Socio-Economic Development

Vientiane Completes New 9.3-Kilometer Mekong Embankment

On 1 July, Vientiane officially opened a new 9.3-kilometer stretch of Mekong riverfront featuring parks, walking and cycling paths, sports facilities, and flood protection infrastructure following the completion of Phase II of the Mekong River Integrated Management Project. The new embankment extends from Wat Nak village in Sisattanak District to...

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...

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...

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...

Japan Approves USD 2.3 Million Scholarship Grant for Lao Civil Servants

Japan has approved JPY 378 million (USD 2.3 million) in scholarship funding to support...

Most Children in Vientiane Want to Become Doctors or Nurses

According to a recent survey, most children in the country's capital city aspire to be doctors or nurses when they grow up. A survey conducted...

Govt. to Compensate Those Affected by Construction of Laos-China Railway

The Lao government has vowed to address the environmental and social impacts associated with the Laos-China Railway project by the end of this year.  The...

Over 1,000 State Departments Dissolved to Deliver Good Governance in Laos

Over the last few years, 1,146 state departments and units at various levels were disbanded to streamline the structure of state organizations and provide...

16 Days of Activism 2022 Wraps up with Great Success

The German Embassy, Vientiane, and UNFPA spearheaded an advocacy event last week to wrap up the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The...

Laos Won’t Default on its Loans, Assures PM

Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh informed the ongoing session of the National Assembly that the government would try its best to repay public debt so...

Two Lao-Americans Get Elected as Mayors in the United States

Xaykham “Xay” Khamsyvoravong was unanimously chosen as mayor of Newport, Rhode Island and Oakland City Council Member Sheng Thao emerged as the mayor of...