News

Chemicals released into a river by a Chinese-owned banana farm near the Lao capital Vientiane killed over 300 kg of fish in November, prompting warnings by authorities to local villagers not to bathe or fish in the polluted stream, sources in the country say.The release, ...

Two Chinese-owned cement factories in the Vang Vieng district of Laos’ Vientiane Province are covering approximately 900 local families in at least four villages with dust and smog, threatening their health, local sources say.The affected villages of the northwestern province include Khanmark, Houa Ngam, Phonesoung and ...

(KPL) The government has earmarked 2,548 billion kip for poverty reduction efforts in coming year.The government has an ambitious plan to have 4,649 families in 220 villages nationwide graduating from poverty, and 100 development villages announced next year, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Lien Thikeo ...

(KPL) Ministerial delegates from the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council on Wednesday reaffirmed the organization’s reform commitment and regional relevance as it agreed on key issues, including the endorsement of the selected candidate for the MRC Secretariat’s second riparian Chief Executive Officer and the annual ...

Government officials and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) met in Vientiane yesterday to discuss International Humanitarian Law.Participants were familiarised with the main humanitarian-related treaties, especially the Geneva conventions and their additional protocols, and with Lao adherence to those treaties.  More ...

The government will begin inspecting the safety standards applied to the construction of all hydropower dams in Laos next year in a bid to prevent further accidents. This information was revealed during a recent meeting in Vientiane on the safety standards of the nation’s many hydropower ...

(KPL) Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith confirmed on Wednesday that the government will cut the quota of civil servants for 2019 down to 1,500 which is half the number approved for 2018 as the ratio of civil servants to the population for the country is the ...

(KPL) The Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the government of Germany and the European Union on Nov 28 signed agreements worth EUR 8.92 million, approx. US$10 million, to enhance Mekong cross-border water cooperation, at the sidelines of the 25th Meeting of the MRC Council.More ...

(KPL) The government has deliberated and approved in principle a disaster recovery plan to be implemented in 124 districts hit by disasters. According to the plan, over 3,166 billion kip is needed for its implementation in the disaster-hit districts.More ...

(KPL) The Ministry of Energy and Mines continues to amend its development strategy so that it can ensure the reduction of electricity prices for the agricultural production sector.The plan will benefit the agricultural sector by cutting electricity prices by 50% for crop producers and 30% ...