Champasak Governor visits Binh Dinh Province
12 September 2006
Mr. Sonsay Siphandon, newly-appointed Governor of Champasak Province (Laos), is paying a working visit to Binh Dinh Province. The visit is aimed at discussing and exchanging experience in the socio-economic development. Sonsay Siphandon has been to Binh Dinh many times but this is his first visit as the Governor.
Mr. Sonsay Siphandon, newly-appointed Governor of Champasak Province (Laos)
In the evening of 11 September, the Binh Dinh and Champasak high ranking delegations had a talk at the office of the People’s Committee of Binh Dinh Province. The two sides reviewed the implementation of the Agreement mutually signed in July 2005 and discuss what should be done to speed up the cooperation programmes and plans. Binh Dinh Vice Chairman, Mr Nguyen Van Thien, frankly talked about the experience of Binh Dinh on the way to develop the provincial economy and achieve its social welfare. The two sides agreed to continue cooperation activities in the fields of agriculture, education and training, public healthcare, trade promotion and sports. From 2007, Binh Dinh will provide scholarship to 7 Champasak students studying at Quy Nhon University and Quy Nhon University will provide accommodation and teach Vietnamese free of charge to all students from Champasak in a year’s time.
Regarding investment, Binh Dinh now has two projects in Champasak. The first one, CBF Pharma Co., Ltd, was established in 1994, specializing in pharmaceutical production. This is the first Vietnamese invested project in Southern Laos implemented by Binh Dinh Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Company (Bidiphar) in joint-venture with a local enterprise. Bidiphar is also the owner of the other project after establishing Lao-Viet Rubber Company to plant rubber and industrial trees in Champasak and Sekong Provinces with a total investment capital of USD10 million, 20% of which will be contributed by Champasak based CBF Pharma Co., Ltd. Mr Sonsay Siphandon highly appreciated these projects which helped the local people improve their living standard and get acquainted with goods oriented mode of prodution. He promised to instruct the provincial departments to facilitate all investment activities of Binh Dinh companies.
