Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh speaks at the annual meeting of the public works and transport sector held at the National Convention Centre on Friday. LAOGOV.GOV.LA
Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh has told the public works and transport sector to develop infrastructure that will enhance connectivity, in support of Laos’ goal to become a land-link country and transit hub.
The premier issued the instruction on February 25 at the annual meeting of the sector held at the National Convention Centre.
He told meeting participants to make use of lessons learned from the construction of the Laos-China Railway for the development of other rail links, according to the Public Relations Department of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Phankham underlined the need to focus on developing and modernising nine dry ports that have been planned to facilitate freight transport and cut costs, in order to boost trade and investment.
He praised the sector for the great achievements made in recent years, notably construction of the Laos-China Railway and the Thanaleng Dry Port and Vientiane Logistics Park, which opened for service in December.
The prime minister also spoke highly of the construction of the Vientiane-Vangvieng Expressway, which opened for use in 2020.
He called on those attending the meeting to maximise the potential offered by the Laos-China Railway to boost trade and investment to drive the economy.
The railway is an increasing popular mode of transport for both passengers and freight.
Since passenger services began on December 4, 2021, trains had carried 124,225 passengers as of February 13. This equates to an average of 1,725 people each day, with the numbers exceeding 2,800 on peak days.
In addition, the railway had carried 157,568 tonnes of freight by that date, averaging 2,188 tonnes a day with a daily peak of 6,748 tonnes.
Phankham called on meeting participants to define and develop multi-transport mechanisms to further facilitate transport.
He also advised officials to prioritise the construction of embankments along the Mekong and Heuang rivers to prevent erosion and flooding in low-lying communities.
Presided over by Minister of Public Works and Transports Viengsavath Siphandone, the meeting was instructed to focus on town planning to ensure the most effective use of financing through efficient town development in ways that created lively and modern cities.
During the meeting, participants reviewed the work of the sector from 2019-2021 and discussed the work plan for 2023 and the five-year plan for 2021-2025.
VIENTIANE TIMES/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
