VIENTIANE: The Lao central bank, the Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL), convened its first Board of Directors meeting of this year, highlighting significant progress in inflation control and financial stability.
The meeting, held in the Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday, was chaired by Bounkham Vorachit, governor of the BOL, Lao National Radio reported on Thursday (Jan 15).
In her opening remarks, Bounkham said the central bank had proactively implemented its measures and achieved notable results, particularly in maintaining currency stability.
Key achievements in 2025 included a sharp decline in Laos' average annual inflation rate to 7.7 per cent, down from 23.1 per cent in 2024.
The exchange rate remained broadly stable, while foreign exchange reserves rose to a level sufficient to cover more than six months of imports, meeting the set targets.
Financial stability was maintained at a sound level, and the development and integration of payment systems with neighboring countries made steady progress.
Bounkham emphasised that although currency stability has shown positive trends, existing challenges have not yet been fully resolved.
Therefore, the meeting focused on reviewing key draft documents, including the report on outstanding activities and the implementation of the 2025 monetary plan, as well as the proposed direction for the 2026 plan. - Xinhua
