LAO PDR Minimum Registered Capital Requirement for Foreign Investors in General Business Companies AbolishedOn 7 November 2017, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce ("MOIC") issued Notification No. 2633/Cabinet/MOIC ("Notification") abolishing the minimum registered capital requirement for foreign investors in general business companies. This follows the enactment on 19 April 2017 of the new Law on Investment Promotion (No. 14/NA, dated 17 November 2016) ("new LIP"), which amended the previous Law on Investment Promotion (No. 2/NA, dated 8 July 2009) ("previous LIP"). The new LIP introduced a number of amendments to facilitate foreign investment in Laos, including providing a seamless process for business applications and issuance of licenses, as well as granting various incentives for certain business activities. It did not, however, provide clarification on the minimum registered capital requirement for foreign investors, which, pursuant to the previous LIP, was set at US$120,000 (about LAK 1 billion). MOIC released the Notification to address this issue.
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