Laos actively welcome foreign direct investment (FDI) activity, and has done so for a number of years. FDI inflows are seen as one method of boosting economic development and growth, and assisting in the transition process –consisting of both economic reforms and business liberalization measures – underway in the country. On paper at least, the (still evolving) laws and regulations pertaining to FDI activity are relatively liberal: for example, permitting 100% foreign-owned business ventures across a fairly wide range of business sectors. As FDI inflows have accrued, and confidence has grown, the foreign investment regimes have continued to improve, in tandem with improvements to the wider business environment in Laos.

Hopefully, this will provide a background from which to appreciate the specific country reports that follow, and hopefully come to some shared conclusions. With the latter in mind, this paper ends with some personal suggestions as to how Laos might build on the recent successes in attracting relatively substantial FDI inflows to the country, and best harness future FDI activity in the next phases of its economic development programmes

Part I - The Overview of Lao’s Economy

Part II - The overview of Lao’s FDI

Part III – suggestions