Four key ministries have been merged with other departments in a major restructuring exercise to reduce the total from 17 to 13 ministries, underscoring the government’s efforts to downsize in order to streamline performance. The Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee adopted a resolution announcing the merger.
The move merged the Ministry of Planning and Investment with the Ministry of Finance, which retains its name. Ministry of Energy and Mines was merged with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, which too will retain its name. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was merged with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which is now known as the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
The Ministry of Home Affairs was merged with and place under the Party Central Committee’s Personnel and Organization Committee, while the topics of governance, mapping and religion regulation affairs, among others, which were previously under the Ministry of Home Affairs, were transferred to the Prime Minister’s Office and other ministries whose duties are aligned.
Media affairs (information sector) was transferred to be overseen by the Party Central Committee’s Propaganda and Training Board. Thus, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has become the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Following the change, the current ministries are:
Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Ministry of Education and Sports
Ministry of Finance Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
Ministry of National Defence
Ministry of Public Works and Transport
Ministry of Public Security
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Technology and Communications
Three other ministerial equivalent bodies remained unchanged. They are the Prime Minister’s Office, State Inspection Authority, and the Bank of the Lao PDR.