The Lao government is keen to cooperate with its development partners to fulfil the priorities of the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2016-20 in view of its implications for graduation from Least Developed Country status. To ensure that the government achieves its development goals, the ...

Two villagers were reportedly killed by flash flooding in the country’s northern Oudomxay province and more households severely impacted as heavy rain lashed multiple districts over the weekend, a provincial senior official said yesterday. A heavy downpour that began on Friday midnight and continued until ...

Laos government has in principle approved four laws, two decrees and other policies to streamline its administrative system and boost socio-economic development. The endorsement was reached at the government’s July monthly meeting, with two days of talks wrapping up on 22 July. Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office ...

Agribusiness operators in Phongsaly province are struggling for trade after Chinese authorities banned the import of some agricultural produce. Commercial crops including green tea and sweetcorn being traded by Lao entrepreneurs in the province cannot be exported to China, the provincial Green Tea Processing Factory Director, ...

An air shipment of illegal ivory and pangolin scales, worth an estimated $1.3 million, was intercepted and seized by the authorities on 13 December at the Changi Airfreight Centre.  In a joint release on 17 December, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and Singapore Customs ...

Over 500 people have been affected by UXO-related accidents in Laos since 2009, according to a report from the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for UXO/Mine Action in Laos. The NRA reported that from 2009 until the present there had been 319 incidents involving unexploded ordnance, claiming ...

The rubber price in Luang Namtha province has fallen continually since 2013 causing a large number of growers to plant other crops instead. The rubber price in the province is currently 3,000-3,500 kip per kilogramme, down from 4,000-4,500 kip per kg over the past year, an ...

A local developer is proposing to the Lao government to convert BM Plaza into a specific economic zone in order to facilitate business operations and attract more investment, trade and tourism through the single window service. Representatives from BM Group yesterday met with officials from the ...

Bokeo provincial police confiscated over 100,000 amphetamine pills and arrested two drug traffickers in Phonthong village, Paktha district, last week. Head of the Bokeo provincial Public Security Headquarters, Colonel Lamphai Yotpaphai, told Vientiane Times on 11 November that police received a tip off about illegal drugs being ...

Maintaining loyalty to the nation, Party and people while pursuing national development and defence remains the goal of the Lao People’s Army. Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Sengnouan Xayalath gave this message at a meeting held in Vientiane yesterday to commemorate the army’s 67th anniversary this ...

Laos is now moving towards industrialisation and modernisation after experiencing a slight increase in the share that the industrial and service sectors represent in the overall economic structure. In contrast, the agriculture and forestry sector has declined significantly in the past decade as a result of ...

The Lao Women’s Union and the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family have joined forces to provide vocational training for Lao women, to improve their job prospects. A meeting to discuss the management of the project took place on Friday at the Lao ...

In the wake of complaints by students’ parents about the annual increases in tuition fees, the Vientiane Education and Sports Department has set a cap on fee increases.  The department has set a limit for both state and private schools in Vientiane, from kindergarten to secondary ...

The new specific economic zone (SEZ) being developed through cooperation between Laos and Japan should bring economic and other benefits to the government, local administrations and people by being a model on transparency of investment. Relevant officials made the comments about the project recently on the ...

Some 25 Lao labour inspectors were trained on new labour law tools in Vientiane to help them educate workers and managers about their workplace rights and obligations on 26 November in Vientiane. The tools and related training programme were developed by the government with support of ...

The World Health Organisation has provided US$6 million to the Lao government to improve the sustainable development of the health sector.  Associate Prof. Dr Bounkong said this was an opportunity to reaffirm the continuing collaborative relationship between the ministry of health and the WHO in supporting ...

Laos’ first telecommunications satellite (Lao Sat-1) will be launched into orbit on November 21 to spur many facets of development and industry. The satellite, which is owned by the Lao Sat-1 Joint Venture Company, will be part of a network of satellites in Laos and overseas ...

Laos, Thailand and Malaysia may proceed with a planned cross-border power trade minus Singapore, which had some concerns over the initiative, said Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili. He said his officers were exploring the possibility for the pilot project, known as the Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore ...

Non-government organisation Great Peace in the Laos organised a training course on child rights and child development for teachers from childcare centres in Chanthabouly district, Vientiane on 5 December. This was the fifth time such a training course has been held by Great Peace, focusing on ...

The Lao government is embarking on an plan to inspect all 55 dams in the country nearly one year after the collapse of a saddle dam that caused a disaster described as Laos’ worst flooding in decades. The disaster occurred on July 23, 2018, when a ...