Laos govt borrows from World Bank to tackle rural poverty

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): The government has borrowed US$22.5 million through a low-interest World Bank loan to fund a programme to address nutrition improvement and poverty in four northern provinces from 2020-2024.

The project will target communities in the provinces of Huaphan, Xieng Khuang, Phongsaly and Oudomxay.

The government is also investing 13 billion kip in agricultural infrastructure in Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Saravan, Xekong and Attapeu provinces.

These initiatives form part of the government’s five-year socio-economic strategic development plan with a focus on remote areas and broader national poverty reduction from 2020-2030.

The sustainable management of forests has also been identified as a key part of local community development efforts and the Poverty Reduction Fund under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is running a forestry training course in Pakxe, Champassak province, from March 3-6.

Executive director of the Poverty Reduction Fund, Chit Thavisay, representatives of agricultural sectors from Vientiane and six provinces, and ministry officials are attending the course which focuses on forestry studies, the management of natural disasters, and capacity building for teams in remote areas.

The government is aiming to build resilience in agriculture so communities can better cope with natural disasters such as droughts and floods.

Other initiatives seek to mitigate the impact of pestilence affecting rural communities such as African swine fever and locust plagues which have recently wreaked havoc on farmers’ incomes. - Vientiane Times/Asia News Network