Though online purchases of goods and services have been booming
in Laos, the country's laws and regulations have not kept
pace. Providers of legal advice on these activities have therefore
had to interpret laws and regulations on traditional physical
retail activities instead, and apply them to online activities.
However, Laos is making strides toward providing clear legal
guidance for e-commerce operations by issuing legal measures to
facilitate the regulation of online business activities.
For instance, on June 4, 2021, the new Decree on E-commerce No.
296/GOV (dated April 12, 2021, and published in the
Lao Official Gazette on May 20) came into effect
to clarify the regulatory framework for e-commerce in the country
and to set requirements for electronic purchase contracts.
