On 23 October 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (“MOIC”) issued Notice No. 4091 (the “Notice”), clarifying how MOIC’s Instruction No. 2406 on enterprise registration (“2406 Instruction”) applies to branches of foreign entities in the Lao PDR. Foreign commercial banks may establish new branches, while existing registered branches may continue operating under the transitional […]

On 9 April 2026, the Bank of the Lao PDR (“BOL”) issued Decision No. 310 on Syndicated Loans (the “Decision”), which regulates syndicated loan facility lending arrangements. The use of syndicated loan facilities is not new in the Lao PDR; in fact, the BOL’s Decision on the Scope of Lending by Commercial Banks No. 1062 […]

The Lao kip has shown signs of stabilization in its exchange rate against the US dollar and Thai baht in recent months. These two foreign currencies remain the most widely used foreign currencies in the Lao PDR, playing a crucial role in trade and economic transactions. To strengthen the management and stability of foreign currency […]

The Monetary Policy Department of the Bank of the Lao PDR (“BOL”) issued Instruction No. 878/MPD on 2 August 2021 (“Instruction No. 878”) to implement its mandate requiring all currency exchange bureaus operating in the Lao PDR to become representatives of local commercial banks on or before 11 October 2021. Those that fail to do […]