MACRO AND MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS IN LAOS

1. MACRO ENVIRONMENT

Political and legal environment

Political institutions

The Lao People's Democratic Republic is a politically institutional state that

leads and implements a centralized form of democracy. The only legitimate political
party is the Las People's Revolutionary Party.

The Lao People's Army is small, has little budget and insufficient resources;
Their mission focused on border and domestic security, mainly against Hmong rebel
groups and other opposition. Together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and
the government, the Lao People's Army is the third pillar of the state apparatus and is
expected to prevent political and civil unrest or similar emergencies. There is no
external threat to Laos, and the Lao People's Army maintains strong ties with
Vietnam.

The political environment and social order and safety throughout Laos have
been considered stable for many years. This is evident in the view of the most
important policy of the Party and the State of Laos. This political stability has always
been considered as the most favorable and attractive opportunity for investment and
production and business activities for Vietnam. But Laos as well as other socialist
states, Laos also followed the path to socialism, which from this point has greatly
affected the psychology of investors from the socialist countries.

Legal system

Enterprises investing in Laos are currently difficult to anticipate the difficulties

and risks especially when the legal system related to investment in Laos is in the
process of being revised and completed, so there are many changes, inconsistencies,
lack of transparency and difficulty to access, leading to regrettable obstacles in the
process of implementing projects. in Laos.
 Customs procedures are unclear, and the collection of taxes is often not in line
with the set tax rates. Trade law and the commercial court system in Laos are growing
slowly and not transparently. Trade disputes are rarely adjudicated in favor of foreign
investors. Cumbersome investment procedures and approval periods are not in
accordance with the law. Lao Holdings N.V. and its subsidiary Sanum Investment
Limited submitted an application to the International Center for The Settlement of
Investment Disputes – an independent division of the World Bank (WB) proposing to
resolve legal disputes related to assets made up of Sanum Investment's direct
investments in Laos, to date, more than $85 million has been raised. According to
Sanum, the Lao government's policies have affected investments and led to the risk
that they could lose assets worth up to $400 million. There are also some operating
licenses and franchises of projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars. As a result,
Lao Holdings N.V. lost $1.8 million per month.

In February 2018, the Lao Government issued Order No. 2 on Improving

Business Coordination Regulations and Mechanisms in the Lao PDR, with the
expectation of improving Laos' position in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business
rankings. As a result, the process of establishing a business is faster due to the
simplification of the procedures for applying for licenses and registering company
seals from 174 days to less than 40 days. Tax administration has always been
considered one of the biggest barriers to trade in Laos in surveys for small and
medium-sized enterprises. The World Bank ranked Laos 154th out of 190 economies
in 2019 in terms of ease of doing business.

In addition to these challenges, the Lao government is also creating a series of

more suitable conditions through revised laws, aiming to create a foundation for
investor trust such as land incentives, corporate income tax reduction, ensuring an
equal competitive environment.

Vietnam-Laos relationship

Vietnam and Laos are two countries with a long tradition of friendship. Under
the leadership of the two Parties, the two peoples have "committed to suffering"
throughout the historical journey against the aggression of the empires as well as in
the period of national defense and construction and development. The two countries
always attach great importance to this special traditional relationship, help each other
in all aspects, overcome difficult roads together, stand together on the path of
renovation and development of the country in the direction of socialism.

In the economic field, up to now, trade agreements have been signed with the
aim of further expanding trade relations between the two countries on the basis of
mutually beneficial equality, respecting the tradition of cooperation and international
trade practices. With efforts, Vietnam - Laos trade exchange is constantly increasing.
The two countries are working to boost bilateral trade in 2021 by 10 to 15 percent
from last year, potentially reaching $1 billion as planned. Vietnam remains Laos' third
largest trading partner (after Thailand and China), one of the three largest investors in
Laos with 413 projects and a total registered capital of US$4.22 billion, up 35% from
2010. Preferential mechanisms on import and export tax for goods originating from
the two countries are continued by the two sides with an ever-expanding list.
Especially in 2020, there was a breakthrough with 9 new and adjusted projects,
accumulated capital of more than 143 million USD, up 130% over the same period in
2019. Many investment projects promote efficiency, production, and business
profitably, contribute positively to the development of the two countries, create jobs,
increase social welfare, help Laos well implement poverty eradication policies.
Although there are still difficulties in terms of capital, Vietnam always gives certain
development aid to Laos, in the period of 2016-2021 is VND 3,250 billion, funded for
many different fields, the most priority for human resource development.

