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Industrial Park/Zone/Estate (IP/Z/E)

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Special Economic Zone (SEZ)

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Cross Border and Border (Gate) Economic Zones

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Free Trade Pilot Area (TPA)

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Eco Industrial Park/Zone (EIP/Z)

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Technology Park/Zone (TP/Z)

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Innovation District (ID)

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Others

Overview of Economic Zone

Location

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Announcement of establishing Economic Zone

Laos currently has 12 SEZs covering more than 19,600 hectares. The value of investment has reached some 1.6 billion U.S. dollars, of which 24 million U.S. dollars are invested by Lao government, 1.27 billion U.S. dollars by developers, and 349 million U.S. dollars by retail investors.

The total number of domestic and foreign companies in SEZs is now 318 companies and businesses. Of those, 57 companies are privately owned by Lao nationals, 239 companies are foreign owned, and 22 are joint ventures between Lao and foreign companies.

The service sector accounts for 40 percent of SEZ operations, 32 percent are industrial and 28 percent are commercial. Jobs have been created for about 15,544 people, of whom 7,180 are Lao nationals and 8,364 are foreigners.

SEZs have yielded 16 million U.S. dollars for the national budget and it is expected this figure will more than double in the future as many factories have been built and some are now starting production.

Definition of Economic Zone

SEZs are economic development areas set up to attract large-scale investors, both Lao and foreign, to spur economic growth and create job opportunities for local people. SEZs were first established in Laos in 2002, starting with the Savan Seno Special Economic Zone (Savan Seno SEZ) in central Savannakhet province which was the testing ground for this form of economic development.