Economy

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 Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha as Laos seeks to expand the border area as a trade and investment hub. Laos began developing the Boten SEZ in 2012 to attract investment in finance, trade, industry, transport and...

Laos-China Railway Trade Surges as Cross-Border Freight Hits New Highs

Trade along the Laos-China Railway continued to grow sharply in the first half of...

Laos Identifies Two New Rare Earth Target Areas Across Four Provinces

Laos has completed field surveys and identified two major potential rare earth target areas...

Laos Studies USD 1 Billion Vientiane-Lidu Industrial Park in Pakngum

On 13 August, Laos agreed to study the development of a new industrial park...

Laos Border Checkpoints Report Strong Revenue Growth in First Half of 2026, Exceed Targets

Laos’ international border checkpoints collected strong state budget revenue in the first half of...

Japan Restarts World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant

By Mathias Cena with Kyoko Hasegawa/AFP - The world's biggest nuclear power plant was restarted on 21 January for the first time since the...

Laos Introduces Fines for Damaging, Misusing Banknotes

The Lao government began enforcing new rules on the use and handling of banknotes on 20 February, introducing fines for damaging or misusing cash...

New Laos–Germany Agreement Boosts Support for Forest, Biodiversity Protection

Laos and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation on forest and biodiversity protection, reinforcing joint efforts to conserve natural ecosystems while supporting sustainable livelihoods...

Government Tightens Controls on Burning Activities to Curb Forest Fires, PM2.5

The Lao government has announced stricter measures to prevent forest fires and reduce PM2.5 pollution during the January–April dry season, warning that uncontrolled burning...

Laos Sign USD 1.35 Million Agreement to Support Secondary, High School Students in Southern Provinces

The Ministry of Education and Sports and the Education Development Fund (EDF-Lao), a regional non-profit organization, signed an agreement for an education improvement project...

Laos Exceeds 2025 Tax Revenue Target

Laos’ tax sector collected LAK 22.85 billion (USD 1.06 million) in revenue in 2025, exceeding its annual target, according to the Ministry of Finance. The...