. and Thurs. Optional Saturday touch session at That Luang at 5:30pm, Sunday fitness at That Luang at 5:30pm. Call 020 77615677 or Chris 020 77834385.Lao Mahout Netball team trains every Tues. at 6pm at Vientiane International School. For more information contact Saeng on 020 77442689.Lions Women’s Rugby from 7.30pm on Tues and Thurs at the Polytechnic pitch. Contact Noui on 020 4905090 or Maggie on 020 54656153.Youth Community Rugby SessionsTraining for U15 Boys and U17 Girls at the Polytechnic pitch in Phonpapao village, Sisattanak, at 7:30pm on Wed. Training for children of all ages at 9am on Sunday.Aqua-fitness Fri 10-11am; Sat 11-12. Please contact Sarah at 020 54147069 or nsteam @live.frBody Language at Vientiane Accueil, Khouvieng Rd. Class includes stretching and respiratory exercises with an oriental touch. Tues. and Thurs. from 5.30-6.30pm. Contact 020 5612107.Aerobics at Sokpalouang swimming pool, Sisattanak district. Open every day from 6am-8pm.Vientiane Hash House HarriersMeet at Nam Phu Fountain every Saturday for travel to out-of-town runs. Mixed Hash, register at 3.45pm and depart 4pm. Monday,VH3, family Hash. 3 runs - short, medium and long. Meet at 5pm at advertised venue. Phones: 223867, 217493, mobile 020 5511293, 5514669.

BERLIN (WPBLOOM News Service) -- The euro collapsed here Wednesday night. To be precise, it simply exploded offstage after eating too much confit de canard and snails.

So goes the finale of a fun musical fairy tale that is touring Berlin, Frankfurt and London on a shoestring. Euro boffins will enjoy some of its wackier creations, such as a European currency snake whose body is completely out of kilter. She yelps as the Italian lira slips out of place in her spine during the course of the evening.

“EuroCrash! The Musical” transposes the single-currency story to a deep dark forest: Mark and Gilda can’t find their way out. They are lured into the gingerbread Euroland house, where Papa Kohl and Madame Mitterrand run a school of fiscal discipline attended by some wayward pupils, personified nation states such as Callum of Ireland and Stavros of Greece.

The show’s numbers include a chorus praising the virtues of the Bundesbank and former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Norman Lamont singing “Our currency’s gone down the plughole” in the shower. There are jokes about the Bundesbank’s “steady hand” policy and allusions to Jean-Claude Trichet’s “vigilance” at the European Central Bank, as well as throwaway references to former central bankers like Karl Otto Poehl.

The bad guys in the black cowboy hats are the credit-rating companies (“I’m Standard, he’s Poor’s/ For a dollar we’re yours” and

(CHINA DAILY) -- The first single from Madonna’s upcoming album “MDNA” is called “Give Me All Your Luvin’” and is set for a February 3 release, two days before the singer performs at the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The track features Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. and was composed by Martin Solveig and Michael Tordjman, and marks Madonna’s return to music after focusing on directing her new movie “W.E.”

MDNA, to be released on Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records on March 26, will be the singer’s 12th studio album and the follow-up to 2008’s “Hard Candy” which debuted at the top of the charts in 37 countries.

An excerpt from the video to Give Me All Your Luvin’ will air on US television show “American Idol” on February 2, and the full video appears on Madonna’s YouTube channel the following day.

MDNA was recorded in New York and Los Angeles and reunited Madonna with William Orbit who co-wrote and co-produced several cuts on the new album.

The Grammy-winning 53-year-old will headline Sunday’s halftime show at the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis in a performance co-created by Cirque Du Soleil. More than 160 million TV viewers watched last year’s halftime performance, making it the most-watched musical event of the year.

“I’m Moody’s, he’s Fitch / It don’t matter which”). And Eurosceptic from Britain opens and closes the musical with commentary (“I don’t like to crow/ say ‘I told you so’ “).

The musical’s writers are David Shirreff, former Frankfurt correspondent for the Economist, and Australian composer Russell Sarre. While the tunes are simple, the lyrics contain some complex concepts, which may make it hard for non native-speakers of English to follow.

Shirreff, who says he’s “emotionally a Europhile but intellectually a Eurosceptic,” wrote the musical at the end of 2010. He hasn’t had to change it much since, apart from adding a European Union summit scene with the leaders of Britain, Germany

and France, and downgrading the ratings for some of the countries involved.

“I haven’t given up the day job,” Shirreff said on the phone from Berlin, where he’s now based for the Economist.

The six young British actors manage several parts each, donning new accents as effortlessly as they don hats. The set is virtually nonexistent, only four chairs, a pianist and the projection of a euro onto a screen at the back of the stage.

This pantomime-style musical has the feel of a university show because of the clever in-jokes, sometimes obscure references and no-frills production values. At a little over an hour long, it whizzes by very entertainingly for anyone familiar with the politics of currencies.

‘EuroCrash! The Musical’ getting laughs amid a sinking economy

Luke Storey and RJ Seeley in the musical comedy “ EuroCrash,” showing in Berlin, Frankfurt and London.

First single from Madonna album to be released

Vientiane Times 23SportsWednesday February 1, 2012

Request for Expression of Interestfor

Final Evaluation ConsultantsCRS is concluding a pilot project in Xaibouathong District of Khammouane Province, focused on victim’s assistance and mine risk education. CRS is seeking a qualified consultant to lead an evaluation team of project partners and staff to conduct the final evaluation of its project. The final evaluation will feed into the development of the next phase.

