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Seminar on Tax at the Lao Plaza Hotel
In January 2013, Catherine Follett from McDonald Steed McGrath presented at the Lao PDR’s first seminar on taxes together with the Lao Ministry of Finance, KPMG and DFDL. This seminar was held at the Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane and had a record turnout of approximately 200 attendees. This seminar was the first of its […]
Marrying or Divorcing in Laos
[:en]As many foreigners have discovered to their dismay, marrying or divorcing a Lao citizen is not a straightforward process. Unlike most other jurisdictions, a foreigner must obtain the permission of the Lao government in order to marry a Lao. The overall process involves the presentation of a number of documents, interviews and assessment of the application by various government offices.[:]
Enforcement of Contracts in Laos
[:en]Here in Laos there is a system of ‘notarising’ and ‘registering’ various documents that are used in everyday life and for business purposes, and is generally a requirement in enforcing contracts.[:]
Australian Business Forum for Bilateral Trade & Investment
[:en]On 11 October 2012, the Australian Embassy, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Australia-New Zealand Business Association held a Lao Australia Business Forum (LABF) at the Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane.[:]
Hydropower
The Lao PDR enjoys a monsoonal climate and has many rivers, including the mighty Mekong. The hydropower industry is well developed and is supported by the Government. A number of reasonably complicated agreements are needed to put together a hydropower project, all of which we can assist you with – from the beginnings of your […]
Corruption: Don’t do it!
‘Corruption’ can be defined in many ways. At its simplest, it can be described as the abuse of public power or position for personal advantage. Corruption is an offence under the laws of the Lao PDR, as well as in many other countries. Some countries impose penalties on its own citizens for corrupt activities committed […]
Joint Venture Agreements
When investors come to bedding down their plans with their business partners, the best way to try to ensure their business proceeds as smoothly as possible is to document the agreements between the parties in ‘contracts’. These contracts come in many shapes and sizes. When two parties, whether companies or individuals, decide to undertake a particular […]
Mining and Mineral Exploration
As you may be aware, mining and mineral exploration are hot topics in the Lao PDR. McDonald Steed McGrath has strong links to the exploration and mining industries here. However, you should be aware that these industries are very sensitive here, as they are in every country. In the last two decades the Lao Government […]
Land in Lao PDR
A very important question for investors is what rights can they acquire over land in the Lao PDR. Foreigners are not able to own land here, but they can have long term leases over land. There have been some recent legislative changes potentially allowing foreigners to own land, but the extent of these changes is […]