How is Laos Planning to Enhance Its Electricity Supply?

Vientiane, Aug 14 (NationPress) The state-owned Electricite du Laos (EDL) is poised to launch a strategy aimed at enhancing the country's electricity supply by the second half of 2025.

As reported by the Lao Economic Daily on Thursday, senior management and personnel from EDL and associated sectors convened to assess EDL's performance and devise strategic initiatives, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

During the initial half of the year, EDL encountered considerable challenges stemming from global and regional economic fluctuations and a slow domestic recovery. These issues have hindered EDL's capacity to achieve its performance benchmarks, the report stated.

The EDL is now prioritizing clear principles and policies to steer its operations and ensure departmental coherence. Employees are encouraged to pursue common objectives and adhere to reform strategies aimed at boosting efficiency and service delivery. The goal is to provide the public with reliable and adequate electricity while participating in power trading to ensure a steady revenue stream for the government.

Moreover, the EDL has established crucial objectives to propel reform. These include reorganizing the structure, management systems, and workforce; adjusting electricity tariffs to reflect actual supply costs while maintaining support for low-income and remote communities; renegotiating electricity generation pricing; and restructuring debts with banks and financial entities.

Additionally, EDL has pinpointed seven essential performance indicators to evaluate operational success. These encompass guaranteeing electricity system stability and dependable service, minimizing power outages, enhancing debt collection, fortifying operational foundations, increasing revenue streams, reducing administrative expenses, and improving safety in transmission and distribution management.

To further diminish service interruptions and power outages, EDL is committed to prioritizing infrastructure enhancements, including routine maintenance, upgrading aging equipment, improving transformers, and optimizing system management.

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Health in Laos is advancing its initiatives to safeguard and develop traditional medicine by merging it with contemporary science, aiming to bolster economic development while ensuring environmental sustainability.

A report from the Centre of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health indicates that a seminar was conducted in the Lao capital, Vientiane, on July 26, gathering government officials, medical professionals, and other stakeholders to discuss the significance of conserving and advancing Lao traditional medicine.

The seminar aimed to address weaknesses, barriers, and challenges in conservation efforts, aspiring to evolve traditional medicine into a modern science that contributes to economic growth, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainability, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

Furthermore, the seminar sought to elevate awareness of the importance of preserving and developing traditional medicine. Participants emphasized the necessity to explore and utilize traditional medicine to deliver effective healthcare to the population. Protecting these valuable resources will guarantee their long-term viability and facilitate the production of high-quality, locally sourced medicines.