Sayabouli recently became the last of Laos' 11 formerly opium-growing provinces to be declared opium-free. But Laos will wait until year’s end to declare to the international community that it has achieved its goal of ridding itself of opium by 2005.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Oxiana Resources announces it expects to export 230,000 ounces of gold and 30,000 tons of copper from its Sepone mine by year’s end. The Lao government will receive about 10% of the total export values.
Listen to our Laos Today report for details.