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S&P Ups Credit to B- After $500M Bond Sale
S&P has given a lift to Laos's credit rating from CCC+ to B-, with a stable outlook. The upgrade comes after a half-billion USD, 9.625 percent bond, listed in Hong Kong, that attracted bids 2.9 times the offer. S&P indicated that factors supporting the sale were tighter spending, efforts to stabilize the kip and recovering reserves. More than 40 percent of public external debt is owed to bilateral creditors, mainly China. Laos has also entered into a double-taxation agreement with Hong Kong.
Read more: Laotian Times
Tuas Power Explores 500 MW Lao Import
Tuas Power, a China Huaneng subsidiary, has penned an MOU with Electricite du Laos and Phongsupthavy Group to look into sending Singapore up to 500 MW of Lao renewable power yearly. In the envisioned plan, supply would start at 100 MW in the first year and find the 500 MW ceiling in the third. The existing Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore link that’s already in place carries up to 200 MW. Tuas wants to sell hydropower and carbon credits to Singapore data centers and semiconductor plants who are hungry for both. Phongsupthavy's managing director says that cross-border transmission agreements remain a hurdle, but they remain focused on getting approvals, buyers and transmission deals lined up by next year.
Read more: Nation Thailand (project details), Enerdata (contract term), Laotian Times (prior joint venture)
Inspectors Arrest 188 in Illegal Gold Mining Raids
Lao inspectors took possession of 77 kg of raw gold at 23 illegal mining sites in eight provinces and arrested 188 workers (both Lao and foreign). At the mining sites, 18 companies were discovered to be mining without permits on the riverbanks. Authorities confiscated 38 excavators and 20 dredging boats.
Read more: Laotian Times
Vang Vieng Residents Doubt Rain Muddied River
The Nam Song River at Vang Vieng has run muddy for weeks and remains unusually discolored, to the displeasure of residents. The Vang Vieng Commission for Information and Education blames heavy rain in northern Xaysomboun, which it says washed soil into three streams that feed into the river. It also claims that land clearing for a new access road to Houay Khai waterfall may be playing a part. Residents, business owners and travelers say the river was already muddy for weeks before any rain fell, and some think that upstream gold mining (see previous story) is adding to the problem.
Read more: Laotian Times
Ministry Revokes Vehicle Importer Licenses
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has cancelled the licenses of six vehicle importers, making it impossible to bringing in any more four-wheel vehicles. The companies listed are GMS Trading, Shacman Truck Laos, Zaha Trust Trading & Service, PA Trading Import-Export, Sunny Machinery and Hongfa Chalernyoun. The notice of cancellation didn’t indicate a reason for the suspensions, but it does provide an allowance for each company to reapply through the Foreign Trade Department.
Read more: Laotian Times
Government Bars Local Trade Offices From Forcing Single Suppliers
Local trade offices in Laos are no longer allowed to compel businesses to buy from or sell through a single supplier. The order, in force immediately, also prohibits the favoring of individual firms and the blocking of the movement of goods between provinces without a legal basis. Roadside checkpoints are now officially “out,” but inspections that are required by law are expected to continue running. Officials who break the order will be called on the carpet for penalties under the Law on Business Competition.
Read more: Laotian Times
Sekong Wind Farm Plans 1,000 MW Expansion
Monsoon Wind wants to add 1,000 MW to its 600 MW farm in Sekong and keep part of the expanded output in Laos. All 133 Chinese-built turbines currently (no pun intended) feed Vietnam's national grid over lines dedicated to that purpose. It’s Southeast Asia’s largest wind plant owned by a Thai-led consortium, and Vietnam Electricity pays about 6 US cents per kWh, which is between 2 and 4 cents less than what it pays for wind power produced in Vietnam.
Read more: SCMP (hydropower shift), Ua News (Vietnam import share)
Miss Grand Tells Miss Universe Laos Org to Halt 2026 Pageant
Miss Grand International, joined by Miss Universe Eastern, has told Miss Universe Laos 2026 organizers to stop all activities, saying they have no license for the pageant or its trademarks. Without a sub-license, they should not be allowed to accept contestant applications or sell sponsorships. Miss Grand is threatening both civil and criminal action against anyone involved. The Miss Universe Organization says that Miss Universe Eastern is not allowed to grant licenses for the brand. Conflict in pageant-land!
Read more: Laotian Times
Ecotourism May Deter Hunters but Drives Wildlife From Nam Ha
Community ecotourism may work to deter hunters in Nam Ha National Protected Area in northern Laos, but camera traps show that it also appears to keep the wildlife away. Sites near trekking and kayaking routes averaged 4.58 medium to large mammal species, which, compares to sites farther from tourism areas that reported almost twice as many. The 59 camera sites were able to capture impges of 15 globally threatened species. "The animals don't seem to make a distinction between benign tourists and hunters," says researcher William Bleisch, but it is unclear about how much of a problem this actually is or what the solution might be.
Read more: Mongabay
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