Economy

Laos Attracts USD 8.5 Billion in Investment Projects in First Seven Months of 2026

Laos attracted over USD 8.5 billion in investment approvals during the first seven months of 2026, with officials greenlighting 34 projects in concessionary businesses and controlled business lists. The figures mark a 68 percent increase over the same period last year, and actual capital inflow from these projects has already...

Laos State Utility Revenue Grows 9.4 Percent in First Half of 2026

Electricité du Laos (EDL), the state-owned power utility, grew its revenue by 9.4 percent...

Laos Considers VAT Exemption to Subsidize Electricity for Low-Income Households

Laos’ National Assembly (NA) is considering a proposal to exempt subsidized residential electricity from...

Oudomxay Seeks More Railway Services to Boost Investment

Authorities in Oudomxay Province, northern Laos, have announced plans to expand railway services and...

Vientiane Halts New Microfinance, Pawnshop Licenses Amid Regulatory Review

On 31 July, the Bank of the Lao PDR (BoL) suspended applications for new...

Laos Inks Another Deal to Send More Workers to South Korea

The Lao government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South Korea last week to send more Lao nationals to work in the country's...

Lao Visitors Boost Sales and Tourism in Udon Thani, Thailand

Udon Plaza Company Limited, along with the UD Town Shopping Center, Moko Hotel, and Monthathip International Convention Center, has reported a significant rise in...

Businesses in Golden Triangle SEZ to Only Accept Payment in Lao Kip

Businesses in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone will need to display a sign that reads "Accept Lao Kip Only" for payments starting Monday. The...

Laos Plans to Export Rice to United States in 2024

The owner of a rice production company in Laos expressed her interest in exporting rice to the US next year after the recent success...

Dr. Martens Boots “Made in Laos” Set Social Media Abuzz

Dr. Martens has been trending on social media in Laos after one person made the surprise discovery that the German-founded British brand of boots...

Laos May Face Foreign Debt Defaults as Economic Turbulence Continues

Following unsustainable external debt ratios and challenging future debt repayments, Credendo, a European credit insurance group, has downgraded Laos from category 6/7 to the...