Private sector investment in Phongsaly province in the far north of Laos has witnessed a slowdown since the economic setback in China driving down the prices of several products. The decline in global demand, particularly in China has discouraged entrepreneurs from that country coming to ...

The Ministry of Education and Sports and the United Nations Population Fund have agreed to strengthen their partnership by continuing to build on their campaign titled Noi. The Ministry signed off on the Implementing Partner Agreement and 2017 Annual Work Plan with the UNFPA on ...

New guidelines issued recently by the government aim to minimise water shortages and flooding both downstream and upstream of hydropower plants. Once water levels in reservoirs rise to a critical point, dam operators are required to notify the relevant authorities, under a new decree issued by ...

Lao officials and representatives of the local office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have discussed progress on the first draft of the forestry strategy till 2030 which aims to push the country’s forest coverage by 70 percent. The two sides held the 6th Joint ...

Thailand, Myanmar and Laos will launch their joint efforts to contain smoke haze later this month, the Thai News Agency (TNA) reported. Lt Gen Wichak Siribansop, chief of the 3rd army, said the 3rd Army Corps would represent Thailand in the joint efforts with the neighbouring ...

L aos will make a submission to UNESCO to include the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khuang province on the world heritage list early next year after the government approves related documents by the end of this year. The government has prepared all the documents ...

An elevated fiscal deficit will result in growing public debt, which will ramp up pressure on Laos’ debt servicing capacity amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Vientiane Times reported on August 21. The Lao Government has estimated that the budget deficit will rise from 6.69 trillion kip (700 million USD) , ...

New Zealand will provide US$7.2 million, one of the biggest single contributions made through the United Nations Development Programme, to Laos’ UXO sector. The funding will include trialling innovative New Zealand technology which destroys unexploded ordnance by melting casings without having to dig up or ...

The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) project plans to test the integration of the eCRVS system and the payment of services through the bank. The aim of the project is to improve the registration of vital events, particularly births and deaths, through the establishment of ...

Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh has called for joint efforts by all stakeholders to create conditions and opportunities for the better development of children. The premier made the remarks in a message he delivered to mark the International Children’s Day, which falls on June 1. On this occasion, ...

In a bid to lower maternal and child morbidity and mortality, Laos will aim to reduce the unmet need for contraception to 13 percent and increase the contraceptive prevalence rate using at least one method from 42 to 65 percent by 2020. The nation’s unmet ...

Two decades ago, this sleepy city on the Mekong River was just starting to pave its streets. [] In recent years, Chinese investment in resource-rich Laos has strengthened the country’s economy, which is projected to grow by 7 percent this year.  Keep reading ...

The Vientiane International Airport Terminal Expansion project is now 13 percent complete after construction began in December 2015, but is a little behind schedule. According to the project’s monthly plan, the work should have been 16 percent complete last month but has only progressed by ...

The development of the That Luang Marsh Specific Economic Zone, located in the heart of Vientiane is expected to be completed by 2030, according to Mrs Huang Xiuwen, Vice President of the That Luang Marsh Specific Economic Zone. “This project will be able to attract more ...

The first dialogue meeting of the Pakbaeng Hydropower Project on the Mekong River took place on January 15 to further react with the recommendations raised by the Mekong River Commission in regards to the PNPCA process of the project.Keep reading ...

Thailand’s navy has seized 11 million meth pills from traffickers crossing from Laos via the Mekong River, a record bust from a communist state that is emerging as a key Asian drug route. Keep reading ...

Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported this week that officials in Laos will soon take an important step forward on a new hydropower project, the seventh large-scale dam project to be undertaken on the mainstream of the Mekong River. The report cited an unnamed government official as saying that ...

The Prime Minister has urged line ministries to remove any unnecessary barriers to help boost the country’s business environment and promote domestic and foreign investment. The government is trying to develop a favourable business environment and simplify unnecessary procedures that are a hindrance to the ...

The first phase of a delayed high-speed rail link between China and Thailand is back on track after its environmental impact assessment was approved – but now doubts have been cast over whether it will have enough passengers to warrant its US$5.2 billion price tag.[]It ...

Two people were killed instantly and nine others sustained injuries after two buses collided head-on in Laksao village, Thataeng district, Xekong province on Sunday. Deputy Chief of the Xekong Traffic Police Office, First Lieutenant Sonevixay Keo-ounvong, told Vientiane Times on Monday the accident happened at ...