Economy and commerce
Investment
Vientiane has business potential but needs more infrastructure
Vientiane still has a huge potential for businesses and investment since Laos is being integrated with South East Asian Nations, according to economists. However, economists recommended that infrastructure development including roads, water and electricity supply are crucial for facilitating and attracting more entrepreneurs to the ...
Savannakhet orders 253 furniture plants to shut down
Savannakhet provincial authorities have ordered 253 family-based furniture plants to shut down many of them operating without business licenses, while some are failing to meet set standards. Some 166 plants are operating without business licenses, while the 87 remaining plants approved by districts’ authorities failed ...
Chinese investors reconsider plantations as profits prove elusive in banana business
Some Chinese investors plan to shutter their banana farms in Laos and relocate to other countries while others plan to replace the yellow herbaceous fruit with other agricultural crops after sustaining losses. The northern province of Bokeo has been a major location for banana plantations ...
Potatoes to take root
Cambodia’s eastern Mondulkiri province will become the country’s first hub for potato growing after a successful pilot project, researchers say. Cheang Hong, of the Potato Research Center at the Royal University of Agriculture, said a team spent several months studying weather conditions, potato varieties and ...
Japanese, Singaporean banks finance controversial Indonesian coal plant
A consortium of Asian banks will provide US$3.36 billion in loans to support the expansion of the Tanjung Jati B coal-fired power plant project in the Jepara district of Indonesia’s Central Java province. Plans to expand Tanjung Jati B are part of a broader initiative ...
Myanmar celebrates the power of women this week
The government and several parties – including foreign embassies, business groups and non-governmental organisations – are coming together to hold a series of programs on women empowerment this week. The programs from Monday to Sunday in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw are part of a global ...
Bid to boost Myanmar shrimp trade begins
Though Myanmar’s shrimp export is much less than that of Vietnam and Thailand in terms of tonnage and value, the nation is set to leapfrog its production with American experts’ technical assistance, said Kyaw Tun Myint, president of the Myanmar Shrimp Association. “We usually import broodstock ...
South coast holds development key
Real estate and hotel developers have identified the southern coast of Cambodia as having tourism potential to encourage more business investment. Developers and investors gathered in a Real Estate and Construction Forum on Friday to discuss the possibilities of developing the coastal provinces, particularly in ...
Xayaboury to open forest as latest visitor attraction
Xayaboury province is opening up its largest forest as one of its visitor attractions, hoping to draw more people to experience its natural beauty and raise its profile as a tourist destination. Director of the province’s Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Mr Chanthi Simanichan, said ...
Special economic zones attracting fewer foreign investors
Foreign investor interest in Lao special zone economic zones is currently less than previous years as most try to come to grips with local regulations. Vientiane Industry and Trade Area Special Economic Zone, at Km22 Nonthong in Xaythany district is one of zones facing this ...