CRS seeks a qualified consultant with previous experience designing and conducting evaluations in Laos; working with and training a team on data collection; facilitating analysis and dissemination workshops; and producing a report in English. CRS expects to complete the evaluation by the end of March 2012, with the data collection starting in February 2012. Previous experience working in the UXO and/or Health sector is highly preferred.

Interested consultants should submit an Expression of Interest along with their CV and list of references. The letter should cover relevant experience and also include expected remuneration.

To apply , please contact: Mr. Phetdavone KEOSOMPHOUMY, CRS Administration Assistant, [email protected], Tel/fax +856 021 351 066

Closing date for applications: february 10, 2012

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AP) -- Sudan celebrated its biggest football achievement in more than 40 years on Monday when it clinched a place in the African Cup of Nations quarterfinals with a 2-1 win against Burkina Faso.

Mudather Tayeb scored both of Sudan’s goals at Estadio de Bata to squeeze through on goal difference and give them the most to celebrate since winning the African Cup on home soil in 1970.

Sudan finished second in Group B behind cup favourite Ivory Coast, which had already qualified before its mostly second-string team beat Angola 2-0 in Malabo with goals from Emmanuel Eboue and Wilfried Bony. Angola had only needed a draw to progress. Ivory Coast will now play co-host Equatorial Guinea and Sudan will face Zambia.

“We know if we leave here not having gone all the way, everything that we have done up to now will be in vain,” Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui said. “I’ll be really happy when I have reached the goal of really pleasing the Ivorians that are supporting us. There are a lot of prayers behind us.”

Sudan, competing with a squad of exclusively home-based players, was winless in nine matches stretching over its three previous African Cup appearances since the 1970 triumph, but needed a victory to have any chance of beating Angola to the second qualification spot.

Despite its status as the second-lowest ranked team at the tournament, Sudan impressed in the 1-0 opening loss to Ivory Coast and has improved from match to match. Going into the final game, Sudan needed a win against Burkina Faso and then hope Ivory Coast beat Angola.

Mudather got Sudan

moving in the right direction when he rode a rash challenge from Mamadou Tall and opened his body to stroke the ball past Daouda Diakite in the 33rd minute.

Angola was losing 1-0 at halftime against Ivory Coast, but Sudan still needed another goal in its favor to move into the qualification positions. News filtered through of a second goal for Ivory Coast against Angola in the second half - a result that would put Sudan through to the quarterfinals for the first time in nearly half a century.

Mudather scored a second goal for Sudan to calm nerves in the closing stages after pouncing on a moment’s hesitation from Diakite to round the keeper and score in the 80th minute. Issiaka Ouedraogo scored for Burkina Faso in the seventh minute of stoppage time to close the gap, but Sudan held on to its crucial advantage.

Ivory Coast made nine changes to the starting lineup against Angola, with captain Didier Drogba among those rested on the bench. Eboue scored in the 32nd minute and Bony added a second in the 64th as the cup favourite Ivory

Coast sealed a third straight victory.

“We know the match against Equatorial Guinea will be very hard because it’s against the organising country and they are playing on their home pitch,” Zahoui said. Angola produced a nervy performance to blow its chances of reaching the quarterfinals after needing just a point to progress.

“We lost because we played against a very strong team in Ivory Coast, which is one of the main candidates to win this tournament,” Coach Lito Vidigal said. “We did a good job and worked hard, but unfortunately we couldn’t quite make it.”

Angolan police reportedly formed a barricade to stop the national team’s players speaking to journalists after the defeat. Despite the qualification issues at stake, both matches were played in front of just a few hundred fans.

Filling the stadiums is a recurrent problem at the African Cup of Nations, with games not involving the host nation often underselling. It’s been the same story at this tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Sudan snatches quarterfinal berth with 2-1 win

Sudan’s Mudather Eltaib (right) and Burkina Faso’s Charles Kabore fight for the ball during an African Cup of Nations match in Equatorial Guinea. --Photo AP

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (AP) -- Tiger Woods laughed at the question and it was hard to blame him. He was asked that day if he would have to learn how to win again the longer he failed to get in the hunt.

“No,” he said, breaking into a confident smile. Woods didn’t even let the reporter finish a follow-up question, smiling while shaking his head. “No, no, no.”

Woods had won 82 times around the world, including 14 majors. In the 47 tournaments that he had the outright lead going into the final round, only four players had managed to beat him. This was golf’s ultimate closer.

But this also was a new world for Woods. In the 12 months since his personal life came crashing down, he not only failed to win, he was never in serious contention. On this occasion, the 2010 Australian Masters, he made two eagles on the last four holes to turn an ordinary round into a 65 and back his way into fourth place

Three weeks later, Woods blew a four-shot lead in the final round of the Chevron World Challenge and lost in a playoff to Graeme McDowell. He later attributed that to being able to hit only one shot - a draw - while in the early stages of a swing overhaul.

A year later, when his health returned, Woods had a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the Australian Open and shot 75, falling six shots behind and never catching up. And then on Sunday in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, he was tied for the 54-hole lead with Robert Rock and couldn’t compete with an Englishman who was No 117 in the world and had one career victory.

One shot behind when he made the turn, Woods didn’t make a single birdie on the back nine. Not to be overlooked was his win at the Chevron World Challenge two months ago, when he started the final round one shot behind Zach Johnson and birdied the last two holes for a one-shot victory.

It was an important win because it meant something to Woods, yet it was hard not to notice how much harder he had to work to get it. Woods is still not there. He never thought winning was easy, but he used to make it look that way.

