VIENTIANE: Key state media outlets have officially been transferred to the supervision of the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee, as part of a major restructuring of state organisations.
An official ceremony held on Monday (June 23) at the Party Central Committee’s Administration Office saw the Lao News Agency, Lao National Television, Lao National Radio, and Lao Press in Foreign Languages (publisher of the Vientiane Times) come under the management of the Propaganda and Training Board.
The move signals an end to the government’s decades-long oversight of the media.
The Media Department will now also come under the supervision of the Propaganda and Training Board.
Each of these five departments remains as an individual entity under the Party’s watch and their editors-in-chief and director generals will retain their posts.
Vannasinh Simmavong will remain as Director General of the Lao News Agency, Bualay Phanouvong retains his post as Director General of Lao National Radio, Simmany Keokaen is Director General of Lao National Television, Phonesavanh Thikeo remains as Editor-in-Chief of the Vientiane Times, and Somsavath Phongsa is Director General of the Mass Media Department.
As part of the change, many divisions under these bodies have been merged to downsize the organisational structure.
Addressing the ceremony, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister, Prof. Dr Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune, said the move is intended to streamline and improve the operation of media outlets.
He also underscored the need for the media to modernise and digitalise their services and products in this digital age and to deliver quality content to best serve the interests of the nation and society as a whole.
The Deputy PM advised the media to explore ways to boost revenue streams and strive towards financial self-sufficiency in line with the Party and government’s broader policy to encourage state departments to become financially self-reliant and ease the burden on the state budget.
The transfer of media affairs to the Party’s oversight is part of major restructuring endorsed by a resolution adopted by the Party Central Committee recently.
The resolution merged four ministries with other departments, reducing the total from 17 to 13 ministries. Some affairs were re-allocated to other Party and state bodies.
The 13 ministries currently in existence are the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Technology and Communications. - Vientiane Times/ANN
