The former Xaysomboun special zone will be officially designated as the 17th province of Laos outside the capital, recognising the area's size, importance and significant development needs.
The Xaysomboun area has lagged behind in terms of development due to a lack of human resources, poor infrastructure and other impediments to development. The government believes that by establishing the new province it will help accelerate development.
The view of Xaysomboun town, which will become a new province of Laos.
The National Assembly approved the government's proposal to upgrade the status of Xaysomboun into a new province at the ongoing NA session in Vientiane on Friday.
With a population of more than 81,800 people, the new province will cover an area of 8,500 square kilometres, comprising the five districts of Hom, Longxan, Anouvong, Longchaeng and Tha-thom.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Mr Khammoun Viphongxay presented the project proposal to the NA session, saying that Xaysomboun has an abundance of natural resources which are suitable for hydropower, mining and tourism development.
NA President Ms Pany Yathortou said the assembly supported the government's proposal to upgrade the status of Xaysomboun to that of a province despite the fact that it does not meet all the requirements as stipulated in the local administration law.
Article 12 of the law stipulates that a new province needs to have a population of 120,000 people but Xaysomboun does not meet this requirement.
Ms Pany said the establishment of other provinces in Laos in the past years did not also meet this requirement such as Bokeo and Xekong.
“But when it becomes a province, more people including entrepreneurs will take up residence there, as they did in Bokeo and Xekong. Those two provinces have seen a lot of development since their establishment,” she said.
NA member for Xieng Khuang province Mr Vilaysouk Phimmasone supported the establishment of the new province but expressed concern as to how the government can supply human resources and source more funding to build infrastructure for the province in wake of the country's financial difficulties.
“The government has halted prior private investment to prevent rising debt and I'm afraid that the government will allow the private sector to invest their capital to develop infrastructure in the province and the government will have to repay the companies,” he said.
NA member for Luang Namtha province Assoc Prof. Dr Khamlek Saydara said Xaysomboun is an area where several ethnic groups live and proposed that the government assign good people to the leaders of the province. Appointing less inco mpetent or corrupt officials could affect the image of the Party's leadership, he said
Xaysomboun was designated as a special zone in 1994, comprising five districts of Xaysomboun, Phoun, Tha-thom, Hom and Longxan.
When the government revoked Xaysomboun's status as a special zone in 2006 four of the districts were given to Vientiane province and the other one to Xieng Khuang.
The former Xaysomboun will be divided into the two districts of Anouvong and Longchaeng while the former Hom will divided into the two districts of Hom and Longxan. Meanwhile Tha-thom district under Xieng Khuang province is now transferred to the new province.
It will also include the two village groups of Phonpha and former Phoun district which came under Vangvieng district control.
The new province of Xaysomboun will share borders with the provinces of Xieng Khuang, Luang Prabang, Borikhamxay and Vientiane.
BySomsack Pongkhao (Latest Update December 14, 2013)
