VIENTIANE: The government has agreed to lease land to a local company for constructing a dry port on the Lao side at the 5th Lao-Thai Mekong Friendship Bridge linking Borikhamxay province with Thailand’s Beungkan province.

The land concession agreement was signed at an event held in the province on Friday (May 9) by the Deputy Head of the State Asset Management Division of the provincial Finance Department, Kongsanith Daosisavanh, and the Managing Director of the Borikhamxay Logistics Terminal Co, Viengkhone Sithixay.

The event was attended by the Director of the provincial Finance Department, Bounlieng Douangsaphaothong, other local government officials and the company’s representatives.

The new dry port or customs warehouse system, which will be built at Kuay-oudom village in Pakxan district of the central province, is expected to significantly enhance logistics and trade efficiency, particularly between Laos and Thailand, by streamlining customs procedures and improving cargo handling capacity.

This development marks a key step in strengthening cross-border economic cooperation and regional connectivity.

The dry port will serve as a crucial logistics hub, reducing bottlenecks and facilitating smoother cargo movement between Laos and Thailand.

The project aims to cut transport costs and delays by integrating customs clearance and warehousing services, benefiting businesses on both sides of the border.

Authorities anticipate that the terminal will attract additional investments and create employment in Borikhamxay.

The development aligns with Laos’s broader strategy to transform landlocked Laos into a land-link country and enhance its role as a logistics centre in the Asean region. - Vientiane Times/ANN