So what to make of Abu Dhabi? As usual, it’s best not to jump to conclusions about Woods. Even back in more peaceful times, there were whispers that he was in a slump to start the 2001 season. He failed to win his first five tournaments, then went to Dubai and lost a one-shot lead

to Thomas Bjorn, hitting into the water and making double bogey on his last hole.

“A lot of people are talking about Tiger being in a slump and he’s not doing the right things,” Bjorn said that day. “The guy is playing fantastic golf. He just hasn’t won in the last couple of weeks.”

Not years. Not months. Weeks. Sure enough, Woods won his next three tournaments, capping it off at the Masters for an unprecedented sweep of the majors.

Expectations always will be higher for Woods for no other reason than his record was so astounding from the outset. After that loss to Bjorn until the 2009 PGA Championship, he was 25-0 with the outright lead going into the final round.

Over the course of a career, it’s bound to even out a little. And remember, there was one year when Woods twice lost tournaments when he had at least a share of the lead going into the final round. That was in 2000, when many believe he was at the top of his game.

Winning, though, is more important than ever now. Woods no longer has that aura of invincibility. That will only return if he starts winning with regularity, and it doesn’t matter whether he beats Robert Rock or Rory McIlroy.

Woods needs to teach himself how to win again

Tiger Woods plays a bunker shot on the 10th hole at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday. --Photo AP

VANCOUVER (Xinhua) -- The United States women beat their Canadian counterparts with a dominant 4-0 victory on Sunday in the final game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament.

With both sides earlier securing the two spots available for this summer’s London Olympics at the eight-nation CONCACAF region tournament, the top-ranked Americans, the gold medal winner at the 2008 Beijing Games, went through the tournament with a 5-0-0 record without surrendering a goal.

Host Canada, seventh in the FIFA world ranking, finished the tournament 4-1-0. The Americans struck early as star striker Abby Wambach headed a Carli Lloyd cross that a charging Alex Morgan converted on a run-on in the fourth minute.

Wambach then hit for her fifth and sixth goals of the tournament, respectively in the 24th and 28th minutes.

The two goals gave her 131 in 171 caps, moving her to second among the all-time international scoring leaders, past compatriot Kristine Lilly.

The 31-year-old great, who was sat by US coach Pia Sundhage in the second half, is now only 27 goals behind American icon Mia Hamm’s all-time mark of 158 goals.

With a 3-0 lead to start the second half, American forward Lauren Cheney blasted a long ball from midfield that found a streaking Morgan who split the defence in the 56th minute to close out the scoring. After initially getting stopped by goalkeeper Erin Katrina McLeod, Morgan battled through some sloppy Canadian defence and scored on a turnaround to make it 4-0.

The Canadians had several chances to break keeper Hope Solo’s five-game shutout streak, most notably in the 44th minute when Christina Julian was stopped on a breakaway as the American

keeper deflected the ball wide to the left of the net.

Christine Sinclair, Canada’s star striker who finished with a tournament-high nine goals, was largely kept in check and seldom looked dangerous against the tight American defence.

With Morgan making her first start of the tournament as the Americans went with a 4-4-2 formation, the veteran Wambach had nothing but praise for the 22-year-old who plays with the Western New York Flash in the Women’s Pro Soccer league.

“We definitely play really well together,” said Wambach. “Her skill set is, I think, completely opposite of mine and that just makes for a nightmare for any defences. She’s so fast, and not only is she fast she’s strong on the ball. If it’s a 50-50 challenge, especially when it’s a goal scoring opportunity, she’s likely to win it, and likely to get at least an opportunity or a shot on frame.”

US women close out Olympic soccer qualifying

Vientiane Times24SportWednesday February 1, 2012

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Despite starring in his comeback match after more than two years out, English spinner Monty Panesar is still hurting from the 72-run loss that sealed a test series victory for Pakistan.

Panesar took 6-62 for England to be set 145 to win the second test on Saturday and level the three-match series, but Pakistan dismissed the visitors for 72 in 36.1 overs on the fourth day. England lost the first test inside three days by 10 wickets at Dubai, the venue of the last test starting Friday.

“I’m still hurting from the loss,” Panesar said on Monday. “It would be nice to get some wickets but I would rather have a none-for and see England win. I want my performances to contribute to England winning and be part of a successful England team.” England needs to win the third match to ensure it takes the US$175,000 jackpot awarded to the team finishing on top of the ICC rankings on April 1 each year.

Panesar’s previous test was against Australia at Cardiff, Wales, during the 2009 Ashes series. England surprisingly didn’t include Panesar in the first test despite the left-armer doing well in a warm-up match. Captain Andrew Strauss included him in the second test after seeing Pakistan left-armer Abdur

Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong

In this year’s U-16 opening match on Saturday at the Chao Anouvong Stadium in Vientiane, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport’s (MPWT) football team, who were League One champions in 2011, will face off against the Lao Airlines squad.

Qualified to play in League One again this year, the MPWT team will have the opportunity to defend their title.

In contrast, it will be the first time the Lao Airlines team has played in League One.

The MPWT U-16 team took second place in the football competition last year, with the Ministry of Public Security team taking the title.

The MPWT side was coached by ministry official Mr Somsak Keodala.

Mr Somsak said Lao Airlines and the ministry agreed that the U-16 teams should be allowed to compete in League One this year, and the Lao Football Federation approved their participation.

At the 2011 League One competitions in the second leg, the MPWT FC

was supported by the Lao Airlines FC.

Mr Somsak said Lao Airlines FC comprised young footballers in U-16 including former MPWT FC players, whom they hoped to train to League One level this year.

The MPWT team will have a tough battle against the Lao Airlines side on Saturday.

