Dien bien: A delegation from Laos’ Oudomxay province led by Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Governor Vongsavanh Saynhavong paid a working visit to Dien Bien province on October 9 to exchange experience in operating the two-tier local administration model. Chairman of the Dien Bien People’s Committee Le Thanh Do welcomed the delegation, affirming the province’s commitment to deepening friendship and cooperation with northern Lao provinces, particularly Oudomxay, which shares many similarities in natural conditions, population, and development orientation.
According to Lao News Agency, Dien Bien’s Chairman Le Thanh Do presented an overview of the province’s socio-economic performance, highlighting its GRDP, which reached over 12.28 trillion VND (over 466 million USD) in the first nine months of 2025, marking a 6.76% year-on-year growth. This growth reflects stability across agriculture, industry, and services sectors. Dien Bien shared valuable lessons from implementing its two-tier local government model, launched on July 1, 2025, following administrative streamlining that significantly reduced the number of communes and wards by 65%. The reform abolished the district level, cut costs, enhanced efficiency, and empowered grassroots authorities.
The province has also made strides in decentralisation, strengthened accountability, and embraced digital solutions. Its Public Administration Service Centre now connects provincial to commune levels, enabling 100% online handling of procedures, thereby reducing costs and time for citizens while increasing transparency.
During the visit, both sides agreed to continue implementing their memorandum of understanding signed in December 2024. This agreement aims to expand cooperation in areas such as personnel training, public administration, infrastructure development, border trade, tourism, and culture. Additionally, they pledged closer coordination in combating cross-border crime, particularly drug trafficking, to ensure stability and security.
Chairman Do emphasized the importance of strengthening practical cooperation and fostering people-to-people exchanges, particularly among the youth, to consolidate the Vietnam-Laos special friendship. Governor Vongsavanh Saynhavong praised Dien Bien’s socio-economic progress and governance reforms, noting that the province’s experience in administrative restructuring, decentralisation, and digitalisation serves as a valuable reference for Oudomxay’s own development efforts.