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...

Lao President’s Book Donated to 22 Lao Schools Across Vientiane

More than 22 schools across Vientiane Capital received copies of President Thongloun Sisoulith’s memoir "Letters to Grandchildren" on 29 June, an initiative aimed at...

Power Outages to Hit Four Vientiane Districts in Early July

Electricite du Laos (EDL), a state-owned national electricity utility, will cut power across four Vientiane districts from 1 to 5 July to carry out...

Laos Raises Tax-Free Income Threshold Under New Personal Income Tax Rules

Laos has officially raised the monthly income exempt from personal income tax from LAK 1.3 million (USD 58.8) to LAK 2.5 million (USD 113.5),...

Laos Reports Economic Growth as Inflation Slows to 7.4 Percent in June

Laos recorded 5 percent economic growth in the first half of 2026, while inflation slowed to 7.4 percent in June, according to the Bank...

EDL to Cut Power Across Six Vientiane Districts Through End of June

Electricité du Laos (EDL) will cut power across six Vientiane districts from 26 to 30 June for maintenance and infrastructure upgrades. According to the notice...

Laos Restores Higher Fuel Excise Taxes as Emergency Relief Measures End

On 24 June, Laos reinstated higher excise taxes on fuel, restoring regular gasoline tax from 15 percent to 25 percent and increasing diesel tax...