Also on Saturday,

Pheuanphatthana FC will take on Ezra FC, and Police FC will play Lao-American College FC.

On Sunday, it’s Army FC vs Lao Lanxang FC and Eastern Star FC vs Vientiane FC. This year’s League One comprises 10 clubs, including the MPWT FC, Lao Airlines FC, Police FC, Ezra FC, Army FC, Pheuanphatthana FC,

Lao-American College FC, Lao Lanxang FC, Eastern Star FC and Vientiane FC.

Last year the Lao Football Federation presented the League One champion and the second and third placed teams with cash prizes. The same will apply this year.

The women’s League Championships will be held at the end of the month.

MPWT to take on Lao Airlines in U-16 League opener

A Lao Airlines’ player (centre) retrieves the ball from a Police player in an U-16 match at Chao Anouvong Stadium last year.

Panesar still hurting from England’s series defeat

Rehman troubling batsmen on the slow pitch of Dubai.

Panesar finished the first innings with 1-91, but was unlucky when James Anderson dropped Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq early in the first innings. But surprisingly, Panesar took the blame for allowing Pakistan to score 257.

“Maybe I let the team down in the first innings, where I didn’t take wickets at a quick enough rate,” he said. “Swanny kind of carried me, helping me out and made me feel part of the team, and it’s nice to bowl with him and bowl in tandem.”

Pakistan spinners Saeed Ajmal (17), Rehman (12) and Mohammad Hafeez (5) have captured 34 out of the 40 English wickets in the two tests.

“With conditions out here, the Pakistani bowlers maybe had more of the luck with the conditions, playing on a fourth-innings track with some cracks,” Panesar said. Pakistan is favored to clinch its first ever 3-0 series win against England, but Panesar is hopeful England can hit back. “We’re trying to put everything behind us and trying to look forward to the third test,” he said. “Pakistan have played good cricket out here. The guys have been tested, but we all really want to put on a good show and produce a good result.”

Vientiane Times 25

Read more news at www.vientianetimes.org.la Wednesday February 1, 2012

Business Vientiane TimesIn

side Singapore

unemployment hits 14-year low, 120,000 jobs created[PAGE B2]

Lao, French firms ink services agreement[PAGE B3]

No holiday cheer for housing sales[PAGE B4]

Exchange rates as of January 31, 2012Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao

Foreign Currencies Buying Selling

US Dollar 50-100

Thai Baht

Euro 50-500

7,984

257.61

10,489

8,018

258.90

10,541

Fuel pricesLocation Regular DieselVientiane 10,600 9,520Khammuan 10,640 9,570Savannakhet 10,650 9,570Champassak 10,640 9,590Bokeo 10,730 9,650Xieng Khuang 10,860 9,750

Ministry of Industry and Commerce 856 21 990115

Times Reporters

Before Laos joins the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 2015, cement producers must overhaul their marketing policy or they will not survive.

Vientiane Industry and Commerce Department officials point out that imported cement is cheaper than the cement that is produced in Laos. If this situation continues, it will pose a serious challenge when Lao cement factories go head to head with overseas producers in 2015, when cheap imported cement will flow freely into the country.

At present, the government limits the amount of cement that can be imported in order to protect Lao producers. This enables Lao cement factories to sell the product for a high price, especially as the construction industry is booming.

A cement factory in Khammuan province has called on the government to immediately stop importing cement from Thailand,

saying the imports are hurting their sales volume.

The factory has 20,000 tonnes of cement ready for distribution and another 100,000 tonnes of unpackaged cement in its warehouse, so it is not appropriate for the government to import foreign products, the company said in a media statement published on January 22.

Since the end of last year, the Vientiane authorities have imported about 16,000 tonnes of cement to counter the short supply in the capital.

Vientiane Times has learnt that disruptions to distribution between the factory in Khammuan province and sales agents in Vientiane have contributed to the short supply of cement in the capital. This has driven the price of cement above 780,000 kip per tonne, despite the fact that the approved wholesale price is 710,000 kip.

The factory’s call to the government to halt imports is a

Reform or die, cement producers warnedstrong signal that the industry must reform its marketing policy before Laos joins the AFTA in 2015.

A company official admitted changes were necessary to ensure sufficient supply for the Vientiane market.

One of the reasons for the high price of Lao-produced cement is that the factory has to import charcoal from Vietnam for use in processing.

The Vientiane Industry and Commerce Department’s Domestic Trade Division Chief, Mr Nouman Phothisane, said every Lao business must prepare for stiffer competition when Laos opens up its doors to imports in 2015.

He pointed out that it would be impossible for the government to protect domestic firms as this would infringe AFTA regulations.

Under AFTA policy, all Asean members must cut import tariffs to zero. This is intended to create a single Asean production base and market, where goods, capital and labour can flow freely.

BRUSSELS (Xinhua) -- European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said Monday that EU leaders at the summit called for clinching a deal between Greece and its lenders on cutting its debt by the end of the week.

“We welcome the progress made in the negotiations with the private sector. We count on the Greek authorities and the (EU-IMF) troika to agree on the steps to put the current programme back on track,” Van Rompuy said at a press conference after the summit.

“We urge the Greek authorities and all parties involved to finalise negotiations on the new programme in the coming days. Restorations of credibility requires that all political parities irrevocably commit to the new program,” Van Rompuy said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to placate critics of a German proposal to put Greece under the supervision of an EU commissar, saying Europe must help Greece enact economic reforms.

Asked on the German proposal, Merkel told journalists at Monday’s EU summit that the debate must be on “how Europe can help Greece accomplish the tasks given to it.”

