Regional power trades are on the rise in South East Asia. Historically, Laos is a major exporter of mostly hydropower in the region, reaching nearly 2 billion US$ in 2022 to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. And the exported amount keeps growing. For example, Laos and Vietnam have signed another 3000 to 5000 MW of power […]

On 10 July 2019, the Department of Investment Promotion of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (“DIP”) issued Notice No. 189 (the “Notice”) regarding the suspension of the incorporation of electricity and mineral investment projects.Per the Notice, the DIP has instituted a nationwide suspension of the acceptance of applications for investment projects involving the exploration […]

Recently, the President of the Lao PDR issued Presidential Edict No. 001/P dated 15 December 2015 (“the Edict”) regarding the royalty rate for natural resources. The Edict imposes royalty rates for natural resources as follows: For general mineral resources – from 2% to 10% of the sales value, depending on the type of mineral. For […]