Corridor to Trade, Jobs, and Services

Mr. Bounkhong is well known in Somxay village, in the northern Lao province of Oudomxay. His wife and daughter run a small shop in the middle of the village, selling snacks and everyday items but he spends much of his time at the family farm, where he grows vegetables and raises poultry. Like most of the villagers, he also holds fields where he cultivates rice for household consumption, plus cash crops like maize and rubber. Life is getting better for Bounkhong’s family and for many of the villagers. For over a year now, a new road has run from the village to Houn district town 3 kilometers away. This is part of a network of secondary roads that connect to National Road 2, and their upgrade is financed by the World Bank as part of the $132 million Southeast Asia Regional Economic Corridor and Connectivity Project, designed to increase job opportunities through better connectivity across three countries in Southeast Asia. “It only takes ten minutes or so to get into town now,” says Bounkhong. “Along the old road, it could take an hour in the monsoon season”. As secondary schools, hospitals, markets, shops and government offices are all located in Houn, the new road provides easy year-round access to essential services, and it also means that traders are more likely to visit farmers in the village.