The Roles Of Lao Governtment On ADB Implementation Of Financial Partnership Strategy

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a monetary institute to implement Financing Partnership with its clients in Member Developing Countries (MDC). ADB has to formulate its strategies agenda to respond the need and challenges of world’s dynamics. Lao P.D.R. is a member development country of ADB. Both of Lao government and ADB conduct the FPS together for poverty reduction in many sectors economic through Country Strategy and Greater Mekong Subregion Program (GMS). Presently, the Lao government recognizes that the social developments are required economic growth. The development of infrastructure system, human resources, agriculture and health need financial partner, because of financial term and capacity-building from both government and private. But Lao government officers still have less experience on preparing financial partnerships management. Many projects in Lao P.D.R met with inadequate financial infrastructure. In short, ADB Financing Partnership strategy is the complex process and needs the efficient coordination with partners and clearly articulated execution to lead to the goals. The proper collaboration of ADB and Lao government are provided virtual lesson and it is able to prevent consequent problems and reduce conflict between ADB and Lao government or third party partners.

Mr. Phouthasen Sinthavong made a case study on “The Roles Of Lao Governtment On Adb Implementation Of Financial Partnership Strategy: A Case Study Of Vientiane Urban Infrastructure And Services Project’ which major objective is to find out treatment method for the FPS improvement, when such problems arise. To achieve the study’s major objective, three sub-objectives were needed to (1) to investigate the current strategy on ADB implementation of the FPS approach to encourage Projects or program in Laos; (2) to identify the strength and weakness of applying the FPS under project or program of ADB encouragement; and (3) to propose recommendation on how to improve the implementation of FPS between ADB and Lao Government for project or program encouragement.

He found out that the Lao government promulgated the Law on Local Administration to support urban revenue collection. It was recognized in Law on Local administration and empowered to raise local revenue for provide of urban service. The mechanism operation was slow than target date this affected directly to the implementation of VUDAA on revenue collection. Paralleling with the Law on Local Administration, Local governor issues the decree regarding fees and charges but there still was a need for further refining as to how the fees and charges were assessed and how they will collect. However at the project completion the base fees and charges were insufficient to provide the type of service. However, the project was completed by its main objectives; this is fundamentally the consequence of Lao government support.

He also found out that ADB’s undertook thirteen Review Mission, including the inception Mission and Midterm Review Mission. The Review Mission was the good performance of ADB to monitoring the project implementation. Each Review Mission met the problems and they were solved among the financial partners. This operation should illustrate the sufficient and efficient result to other project. Additionally, there are some weaknesses of ADB implantation on applying the Financial Partnership to the project implementation in Laos. Although the AFD funded component for Capacity Building was undertake within the same office ADB component and the Review Mission proposed that there was close cooperation between VUDAA management and ADB funded component in aspects of the project. The Review Mission also proposed that Review Mission were undertaken by ADB without the involvement of AFD.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

ABSTRACT

The infrastructure development in Laos, especially Vientiane, requires a great of number capital for investment. The financial partnership with monetary institute is critical way to develop infrastructure for Lao government and it will be accelerator to catalyst the economic growth and reduce the poor among community.

This research aims to investigate the financial partnership between Lao government and Asian Development Bank, which is a monetary to support fund for development in Asia Pacific. How the Financial Partnership be done and its effect after conduction is the main objective to meet in the research. Eventually, the result from displayed that there are many flaws from the implementation of Lao government on involve project implementation and financial partners such as; lack of better liaison initial among financial partner, Low competency of Lao employee, inadequate financial infrastructure in Laos and low of planning and control and equipments. To meet the efficient infrastructure development, Lao government continued to operate the Financial Partners is not only with ADB but also other monetary institutes or the other governments, whom are interested to assist Lao government for country development.

Keywords: financial partnership strategy; financial infrastructure; financial partner; fund; implementation; ADB