Archive for March 2008

The government plans to set up a municipality as the main urban centre in Luang Prabang province to replace Luang Prabang district, in a bid to stimulate the development process, a senior official said yesterday.

According to the Deputy Head of the provincial administrative office, Mr Houmphanh Thammoungkhoun, preparations to establish the zone as a pilot project began in 2006. The new designation is expected to be officially announced next month, once the government has given its approval.

The provincial authority has allocated 68 villages in the town centre out of a total of 116 villages in the district for the new zone, while the rest will be incorporated into neighbouring districts.

Once the municipality comes into effect, Luang Prabang district will cease to exist, as will the position of district governor.

“The change is designed to facilitate fast development in all sectors in the municipality, including socio-economic and infrastructure development, and to foster a tourism hub,” said Mr Houmphanh.

Many organisations have been involved in the planning process to ensure it is in line with UNESCO's world heritage criteria. These bodies include the World Heritage Office, District Development and Administration Office, Public Works and Transport Department and the Governance Improvement Project, which have all collaborated in creating a development strategy.

“We must make sure that the development process is aligned to world heritage criteria,” Mr Houmphanh said. He explained that the new zone is divided into various sections, with specific areas dedicated to commerce and culture.

The administrative structure has also been improved, as several offices have been merged to streamline services and the provision of various permits. The Lao Women's Union , Lao Trade Union, Lao Youth Union and the Veterans' Office have been merged in one mass media organisation office.

This merger will not only streamline administrative services, but will help to reduce the administration budget, said Mr Houmphanh.

The pilot project is expected to be self-sufficient in terms of the budget needed for the development of the new zone. This means the authority should be able to use the money generated by various activities within the area for investment in development without requesting further budget allocation from the central and provincial levels.

“To begin with, it will be necessary to request funding from the provincial budget to develop the new zone, but once the economic situation is healthy we hope to be self-sufficient,” he said.

Mr Houmphanh said the establishment of the new zone would not affect any existing investments.

He explained that the authorities concerned have benefited from their experience in conducting such a project with Vietnam , where a similar venture was functioning well.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
Vientianetimes
Via Samakomlao, Thanks...

Written by: LuangPrabang2Day.com — local travel publisher in Luang Prabang, Laos.

Click the photo to see more photos and to read in Lao

Luang Prabang celebrates top travel award 2008
Tuesday, March 04, 2008

The World Heritage town of Luang Prabang last Sunday celebrated its award by the UK 's leading travel magazine, Wanderlust, of the ‘Top City Gold Award', for the third successive year.

The celebrations began with food offerings to monks, followed by processions carrying national flags and banners, and an elephant parade.

The parade began at the provincial administration office and slowly travelled along Sisavangvong Road to Vat Xieng Thong, with local and foreign visitors joining in the celebrations.

Speaking before the parade, Governor of Luang Prabang province Bounheuang Douangphachan said the people of Luang Prabang were very proud to receive the international accolade.

“The award is not easy to win and we were competing with many well-known cities around the world,” he said.

Luang Prabang authorities have treated tourism as a priority in achieving socio-economic development and the industry has grown rapidly. The province has developed tourism services for cultural, natural and historical attractions to bring economic benefits to local people, he said.

The town was voted into the magazine's top 10 cities, from a list of 615, before the decision was made to give it the gold award. A poll of the magazine's readers who had visited the city found a satisfaction rating of more than 97 percent.

Luang Prabang won the award because it is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by Europeans in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1,200-year-old historic town is considered to be the cultural and religious capital of Laos .

“The most important aspect of the town is the charm and hospitality of its people, a characteristic that has been handed down over the centuries. Now it has been revealed to the world,” Mr Bounheuang said.

He said people of all ethnicities should be proud of their artistic culture and architecture, and urged them to preserve and develop the town in a sustainable way.

In 1995 UNESCO added the town to its list of World Heritage Sites. It became the first such site in Laos , ensuring the preservation of its mixture of traditional Lao and French architecture. Since then its unique character has helped make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Also attending the celebrations were Minister to the Prime Minister's Office and President of the Lao National Tourism Administration Somphong Mongkhonvilay, Deputy Governor Dr Khampheng Saysompheng, and the Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Bouangeun Saphouvong.

By MK. Vongsam-ang
Vientianetimes
Via tourlaos.blogspot.com/

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