Economic policy and administration

The trade deficit in Laos soared to USD 233 million in September 2022 but has been decreasing steadily since then.The overall value of trade in Laos was USD 935 billion in January this year, with USD 461  million in exports and USD 474 million in imports, according ...

Residents of Vientiane are concerned about another fuel shortage with several petrol stations in the city being closed since Monday.However, the concerned sectors have issued reassurances that fuel will soon be available in sufficient quantities to meet daily demands. The fuel shortage has occurred at ...

The Lao kip has plunged to a record low in recent days against the US dollar and Thai baht despite the government’s attempts to stabilise currency exchange rates.The value of the national currency has nosedived since the end of March, the Governor of the Bank ...

The economy of the Lao PDR is forecast to grow 3.4% this year and 3.7% next year thanks to the country’s investments to boost exports, according to the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2022 released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Apr 6.Rising oil prices ...

The government has authorised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue entry visas for certain groups who have registered through the QR-Code (Vaccine-ID) on the website: ‘laogreenpass.gov.la’ without having to request approval from the Covid-19 taskforce.  The new ruling applies to foreign diplomats, employees of ...

The 3rd Plenary Meeting of the 11th Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party was held between Oct 18-22 in Vientiane under the presidency of Secretary General Thongloun Sisoulith. They noted that the most noticeable action taken in the past months was the designation of ...

The Lao economy is projected to steadily recover in the medium-term, but growth will remain below pre-pandemic levels at 4.5 percent in 2022. The Lao economy is projected to grow at 3.6 percent, down from the 4 percent growth anticipated in March 2021. The main risks ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The National Assembly (NA) on Monday endorsed the National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2020, giving the legal back up for the government to impose measures to strengthen productivity.Out of the 114 Assembly members who attended the 8th session of the 8th ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The government is confident its austerity policy will continue to lower budgetary tensions and financial difficulties in the coming year despite slow progress in implementing measures to curb wasteful spending.The Ministry of Finance will take action in coordination with several other ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times) – Laos needs about 27 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for development in 2020 to ensure the country’s steady economic growth.Of this amount, 4,750 billion kip, or 10.2 percent of the total, will be taken from the domestic budget, Deputy ...