Development

Laos Collects USD 12 Million in Digital Taxes From Global Tech Companies

Laos has collected approximately USD 12 million in digital taxes from global technology companies since introducing its digital tax system in late 2024, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Santiphab Phomvihane. The tax applies to foreign digital service providers without a physical presence in Laos, including Microsoft,...

Vietnam, Philippines Reach Upper-Middle-Income Status as Laos Eyes 2035 Target

Vietnam and the Philippines have been reclassified as upper-middle-income economies by the World Bank,...

Vientiane Completes New 9.3-Kilometer Mekong Embankment

On 1 July, Vientiane officially opened a new 9.3-kilometer stretch of Mekong riverfront featuring...

Laos Reports Economic Growth as Inflation Slows to 7.4 Percent in June

Laos recorded 5 percent economic growth in the first half of 2026, while inflation...

Japan Approves USD 2.3 Million Scholarship Grant for Lao Civil Servants

Japan has approved JPY 378 million (USD 2.3 million) in scholarship funding to support...

Laos Moves to Overhaul National School System by 2028

Laos is preparing to reform its national education system by shifting to a 6+3+3 grade structure, extending primary schooling and reorganizing secondary education. The...

National Road No. 13 South in Savannakhet Set for Major Rehabilitation

A major 79-kilometer section of National Road No. 13 South is set for restoration after Savannakhet authorities on 13 November approved a new plan...

Lao State Fuel Company Set to Transform into Public–Private Joint Venture

The Lao government is moving to restructure the Lao State Fuel Company (LSFC) into a public–private joint venture as part of its broader overhaul...

National Assembly Calls for Action on Roads, Education, Agriculture

At the 10th Ordinary Session of the 9th National Assembly on 11 November, members proposed measures for the government to address key challenges highlighted...

Laos Cuts Public Debt to 88 Percent of GDP, Reports Budget Surplus

Laos has successfully reduced public debt from 112 percent of GDP in 2022 to about 88 percent in 2025, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said...

Laos Kicks Off First-Ever Digital Census with Nationwide Field Data Collection

UNFPA - Santiphab Phomvihane, Minister of Finance and Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for the 2025 Population and Housing Census, led a...