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...

Govt, Microsoft to Accelerate Digital Transformation

Software giant Microsoft has underscored its commitment to empowering every person and every business in Laos. The initiative is in line with Microsoft's National Empowerment...

Nayoby Bank to Increase Loan Amounts, Expand Branches

Nayoby bank will increase the maximum loan amount it releases to a customer from the current 30 million kip to 50 million kip next...

Laos-China Railway Awaits Landmine Clearance

Construction of the Laos-China railway in Luang Namtha province has yet to commence as some UXO clearance activities need to be completed before the...

Skilled Labour Needed for Development Zones

A large quality of skilled labour remains in high demand for development zones across the country, especially the Saysettha Development Zone in Vientiane, according...

Central Bank Permits Importers to Borrow in Foreign Currency

The Bank of the Lao PDR has permitted commercial banks to release loans in foreign currency to importers, including those who currently have no...

China Funds Poverty Reduction in Laos

The Chinese government has agreed to provide grant funding of over 34 billion kip (over 33 million Yuan) to address poverty reduction in Laos,...