Government
National government
PM reveals measures to bolster economic growth
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly that the government will employ a number of measures to spur economic growth amid the current economic and financial constraints. The prime minister on October 31 responded to questions raised by Assembly members about stimulus measures and policies the ...
NA members want tougher oversight on chemical use
National Assembly members have proposed that the government impose tougher measures in managing the distribution and use of dangerous chemicals so they can be brought under control. NA members expressed their wish on October 31 when debating the NA’s Standing Committee oversight of social and environmental ...
Philippines says China ships still at shoal, but fishermen unhindered
China has scaled down its presence at a disputed South China Sea shoal but has not interfered with Filipino fishermen, the Philippine president’s security adviser said on October 30, after the administration had said China had withdrawn completely. Hermogenes Esperon said Chinese ships were still present ...
VN, Singapore pledge to beef up ties
Việt Nam and Singapore have agreed to work together to seek new directions for co-operation in order to optimise opportunities and benefits brought about by free trade agreements and the ASEAN Economic Community. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Singaporean Foreign Minister ...
Govt seeks to increase bank deposits to 84 percent of GDP
The government has announced its intention to increase deposits in commercial banks to 84 percent of Gross Domestic Product by 2020, up from the 57 percent expected in 2016, in a bid to meet growing development needs. Governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR, Mr. ...
Deputies uneasy about draft Law on Associations
National Assembly deputies spent the whole day on October 25 trying to iron out their differences over the draft Law on Associations. All agreed that the right to establish associations was one of the fundamental rights of citizens provided by the Constitution. However, some deputies said ...
Cabinet approves budget worth B17.5bn for Village Funds
The cabinet on October 25 approved a 17.5-billion-baht budget for 74,655 Village Funds across the country at 250,000 baht each for local development. The move is a fresh bid to boost the rural economy, prevent people from borrowing from loan sharks and maintain the country’s ...
Parliament calls for full revenue collection
National Assembly members have called for the government to do more to seek new revenue sources and fully collect revenue following last fiscal year’s revenue shortfall despite there being numerous income generating sources. Members of parliament put forward the requirement when debating the government’s proposal to ...
Public debt ceiling to remain at 65%
The government will not lift the public debt ceiling but will tighten its financial discipline to develop enterprises and further attract social investment to create the resources needed for reform and socioeconomic development. Lifting the ceiling would affect the country’s loan repayment capacity, Deputy Prime Minister ...
Govt asks parliament to lower growth targets
On October 24, the government asked the National Assembly to lower economic growth targets over the next four years after encountering difficulties that resulted in failure to meet the target set for last fiscal year. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith presented the proposal at the second ordinary ...
