Lao PM receives ADB Country Director

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Here's an excerpt from an interesting news report in laovoices.com, dated 9 July 2010 ...


‎(KPL) Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, on Wednesday received at his office in Vientiane capital a courtesy visit of Mr Chong Chi Nai, new country director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Laos.

The Prime Minister congratulated Mr Nai over his appointment as new country director of the ADB in Laos, and highly valued the assistance the ADB had provided to Laos in supporting the socio-economic development in the country.
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Mr Bouasone said that the Lao government was focusing on materialising the resolution of the 8th Party Congress and the government was drafting its seventh five-year socio-economic development plan for 2011-2015 period of which the objective was to reduce poverty in the country, achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and take Laos off the UN’s list of least-developed countries by 2020.

ADB has provided Laos technical assistance for projects of basic infrastructure development in the country. Since 1996, the ADB has approved US$ 1.21 billion of loans and US$415 million of grant assistance for the socio-economic development in Laos. In 2009, ADB provided US$115.2 million worth of grant aid to Laos to support the development in the areas of agriculture-forestry, education, energy, finance, industry and commerce, health and transport and communication. In 2010, ADB has approved of US$ 108 million of loans for six government projects. The bank planned to finance 10 government projects with a US$140.18-million financial assistance for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Source: KPL Lao News Agency
July 09, 2010

For the full news report, click on
http://laovoices.com/2010/07/09/pm-receives-adb-country-director/


This is cool, man! St Joe Class of 1976 in service of the world!

And here's a more informally attired Dr Chong at his new office ...

Congratulations CCN !
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A Meeting in Vientiane

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Yesterday I received an email from Alfred KK Wong sharing that he had just met with another of our old classmates Dr Chong Chi Nai in Vientiane, Laos. The last time they met was 34 years ago, probably back in the Form 5Sc class at St Joe. CCN works for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and has been based in Manila prior to his recent move to Vientiane.

Here's an excerpt from AW's note

"I was on a short break in town and managed to catch up with him at a nice restaurant fronting the Mekong River and overlooking Thailand on the other side of the mighty river. We caught up on the good old times and must really say that time has been good to him as he really looked well and fit. He even offered to give me a tour of the city by driving around personally even though he has only been posted to Vientiane for a month.

Thank you , Dr Chong and hope to catch up with you real soon.

Also thanks for your pledge for the school desks. I will pass your pledge to BC when I fly home next week.

Alfred Wong, Form 5 Science 76"


Many thanks to Alfred for sharing about this reunion. Best wishes to both gentlemen and their families.
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