Cabinet orders urgent action to tackle pollution as PM2.5 reaches unsafe level

The cabinet has issued an order for urgent action to tackle air pollution following the rise of particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns (PM2.5) or less to unsafe levels.
In its monthly meeting for March that concluded on Wednesday, the cabinet demanded a prompt response to prevent pollution impacting the people’s health, the economy and the tourism industry.

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone.

Forest fires occurring in many areas of Laos have created a large amount of fine particulate matter, driving PM2.5 levels to unprecedented highs.
The two-day meeting of the cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, asked central and local authorities to contain and prevent forest fires, government spokesperson Thipphakone Chanthavongsa told the local media.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was told to work with the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and local authorities to promptly assign teams to keep a close watch on forest fires, mainly caused by slash and burn cultivation, and to patrol the forests.  
In addition, the cabinet gave in-principle approval to a draft strategic plan to smoothen Laos’s transition from the United Nations’ list of least developed countries (LDCs).
Other documents given in-principle approval included a draft policy for bank credit (bank loans), a draft law on land and building tax, and draft amendments to the administration law.
A newly-drafted decree on awarding Lao nationality to persons wanted by the state was endorsed in-principle along with a draft 10-year strategy on mining.
The cabinet also approved the government’s work report for March and discussed the work plan for April.

By Times reporters
 (Latest Update March 30, 2023)