Friday, January 6, 2012

Korea is funding street lights?

So now it's the Korean's turn to enlighten the city. New streetlights will build by a Korean company, as a report in the Vientiane Times aka Lao Prawda stated. Ok, will might be not right. Shall, because for now they do a feasability study. No, not for lighting, but for funding. The task is basically to see how the Korean government can fund it.
The interesting part is, that the problem in Vientaine when it gets dark is not only the lack of street lights but also the lack of working street lights. Go to the Friendship Bridge to see what happend to the recent Thai street light funding.
In Laos, there is zero understanding what maintaining even means. Also, NGOs and foreign government organisations still don't forsee this problem. Installing street lights is easy, but having back up bulps (or LEDs) and having (and paying) a maintanance guys is another story. Too many projects in developing countries have suffered from this flaw, and too many still do and will.
So even if Korea will fund the light, do not expect too much of a bright future.

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