Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone addresses a meeting on rural development and poverty reduction at the National Convention Centre on Monday. --Photo Pasaxon Daily

PM outlines priorities for rural development, poverty reduction

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has outlined five priority areas for rural development and poverty reduction for 2027-2030, with the government aiming to lift more than 100,000 families, 1,000 villages and 25 districts out of poverty.
The targets were cited by the Prime Minister at a conference on the National Agenda on Rural Development and Poverty Reduction, held at the National Convention Centre on Monday.
It came after the National Assembly approved rural development and poverty reduction as a national agenda for 2027–2030 during an Extraordinary Session of the 10th legislature held from July 6-10.
The Monday meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, deputy ministers, chairpersons of provincial administration committees, heads of departments and local-level divisions, and representatives of relevant sectors.
Dr Sonexay said rural development and poverty reduction have been among the Party and Government’s most important tasks since the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was first established, with the objective of narrowing the development gap between urban and rural areas and helping the country graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, slated by this year.
The Party and State have adopted various resolutions, orders and policies to guide implementation, including building a political foundation linked to rural development and poverty eradication and the “Three Builds” directive, which seeks to develop provinces as strategic units, districts as comprehensively strong units, and villages as development units.
Dr Sonexay said this work is a priority under the National Socio-Economic Development Plan and reflects the Party and Government’s commitment to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 on ending poverty in all its forms.
Under the National Agenda, implementation from 2027 to 2030 will focus on challenging but achievable targets, including reducing the poverty rate to single digits by lifting more than 100,000 families out of poverty, along with more than 1,000 villages and 25 districts.
To achieve these targets, Dr Sonexay identified five priority areas: creating jobs and stable income sources linked to settlement and land allocation by promoting focused and integrated farming and crop production; accelerating rural infrastructure development, particularly roads, electricity, clean water, education and healthcare; strengthening local administration and developing personnel at the grassroots level; mobilising funding from the state budget, businesses, the public and international organisations; and improving legislation and management mechanisms, including modernising the national poverty database to ensure assistance is properly targeted and transparent.
He also identified five areas requiring concerted action: transforming livelihoods and production to build a strong rural economy and create stable incomes; developing infrastructure to improve connectivity and facilitate the transport of goods; improving living standards through better education, healthcare and nutrition; strengthening the grassroots political system in line with the “Three Builds” directive; and improving the management of natural resources and farmland while also clearing unexploded ordnance.
PM Sonexay stressed that rural development and poverty reduction are integral to national development and should be pursued as inclusive and sustainable forms of development centred around people.
He called on all ministries, sectors, local authorities and the wider Party and State apparatus, as well as the armed forces and Lao people, to work together, change their approaches, coordinate effectively, and use available resources efficiently.
The Prime Minister said the living standards of people in all ethnic groups will continue to improve, enabling Laos to graduate from LDC status and advance towards greater prosperity and development in line with the goals set by the Party and State.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update September 22, 2026)