Economic environment

Size of economy

Laos has one of the fastest economic growth rates in ASEAN and has
maintained a rate of about 7% per year in recent years (from 2009 to 2017). The
inflation rate is quite low (1.3-2% per year). Simple investment mechanism,
expanding bank credit for agriculture and small businesses, developing special
economic zones... it has contributed to attracting foreign investors and helping the Lao
economy develop well. Laos' total GDP reached 18.17 billion USD, the GDP growth
rate was 4.7% and in 2019 according to the World Bank report.

Despite this, the Lao economy still has many difficulties, the infrastructure is in
the development stage, labor productivity and labor quality are still low. Laos'
economic development depends largely on mining, electricity, foreign investment
(FDI) and foreign aid. The road system is currently at a basic level, but is improving,
and there are restrictions on telecommunications in internal and external lines.
Electricity is available to 83% of the population. Recently, the country has faced
persistent current account deficits, falling foreign currency reserves and growing
public debt.

International companies are developing special economic zones in Vientiane,

Savannakhet and Champasak provinces and others. Special economic zones offer a
wide range of incentives and tax exemptions to investors depending on the industry,
besides the Lao Government constantly strives to improve the business environment.
International investors have been attracted by the abundance of cheap electricity, low
labor costs, Laos' central location in the expanding Mekong Subregion, the
improvement of transport infrastructure.

The level of infrastructure development in Laos is still low but is improving

rapidly. The China-Laos railway, scheduled to begin operations in 2021, will soon
connect Vientiane with Kunming, Yunnan province via high-speed rail, and will
connect northern Lao cities such as Boten, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang with
Vientiane. The 113.5 km-long Vientiane-Vang Vieng Highway is expected to be
completed by 2021. Other new infrastructure projects include a highway linking Boten
in Northern Laos with Thailand in northwestern Laos; a new highway connecting
Vientiane to Boten on the Laos-China border; road reclamation on the East-West
Economic Corridor in Savannakhet Province of Southern Laos; and in the future may
be a highway connecting Vientiane with Hanoi of Vietnam.

Access to capital: The accessibility of SMEs (small and medium-sized

enterprises) is still difficult because banks require some steps to force small businesses
to borrow capital from microfinance institutions, they may even have to pay higher
interest rates. SMEs hope the Lao government can ask banks to consider improving
the lending process in an easier way, thereby enabling SMEs to grow faster.

Laos joined the WTO in 2013 and continues to integrate with its ASEAN
neighbors through the ASEAN Economic Community. The following countries have
granted Common Priority System (GSP) status to Laos: Australia, Belarus, Canada,
Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece,
Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. The
following items provide duty-free treatment under the LDC for Laotian goods: Chile,
China, Taiwan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Thailand.

Laos has also signed trade agreements with all nine other ASEAN members
and participated in a series of negotiations as a member of ASEAN. Laos has also
signed many bilateral agreements with Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand,
North Korea, Mongolia, Malaysia, Russia, India, Belarus, Argentina, Kuwait, and
Turkey.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) in its annual Trade Profile 2020
publication noted the global trade ranking in 2019, Laos ranked 107 th in exports and
119th in terms of imports of goods in the world. In terms of services, Laos ranks 128th
in terms of exports and 131st in terms of imports. Laos' economic freedom index is
53.9, making it the 141st free economy in 2021 (Source: Heritage). The index fell 1.6
points mainly due to a decline in free trade. Laos ranks 32 nd out of 40 countries in the
Asia-Pacific region and has a lower economic freedom index than the regional and
world average. The Lao government began decentralizing control and encouraging
private enterprise in 1986. The country's economic growth averaged more than 6% per
year between 1988 and 2008, and it can be said that Laos' growth rate reached the
fastest rate in Asia, averaging more than 7% per year for much of the past decade.

