Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) has inaugurated the headquarters in the Lao capital Vientiane, a move that comes amid increasing cooperation between Laos and Vietnam in the banking and finance sectors.VietinBank opened its first branch in Laos in 2012, which ...

The government has discussed policies and approved priorities for this year as it attempts to steer the country on a path of sound economic growth.According to a media release from the Prime Minister’s Office, the monthly government meeting, which took place on January 24 and ...

VIENTIANE (Xinhua) — The concrete casting for the last pier understructure of LuangPrabang railway bridge has been successfully completed, laying down all the foundation construction work of the two cross-Mekong River super major bridges along the China-Laos railway.More ...

(KPL) Farmers in two villages of Hinboun district, Khammuan province, have taken control of a new irrigation system built by the Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC).Nateuy and Nongdong villages now each have 300 metres of upgraded irrigation facilities, servicing a combined area of 60 ha of ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The Lao Furniture Association has asked authorities to do all they can to assist with the shipping of wood and furniture products purchased by foreign customers at exhibitions in Laos.Lao wood and furniture producers have been facing major challenges in exporting ...

Lao authorities have adopted measures that will allow easier access to credit and give added protection to minority investors in moves set to improve the country’s overall business environment.Accessing credit and protecting minority investors are two of the 11 indicators which the World Bank uses ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The injection of bank credit into the economy continues to slow despite government measures to improve the investment climate for the private sector. According to a recent government report, credit growth further moderated to 3.13 percent over the past three months of this ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Low rainfall and high temperatures are destroying the crops of Lao farmers across the country against the backdrop of an ongoing drought in the Southeast Asian region.Analysts say the lowest seasonal rainfall in decades will not only have a severe impact ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The Lao government has agreed to work with an Australian company to conduct testing into the ability of the soil wetting agent “NSA Wilt Stop” to control fungal diseases in Lao banana plantations.The Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The Investment Reform Map (IRM) is an important mechanism for the development of investment policies to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and can assist countries that want to develop and attract investment.Speaking last week at the opening ceremony of a consultation ...

(KPL) Malaysian Ambassador to the Lao PDR Mr. Mohd Aini Atan met with Minister of Labour and Social Welfare Dr. Khampheng Saysompheng to inform the minister that the Malaysian government has provided USD100,000 as relief aid for flood victims in Laos.More ...

State employees are banned from circulating and distributing or even destroying classified documents of the nation as such acts could result in damaging national security and social order.The Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Khammanh Sounvileuth, presented a new draft documentation law for debate during the ...

The United States government has confirmed continued support of US$14.5 million for MAG Laos to conduct survey and unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance operations in seven target districts of Xieng Khuang province.More ...

Representatives from development partners, line departments of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the provinces met on Thursday in Vientiane to review efforts on increasing employment opportunities in rural areas. The ‘Project Steering Committee Meeting on National Rural Employment Strategy in the Lao PDR ...

OUDOMXAY, Laos (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has asked Oudomxay provincial leaders to scrutinise private investment projects in detail so that economic growth in the northern province can be driven by high quality developments and programmes.The premier gave the advice on April 12 ...

New guidelines have been issued advising foreign nationals of additional rules they must comply with if they wish to marry a Lao citizen.Minister of Home Affairs Mr Khammanh Souvileuth signed the guidelines on January 28, authorising home affairs officials to request several supporting documents from ...

(KPL) The Lao Securities Exchange launched on Thursday the trading of the shares of Lao Asean Leashing Public Company (LALCO), the 11th company to have been registered on the Lao stock market.The trading day witnessed the share traded at 3,000 kip per share, rising by ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Local farmers and plant nurseries in Vientiane are still dependent upon imported saplings from neighbouring countries, especially Thailand, according to the owner of a local nursery. “I import thousands of saplings for retail every year due to insufficient availability of some saplings, ...

Visiting Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah have said they highly value the friendly relations and cooperation between their two countries.The Lao premier made an official two-day visit to Brunei Darussalam from February 16-17 at the invitation of the Bruneian ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The economic growth rate of Laos is high compared to neighbouring countries and some regional peers, however, this has not seen poverty reduction in the country.The economic growth rate of Laos from 2005 to 2018 averaged around 7.66 percent a year, ...