----- Original Message -----
From: FER
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 11:48 AM
Subject: VT Times - Cargo boats may return to Mekong

Vientiane Times, 7 July 2006

Cargo boats may return to Mekong

The government is considering reinstating century-old navigation routes
on the Mekong River in an effort to find an alternative to the rising
cost of land transport.

A senior official of the National Mekong Committee, Mr Soulaxay
Phoummavong, said yesterday that the committee would begin a survey of
navigation route improvement on the Mekong from Savannakhet to Luang
Prabang early next year.

Laos has good potential for river traffic, but the development of roads
grounded many cargo boats. Since 1993 this form of transport has almost
totally died out.

"We want to improve navigation on the Mekong because this form of
transport is much cheaper than using land routes," said Mr Soulaxay.
"Cheaper transport costs will cut the price of the goods at their
final destination."

Funding for the work will come from US$2.5 million in annual
contributions from the Belgian government to help improve navigation
routes among countries along the Mekong, according to Mr Soulaxay.

He said that the survey would include the possible installation and
repair of demarcation of deep-water channels for cargo boats. There are
some demarcation pillars still in place but they are very old and
ineffective as many of them are missing.

"There are many rapids on this section of the Mekong so there will be
a lot of work to sink the pillars to indicate the deep water channels
that cargo boats can use," he said, adding that this work would not
require the blasting of rapids because the boats were not that big.

Easier navigation will allow cargo boats to operate during the day-time
only. Mr Soulaxay said that Cambodia was in the process of improving
water routes to facilitate navigation day and night.

The survey will also indicate the minimum benefits of water transport
for Laos, according to Mr Soulaxay. In the past, travel from the north
to the south relied heavily on water routes but passengers and
businessmen now prefer road travel because it is so much faster.

Mr Soulaxay urged officials concerned to make a long-term policy for
the promotion of water transport because Laos had a lot of potential in
this area. Major cities are located along the Mekong and improvement of
navigation does not cost as much as road building and is much simpler.
There are already many well constructed ports along the Mekong.

He also said that the sectors involved should help each other to
prioritise goods to be moved from north to south. Some products such as
gasoline and construction materials can be transported by boat because
they are not perishable, according to Mr Soulaxay.

"If the survey indicates long-term benefits for the country, there
will be more international assistance for construction and improvement
of the navigational aid system," he said. "If everything goes as
planned, the improvement work will begin in 2008."

By Ekaphone Phouthonesy
(Latest Update July 7, 2006)

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