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Water Supply Authority

The Water Supply Authority (WASA) was established on the level of a Department in the Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction with the mentioned decision No. 37/PM on Management and Development of the Water Supply Sector (Lao PDR 1999) and a Ministerial Decision on Organisation and Activities of the WASA (No. 1728/MCTPC 1999). Presently WASA has a professional staff of 11, but not yet any permanent secretaries and drivers. The Authority is organised with a Director and a Deputy, in charge of three Divisions: Organisation and Administration, Project Management and Technique and Appraisal.

Provincial Authorities

A Provincial Governor is overall in charge of all public affairs in a Province. He and his Vice-Governor supervise and monitor the functions and operations of the Provincial arms of the central line ministries. With respect of the MCTPC, this is the Department of Communication Transport Post and Construction (DCTPC), headed by a Director. MCTPC, and thus WASA, executes its authority and functions in the urban water supply sector through the Director of DCTPC. The Managing Director of a Nam Papa will therefore work in close collaboration with the Director of DCTPC, in particular on all issues concerning centrally funded projects to be executed by the Nam Papa.

Other institutions

Ministry of Public Health (MPH) shall, according to decision no. 37/PM, be responsible for facilitation, co-ordination and direction of all rural water supply, and urban and rural environmental hygiene activities. This includes the monitoring of potable water quality, presently based on the WHO water quality guidelines and W ASA's draft water quality standards (W ASA 2000c).

National Centre of Environmental Health and Water Supply (NEW) shall be responsible for the management of technical aspects in promoting rural water supply, and urban and rural environmental hygiene throughout the country.

Water Resources Co-ordination Committee (WRCC) was set up under the Decree No. 09/PM referred to above. WRCC is responsible for co-ordination of planning, management and monitoring of water and water resources protection in order to secure the sustainable development and use of water and water resources. The provincial authorities shall collaborate with W ASA regarding admission of water resources development through the WRCC. WRCC is established with the Chief of the Institute of Scientific Technology and Environment as President. This institute is attached to the Science, Technology and Ehvironment Agency (STEA) of the Prime Minister's office. STEA is the Environmental Authority of Lao PDR.

Ministry of Finance (MOF) carries out the function of: i) investment support and financial arrangements for all funding into the sector, and ii) financial support in the short- and medium-term to PNPs where commercial targets cannot readily be achieved.