VIENTIANE: Secretary General of the Party Central Committee and President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, met with former government leaders and retired senior officials on Wednesday (April 8) to discuss the outcomes of the 12th National Party Congress held in January.
The central theme of the meeting was the need to implement the resolutions adopted at the Congress in robust, innovative, and effective ways.
Thongloun called on Party and State leaders to study and put into practice the guidelines, policies, improvements, and changes recommended by the Congress.
These include making the state administration system more streamlined, democratic and centralised; sharing the roles of the Party Secretaries in the capital and the provinces with the Chairman of the Vientiane Administrative Committee, provinces and districts, and creating sub-districts instead of village clusters.
Other advice emanating from the Congress was to dissolve and merge some ministries and sectors with similar roles into a single ministry; modernise revenue collection and expenditure management, and tighten budget and currency control; and strengthen inspection and verification systems to curb corruption and other irregularities.
The 12th National Party Congress was a significant event in the history of the Party and the nation, Thongloun said.
It took the theme “Raise the Party’s strong leadership, actively build an independent and self-reliant economy, continue to perfect the people’s democratic system, and firmly advance towards socialism.”
It marks the beginning of a new era of national protection and development through long-term visions and clear goals, and is a testament to the Party’s determination to pursue the truth in wisdom and leadership.
The decisions made at the Congress will take Laos forward on the path to socialism, through important documents adopted at the Congress, especially the Party’s 3rd Political Programme, which sets out the vision and strategic tasks of the revolution, and a clear path to development.
“By 2055, we will strive to make Laos an upper-middle-income developing country, moving closer to becoming a high-income country, with a strong political system, a modern economic foundation, comprehensively developed productive forces, consistent and progressive production relations, and a solid foundation for the livelihoods of all ethnic groups, moving towards prosperity,” Thongloun said.
The meeting also gathered useful ideas from former leaders and retired senior officials, which will be considered and acted upon where appropriate.
Party Secretary General and State President Thongloun expressed the hope that former leaders and retired senior officials would continue to provide support, encouragement, and cooperation.
“We hope that all of you will provide useful and constructive advice and comments to the Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the government, and all political entities to support the implementation of the resolutions adopted at the 12th National Party Congress over the next 5 years, so that we move closer to achieving our development goals,” he said. - Vientiane Times/ANN
