Laos, JICA strengthen public investment management
Laos, JICA strengthen public investment management
A second joint coordinating committee meeting concerning the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)'s Project for Establishing a Public Investment Plan took place in Vientiane on Wednesday.
The project supports government efforts to successfully implement the National Socio-economic Development Plan.
The meeting was attended by representatives from JICA and the Embassy of Japan to Laos and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
The project, which began in March 2012, aims to provide technical cooperation to further improve public investment project management methods among Lao government officials nationwide.
It attempts to improve district-level initiatives in public investment project implementation, develop public investment plans, improve methods of project evaluation, and deliver Official Development Assistance management information to Lao officials.
Over the past six months, the project has been conducting baseline surveys in seven provinces and among major central government organisations, in a bid to understand the current status of public investment project management.
The surveys have revealed that while many organisations have begun to manage projects as instructed in the Public Investment Law which came into effect in 2009, there is still space for further improvement in quality and coverage.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Khamlien Pholsena chaired the meeting as the project director.
“The Lao government is moving forward to strengthen the management capacity of government officials with a special emphasis on the district level,” he said.
“The Ministry of Planning and Investment and project staff are now in the process of jointly developing public investment management methods and procedures that will enable district-level officials to fully participate in the development of the nation and contribute to achieving the National Socio-economic Development Plan.”
Chief Representative of the JICA Laos Office, Dr Masato Togawa, said the project has proven to be fully consistent with the directions set forth by the Lao government, and he hoped the baseline survey results will lead to visible progress in public investment project management in the near future.
vientiane times
