This policy brief describes how production-driven partnerships between forest communities and the private sector, with government support, can improve livelihoods and economic development while restoring forest landscapes. It addresses the lack of effective, self-sustaining models for community livelihood development based on the sustainable trade of ...

The special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar on 29 October told one of the United Nations highest-level bodies that she is not convinced the coming election will be free and fair. Yanghee Lee criticised the candidate scrutiny process for being non-transparent and for seemingly arbitrarily disqualifying ...

The government is continuing to step up controls at border crossings to prevent people entering Laos illegally and avoiding checks that could stem the spread of Covid-19, the national virus control taskforce has announced.The move is part of ramped up measures being imposed until February ...

The private sector is a key bulwark for the government’s efforts and achievements in performing its task as a facilitator for business and socio-economic development, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told members of the business community at the 11th Lao Business forum yesterday. The Prime Minister ...

Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly (NA) yesterday that 1,545 small-scale wood processing plants and businesses that had been operating illegally had been shut down nationwide. Some 702 people were found to be involved in the illegal operation of the plants and businesses ...

Southeast Asian foreign ministers opened their annual meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday to discuss and further strengthen Asean community building and enhance regional cooperation.Lao Minister of foreign Affairs Mr Saleumxay Kommasith attended the 52nd Asean foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings hosted by Thailand.More ...

The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism is considering partnering with Booknea Inc., an online Lao travel agency, to foster the growth of tourism by advertising services through the Booknea app. “Using this app, we will publish, advertise and circulate information about the travel industry ...

Government officials from Vientiane and Champassak province recently met in Luang Prabang and Champassak to discuss anti-money laundering efforts. More ...

The Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party recently adopted core and urgent measures to drive the macro economy which is currently encountering some difficulties. New state investment must focus only on projects which are economically efficient, except for recovery projects following damage from natural ...

The Lao Red Cross delivered supplies to communities in the southern provinces who suffered losses in the recent floods, with the donated items worth more than 60 million kip.Last week the Red Cross took educational supplies to Phouthongloum Primary School in Xanasomboun district, Champassak province, ...

Businesses operating in a border trade area at a Lao-Vietnamese border crossing in Savannakhet province will soon be offered special tax and non-tax incentives as in special economic zones. “Enterprises operating in the Ban Dansavan border trade area will receive the same tax and non-tax incentives ...

The Faculty of Economics and Business Management, National University of Laos (NUOL) will open the nation’s first bachelor’s programme in Development Economics and Planning for the next academic year 2018-2019. Ministry of Education and Sports and the university jointly organised a ceremony to announce the ...

The Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) and Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) have completed their first exchange training programme.The four-week programme under South-South Cooperation with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) came to an end last week.The programme began this year ...

Two committees have been set up to carry out an investigation into the reason for the collapse of a hydropower dam in Attapeu province, as well as the responsibilities of the officials in charge. The fracture of saddle dam D, one of five auxiliary dams ...

Officials from Champassak province, Laos, and Ubon Ratchathani province in Thailand are continuing cooperation to protect women and child workers from the illegal sex trade and human trafficking. They met in Ubon Ratchathani province recently to share their experiences and various skills in dealing with ...

Southern parts of the country are contending with increasing levels of water flowing down the Mekong River and its tributaries, flooding villages in Khammuan, Savannakhet and Champassak provinces. The flooding comes as the government, domestic and foreign partners and rescue teams from abroad are working ...

The Ministry of Health will no longer provide Covid-19 tests free of charge and Lao nationals and foreigners will now have to pay for tests and any treatment required.Covid-19 tests have been provided free of charge since the first case of the virus in Laos ...

The government is creating a plan to preserve the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos as an agricultural area and a tourist destination, putting an end to companies’ hopes to set up heavy industry plants in one of the most fertile areas of Laos. The National Economic ...

Nine Lao businesswomen received the Outstanding Asean Women Entrepreneurs Award 2018 granted by the Asean Women Entrepreneurs Network (AWEN) at the Department of Social Development and Welfare Building in Bangkok, Thailand last week.Almost 100 nominated businesswomen from Asean countries joined the special awards ceremony to ...

A 53-year-old Vietnamese woman has died from coronavirus (Covid-19) in Laos, marking the first death from the virus recorded in the nation, the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control announced on Sunday. The woman, who worked at a karaoke club in Naxay village, Xaysettha ...