Aid and development
More Montagnard asylum seekers return to Vietnam
On 12 July, 16 Montagnards – an ethnic mountain minority who are predominantly Christian – were sent back to Vietnam through Ratanakkiri province after most had their applications for refugee status rejected, and all volunteered to go back to their homeland, government officials said on 13 ...
French government gives boost to regional agro-ecology
The Lao government and a French government agency have agreed to implement the Agro-ecological Change in Southeast Asia project after the French government approved 2.7 million euros in grant funding. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Bounkhouang Khambounheuang ...
JICA provides grant for scholarships, bridge repair
The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Japan International Cooperation Agency on 8 July signed a grant agreement for two aid projects for Human Resource Development Scholarships from 2016 to 2020 and Reconstruction of Bridges on National Road No. 9, worth about 2.836 billion yen. The ...
Nearly 4,000 bridges to be built in remote areas
The second phase of a bridge building programme, which aims at building nearly 4,000 bridges in remote areas, will be kicked off next month, said Nguyen Van Huyen, director of the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam. Under the programme, a total of 3,959 bridges, including ...
Fishery sees stronger seafood exports
With easing tension over labour issues in Thailand, the fishery industry expects exports of seafood products to grow by 2-3 per cent this year after a slight drop in the first half. Moreover, private enterprises expect the European Union to cancel its “yellow card” on ...
Japan gives boost to human resource development in Laos
The government of Japan is providing grant assistance of 308 million yen for the continuation of the Human Resource Development Scholarship Project in Laos. An agreement was signed on 4 July in Vientiane by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Khamphao Eunthavanh and Japanese Ambassador to Laos ...
US spending bill ties aid to end of government ‘violence’
According to a Senate report accompanying the bill, the vast majority of the recommended budget for Cambodia, $69.9 million of it, would go toward health programs and development assistance. Most of the rest would go to military education and training, demining, anti-terrorism and related programs. ...
EU funds asylum-seeking scheme in Thailand
The UN Refugee Agency has received 300,000 euros from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department to support the refugee status determination process for asylum-seekers in Thailand. There are currently more than 2,000 refugees and more than 6,000 asylum-seekers from nearly 50 countries living ...
Observers urge Govt to create new export markets, boost trade volume
A recent World Bank report says that trade growth in Myanmar could reduce poverty and boost prosperity, but local observers say in order for that to happen the government must implement economic policies that increase export markets. The Myanmar Diagnostic Trade Integration Study released last week by the ...
EU, SIDA offer €33.1M grant for budget reform
The European Union and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency have agreed to provide a grant of €33.1 million to support the third phase of Cambodia’s Public Financial Management Reform Program, state news agency AKP announced on 24 June. Keep reading ...