The export value of Laos in 2019 reached 5,764 million USD and imports
reached 6.252 million USD, a deficit of 488 million USD. In terms of services, in
2019, Laos exported 1,101 million USD, imports reached 1.274 million USD, a deficit
of 173 million USD. Thus, the total balance of import and export turnover of Laos
reached a negative growth of 661 million USD in 2019. The export value of Laos in
2019 reached 5,764 million USD and imports reached 6.252 million USD, a deficit of
488 million USD. In terms of services, in 2019, Laos exported 1,101 million USD,
imports reached 1.274 million USD, a deficit of 173 million USD. Thus, the total

CÁN CÂN THƯƠNG MẠI CỦA LÀO GIAI ĐOẠN 2014 - 2019
0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
-0.488
-0.794 -0.869
-0.5
-1.127 -0.173

-1.609 -0.661

-1 -2.022 -0.337 -0.234

-0.188 -1.131 -1.103

-1.315
-1.5

-0.393
-2
-2.002 -0.232
-2.254
-2.5

Hàng hóa Dịch vụ Tổng

balance of import and export turnover of Laos reached a negative growth of 661
million USD in 2019.
 ĐVT: triệu USD

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Investment activities between Vietnam and Laos

According to statistics on the trademap.org (ITC International Trade Center),

Vietnam is the third largest supplier of products to the Lao market and the third largest
partner to import goods from Laos.

According to statistics of the General Department of Customs, in 2020 alone,

the total value of import and export of goods between Vietnam and Laos reached
1,030 million USD, down 11.5% compared to 2019. In particular, the export of goods
of Vietnamese enterprises to the Lao market reached 572 million USD, down 18.6%
compared to 2019, accounting for 0.2% of the total export value of Vietnam to the
world. In the opposite direction, imports of goods from Laos reached 458 million
USD, down 0.7% over the same period, accounting for 0.17% of the value of
Vietnam's imports from all trading partners.
 In the period of 2016-2020, Vietnam's trade balance held a surplus of more
than US$100 million due to the situation of super-continuous exports to Laos. In 2020
alone, both exports and imports will be reduced due to the impact of covid-19.

Kim ngạch xuất khẩu, nhập khẩu và cán cân thương

mại Việt Nam - Lào giai đoạn 2016 - 2020 ĐVT: triệu USD
800
702
700
595 572
600
520
500 478 462 458
437
400 346 369

300

200 241

100 151 158

132 114
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

VN xuất khẩu sang Lào VN nhập khẩu từ Lào Cán cân thương mại

- Some of Vietnam's main export products to Laos in 2020

Leading among Vietnam's exports to the Lao market in the period of 2016-
2020 is iron and steel of all kinds. According to statistics of the General Department
of Customs, in 2020, exports of this item to Laos reached 72 million USD, down
16.5% compared to the same period last year, accounting for 12.6% of total exports to
this market. Thi "Lao Enterprise Product Introduction Week in Ho Chi Minh City" lao
school accounted for only 1.4% of total exports of products of the same type of
Vietnam. Previously in 2018 and 2019, Vietnam's iron and steel exports were the
strongest in the whole period with the value of 87.1 million USD and 86.2 million
USD, respectively.

Laos' economy has a growth rate comparable to Vietnam's, and many

developed countries are looking to invest in Laos. Most recently, Laos has signed the
RCEP Agreement, although there are still some issues that are not ready, but the fact
that Laos actively participates in the new playing field and tries to exploit the
advantages of joining this Agreement shows the high determination in Laos'
integration, at the same time, when participating in the RCEP Agreement, Laos will
have to amend and reform much to meet the new requirements. Recently, the
investment situation of Vietnamese enterprises in Laos has shown signs of slowing
down, some State-owned enterprises investing in Laos have not been effective,
however, there are still many enterprises that are operating effectively. According to
the assessment, the economic cooperation between Vietnam and Laos is not
commensurate with the political relations between the two countries.

