Merger of Ministries of Lao DPR
The Lao PDR government’s efforts to enhance administrative efficiency, promote better policy coordination, and respond to the nation’s development priorities, the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has approved the merger of key ministries as part of its organizational restructuring plan according to The Central Party Executive Committee regarding the restructuring of organizational establishment No. 3/CPEC, dated 12 March 2025and Resolution of the National Assembly on the approval of the restructuring of the organizational framework of the Government No. 05/NA, dated 20 March 2025.
Key Changes
Effective from 18 June 2025, the following ministries have been officially merged:
- Ministry of Energy and Mines and Ministry of Industry and Commerce are now consolidated into the Ministry of Industry and Commerce;
- Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Finances are now consolidated into the Ministry of Finances;
- Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are now consolidated into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment;
- Ministry of Home Affair and Central Party Executive Committee are now consolidated into the Central Party Executive Committee.
As part of the reform process, each ministry has undergone structural adjustments, including the dissolution of some departments, the consolidation of some departments, the relocation of some departments under new entities and the establishment of new departments. As a result, the merged ministries now have the following organizational structures:
1. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce shall have 15 Department and 1institue as follows: Office of Ministry, Department of Organization and Personnel, Department of Inspection, Department of Policy, Development and Evaluation Plan, Department of Industry, Department of Energy, Department of Geological Resources and Mines, Department of International Negotiation and Cooperation, Department of Domestic Trade, Department of International Trade, Department of Intellectual Property, Department of Standardization and Metrology, Department of Enterprise Management, Department of Micro Enterprise, Small and Middle Enterprise Promotion, Industry and Energy Institute;
2. The Ministry of Finances shall have 17 Department/Comparable 1 Statistics Center, 2 Office as follows: Cabinet of Ministry, Department of Personnel, Department of State Inspection, Department of Budget, Department of Economic Policy and Finances, Department of Plan, Department of Evaluation and Procurement, Department of Cooperation and International Finances, Department of Tax, Department of Customs, National Treasury, Department of State Asset Management, Department of SOE, Development and Insurance, Department of State Reserve, Department of Accounting, Department of Financial Information Technology, Finance Collage, National Statistics Center, LAO-Vietnam Cooperation Committee Office, Lao-China Cooperation Committee Office;
3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment shall have 16 Department, 2 Institutes, 1 Committee and 9 Second-level Technical Unit as follows: Office of Ministry, Department of Organization and Personnel, Department of Inspection, Department of Planning and Cooperation, Department of Agriculture Extension and Cooperative, Department of Agriculture, Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Department of Irrigation, Department of Forestry, Department of Agriculture Land Management, Department of Rural Development and Cooperatives, The Department of Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources Inspection and Environment, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Department of Environment, Institutes of Agricultural Research, Forestry and Rural Development, Institutes of Biotechnology and Ecology, Lao National Mekong Committee, Huay Son Agricultural Development and Service Center, Lao–China Agricultural Demonstration and Technical Service Center, Lao-Korea Rural Development Training Center, Environment Protection Fund, Northern Agriculture and Forestry College, Borikhamxay Agricultural and Forestry College, Agriculture and Forestry Collage of Savannakhet Province, Agriculture and Forestry Collage of Champasack Province, Thangon Irrigation Collage.
4. The Central Party Executive Committee shall have 11 Departments 1 Institutes as follows: Office of Ministry, Department of Organization and Personal, Department of Inspection, Department of Party Establishment, Department of Organization Party, Department of Personal Management, Department of Personnel Development, Department of State Agencies and Parastatal Management, Department of Local Administrative Management, Department of Competition- Recognition, Department of Administrative Development and National Academy of Politics and Public Administration.
Further announcements regarding updated contact information, organizational structure, and new leadership appointments will be provided in due course.