Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Recently, Lao Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone chaired a special working meeting to deploy key national tasks, explicitly requiring all ministries and provincial governments to focus on core tasks such as economic development, energy security, flood control during the flood season, and combating transnational crime, ensuring the effective implementation of all measures. These tasks were already established as national priorities at the July cabinet meeting.
The meeting, held from July 27th to 28th at the Prime Minister's Office, saw Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone lead the review of progress in various sectors, requiring ministries and local governments to refine their established priorities into concrete action plans that are implementable, achievable, and verifiable. At a press conference following the meeting, Deputy Director of the Prime Minister's Office, Khengkham Khenochan, stated that the meeting comprehensively reviewed the progress in key areas, accurately identified shortcomings and weaknesses, clarified the key areas for improvement in the next stage, and made every effort to stabilize the fundamentals of economic and social development.
The meeting noted that against the backdrop of continued escalation of global and regional economic uncertainties, Laos' domestic development has remained generally stable and orderly. The country enjoys political stability and social order. Significant progress has been made in key areas such as public finance, infrastructure construction, investment attraction, education and healthcare, cultural and tourism development, rule of law reform, and digital transformation. Data shows that Laos has achieved 64% of its 2026 fiscal budget revenue target and 42% of its fiscal expenditure target; foreign exchange reserves can cover at least five months of import needs; the average inflation rate in July was 7.6%, and the overall economic operation is under control.
Meanwhile, the meeting objectively reviewed the prominent challenges facing current development, focusing on various risks and hidden dangers such as online fraud, drug trafficking, road accidents, illegal mining, illegal cross-border movement, power and water shortages, rising prices, and increasing living costs. In response to these issues, Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone made specific work arrangements, requiring all law enforcement and relevant departments to strengthen supervision and enforcement, strictly adhere to the bottom line of political security and public order, crack down on organized crime, strengthen online public opinion control, severely punish false information and malicious online content, and purify the online and social environment.
In light of the current rainy season, the Lao government is focusing on strengthening flood prevention and disaster relief efforts. The meeting called on all relevant departments to comprehensively upgrade flood prevention and preparedness measures, conduct routine safety inspections and controls of reservoirs and dams, refine emergency rescue plans for the flood season, ensure timely assistance and resettlement of affected people, and simultaneously guarantee a stable power supply to minimize the risks of floods and power outages.
Energy security was listed as a core priority at the meeting. The Lao government required close monitoring of international oil price fluctuations, the development of scientific emergency response plans for fuel shortages and abnormal oil price movements, strict investigation of fuel hoarding and speculation, and stabilization of the domestic energy market order. At the same time, it called for accelerating the preliminary research and planning work for the cross-border oil pipeline project connecting Vietnam and Laos, and continuously optimizing the energy supply structure. Furthermore, the government clarified its commitment to continuously promoting the widespread application of electric vehicles, vigorously developing renewable energy, gradually reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, and building a self-reliant, controllable, green, and low-carbon energy system.
Regarding fiscal and economic revitalization, the meeting emphasized strengthening tax collection and management, making every effort to collect overdue public funds and unpaid border crossing fees, standardizing border port fee management, and leveraging cultural and tourism advantages to guide and stimulate duty-free consumption, thereby broadening fiscal revenue channels. Simultaneously, efforts will be accelerated to repair flood-damaged road infrastructure, strengthen agricultural production guarantees, promote worker skills enhancement, and precisely attract high-quality foreign investment projects to help improve economic quality and efficiency.
People's livelihood and social undertakings will be strengthened in tandem. All departments need to strengthen public health monitoring and early warning, promote the modernization and upgrading of the medical service system, standardize the management of cultural and tourism events and activities, fully implement all preparatory work for the start of the 2026-2027 academic year, and coordinate the promotion of high-quality development of people's livelihood and social undertakings.
The legal business environment will continue to be optimized. This Cabinet meeting approved in principle the revised list of regulated business activities under the Investment Promotion Act, reducing the number of restricted business items from 44 to 20, significantly relaxing market access, streamlining regulatory matters, adapting to current economic development needs, continuously optimizing the business environment, and stimulating market vitality. At the same time, the meeting approved in principle 16 draft laws to be submitted to the National Assembly for deliberation, including the enactment of 2 new laws and the revision of 14 existing laws, continuously improving the national legal system.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone summarized and outlined the arrangements, requiring all central ministries, affiliated agencies, and provincial governments to refine implementation plans for key tasks in August, clarify responsibilities, set clear timelines, and strengthen supervision to ensure that all policies and measures are effectively implemented and promote stable and healthy economic and social development.
