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(…) All forms of bureaucratic threats and actions that undermine the physical and mental wellbeing or the dignity of the people are prohibited. Also prohibited are actions that cause damage to their rightful assets. In addition, the amendment focusses on cultural, social and economic development associated with sustainable environmental protection. (...)

(...) A natural resource tax applies to the oil and gas industry and to businesses involved in the exploitation of rare and precious resources, including oil shale/petroleum and natural gas, metallic/non-metallic minerals, construction materials, peat, anthracite, hydro-electric power, and land concessions. Tobacco, coffee, tea, and flower seeds are also subject to the natural resource tax. The applicable rates vary from 5% to 25% of the sale or export price, or are based on a tax per cubic metre. For wood, the taxes vary depending upon the type of wood.

The 2010 the Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS), aimed at ensuring the successful gradual transition from subsistence into commercial smallholder production, contains strategies for addressing most current global agricultural development issues including: climate change mitigation and adaptation; connecting to markets; and ensuring economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

(...) Article 5 of the Law on Electricity, inter alia, promotes: investment in (...) hydropower, in junction with the protection of forest-protected water sources (...) by using energy in an economical, effective and sustainable manner and through the use of modern technology, mitigating social and environmental impacts; (...) The 8th NSEDP focusses on hydropower development, thermal electric power, solar energy and industrial plant energy, in order to turn the power sector into a sustainable income-generating sector to support various productions and to solve poverty. (...) The 2015 Policy on Sustainable Hydropower Development in Lao PDR, which superseded the 2006 National Policy on Environment and Social Stability of the Hydropower Sector (No. 561/CPI), applies to all hydropower plants with more than 15 MW generation capacity, and provides policy guidance to agencies that manage hydropower investment projects for the inclusion of technical, engineering, economic/finance, environmental and social impacts in their analyses.

List of import prohibitions
No. HS code Goods Purpose Regulation Supervising authority
1 n.a. Chemicals of high-level danger used in industries Protection of health and safety of humans and the environment Decree on Import and Export of Goods No. 114/GoL, dated 6 April 2011 MoIC (Industry Department) (...)
4 n.a. Destructive fishing tools Sustainable conservation of aquatic fauna and environment Fisheries Law MAF (Department of Livestock and Fishery) (...)

The Forestry Law was last amended in 2007 to strengthen the sustainable management of forests, and, in the same year, the Wildlife Law was also enacted to provide a stronger legal framework for biodiversity conservation. The Forestry Law lays out measures and regulations for the sustainable management, conservation, development, use and inspection of forest resources and forest land.

For imported food products, the documents required are: (…) Imports of product containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is allowed, as long as this information is clearly stated on the product label.

Lao PDR's membership in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of its strategic priorities. (…) The AEC Blueprint 2025, relying on the 23 Sectoral Action Plans (SEPs) combined into the AEC Consolidated Strategic Action Plan 2025 (CSAP), aims to strengthen and reinforce the AEC five characteristics: (...) (e) A Global ASEAN. It also incorporates new focus areas, such as global value chains, good regulatory practices, sustainable development, global megatrends and emerging trade-related issues (...).

Since 2005, a Rural Electricity Fund (REF) promotes the use of renewable energy in rural areas on the basis of a revolving capital principle with funding support from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

Lao PDR is well on its way to fulfill the graduation criteria and to pass from the status of an LDC to the one of a developing country (…) Graduation, however, poses new challenges for the sustainable development of Lao PDR as its conditions on the international markets will become more difficult.