In the coming time, Vietnamese enterprises will have to compete with

businesses in some countries, especially when those governments have strong
investment policies in Laos in the fields of banking, energy and telecommunications;
at the same time, Laos is gradually existing connecting the region through the
inauguration of new routes such as Laos - China railways, Vientiane - Vangvieng
highway, while promoting a series of projects along the East-West corridor, the roads
along the North -South axis will open up many opportunities for investors, especially
in the logistics sector, so Vietnamese businesses prepare the conditions to be ready to
compete and participate in the fields of investment.

Meanwhile, the Government of Vietnam focuses on funding Laos for

infrastructure projects, transport projects, energy, staff training, social security ... so
the two governments need to create more conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to
implement IT projects for the Lao Government, in particular, taking advantage of
large technology corporations that have experience in implementing digital
transformation projects in Vietnam such as Viettel, VNPT, FPT.

Vietnamese enterprises' investment in Laos currently has 413 projects with a

total capital of 4.22 billion USD, ranking 3rd among countries and territories investing
in Laos. According to the plan, Vietnam will buy 5,000 MW of Electricity from Laos
by 2030. In the first 10 months of 2019, trade cooperation was a bright spot in
Vietnam - Laos relations with two-way turnover reaching 940 million USD, estimated
for the whole year of 2019 reached 1.1 - 1.2 billion USD, up 12.6%, exceeding the
target set by the two Governments of 1 billion USD and up 10% / year. In particular,
Laos exported nearly 400 million USD (up 16%), this is a great effort, demonstrating
the competitiveness of the Lao economy in the context of fierce competition.

So far, Vietnamese enterprises' investment in Laos has 413 projects with a total
capital of 4.22 billion USD, ranking 3rd among countries and territories investing in
Laos. Vietnam has agreed to buy 1,200 MW of Electricity from Laos, exceeding the
planned 1,000 MW of 2020 and will increase purchases to 5,000 MW by 2030,
creating more favorable conditions for Laos to develop socio-economic development.

In addition, annually, Vietnam has non-refundable aid to Laos (the period of

2016-2020 is VND 3,250 billion), in fiscal year 2019 is VND 707 billion, an increase
of 18.4% compared to 2018, developing many infrastructure projects, especially
transport, energy projects, training officials, social Security...

 Opportunity

Laos' economy has achieved a high and fairly stable growth rate in recent
years. Many economists expect Laos to continue to grow positively in the coming
years.

Laos has become an official member of the WTO, which will help Laos
diversify its investment as well as trade activities to other regions as countries
investing in Laos are mainly in the field of natural resource extraction.
 Foreign investors are paying attention to the country because Laos has
abundant resources, low population density, so there is huge potential in mineral
resources, forests and land. In addition, this is also a country that is quite unspoiled, so
the growth potential is great.

 Threat

The infrastructure and quality of human resources are undeveloped. Laos'

regulatory institutions are still incomplete, so the risks in business are quite large.

The size of the economy is quite small and is growing in its infancy. The
industrial sector accounts for only about 30% of GDP. Industrial and service sector
workers make up only 25% (about 600,000 people). The country's enterprises are very
small in size and few are capable of listing on the stock exchange.

Laos' exchange rate, interest rate and inflation in recent years have been quite
stable, but in the recent past, these macro indicators can be seen to fluctuate very
sharply. Moreover, this is a small economy, the investment capital is highly dependent
on the outside. Therefore, the potential for exchange rate instability and inflation is
still great.

The rules for financial markets in Laos are still quite new, making the stock
market risky. In addition, room for foreign investors at only 10% reduces the
attractiveness of the market.

Socio-cultural environment

Population structure

Laos' current population was 7,467,424 as of May 13, 2022, according to the
latest figures from the United Nations. Laos' population now accounts for 0.9% of the
world's population, ranking 105th in the world in the ranking of populations of
countries and territories.

The population density is 32 people/km2 with a total land area of 230,612 km2.
Of these, 36.94% of the population lives in urban areas (2,706,847 in 2019). The
average age is 25 years old.
Workforce

The population structure in Laos is quite young, so the workforce in Laos is

abundant and abundant. However, the level and capacity of the labor force here is still
weak. The skill level and professional skills of workers are still low, the sense of
discipline, industrial behavior, labor productivity has not met the requirements.