“One must find ways through more action from the Greek government, through more contributions from private creditors, for example, to close this gap,” Merkel said. “That is being negotiated now.”

German officials last week proposed the idea of appointing a

European “budget commissioner” by the 16 other eurozone finance ministers that could veto budget decisions made by Athens.

Greece rejected the proposal outright, with Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos saying on Sunday that “bigger nations” shouldn’t force Greece to confront a “dilemma of ‘economic assistance or national dignity.’”

However, Greece’s EU partners are still waiting for the country to meet tough fiscal targets. Greece and its private creditors said Saturday that they expect to complete a deal in coming days after bondholders signaled they would accept European government demands for a bigger cut in their debt holdings.

Greek debt restructuring aims to bring its debt down to 120 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020. Euro zone governments agreed last year on the second bailout package of 130 billion euros (US$171 billion) for Greece, which asked Greek private creditors to accept a 50 percent reduction in the value of their holdings of Greek debt.

Merkel had said that Greece will not receive its next batch of bailout cash unless the terms of the private sector involvement are agreed very soon.

Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schauble warned Monday that the eurozone might refuse to grant Greece a fresh bailout, urging Greece to show that it can overhaul its economy.

EU leaders call for quick Greek debt reduction deal

German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A cement factory in Vangvieng district, Vientiane province.

Vientiane Times26b 2 Wednesday February 1, 2012

EDL-Gen volumes continue to outperformAnother fine day’s turnover was recorded yesterday. Healthy volumes of 87K shares crossed for 415M/kip (US$52K). Trading was very routinely and very orderly yesterday, as stocks took turns to trade.

But it was EDL-Gen that again bullishly dominated the volumes trading.

BCEL dropped 50 kip yesterday causing the index in the third session to fall to 928.01 points. EDL-Gen reversed that with a second day’s gain, when it rose another 50 kip, finding support at 4,450 kip. That pushed the index into positive territory to close up 7.69 points (+1 percent) on 936.81 points.

Markets dig themselves into holes, but recoverGlobal Markets: Headlines have stopped driving markets the past week or so. As they say no news (negative headwinds) is bad news for markets. Markets opened in the red in big holes until the indexes turned in late trading. Asia had a positive day yesterday.

• Stocks Monday and yesterday were at par and fought hard to erase losses. The Dow lost for the 5th time in six sessions by Monday’s close.

• The Greek default is still troublesome. One day its boring reports are that it (the Greek great debt deal) is all resolved, but the next day’s report says forget that report, because things have been rejected. March 20 is D day (the date the default or repayment of bonds is due).

• The US dollar made small gains Monday as commodities, precious metals (Gold US$1629) and most currencies lost ¼ to ½ percent overnight Monday. The US dollar index hovered at 78.50 (the benchmark is 80 points).

• US and European indexes dug themselves into holes Monday before recovering but they still failed to make any gains as they flatlined a little in the red.

• Copper having a good Q1 retreated from US$8,600 to US$8,450, (US$3.70/ lb) but that’s still a great result, well above the 90 day moving average. PanAust PNA.ASX moved to AU$3.50 and we remain bullish on the stock particularly until April 2012.

• The €uro is at a high US$1.31, the GB pound is at a high 1.56 and the Aussie at a high US$1.05-6. The next big test for the Aussie rests after lunch on Feb. 7. The RBA interest announcement is due then with a 1 in 3 chance of a 25 basis points interest rate reduction occurring. Forex traders hedging bets are shorting the AUD commodity currency post April 2012. Many analysts predict the Aussie dollar will pull back and reverse to around US$0.95c late 2012.• Figures released Monday showed the cost of US private high school education (in 12th grade) over a 40 week school year averaged a prohibitive if not obscene figure of more than US$36K or US$912 per week.

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times) -- Singapore’s unemployment rate was brought to a 14-year low with the creation of 121,300 jobs in 2011. However, layoffs also increased substantially in the last three months of 2011, according to preliminary estimates from the Manpower Ministry.

For the whole of 2011, the services sector added 95,100 workers, and the construction sector added 22,200.

Manufacturing added 2,900 jobs as gains of 4,800 jobs in the first nine months of 2011 offset the 1,900 job losses there in the last three months. Some 3,600 workers lost their jobs between October and December last year, almost double the 1,960 jobs lost in the previous three months.

Two in three jobs created, or 79,800, went to foreigners in response to strong manpower demand, said the Manpower Ministry. Local

employment grew by 36,600 in 2011 ‘with slower resident population growth and most economically active residents already employed’, it said.

The unemployment rate in December 2011 was unchanged from three months ago at 2 percent. The rate is 2.9 percent for citizens and permanent residents, and 3 percent for citizens only. These rates are the lowest recorded in 14 years.

Singapore unemployment hits 14-year low, 120,000 jobs created

Singapore’s unemployment rate was brought to a 14-year low with the creation of 121,300 jobs in 2011.

WASHINGTON (Xinhua) -- The US Treasury Department announced Monday that the federal government expected to borrow US$644 billion from the market to fund its operation in the first half of this year, fresh evidence of the budgetary pressure facing the world’s largest economy.

“During the January-March 2012 quarter, Treasury expects to issue US$444 billion in net marketable debt, assuming an end- of-March cash balance of US$30 billion. This borrowing estimate is US$97 billion lower than announced in October 2011,” the Treasury said in a statement.

The Treasury forecast that US$200 billion will be issued in net marketable debt during the April-June quarter this year, assuming an end-of-June

cash balance of US$90 billion, noted the statement.

