GWR
08-02-08, 10:16 AM
It is perhaps worth noting that the Bolaven Plateau is also considered a major tourist draw:
Investors eye mining in Champassak
Mining has become one of the top targets for foreign investors looking to invest in Champassak province, officials said this week.
A Lao-Chinese company is currently conducting a survey for bauxite in Pakxong district in the Bolaven Plateau, on an area of 24,600 hectares, according to a senior official of the Champassak Planning and Investment Department, Mr Bounmy Khamphithoune.
The company is now focusing on a social and environmental impact assessment, which it will submit to the government in March this year.
If the government approves the project, a bauxite production plant will be built by 2010, and will be the first such plant in Laos , according to a local official's report.
The government has also given permission to the Petro Vietnamese Company to conduct fuel surveys along the border between Xanasomboun district in Champassak province and Bachieng district in Saravan province, on an area of 10 square kilometres.
The survey will take at least five years to complete, and is expected to have a positive impact on the country's economy.
However, the Deputy Director General of the Mining Department of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Dr Simone Phichith, said yesterday that the government had introduced stricter measures for inspecting mining projects, to ensure investors were following the country's laws.
So far, the government has approved more than 100 mining projects in Laos , most of which are still in the survey phase.
Those that have begun excavation include the Sepon gold and copper mining project in Savannakhet province and the Phoubia mining project in Xieng Khuang province.
“We are still reviewing the effectiveness of mining investment projects and, so far, we've found that many projects have violated our laws and regulations,” Dr Simone said.
For example, some projects did not match the government's technical requirements, while others did not have adequate funding, and had to delay significant projects for long periods of time.
However, Dr Simone said, his department was working to finalise a report of the survey of foreign investment in Laos , which will later be sent to the government.
Champassak province is a target area for a number of business operators, especially in the areas of agriculture, tourism and mining.
“Several projects have recently been proposed to our authorities, but we haven't yet made any decisions,” Mr Bounmy said. “However, we plan to encourage more investment projects this year by creating more favourable conditions for investors.”
In the 2006-2007 period, 24 companies invested in the province, seven more compared to the year before, with a combined value of 250 billion kip. Officials from various sectors often hold meetings to discuss the advantages and shortcomings in relation to creating a better investment climate to attract more investors to the province.
By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update February 08, 2008)
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_IN.htm
Investors eye mining in Champassak
Mining has become one of the top targets for foreign investors looking to invest in Champassak province, officials said this week.
A Lao-Chinese company is currently conducting a survey for bauxite in Pakxong district in the Bolaven Plateau, on an area of 24,600 hectares, according to a senior official of the Champassak Planning and Investment Department, Mr Bounmy Khamphithoune.
The company is now focusing on a social and environmental impact assessment, which it will submit to the government in March this year.
If the government approves the project, a bauxite production plant will be built by 2010, and will be the first such plant in Laos , according to a local official's report.
The government has also given permission to the Petro Vietnamese Company to conduct fuel surveys along the border between Xanasomboun district in Champassak province and Bachieng district in Saravan province, on an area of 10 square kilometres.
The survey will take at least five years to complete, and is expected to have a positive impact on the country's economy.
However, the Deputy Director General of the Mining Department of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Dr Simone Phichith, said yesterday that the government had introduced stricter measures for inspecting mining projects, to ensure investors were following the country's laws.
So far, the government has approved more than 100 mining projects in Laos , most of which are still in the survey phase.
Those that have begun excavation include the Sepon gold and copper mining project in Savannakhet province and the Phoubia mining project in Xieng Khuang province.
“We are still reviewing the effectiveness of mining investment projects and, so far, we've found that many projects have violated our laws and regulations,” Dr Simone said.
For example, some projects did not match the government's technical requirements, while others did not have adequate funding, and had to delay significant projects for long periods of time.
However, Dr Simone said, his department was working to finalise a report of the survey of foreign investment in Laos , which will later be sent to the government.
Champassak province is a target area for a number of business operators, especially in the areas of agriculture, tourism and mining.
“Several projects have recently been proposed to our authorities, but we haven't yet made any decisions,” Mr Bounmy said. “However, we plan to encourage more investment projects this year by creating more favourable conditions for investors.”
In the 2006-2007 period, 24 companies invested in the province, seven more compared to the year before, with a combined value of 250 billion kip. Officials from various sectors often hold meetings to discuss the advantages and shortcomings in relation to creating a better investment climate to attract more investors to the province.
By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update February 08, 2008)
http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeContent_IN.htm