Culture and level of class division in society

Lao culture is heavily influenced by the Venerable Buddha. This influence is

reflected in the language and arts, literature and performing arts of Laos.

Laos is clearly bureaucratic, decision-making often focuses on a few, if any,

top-down mandates. The Lao people prefer cautious leaders who are able to give clear
instructions. Personal initiatives don't seem to be popular in this environment.

Technology environment

The Lao Party and State always attach great importance to the cause of science
and technology development, the 9th Congress of the Lao NDCM Party continues to
affirm that the development of science and technology together with the development
of education and training is the leading national policy, the foundation and motivation
for industrialization, modernize the country.

In the context of economic globalization, with the path of multilateralization

and diversification of international relations, Laos has a favorable opportunity to
acquire scientific knowledge, technology, resources, and experience of advanced
management organizations of foreign countries to quickly strengthen the capacity of
national science and technology, meet the requirements of socio-economic
development.

Taking advantage of the achievements of the modern science and technology

revolution, Laos can go straight to modern technologies to shorten the process of
industrialization, OS and the economic development gap compared to previous
countries.

The process of national renewal has created new premises for the development
of science and technology of Laos in the coming time. Laos' economy has a high
growth rate, continuously in recent years is a favorable condition to increase
investment in science and technology development, while promoting technological
innovation and applying scientific and technological achievements in the economy,
especially in the face of pressure on competition in the conditions of regional and
international integration.

In the process of international integration in economy and science and

technology, Laos is facing difficulties in transforming and building new institutions of
economy, trade, finance, banking, intellectual property ... In accordance with
international practice. This situation, if not overcome soon, will hinder the success of
regional and international integration.

In the face of opportunities and challenges in the current situation, without

breakthrough decisions on economic institutional reform and innovation of science
and technology management mechanisms, strong measures to strengthen the capacity
of science and technology of Laos, the risk of economic and scientific and
technological lag is further and long-term dependence on sources foreign technology
is inevitable.
 B – MICRO-ENVIRONMENT

Overview of the telecommunications industry in Laos

International economic integration gives Vietnamese enterprises the

opportunity to integrate into the world economy and affirm their position in the
international arena. In this context, overseas investment is becoming an inevitable
direction of businesses in general and businesses in the telecommunications sector.

Vietnam's telecommunications market is now almost saturated with 90 million

subscribers, of which nearly 90% of the market share belongs to large enterprises such
as Vinaphone, MobiFone, FPT. In the near future, the revenue of the
telecommunications industry will be difficult to mutate, the number of consumers will
increase not much. The price is getting cheaper, the market share cake continues to
shrink, the use of frequency resources, digital warehouses are difficult when the
telecommunications market has the presence of more and more new service providers.
Therefore, overseas investment is the option that Vietnamese telecommunication
enterprises are interested and selected. Military Telecommunications Group (Viettel)
is one of the leading enterprises in Vietnam investing in Laos, contributing to the
development of telecommunications in your country. Viettel has contributed to
building a large-scale and widespread telecommunications infrastructure system,
bringing telecommunication services from luxury to affordable to the people of the
country "million elephants".

Currently, Vietnam has invested in more than 50 countries and territories, but
with a fast-growing economy, Laos remains a large and important investment market
for Vietnamese businesses. With a peaceful foreign policy, friendship, cooperation,
and open-door policy, strengthening integration with the region and international
prestige and the position of the Lao PDR is constantly improved in the region and in
the international arena. Currently, Laos establishes diplomatic relations with 130
countries, is a member of many regional and international organizations (United
Nations, ASEAN, ASEM, WTO ...). In recent years, Laos' investment environment
has been improving positively in an increasingly open direction and in line with
international practices. Laos is a strategic area both economically and nationally
security for Vietnam. In 1993, Vietnam began implementing cascx projects in Laos.
To date, there are more than 400 projects with capital of over $4 billion. In the field of
communication, Laos has always identified the telecommunications industry as an
important infrastructure in promoting economic construction as well as improving
people's living standards. To ensure the rapid development of the Lao
telecommunications industry, the Lao government has adopted a series of measures
such as increasing the investment from the government budget, encouraging foreign
companies and domestic private enterprises to participate in the construction of
relevant infrastructure... Currently, Laos is a market with a lot of potential and very
attractive for foreign telecommunications enterprises. Therefore, the chances of
success of Vietnamese telecommunication enterprises investing in Laos are great.

