Economy

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 percent to 7 percent a year as inflation remains below the government’s 8 percent target. The Monetary Policy Committee approved the cut at its meeting on 20 August, where it reviewed monetary policy, economic conditions, fuel...

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-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...

Vientiane’s Bus Rapid Transit Service Set to Begin Trial Operations by End of August

Vientiane’s BRT service is scheduled to begin trial operations free of charge for three months by the end of August, Mayor of Vientiane Capital...

Lao-China Railway to Pilot Automated Parking Fee System at Vientiane Station

The Lao-China Railway Company has announced plans to introduce an automated parking fee collection system at Vientiane Station as part of a pilot project...

Laos Launches Disability-Inclusive Early Warning Workshop to Strengthen Climate Resilience

A two-day workshop on Disability-inclusive early warning messaging is starting today in Vientiane. The host is the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in collaboration...

Government Officials Undergo Water Rescue Training as Rainy Season Starts

From 30 June to 2 July, officials from key government agencies in Laos, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of...

Tourism Fuels Revenue Surge in Luang Prabang in Five Months of 2025

Luang Prabang earned nearly LAK 700 billion (USD 32 million) in the first five months of 2025, with tourism playing a significant role, said...

Lao Inflation Rate Eases to 7.2 Percent in June

Laos’ inflation rate eased for the second month in a row, falling to 7.2 percent in June 2025 from 8.3 percent in May, according...