Lao PDR Field Visit

A ten-member delegation of members of the PNoWB visited Lao PDR from March 5 to March 10, 2006 to assess the country’s PRSPR, the National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy, and crucially the potential of the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric dam project to reduce poverty in Lao PDR. 

The delegation led by Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland) and Beatrice Kiraso (Uganda) included the President of the Nordic Council and MPs from France, Germany, Greece, India, Republic of Korea, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

Members of delegation had the opportunity to conduct in-depth meetings with all major stakeholders of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers process, including a visit to the Nam Theun 2 Hydropower Project, supported by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. 

The MPs congratulated the government of Lao PDR for its exemplary achievements in poverty reduction and appealed to both the donors and the government to help build the capacities of civil society in general, and of parliamentarians in particular, to enable them to fulfil their role in oversight of the projects, to ensure true ownership and sustainability of poverty reduction strategies.  They also stressed the importance of the government developing the private sector and trade as a viable long-term strategy, to expand its source of revenues, which currently relies very heavily on donors support.

With respect to projects like Nam Theun 2, the delegation underlined the need for effective mechanisms to channel the generated revenues, towards the improvement of infrastructure and the development of other programs that would be equally beneficial to the community.