Northern Laos’ Oudomxay Province will establish 40 new Ta Saeng (sub-district) administrative units as part of Laos’ ongoing effort to strengthen local governance and improve public service delivery.
This initiative will cover the province’s seven districts and a total of 466 villages.
Each Ta Saeng in Oudomxay will oversee between one and 24 villages, with governing committees comprising a chairperson, one or two vice-chairpersons, and additional officials selected from civil servants and qualified local candidates.
The committees will focus on governance, economic planning, cultural development, and national security while coordinating with the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and mass organizations.
A pilot Ta Saeng was successfully launched in May in Xaythany District, Vientiane Capital, covering 23 of the district’s 104 villages.
Ta Saeng in Laos, first introduced during the French colonial period in the 1920s to facilitate governance. The system was abolished in the 1990s.
Recent Constitutional Amendments, Government Restructuring
This move, introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 21 January, is expected to establish approximately 950 sub-districts nationwide. The plan involves dividing districts into smaller administrative units, with an average of 6 to 7 sub-districts per district. Each sub-district will oversee between 1 and 24 villages, depending on local needs, geography, and population size.
This administrative overhaul aligns with the constitutional amendments and broader government restructuring approved during the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the 9th legislature of the National Assembly on 20 March.
All 156 members of the National Assembly endorsed a plan to reduce the number of ministries from 17 to 13, merging several key bodies to eliminate overlaps and improve operational efficiency.
On 26 June, the Lao National Assembly ended its 9th Ordinary Session, cutting ministries from 17 to 13, reshuffling leadership, and approving new laws to streamline government, boost governance, and enhance public services nationwide.