At a market in Houaphane province, Laos (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Vientiane (VNA) – Inflation rate in Laos surged from 30.01% in August, 2022, to 34% in September, according to the Lao Statistics Bureau.
The 22-year high was attributable to the surge in the prices of food, medicines, fuel and other consumer goods.
Inflation in Laos has surged significantly since 2021, and the country now has the highest inflation rate in Southeast Asia.
According to the bureau, low productivity and Laos’s over-reliance on imports were also reasons behind the continuing surge in the consumer price index.
The weak kip, the Lao currency, and growing demand for foreign currencies needed to import goods and repay debts is another driver of inflation. The kip continues to depreciate despite the government's attempts to regulate currency exchange rates.
In addition, floods have destroyed crops and other property, sparking demand for more food at local markets. In September, the cost of food and beverages increased by 4.9% month-on-month and 35.5% year-on-year. The price rise in this category was driven by the higher price of rice, which surged by 45.3% year-on-year./.
The Lao Government and relevant energy companies plan to spend over 2 billion USD for the construction of a wind power project in Sepon district, Savannakhet province to serve domestic demand and export to Vietnam.
The Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport on September 21 launched the World Bank-funded Southeast Asia Regional Economic Corridor and Connectivity Project, which is expected to improve climate resilient, transport connectivity, and regional trade along an east-west corridor through Lao northern provinces.
The Association of the Lao Garment Industry (ALGI) has encouraged every village to have at least one shop stocked with clothes produced locally, aiming to reduce the import of the products and controlling the inflation rate of the country.
The Lao Ministry of Health has urged people to continue complying with COVID-19 prevention and control measures, even though there are very few cases reported daily.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
At a market in Houaphane province, Laos (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
