Vientiane province should be on alert for more flooding: PM Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong last Friday told flood

victims and local authorities in Vientiane province to be ready to evacuate and prepare properties for further flooding. The prime minister made the comment during a visit to two villages in Kasy district and two villages in Vangvieng district, which experienced flooding due to tropical storm Haima at the end of last month. Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Prof. Dr Bosengkham Vongdara and Minister of Public Works and Transport Mr Sommad Pholsena accompanied the prime minister on his visit. On behalf of the government, we are sad to hear that the tropical storm and flooding last month destroyed the properties of people in Vientiane province. We are also worried about the possibility of further flooding because it's still raining, Mr Thongsing said. Everyone should always stay alert to transport their belongings and family members to higher ground. They should also closely monitor weather forecasts given by radio, television and newspapers. Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong advises residents of Vientiane province to follow weather forecasts, while Minister Sommad Pholsena and Minister Bosengkham Vongdara listen in.

The government has agreed to provide 50 million kip to Vientiane province to help with relief efforts. Mr Thongsing said local residents should help each other to repair houses, as well as roads and bridges damaged by the floodwater, so access can be restored to villages. Your province is luckier than Xayaboury, Xieng Khuang and Borikhamxay, where houses and other property suffered severe damage in last month's storm, which also caused the deaths of seven people in Xieng Khuang, he said. Houses in Borikhamxay province were also facing heavy flooding from the rising water levels of the Nam Ngiep and Nam Xan, he added. The prime minister said the total cost of damage in Xayaboury amounted to 98 billion kip, and the government is working to help all affected provinces. Head of Kasy district's Phokham village, Mr Souksan Inthavong, reported on the damage caused by the storm to the prime minister and his team. The village has 124 houses, 149 families and 738 people on total land of 172.95 hectares, of which 102 hectares are rice fields or are used to grow other crops. Our village was affected by the tropical storm from June 24 to 27, when 44 houses belonging to 47 families were flooded, and nine poultry and four pigs were killed. In addition, 75 hectares of rice fields and 17 water levees were destroyed, while people are suffering from diarrhoea, flu a nd other illnesses brought about by floodwaters, he said. Director of Vientiane province's Labour and Social Welfare Department, Mr Sinuan Feangphimthong, said authorities are currently collecting information to evaluate the total cost of the storm damage. We can confirm that two people in Xaysomboun district and one child in Hom district died during the floods, he said. In addition to visiting Phokham village, Mr Thongsing and his team visited Nathean village in Kasy district and Vangxong and Khanmak villages in Vangvieng district. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare provided victims with essential supplies, including instant noodles, canned fish, drinking water and medicines.

By Panyasith Thammavongsa (Latest Update July 04, 2011) US$44m needed for governance reform The government will spend US$8 million on the Governance and Public Administration Reform (GPAR) Programme for 2011-15, according to a senior government official on Friday. But this amount falls far short of the US$44 million needed to operate the programme, so the government has called on development partners to extend their support to the new nationwide GPAR programme. Representatives from government ministries, the National Assembly and development partners met in Vientiane on Friday to discuss how to put the programme into practice over the next five years. Minister of Education and Sports Dr Phankham Viphavanh said the governance reform project has helped bolster the strategies of the Party and state, particularly in administration and the national socio-economic development plan. When I look back at the series of GPAR projects that were set up at the Prime Minister's Office and in the provinces in 2001, I am very encouraged by the results they have achieved, he said. GPAR was envisaged to be a broad platform driving a wide range of reforms, reflecting the deep understanding of the inter-related nature of steps required to build a modern state and to ensure optimal relationships and interaction between state and society.

Dr Phankham said governance aimed to strengthen state structures, decision-making processes, policy making, capacity building, information dissemination, styles of leadership and relations between state and people, ensuring that state services respond to the needs of the public in a timely manner. He urged development partners to continue their support for the GPAR programme for 2011-15 to ensure good governance and better delivery of state services to the public. According to a press release from the meeting, human resource development to upgrade the competence of officials at the national and sub-national levels in management, governance regulations and systems is vital to accelerate human and econom ic development in Laos. Minister to the Government Office and Chairperson of the Public Administration and Civil Service Authority Ms Bounpheng Mounphoxay said the government attaches great importance to governance reform to ensure effective administration, transparency and more responsibility to the public. It is not enough if the competencies of a thousand civil servants in Vientiane are improved we need effective systems and administration even more in the provinces and districts, to better serve all Lao people and to eliminate poverty. Last week's meeting also discussed the imminent establishment of the national Leading Committee for Governance Reform to guide and support the implementation of the GPAR programme. The GPAR programme and the Strategic Plan on Governance for 2011-15 will play a major role in achieving the four breakthrough approaches of the Party and the goals of the Seventh National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2011-15. The programme will also contribute to the government's efforts in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and Laos's graduation from least developed country status by 2020.

By Somsack Pongkhao (Latest Update July 04, 2011) Second round of flooding hits central Laos Borikhan district in Borikhamxay province, central Laos, was under water again on Saturday, only a week after flooding first hit the district on June 24. Flash flooding was reported over the weekend after a period of sustained heavy rain hit the northern provinces causing the Nam Xan River to burst its banks, inundating 31 of the 46 villages in Borikhan district. No deaths or injuries have been reported. Meanwhile, the Meteorology and Hydrology Department in Vientiane issued a flood warning on Saturday for the Xebangfay River, to keep villagers on alert and ready to move to higher ground if necessary. Authorities are also concerned about the rising water level in the Mekong which will prolong flooding in areas along its tributaries. If the Mekong rises to the same level as that of its flooded tributaries, the situation will worsen. Borikhan district Governor Mr Ken Lormany said if the Mekong continues to rise, flooding will not only occur in Borikhan but also in Paksan district, causing more damage. The villagers' biggest need is for clean water, as most of the water delivery system has been damaged. Food, medicines and other basic needs are also needed, he said. We are mobilising funds from businesses, friends and the public to help victims. District Deputy Governor Mr Kongsy Inthipaya said the first flooding occurred on June 24-27, triggered by tropical storm Haima, before subsiding for a few days before the river level rose again on Saturday. I was warned there would be more rainfall that could mean flooding could occur any time, putting people's lives at risk, he said. Since the first floods hit the district, authorities have mobilised around 400 million kip to buy rice, clean water, medicines and other items to distribute to those in need, but more help is needed. The flooding has affected more than 23,000 people, causing hundreds of families to evacuate to higher places, some taking refuge in the homes of relatives or camping out in the district administrative office. Mr Ken said the flooding has destroyed 11 billion kip worth of roads and bridges in the district. Some 1,000 hectares of rice fields and another 1,000 hectares of cassava have also been ruined. The floodwater has destroyed our irrigation system worth 3 billion kip. Flooding has also destroyed 38 fish ponds and eight schools, as well as hospitals, latrines, water delivery systems and livestock, he said. Homes, temples, roads, district offices and other places are now under water. Most villagers are without electricity and in urgent need of food supplies. By Somsack Pongkhao (Latest Update July 04, 2011)