Competitors (Mai gửi sau)

Barriers to entry into the industry

In February 2018, the Lao Government issued Order No. 2 on improving

business coordination regulations and mechanisms in the Lao PDR, with the
expectation of improving Laos' position in the World Bank's Business Ease ranking.
As a result, the process of establishing a business is faster due to the simplification of
the procedures for applying for licenses and registering company seals from 174 days
to less than 40 days. Tax administration has always been considered one of the biggest
barriers to trade in Laos in surveys for small and medium-sized enterprises. The
World Bank ranked Laos 154th out of 190 economies in 2019 in terms of ease.

The Lao government has simplified its tariff structure and is gradually revising
non-tariff barriers. Laos, which placed a top priority on trade facilitation, was one of
the earliest countries to ratify the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement.

Laos' import tax system aims to promote the import of input materials for
investment and production, while protecting domestic production and limiting luxury
imports. A foreign investment item does not have to pay import duty on the import of
machinery and equipment for production. Moreover, in some special economic zones
inputs do not require tariffs as long as the final product is exported from Laos. Raw
materials and imported intermediate goods for imported alternative industries may be
treated specially as prescribed.

Lao PDR's tariffs are based on the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff List (AHTN
2012), subject to standard ASEAN import tariff rates ranging from 0 to 40%,
excluding non-ASEAN countries. These taxes are regulated by the Customs
Department.

The excise tax rate ranges from 5-90% for many items. The Lao government
has phased out sales tax over the past few years and replaced it with a Value-Added
Tax (VAT) regime, although VAT is still applied inconsistently. Additional
information about taxes can be referenced at the Tax Department, Ministry of Finance.

Consumer bargaining power (Mai gửi sau)

The bargaining power of the supplier

In addition to traditional multinational telecommunication equipment suppliers,

more and more manufacturers, providing caaos of new telecommunication equipment
to offer equipment sales with many policies such as incentives, discounts, late
payments ... So, currently the bargaining capacity of suppliers is weak if companies
also benefit in negotiating and selecting their suppliers.

Alternative products and services are products and services that can satisfy the
same needs as domestic products and services.

The telecommunications industry is open so in the near future there will be

alternative products that will help customers increasingly satisfy their needs:
Communication "encroachs" on telecommunications plans to access the Internet via
cable television network (with the advantage of broadband). With the development of
technology, telecommunications-information and communication technology
enterprises began to become direct competitors of each other. Internet access via tv
cable network can reach download speed of 54Mbps and upload to 10Mbps. At the
same time, through this transmission system, in addition to television and the Internet,
customers can also access many other entertainment services such as online gaming,
watching tv on a computer, ư tv on demand...
  Công ty liên doanh của Viettel tại Lào (gắn phần ni vô phần Thúy An dùm
ta)

Tính đến tháng 8/2016, Unitel, thương hiệu của Viettel tại Lào, đã cán mốc 1 tỷ
USD doanh thu lũy kế sau 7 năm kinh doanh tại đất nước Triệu voi, tính từ tháng
10/2009.

Là thương hiệu nước ngoài thứ hai của Viettel (sau Metfone ở Campuchia),
Unitel nhanh chóng trở thành nhà mạng số 1 tại Lào và là thị trường liên tục có lãi của
Viettel. Lợi nhuận lũy kế hơn 300 triệu USD, Unitel hiện có 2,5 triệu khách hàng,
chiếm 47% thị phần di động và 35% thị phần băng rộng.

Với hạ tầng mạng lưới rộng khắp 4.000 trạm phát sóng (BTS) và 23.000 km
cáp quang, Unitel phủ sóng tới 100% số huyện và 95% dân số Lào. Đặc biệt, mạng di
động này đã bắt đầu cung cấp dịch vụ 4G từ tháng 6/2015.

