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...

Laos Section of Laos-China 500kV Power Interconnection Reaches 80 Percent Completion

The Lao section of the Laos-China 500-kilovolt (kV) power interconnection project has reached 80 percent completion, one of the country’s most important cross-border energy...

Lao Government Proposes Forest Land Conversion for Investment Projects

The Lao government has submitted a request to the National Assembly (NA) seeking approval to convert forest land for mining, energy, and infrastructure projects...

Champasack Authorities Survey Phou Salao for Conservation, Tourism Development

Champasack provincial authorities on 21 December conducted a field survey of Phou Salao as part of plans to develop the area into a provincial-level...

Rising Gold Prices Add to Household Costs in Laos

Gold prices in Laos jumped sharply on 23 December, following a broader rise seen across neighbouring countries, as global prices climbed and local currency...

Authorities Agree on Rehabilitation, Toll Collection Plan on Road 13 North

On 19 December, Lao authorities agreed to study, survey and design a rehabilitation and maintenance project for a section of National Road 13 North,...

Laos Advances National Road 22 Repairs, Nearly Half Completed

Lao authorities are accelerating repairs on National Road 22 following damage from landslides and heavy rain, with more than 47 percent of the work...