ລາວໂຮມລາວ ເພື່ອປະຊາທິປະໄຕ

Savannakhet classified as the top rank of poor families

  Savannakhet province is classified the top rank of poor families, accounting to 28,807 families, followed by Oudomsay and Houaphanh provinces while Vientiane Capital ranked at the bottom list.

The figure was revealed at the 3rd Nationwide Meeting on Political Grass-roots Building and Integrated Rural Development, yesterday, drawing President Choummaly Sayasone, Party and Government leaders, line ministries and representatives from over 140 districts countrywide.

A three-day meeting was to review the implementation of poverty reduction programme, political grass-roots building and integrated rural development over the past five years and set a next-five year plan (2011-2015).

Vice-President Boun-nhang Vorachit, the President of the meeting stressed all delegates nationwide to share ideas directly and exchanged lesson on poverty reduction, political grass-roots building and integrated rural development to ensure the implementation of four breakthrough of Party, particularly the poverty reduction and achieve the UN millennium goal was set by 2015.

While the rank of the poorest villages nationwide were Houaphanh, Phongsaly and Savannakhet provinces.

Last five years, there were lots of outstanding accomplishments thanks to the close attention of Party and Government on expansion of integrated rural development and poverty reduction, significantly contributing to the two strategies of national defence and development as well as new mechanism, according to a report of Minister to the Government Office, Mr Bounheuang Douangphachanh who is also Chairman of National Steering Committee of Rural Development and Poverty Reduction.

So far, all sectors at localities have held significant to the economic development and improvement of peoples livelihood as a centre of grass-root work and integrated rural development, which increased volume of investment into the political grass-root building and integrated rural development in 47 poorest districts, 25 poor districts and rural and remote areas.

The increased investment project included the construction and improved national strategic roads from northern to central areas and strategic roads access to the East, roads along common border in some area in coincide with the road expansion in rural, mountainous and revolutionary strongholds areas.

Currently the communication network links to 6,537 rural villages, of which 759 village groups can communicate for all year round. The rural electricity network was reached by 99% of district countrywide and infrastructure development has also been improved.

The proportion of poor people nationwide decreased constantly from 33.5% in 2003 to 21% in 2010.

From 2006 till now, the infrastructure of socio-economic development has been significantly improved, which established 1,674 standing development villages, of which more than 9,500 were outstanding families.

To fulfill the resolution of 9th Party Congress on poverty reduction of people and lift the nation out of at least developed country and development millennium development goals by 2015, the meeting will discuss implementing a next five-year direction and plan by going on the political grass-root building and integrated rural development.

Under the plan, the political grass-roots building and integrated rural development will be further implemented, based on the instruction of Politburo member committee and government by focusing on alleviation of poverty in focal areas.

The Party and Government will pay their efforts to reduce the poverty rate to minimize over 19% of total population nationwide. The number of poor villages will be reduced from 3,175 to less than 900 villages.