Sự xuất hiện của Unitel góp phần thay đổi đáng kể thị trường viễn thông nước
này khi mật độ di động tăng từ 18% năm 2009 lên 68% năm 2016. Unitel tạo công ăn
việc làm cho hơn 4.000 người và thu nhập gián tiếp cho hơn 20.000 lao động địa
phương khác.

Theo đánh giá của Brand Finance, công ty tư vấn chiến lược và đánh giá
thương hiệu hàng đầu thế giới có trụ sở tại Anh, vừa công bố hồi tháng 4/2016, Unitel
là thương hiệu viễn thông hoạt động hiệu quả số 1 trong khu vực ASEAN. Giá trị
thương hiệu của Unitel tăng 106% so với 2015, đạt 132 triệu USD, nằm trong Top 30
thương hiệu viễn thông giá trị nhất trong khu vực và đứng số 1 tại Lào.

Trong thời gian tới, Unitel tiếp tục coi trọng triển khai kết hợp viễn thông, công
nghệ thông tin với việc tập trung vào giải pháp hỗ trợ hành chính công như thủ tục hải
quan một cửa hay giải pháp an ninh cho các tổ chức tài chính, ngân hàng. Ngoài ra,
Unitel sẽ tiến sang lĩnh vực tài chính vi mô cùng sản phẩm ví điện tử với kinh nghiệm
triển khai thành công của Viettel tại 5 thị trường trước đó.

Tính đến giữa tháng 9/2016, tại 9 thị trường nước ngoài (Lào, Campuchia,
Timor-Leste, Cameroon, Haiti, Mozambique, Burundi, Peru, Tanzania), tổng số khách
hàng của Viettel đã đạt 26 triệu, nâng số lượng khách hàng của Viettel trên toàn cầu
(bao gồm Việt Nam) lên 90 triệu người. Nhờ đó, Viettel nằm trong số 30 tập đoàn
viễn thông có số lượng khách hàng cao nhất, theo thống kê của GSMA Intelligence.

Về kết quả kinh doanh, kết thúc quý II/2016, doanh thu 6 tháng đầu năm từ các
thị trường nước ngoài của Viettel đạt 493,8 triệu USD, tăng trưởng 13% so với cùng
kỳ năm ngoái. Đặc biệt, nửa đầu năm 2016 cũng đánh dấu sự trở lại của thị trường
châu Phi và dấu hiệu khởi sắc tại châu Mỹ. Thị trường châu Phi đang nhìn thấy những
chuyển biến mạnh mẽ cả về doanh thu và thuê bao với 100% các thị trường tăng
trưởng dương, thuê bao tăng 21%.
 TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO

[1] Nguyễn Văn Du, Nguyễn Thị Thúy (2022), “Nhân kỷ niệm 67 năm Ngày thành
lập Đảng Nhân dân Cách mạng Lào (22/03/1955 – 22/03/ 2022): Quan hệ đặc biệt
Việt Nam – Lào”, chuyên mục Quốc tế, Tạp chí Nghiên cứu, Hướng dẫn công tác tổ
chức xây dựng Đảng của Ban tổ chức trung ương, truy cập tại:

http://www.xaydungdang.org.vn/Home/quoc-te/2022/16606/Quan-he-dac-biet-Viet-
Nam-Lao.aspx.

[2] Trung tâm Xúc tiến Thương mại và Đầu tư (ITPC) (2021), “Thị trường các nước
ASEAN: Thị trường Lào”.

[3] Trịnh Thị Tâm (2021), “Bản tin kinh tế số tháng 1/2021: Tình hình kinh tế Lào”,
Trang Ngoại giao Kinh tế trực tuyến, Bộ Ngoại Giao Việt Nam, truy cập tại:
https://ngkt.mofa.gov.vn/forums/lao/ban-tin-kinh-te-so-thang-01-2021-%E2%80%8B/

[4] Trần Xuân Sơn, Lê Duy Toàn (2021), “Triển vọng phát triển kinh tế Lào trong
năm 2021”, Tin tức thế giới, Báo nhân dân, truy cập tại: https://nhandan.vn/tin-tuc-
the-gioi/trien-vong-phat-trien-kinh-te-lao-trong-nam-2021-644072/