Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Prof. Dr Bosengkham Vongdara highlights Party’s achievements, according to him, the tourism sector experienced rapid growth in 2012 thanks to the wise leadership of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
Speaking at a lecture on Tuesday to mark the 58th anniversary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Prof. Dr Bosengkham, who is a member of the Party Central Committee, said that under the Party’s leadership, Lao people have gained access to global information sources. Ordinary people can watch a large number of foreign television channels including BBC and CNN. He said Laos enjoyed greater media freedom than many other countries, adding that in some countries it’s not possible to access as many international broadcasting channels.
One of the major achievements of the Party’s leadership in 2012 was the boom in tourism. Prof. Dr Bosengkham said tourist arrivals climbed to 3.3 million in 2012, generating income of about US$500 million. Political stability, improved transport and the country’s picturesque scenery make Laos an attractive tourist destination. Another significant aspect of the Party’s leadership is that Laos has been able to maintain political stability. This is essential for the government to develop the country and bring prosperity to its people, who are the owners of the country.
Laos has seen GDP growth of over 7.5 percent for the past 10 years thanks to the Party’s wise leadership. Strong and continuous economic growth has helped to free large numbers of people from poverty. At present, only 17 percent of households are categorised as poor.
Annual per capita income now stands at US$1,355, up from just US$114 in 1995 and US$534 in 2006. Laos is now on track to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals in 2015.
The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party was established on March 22, 1955, in the former revolutionary stronghold of Huaphan in the northeast of Laos. The Party was formed to lead the Lao people in repelling the foreign aggressors. The Party played a significant role in leading its armed forces and civilians to liberate the country from foreign domination.
This enabled the Party to seize power from the royal government and establish the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on December 2, 1975. Many ministries and government bodies around the country held similar events to mark the Party’s founding.
Some 300 ministry officials, most of them Party members, attended the lecture to learn about the history and achievements of the Party from the time of its founding in 1955 until the present.
Lao National Television News
