IFAD backs Lao socio-economic development plan
IFAD backs Lao socio-economic development plan
A top executive of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) has voiced support for the Lao government's efforts to maintain economic growth with equal opportunities for all.
“I strongly believe it will allow the expansion of a market-oriented economy in line with socio-cultural development and environmental preservation,” IFAD Director Ms Sirpa Jarvenpaa was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the Fund yesterday.
The Lao government's plan to maintain growth from 2011 to 2015 is part of the 7th Five Year National Socio-economic Development Plan.
The press release came as Ms Jarvenpaa arrived in Vientiane for the official opening ceremony today of the IFAD Country Office at UN House.
Ms Jarvenpaa, who is also Vice President of IFAD, said that from a programmatic point of view, under its Country Strategy for 2011-2015 IFAD will start the design of a new programme covering Attapeu, Xekong and Saravan provinces.
A first stakeholders' consultation will be held on October 2 in Vientiane. The new programme will focus on food and nutrition security and market linkages, looking also at synergies and ways to cooperate with UXO Lao, especially how to link UXO clearance to the utilisation of cleared land for agriculture.
According to the press release, Ms Jarvenpaa is scheduled to pay courtesy calls on several ministers this week, including Minister of Finance Mr Phouphet Khamphounvong and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Bounkeut Sangsomsak.
She will also meet with a number of senior government officials to discuss current and future cooperation frameworks.
She will also travel to Pakxaeng district in Luang Prabang province on September 26 to visit the Northern Livestock Development Project, an IFAD-ADB co-financed project.
In June, IFAD established a policy think-tank under the Policy Research Centre at NAFRI, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The strategy of this think-tank is to create a public-private partnership platform to engage key government ministries and private sector stakeholders in a dialogue and consensus building exercise to address critical national policy issues that impact actions at the provincial and district levels to support the improvement of livelihoods among the rural poor.
Ms Jarvenpaa reaffirmed IFAD's commitment to continue supporting policy research and strengthening capacity in data processing and analysis.
IFAD began operations in Laos in 1980. Since then it has provided US$107.6 million in loans and grants for 12 programmes and projects. At the moment IFAD has an ongoing project portfolio worth about US$50 million, which covers 12 provinces.
IFAD's country strategy has three main fundamentals: community based access to and management of land and natural resources, access to advisory services and inputs for a sustainable, adaptive and integrated farming system, and access to markets.
vientiane times
