The Bank of the Lao hosted the 50th meeting of the Working Committee on Capital Account Liberalization in Vientiane, bringing together ASEAN members and international institutions to coordinate work on capital account liberalisation and related cross-border finance priorities. Held on 14–15 August 2025, the meeting was co-chaired by Vatthana Chanouban of the Bank of the Lao and Thomas Benjamin B. Marcelo of the Central Bank of the Philippines, with representatives from all 10 ASEAN member states as well as the International Monetary Fund, the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office and the ASEAN Secretariat. Discussions covered progress on the 2025 priority implementation plan, planning for the 2026 annual priorities, review of the Capital Account Liberalization Heat Map and plans, assessment of risks associated with regional capital flow movements, and capacity-building for members. The agenda also included presentations on promoting local currency use in cross-border transactions, including the Bank of the Lao’s policy approach to local currency settlement and a Bank Negara Malaysia presentation on model operating guidelines for an ASEAN local currency transaction framework.
Bank of the Lao 2025-08-15
Bank of the Lao hosts 50th ASEAN capital account liberalisation working committee meeting to review 2025 progress and set 2026 priorities
The Bank of the Lao hosted the 50th meeting on Capital Account Liberalization in Vientiane, focusing on capital account liberalization and cross-border finance priorities. Co-chaired by representatives from the Bank of the Lao and the Central Bank of the Philippines, discussions included the 2025 priority implementation plan, regional capital flow risks, and local currency use in cross-border transactions. Participants included ASEAN member states, the International Monetary Fund, and other regional institutions.