Laos Launches National Agenda for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication

The Lao government has launched a national agenda prioritizing rural development and poverty eradication, designating it as a major national priority. The agenda, presented at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and attended by deputy prime ministers, ministers, provincial governors, and local authorities, translates key Party and State resolutions into concrete actions. Dr. Linkham Douangsavanh, Minister of Agriculture and Environment, presented the agenda, highlighting its alignment with resolutions from the 12th National Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2026–2030), Central Party Resolution No. 62, and National Assembly Resolutions No. 34 and No. 19. The agenda aims to mobilize nationwide resources to reduce poverty, develop rural infrastructure, and improve people’s living conditions. From 2027 to 2030, the government plans to lift more than 100,000 families out of poverty and reduce the national poverty rate to a single-digit level. It also targets lifting more than 1,000 villages and 25 districts out of poverty status and establishing at least four to five model focal villages in each province. Priority areas include job creation, social protection, rural infrastructure, permanent settlement development, and strengthening grassroots administration. Prime Minister Sonexay linked this agenda to the Party-State’s "Three Builds" policy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. According to figures presented at the meeting, Laos currently has 189,792 impoverished families, representing 14.78% of the population, as well as 2,173 impoverished villages and 66 impoverished districts. To address these challenges, the Prime Minister outlined five priority areas: 1. Agricultural modernization: This includes a shift from subsistence farming towards commercial production, strengthening farming groups and cooperatives, improving access to affordable financing and markets, and greater development of local processing. 2. Rural infrastructure: Efforts will focus on accelerating the construction and repair of all-weather roads and expanding electricity, clean water, and telecommunications services. 3. Human capital development: This priority focuses on reducing school dropout rates, encouraging doctors and teachers to work in remote areas, and improving early childhood nutrition. 4. Grassroots administration: This involves strengthening local capacity, delegating appropriate authority and budgets, and deploying officials to work directly with rural communities to address local challenges. 5. Land management and safety: This includes accelerating land surveying, zoning, and land-title issuance, while intensifying UXO clearance in agricultural areas to improve public safety and support rural development. Prime Minister Sonexay stressed that poverty eradication is a shared responsibility involving the political system, armed forces, government agencies, local authorities, and society as a whole. He called on all sectors to incorporate the national agenda into their respective operational plans. Under the implementation arrangements, the Prime Minister’s Office will serve as the central coordinating body, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will lead monitoring, evaluation, and plan consolidation. The Ministry of Finance will oversee budget allocation. Line ministries, agencies, and local authorities have been instructed to complete detailed action plans by October 2026 for submission to the National Assembly for approval by the end of the year. The agenda is scheduled to begin official implementation in January 2027. Information Source: KPL Laos News