Economy

Laos Economy Grows 5% in Year’s First Half, Government Holds to 6% Target

Laos’ economy expanded 5 percent in the first half of 2026, helped by a strong tourism season and growth in services, but slowed in the second quarter as the government works to meet its 6 percent target for the year. Growth reached 5.5 percent in the first quarter before easing...

Attapeu Looks to Job Support as School Dropouts Rise

Attapeu is expanding its employment services as the province seeks to respond to labor...

Laos Moves to Update Electricity Law for Energy Sector Shift

Laos is moving to update its electricity sector as the government prepares to adopt...

Laos Cuts 7-Day Base Interest Rate to 7% as Economic Risks Persist

The Bank of Laos (BOL) has cut its seven-day base interest rate from 8...

Prime Minister Calls for Tighter Oversight of Boten SEZ Amid Development Challenges

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic...

Laos National Assembly Holds Brainstorm Session to Solve Economic Problems

The National Assembly of Laos met yesterday for a special brainstorming session to address the country's economic problems. The brainstorming session was chaired by Mr....

Laos Taxes Foreign Tech Firms

The Ministry of Finance in Laos has issued a notice requiring foreign e-commerce and tech platforms to register for Value Added Tax (VAT) in...

World Bank Says War Shocks to Drag on Asian Economies in Coming Months

Disruptions to supplies of commodities, financial strains, and higher prices are among the impacts of the war in Ukraine that will slow economies in...

Laos to Approve More Than 300 New Mining Projects

Laos is considering the approval of 308 new mining investment projects across the country.  Deputy Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ms. Khamchanh Vongsenboun spoke during...

ADB: Laos Has Reformed Business Development, But More Needs To Be Done

Laos' regulatory environment for business development has improved, but more must be done to speed up the country's economic recovery. A new joint report by...

Feasibility Study Underway for Vientiane to Houaphanh Expressway

An expressway linking Vientiane Capital with Houaphanh Province is closer to reality after a feasibility study for the project was announced yesterday. A signing ceremony...