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...

Vietnam to Import More Electricity from Laos, China

According to EVN General Director Tran Dinh Nhan, talks are underway for the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) to increase its electricity purchase from Laos...

Vietnam Airlines to Resume Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia Connecting Flight

Vietnam Airlines will restart its flight connecting the three major cities of Hanoi, Luang Prabang, and Siem Reap starting in July.  VNExpress reports that the...

2023 International Tea Day Fair Puts Laos’ Tea Industry in Spotlight

The Lao Department of Agriculture (DoA) led the celebration of International Tea Day in Laos. This year, the three-day event aims to enhance the...

114 Lao Workers Depart for South Korea for Seasonal Agricultural Work

114 Lao workers from Vientiane Capital departed for South Korea for seasonal agricultural work on Tuesday. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has dispatched...

THB 300 Tourism Fee for Entry Into Thailand Still in Limbo

The fate of the THB 300 tourism fee scheme, which was proposed in July 2022, currently lies in the hands of the incumbent government,...

IMF Sees Laos Return to Steady Growth, Warns of Debt Risk

This year's conversation with Laos saw the IMF focused on how to support steady economic growth in 2023, considering the high public debt that...