VIENTIANE: Party Secretary General Thongloun Sisoulith (pic) has called for strong action to address the country’s economic problems, saying that these issues can no longer remain unresolved.
Concluding the 9th session of the 11th tenure Party Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party on Friday (Nov 1), the Party Chief stressed that a concerted effort to address financial and economic hardship must be the government’s top priority.
Particular attention must be paid to public debt, inflation, currency exchange rates, and rising costs, according to the Paxason newspaper, which acts as the voice of the Party.
“We must be decisive in resolving real issues. They can no longer be left unaddressed,” he told the Party Central Committee.
Secretary General Thongloun, who is also state President, asked Party Central Committee members to be decisive and show more responsibility in taking the lead in streamlining mechanisms and procedures that would deliver high quality public services.
He emphasised the need to further modernise revenue collection to maximise income along with speeding up the repair of infrastructure damaged by natural disasters, thus helping to bolster production.
The Party Secretary General also underscored the need to train and upskill workers in order to meet market demand.
The session’s participants reached consensus on their assessment that Laos has faced numerous challenges this year, ranging from continuing financial and economic challenges, the spiralling cost of living, extreme weather events, social problems, and drug trade issue.
Despite these issues, data collected over the first nine months of this year indicates that Laos is poised to achieve gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.6 per cent in 2024.
This growth projection is attributed to more efficient revenue collection, increased productivity, manageable exchange rates, and a stronger kip. This progress is bolstered by the active implementation of appropriate economic measures.
Party Secretary General Thongloun asked the Party Central Committee to make a greater effort to fulfil the development targets set for 2024. This year’s achievements will pave the way for meeting the development goals targeted for 2025, the last year of implementing the resolution of the 11th National Party Congress and the 9th five-year National Socio-economic Development Plan.
The meeting also shared views on the convening of Party congresses at the district, provincial and ministerial levels – the lead-up events to the 12th National Party Congress.
Party congresses are a key process in the scrutiny and selection of leaders of Party organs at various levels, and take place every five years.
At district Party congresses, Party cadres will select a new Party committee and Party secretary to lead the districts for the next five years. Representatives of the district will also be chosen to attend the provincial Party Congress at a later date, when new leaders will be voted in to lead the province.
Ministries and equivalent organisations at the central level will convene similar Party congresses to select new leaders. Representatives of provinces and ministries will be selected at their congresses to attend the National Party Congress where a New Party Central Committee, Politburo members and Party Secretary General will be selected to lead the country over the next five years.
The last National Party Congress, which was the 11th in the Party’s history, took place in January 2021.
Party congresses not only select new leaders but also discuss and endorse a so-called resolution – the development roadmap which the administrative body is expected to fulfil.
Last week’s Party Central Committee meeting discussed the content of key documents to be presented at the 12th National Party Congress.
The session also tracked the progress made in meeting the goals of the government’s two national agendas, which call for decisive action to tackle the country’s financial and economic problems and quell drug abuse and trade.
Meeting participants also shared opinions on how the 2015 Constitution could be amended. - Vientiane Times/ANN
