VIENTIANE, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government has instructed central and local authorities to work together to resolve the ongoing problems that are hindering the country's development and affecting people's livelihoods.
At the government's monthly meeting for April, the cabinet called for bold action to enforce solutions to address high inflation and regulate the price of goods while ensuring sufficient supplies of petrol, Lao national TV reported on Monday.
Strong measures must also be taken to bolster production in order to reduce imports and boost exports and foreign currency reserves while ensuring that investment capital enters the Lao banking system.
The cabinet emphasized the need to monitor large-scale hydropower and expressway construction projects as well as special economic zones to ensure they progress according to the set plans.
In addition, steps will be taken to ensure a sufficient supply of electricity amid a surge in demand during the current hot weather.
With air pollution rising to alarming levels in some parts of the country, the Lao government has instructed authorities in charge to take action against slash-and-burn cultivation, which causes current smoky skies.
During the meeting from April 25 to 26, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone instructed the relevant sectors to step up to prevent health threat of the public caused by PM2.5, which approached an unhealthy level.
With a heatwave currently covering the region, the cabinet has ordered that action be taken to safeguard people's health during very high temperatures.
The meeting also adopted in principle several key documents, including the draft of a special economic zone development strategy for 2021-2030, a draft forestry strategy for 2035, and a vision for 2050. ■