US federal budget deficit hit almost US$1.3 trillion in fiscal year 2011 ending in September 2011. The red ink of the federal government budget reached the historic high level of US$1.41 trillion in fiscal year 2009 to fight the financial crisis.

“During the October-December 2011 quarter, Treasury issued US$310 billion in net marketable debt, and ended the quarter with a cash balance of 86 billion dollars,” according to the statement.

Due to the financial crisis and shrinking revenue, borrowings of the US federal government surged over the past three years and the trend will continue this year.

Experts held that the US economy could outperform most advanced economies in the euro area, but the unsustainable federal budgetary trajectory and still weak labour market caused uncertainties for business investment and household consumption. The US economy was facing a string of challenges, including the slowdown in growth overseas, particularly in Europe, and the threat of further fiscal contraction at all levels of the US government, Janice Eberly, Assistant Treasury Secretary for Economic Policy, said in a separate statement released Monday.

“At this critical juncture, we need to remain consistent in our support for the recovery,” stressed Eberly.

US federal gov’t to borrow US$644 bln

INDONESIA (The Jakarta Post) -- Local manufacturers will be ready to produce conversion kits starting from April to allow vehicles to use gas under possible technical assistance from Korean and Italian manufacturers with specific expertise, a minister says.

Industry Minister Ms Hidayat said on Monday in Jakarta that he had explored the possibility of cooperating with Korean firm Dymco and Italian firm Landi Renzo during his recent visit to the countries. Korean manufacturers produced around 34,000 units of conversion kits for public vehicles in the country, while Italian manufacturers exported their kits to more than 60 countries worldwide, he said.

“Both of them have expressed their readiness to

produce the conversion kits in Indonesia by joining with local manufacturers. We are considering that option,” he told reporters at his office.

Hidayat further said that production of the kits would be carried out by state-owned firms, such as aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and engineering and construction firm Wijaya Karya.

The government plans in April to limit the use of subsidised fuel by private car owners in Java and Bali, followed by other islands in the upcoming years. Owners of private cars are encouraged to use non-subsidised fuels or gas-based fuel — liquefied gas for vehicles (LGV) or compressed natural gas (CNG) — which will prompt them to install conversion kits

State firms to team up with foreign producersto enable cars to run on gas.

Hidayat said that his ministry was preparing technical and operational details to support the production and installation of the planned conversion kits initially in April, including specific standards for certification of engineer sets to be launched soon.

According to Hidayat, due to limited local production, at the initial stages of providing the conversion kits, Indonesia will need to first import them from Korean or Italian manufacturers.

“During the first phase we will need around 250,000 units. While local producers look into their [production] capacity, we will import. However, I target that after six months, our national production must increase,” he said.

Vientiane Times 27

Continued from last issue

IN BRIEF

Wednesday February 1, 2012 b 3


UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build a better life

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT FOR INTERNATIONALAssistant Resident Representative (ARR)for the Governance Unit at P-4 Level, FTA

Contract 12 months – Renewable BackgroundUNDP is seeking an international Assistant Resident Representative to lead the governance team of UNDP in strategic planning designed to enhance the effectiveness of UNDP’s activities in the areas of public administration; decentralization; legal sector; parliament support; Civil Society Organization (CSO) development and anti-corruption.

Duties and responsibilities• CoordinateandprovidesubstantivecontributionsfromUNDPinstrategicdocuments• Promotethematicandsectoralsynergiesandcoordinationofprogrammeactivitiesandexecution• Support management on governance programme development and delivery, and ensure that the

programme is relavant and responsive to changes in the country context• Focusonresultsandimpactwithregardinparticulartotheinstitutionalandindividualcapacitybuilding

activities under his/her portfolio• EnsureeffectivemanagementoftheGovernanceUnitandsupervisionoftheunitmembersfocusingon

quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation• Ensureprovisionoftopqualitypolicyadviceservicestothegovernmentanddevelopmentpartners.• ContributetotheintegrationofUNDP’sgovernancerelatedinitiativeswithinthebroaderprogrammeof

the UN• Ensurecoordinationwithandprovidesubstantiveinputsongovernancerelatedmatterstothegovernment-

led sector working group. Competencies• Promotesthevision,missionandstrategicgoalsofUNDP• Soundunderstandingoflocalculture,politicalanddevelopmentcontext• In-depthpracticalknowledgeofgovernanceandinter-disciplinarydevelopmentissues• Abilitytoleadstrategicplanning,results-basedmanagementandreporting• Abilitytoleadformulation,implementation,monitoringandevaluationofdevelopmentprogrammeand

project• BuildsstrongrelationshipswithclientsQualifications and experience• Advanceduniversitydegree(Master’s)inpoliticalscience,publicadministration,publicpolicy,international

development, or other relevant field• Minimum seven years experience with a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization or a

relevant field in a multi-cultural setting• Knowledge of governance including public administration, parliamentary democracy, justice,

decentralization and human rights with respect to capacity building for democratic governance, service delivery and poverty reduction.

• StrongoralandwrittenEnglishcommunicationskills• Excellent interpersonal and positive attitude towards working with host country national staff and

government officials

This UNDP Fixed Term Appointment is based in the UNDP Country Office in Vientiane.

Detailed job description available in the Human Resources Office and http://www.undplao.org/vacancies/

The applicants are required to Apply Online via the website abovePlease apply by 03 February 2012 to:

Telephone: (856-21) 267777 or Fax: (856-21) 267799Female candidates are encouraged to apply

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview

Lao PDR

JAPAN (The Yomiuri Shimbun) -- Exxon Mobil Corp.’s sale of its majority share in TonenGeneral Sekiyu K.K. is part of the energy giant’s global strategy of promoting highly profitable resource development and reducing its less lucrative refining and sales division.

