| Trade Perspective |
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The main aim of Lao PDR foreign trade policy is to gradually reduce the trade deficit with foreign countries so as to establish a balance of trade or overbalanced status in the year to come by promoting domestic production for export and import substitution. In addiction, the exploitation of untapped potentialities of the country should be increased. Also, the systematic programming and radical changes of procedures and mechanisms will be worked out on a regular basis in order to avoid export obstacles. At the same time, procedures and mechanisms hindering the production will also be changed and all forms of investment in the production sectors for export will be vigorously promoted. The export market with all countries will be expanded regardless of the souci-economic and policy systems. Necessary conditions will be created in order to join the regional Free-Trade Area. Furthermore, necessary conditions will be created for Laos to become the transit center in trade and services in the future. The membership of Laos into ASEAN-AFTA in 1997 is one important way to improve the exportation and foreign market for Lao products and also to encourage the domestic market. GDP purchasing power parity - $7 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate 5.2% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 51% Industry: 22% Services: 27% (1999 est.) Population below poverty line 46.1% (1993 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:4.2%, highest 10%:26.4% (1992) Inflation rate (consumer prices) 140% (1999 est.) Labor force 1 million - 1.5 million Labor force - by occupation agriculture 70% Unemployment rate 5.7% 2000 est. Budget revenues:$202.7 million Expenditures:$385.1 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY97/98 est.) Industries tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments Industrial production growth rate 7.5%. Electricity - production 1.34 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:2.99%, hydro:97.01%, nuclear:0%, other:0% (1998) Electricity - consumption 514 million kWh (1998) Electricity - exports 782 million kWh (1998) Electricity - imports 50 million kWh (1998) Agriculture-products sweet potatoes,vegetables,corn,coffee,sugarcane, tobacco, cotton; tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry. Exports around $250 to 300 million per year (f.o.b). Exports - commodities wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin Exports - Main partners ASEAN, EU. Imports $529 million (f.o.b., 2000). Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel Imports - partners Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore, Hong Kong Debt - external $2.32 billion (1997 est.) Economic aid - recipient $345 million (1999 est.) Currency name kip (K) Exchange rates 9450 kips/USD. Fiscal year 1 October - 30 September Population 5,497,459 (July 2000 est.) Age structure 0-14 years:43% (male 1,191,608; female 1,173,144) 15-64 years:54% (male 1,447,788; female 1,500,016) 65 years and over:3% (male 85,028; female 99,875) (2000 est.) Population growth rate 2.5% (2000 est.) Birth rate 38.29 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate 13.35 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ration at birth:1.05 male(s)/female, under 15 years:1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years:0.97 male(s)/female, 65 years and over:0.85 male(s)/female total population:0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Infant mortality rate 94.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth total population:53.09 years, male:51.22 years, female:55.02 years (2000 est.) Total fertility rate 5.21 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s), adjective: Lao or Laotian Ethnic groups Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong ("Meo") and the Yao (Mien) 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% Religions Buddhist 60% (in October 1999, the regime proposed a constitutional amendment making Buddhism the state religion; the National Assembly is expected to vote on the amendment sometime in 2000), animist and other 40% Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population:57%, male:70%, female:44%. Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones. Land use arable land: 3%, permanent crops:0%, permanent pastures:3%, forests and woodland:54%, other:40%. Irrigated land 1,250 sq km Note: rainy season irrigation - 2,169 sq km; dry season irrigation - 750 sq km. Natural hazards floods, droughts, and blight. Environment - current issues unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Laos Transportation Highways total: 21,716 km, paved: 9,673.5 km, unpaved:12,042.5 km . Waterways about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897 additional km are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m Pipelines petroleum products 136 km (unused now) Ports and harbors none Airports: Wattay Airport in Vientiane capital city. Airports - with paved runways total:9 2,438 to 3,047 m:1 1,524 to 2,437 m:4 914 to 1,523 m:4 Airports - with unpaved runways total:43 1,524 to 2,437 m:1 914 to 1,523 m:17 under 914 m:25 . |
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