Lao economy expected to grow 4.2 percent next year
The Lao economy is projected to grow by 4.2 percent in 2022, driven by commercial production for exports and opportunities and benefits arising from the China-Laos Railway, reported Vientiane Times on December 17.
People join traffic in Vientiane, Laos (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Vientiane (VNA) –♔ The Lao economy is projectedto grow by 4.2 percent in 2022, driven by commercial production for exports andopportunities and benefits arising from the China-Laos Railway, reportedVientiane Times on December 17.
The rail link, which became operational recently, willenable Lao products, notably agricultural goods, to have better access to theChinese market, according to the latest report from the Lao National EconomicResearch Institute. The Lao government aims to make the country a regional huband offer transit services. The country will also seek to capitalise on all thepotential provided by the railway, officials said. In 2021, the Lao economy is projected to grow at a rate of 3percent, lower than the goal of 4 percent approved by the National Assembly. The slower growth is being linked to the prolonged lockdownimposed to contain the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic interrupted economicactivities and forced companies, retail and wholesale shops and factories toshut down, impacting employment rates. The report said that the Regional Comprehensive EconomicPartnership (RCEP), the world's largest free trade deal which will becomeeffective from January 1, 2022, will create favourable conditions for moretrade, foreign investment and tourism in Laos. The acceleration of vaccination rates and people's adaptationto the "new normal" will enable Laos to reopen its borders, revitalisethe services sector, and fuel the growth of production for exports. The report forecast that the Lao economy will slightlyrecover in the medium term, but growth will be lower than the pre-pandemiclevel./.
Lao authorities have ordered stricter control at borders with neighbouring countries after the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was confirmed in Thailand on December 6.
The Lao Ministry of Health announced on December 12 that a total of 1,274 new COVID-19 cases, all community infections, have been recorded in 18 provinces and cities across the country over the past 24 hours.
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.
People join traffic in Vientiane, Laos (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