Due to the dwindling demand for gasoline and other oil products throughout Japan, Exxon’s move may spur further reorganization within the industry, including the merger or abolition of refineries.

Exxon is one of the top energy companies in the United States and Europe. It has acquired rights to develop oil and gas fields around the world, with operations stretching from production to sales.

The oil and gas industry is divided into several sections, with the “upstream sector” referring to the recovery and production of crude, while the “downstream sector,” which is less profitable, refers to the refinement of primary resources and the operation of gas stations.

Therefore, major energy corporations in the West have sought to develop new resources, such as shale gas, a type of natural gas found in hard rock, and oil sand, which is sandstone containing small quantities of crude oil.

One factor causing this push is the rapidly increasing demand for natural gas in Japan following the outbreak

Oil above US$99 in Asia on Europe’s austerity move KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Oil rose above US$99 a barrel Tuesday in Asia in sync with gains in regional equity markets after Europe took measures to battle its debt crisis.Benchmark crude for February delivery was up US$1 at US$99.78 a barrel at midday Kuala Lumpur time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

German unemployment rises in January BERLIN (AP) -- The Federal Labor Agency says Germany’s unemployment is back over 7 percent, after jumping 0.7 percentage points in January as winter hits certain industries such as construction.The unadjusted jobless rate was up to 7.3 percent from 6.6 percent in December, the agency said Tuesday. The number of people registered as unemployed rose 302,000 to 3,082,000.

ICICI Bank profit up 20 pct, bad loans down MUMBAI, India (AP) -- India’s ICICI Bank reported net profit growth of 20 percent Tuesday, as it shed non-performing loans and boosted interest income.India’s largest private sector lender earned 17.3 billion rupees (US$325 million) in the December quarter, up from 14.4 billion rupees during the year ago quarter, beating expectations.

Banco Santander sees Q4 profit slide after charge MADRID (AP) – Spain’s Banco Santander saw its fourth-quarter profits plunged 98 percent after it took a €1.8 billion (US$2.4 billion) charge to protect its Spanish real estate portfolio, and as it set aside cash to cover bad loans.Europe’s largest bank by market capitalization said Tuesday it earned €47 million for the quarter that ended in December, down from €2.1 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Honda sees sharp drop in profit on Thai floods TOKYO (AP) -- Battered by the strong yen and supply disruptions from Thailand’s floods, Honda said Tuesday that its net earnings in the October-December quarter tumbled 41 percent to 47.6 billion yen (US$625 million) and projected a sharply lower full-year profit. It’s been a tough year for the Japanese automobile and motorcycle maker.

Phonsavanh Vongsay

A world leader in remote site services from France, Sodexo Laos PVT Sole Co Ltd, signed a joint venture contract with the KP Group Co Ltd of Laos yesterday regarding closer cooperation in event management and catering services.

“We see a lot of potential in the area, especially for future projects in Laos in the mining, healthcare, education and manufacturing sectors,” said Senior Vice President of Sodexo Asia Pacific, Mr Laurent Auzanneau.

“What we want to do is provide catering services in the healthcare sector for both hospitals and private clinics, as well as expand into the areas of education and facility management,” Mr Auzanneau said as the two parties signed off on the agreement.

KP Group Chairman Mr Khemsath Philaphandeth said “Our joint venture

will involve business services cooperation in food distribution, housekeeping, and other services, especially in the health care sector.”

“KP will help Sodexo with supply chain management and will import and supply goods to Sodexo,” Mr Khemsath said.

Sodexo has already demonstrated their future business direction, in terms of the localisation of services like laundry and housekeeping. It currently supplies produce and provides logistical support to a number of mining projects in Laos.

Sodexo is confident its partnership with KP will pave the way for increased business expansion in Laos, which is experiencing rapid economic growth in line with its neighbours. The government is also expanding fiscal and monetary reforms, promoting private enterprises and foreign investment, and strengthening the banking sector, which is generating greater investor

certainty in Laos.In the short term the

companies will be targeting the significant presence of the mining and hydroelectric industries in Laos, which rely on remote site management expertise. They will also focus on education and government markets, where there is also significant growth potential.

KP has a varied portfolio of interests and has worked with major organisations from outside Southeast Asia, such as Bridgestone, Unilver and

Lao, French firms ink services agreement

Mr Laurent Auzanneau (left) shakes hands with Mr Khemsath Philaphandeth after signing the agreement. --Photo Khamphanh

Philips, Mr Auzanneau said. “I am confident this partnership will benefit both our great companies,” he added.

Sodexo Laos began operations in May 2005, and specialises in providing catering, laundry and other services for the men and women working on remote sites.

Sodexo commenced operation in France in 1966. It designs, manages and delivers comprehensive service solutions, including technical facilities, energy,

clinical technology, food, landscaping and housekeeping management services, and employee benefits such as restaurant, childcare and gift pass services.

KP was established in 1940, focusing on imports and distribution. Its rapid success attracted different business groups who became shareholders and trade partners and widened their offering, including goods distribution, automotive, industry, logistics, and information technology.

Exxon eyes developing resourcesof the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. This is expected to cause growth in global natural gas production.

Exxon has already reduced its refining and sales divisions in the United States and Southeast Asia.

It sold its shares in the oil distributor Kygnus Sekiyu K. K. via TonenGeneral in Japan in 2004. It also sold its shares in Nansei Sekiyu K.K., which operates an oil refinery in Okinawa Prefecture, to Brazil’s state-run Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., known as Petrobras, in 2008.

