VIENTIANE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Progress in implementing measures to stimulate economic growth and rescue and relief efforts in flood-hit provinces dominated the biannual meeting of the Lao government cabinet, the Vientiane Mayor and provincial governors.
The meeting, which began in Vientiane on Monday, tracked the progress in implementing the eight measures which the Lao government unveiled at the National Assembly's fifth ordinary session in June.
The measures include introducing more electronic systems to plug loopholes that lead to revenue leaks, and ensuring efficient operation of the one-stop service mechanism at the central and local levels by streamlining procedures to quicken investment approvals and facilitate business operations in a transparent manner.
The government will also remove barriers in special and specific economic zones, especially by helping investors to reduce investment costs to make their businesses more competitive, and endeavour to manage inflation at a rate conducive to business operations.
As part of the eight measures, authorities will also scrutinize potential small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for further training, prioritise their access to finance, and study potential areas of business where SMEs should enjoy tax and customs incentives.
The Lao government has already issued an instruction asking the relevant bodies to take steps to realise these measures.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment is scheduled to present the progress in implementing the measures, although the details have not yet been made public.
The two-day meeting, chaired by Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, also heard a report on the implementation of the socio-economic development plan during the first eight months of this year and a forecast for the entire year, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Tuesday.
The direction of the socio-economic development plan for 2019 was discussed at the meeting.
The draft plan for 2019 will be submitted for debate and approval to the National Assembly, which is expected to hold the next ordinary session in October.
Providing relief to thousands of people affected by floods and a recovery plan for flood-hit areas also dominated Monday's session of the meeting, according to the report.
As many as 131,507 families of 639,437 people were directly impacted by the recent floods in Laos, according to a report presented at the meeting.
Altogether 55 people have been confirmed killed, 100 people are still missing and thousands have been left homeless by the floods. Storms and floods completely wiped out 1,772 houses and partially damaged many more homes, roads, infrastructure and public facilities, and inundated farm land, said the report.
