Vientiane: The Vientiane Department of Industry and Commerce has announced a series of measures to control commodity prices and prevent hoarding ahead of the upcoming Lao New Year.
According to Lao News Agency, the department is collaborating with major markets, shopping centers, import-export companies, and convenience store chains including Big C Mini, 7-Eleven, and J-Mart to sign memorandums of understanding. These agreements aim to stabilize prices and ensure a sufficient supply of goods.
Authorities have stated that retailers are prohibited from raising prices without authorization. This restriction applies to all goods, including popular seasonal items such as gift baskets. Officials have also mandated that businesses must not sell expired or low-quality products. All goods must be properly labeled in the Lao language and display prices clearly in Lao kip.
Mrs. Thaddavone Sigasoukhiam, deputy head of the department, mentioned that inspection teams from all nine districts will conduct field checks at markets and retail outlets across Vientiane. Enforcement efforts will focus on two categories of goods: Category A includes strictly controlled items such as fuel, cooking gas, sticky rice, pork, tilapia, eggs, and poultry, while Category B includes imported goods like fish sauce, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, and other essential products. She warned that any business found increasing prices without authorization will face legal action under existing regulations.
The department is also working with provincial and border authorities to monitor the movement of agricultural goods, aiming to prevent the illegal transport of unapproved products into the capital. Officials reported stable prices from late 2025 through early 2026. However, recent data from February to March shows fluctuations in prices, with pork ranging from 80,000 to 88,000 kip per kilogram and eggs between 70,000 and 75,000 kip. Despite declining vegetable prices, rising fuel costs have led to higher prices for imported goods. The department remains committed to maintaining stable prices for essential domestic products during the holiday period.
