Public Call For Solutions To Persistent Problems

Source: Vientiane Times

Members of the National Assembly and the Vientiane People’s Council recently debated various issues put forward by the public and are waiting for the authorities to come up with solutions.

During the meeting with Vientiane government officials, members of the Vientiane People’s Council reported on the achievements of the National Assembly’s 3rd Ordinary Session. Assembly members also told officials at the meeting that many issues raised by the public had not yet been resolved.

These problems include revenue collection for the state budget, which has fallen short of the target, while some villagers are complaining that land fees are too high.

Another complaint was that trucks carrying sand and stones for construction purposes are causing a disturbance in residential neighbourhoods.

Villagers also asked the authorities to re-assess the cost of road repairs in every village of the capital.

Other people raised the problem of candidates not being able to pass entrance exams for bachelor degree programmes, meaning they cannot become civil servants.

The policy on student selection for studies abroad and teacher allocation in schools also continues to be an issue.

Meanwhile gambling is getting out of control and the regulations governing foreigners running businesses in Laos are not strong enough.

The proliferation of illegal advertising signs continues, but the Vientiane authorities are inspecting all advertisements written in foreign languages to determine whether shops or services are flouting the regulations, with checks having been started in February.

Officials have been taking a closer look at advertisements written in foreign languages in a bid to enforce the regulations on such signs. Inspections began in Sikhottabong district and have since moved to other areas.

The Vientiane People’s Council also raised the issue of entertainment venues staying open past midnight and creating a lot of noise in local neighbourhoods.

The authorities are preparing to partner with other government agencies to shut down entertainment venues if they are found to be in breach of the regulations, once they have received the appropriate order.

Entertainment venues and shops that sell alcohol are not allowed to conduct business within 500 metres of educational institutions and hospitals. For the past several years the Vientiane Information, Culture and Tourism Department has been ordering the temporary closure of certain well-known venues and the imposition of penalties.

Several more are being closely watched after the authorities suspected that their operations were in breach of the regulations.