An increasing number of Japanese oil refinery and distribution companies have also scaled down their business operations. This is because their oil manufacturing capability reached an excessive level due to a decline in the demand for oil products, partly caused by economic slowdown, an aging population and the increasing popularity of fuel-efficient cars. The 27 refineries in Japan owned by oil distributors were capable of processing about 4.5 million barrels of crude oil per day, as of the end of September.

But the average daily amount of oil processed was about 3.6 million barrel in 2010, only 77 percent of the supply capability.

According to the Natural Resources and Energy Agency, demand in 2014 is likely to drop by more than 30 percent compared to 2009.

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Vientiane Times28 Wednesday February 1, 2012b 4

The Advanced Diploma of Managementis being held at Vientiane International School

by The ETAS Group

CULTIVATING MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCEREWARDS BUSINESS

The Advanced Diploma of Management is an internationally recognized qualificationproviding your staff with the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge required to achieve management excellence within your organization.

This highly relevant qualification enables participants to develop effective skills inmanagement and leadership, organizational development, risk management andstakeholder communication. Your leaders will be equipped to facilitate best practice within your organization and participate effectively within an international business environment.

ETAS Group will develop a customized training package specific to the needs of your staff, workplace and organization. The trainers deliver engaging, dynamic and innovative programs, integrating the very latest in management theory and practical workplaceapplications.

There will be 4- 5 workshops over the 12 month period, held at VIS in the afternoon from 3-6pm. The trainers will visit you specifically at your workplace as well.

All participants must be fluent in written and spoken English.To express an interest in the course or if you have any other questions, please contact either Mr Greg Smith [email protected] or Ms Bryndis Chapman [email protected]

Chief Executive Officer of Datacom Mr Thanongsinh Kanlagna (left) last Wednesday stands with Dell Country Manager Ms Lertluk Kunlasutti (right) in Vientiane at an event to introduce Dell’s up to date IT services. Customers were entertained with a lucky draw, games, and musical performances.

BEIJING (China Daily) – China’s housing market had a bleak week during the Lunar New Year holiday, with many cities seeing few transactions.

In Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong province, 19 new properties were sold from January 22 to 27, a 59.6 percent year-on-year fall.

In Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang province, only one property was sold during the holiday, local media reported.

In Nanjing, Jiangsu province, 35 home transactions were recorded during the week, a five-year low. In the city, 270 properties were sold during the holiday in 2007 and 39 in 2011.

Media reported that Beijing’s market had its chilliest winter ever, without a single transaction during the holiday.

But a publicity officer with the Beijing municipal commission of housing and urban-rural development told China Daily that the suspension of the agency’s official website during the holiday meant there were no transactions recorded. Housing buyers and sellers in the capital must complete their transactions through the website.

Many real estate agents in the capital said most of their staff members were off duty during the holiday because it’s usually a slow season for housing deals.

“Our manager just asked one of my colleagues to stay in

the office during the holiday because it’s a low season. I only received one call from a client asking to see housing units when I was at home during the holiday,” said Ma Jinguo, a broker with 5i5j Real Estate Service Co in Beijing.

Liu Yuan, a senior analyst with Centaline, a property agent, said the month in which the Spring Festival falls is always the slowest month of the year.

“Everyone goes home for the holidays and many developers suspend business during the holiday. Moreover, prospective buyers are taking a wait-and-see attitude since the market’s prospects are unclear this year,” he said.

Liu said although housing prices in some cities had eased, many people who have a genuine need to buy are still waiting for further declines, especially if the government takes further measures to curtail speculative buying.

An announcement from the State Council in January 2011 banned any family that already owned two housing units from buying a third one. Authorities also raised the down payment requirements for mortgages on second-home purchases.

At the same time, the government started to build 10 million housing units for low-income families in 2011 and promised to build more in the future.

Thanks to those measures, 52 out of 70 major cities saw month-on-month declines in new housing prices in December, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

No holiday cheer for housing sales

A real estate agent waits for clients in Beijing on Sunday.

HANOI, Vietnam (VNS) -- PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power) targeted 10,000MW in power output by 2015, equal to the entire output by major power company EVN, said Vu Huy Quang, the corporation director general.

The corporation would also develop production of clean energy, he said at a recent press conference.

PV Power plans to churn out nearly 16 billion kWh this year, about 2.6 billion kWh more than last year, the company announced. The boost was expected to earn VND21.2 trillion (US$1

billion) in revenue, a 10 percent increase against last year. Before-tax profit was estimated to reach VND813 billion (US$39 million), a year-on-year increase of 65 percent.

PV Power estimates show it would likely contribute VND528 billion (US$25.1 million) to the State budget.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich, the corporation’s deputy director general, said that it needed more than VND4 trillion (US$190.5 million) in investment to expand its power factories this year, slightly lower than last year’s VND4.8 trillion. In the face of the economic crisis, it was not easy to arrange the

capital, she said.“Although the corporation

met with many difficulties due to the crisis last year, it still churned out 13.4 billion kWh, up 7 percent against the target set by the holding company – the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam),” she said. The achievement reflected the corporation’s great efforts because many electricity projects faced bottlenecks due to limited financial resources and poor quality of gas, she added. One major difficulty was that EVN owed PV Power up to VND14 trillion (US$667 million) for power supplies, she said.

Power firm targets higher output

Vientiane Times 29

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Vientiane Times 31Wednesday February 1, 2012 Classifieds C 3

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Vientiane Times32C 4 Classifieds Wednesday February 1, 2012

01.02.2012

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