(KPL) Accompanied by senior Party and State leaders from Laos and Vietnam, the Prime Minister praised Unitel’s achievements over its 17 years of operations in Laos and its role in expanding telecommunications, promoting digital services and supporting socio-economic development.

He stressed that Unitel’s success should be measured not only by its business performance but also by its contributions to local communities through sustainable investment, job creation and social responsibility.

The Prime Minister urged the company to comply strictly with Lao laws, improve operational efficiency, increase contributions to the state budget and align its business development with the country’s development priorities. He also encouraged Unitel to support the development of digital government, the digital economy and digital society, particularly through expanded digital financial services and online platforms.

He further called on the company to strengthen technical training and knowledge transfer to enable more Lao employees to take on senior technical and management positions, while continuing to support education, healthcare and poverty reduction in remote and disadvantaged communities.

Lieutenant General Tao Duc Thang, Chairman and General Director of Viettel Group, thanked the Prime Minister for his visit and guidance, affirming that Viettel and Unitel would work to implement the recommendations and contribute further to Laos’ digital transformation.

He reported that Unitel provides employment for more than 30,000 local workers and has contributed over US$41 million to social programmes, including providing free internet access to nearly 1,000 schools, building medical facilities and supporting disaster relief efforts.

Unitel’s digital wallet, U-money, has more than 1.8 million registered users and 25,000 service points nationwide. The platform also helps facilitate salary payments for civil servants in remote areas.

In the first nine months of 2026, Unitel’s revenue increased by 25.2% year-on-year, while net profit rose by 6.8% and contributions to the state budget grew by 15.3%. By the end of 2025, the company had contributed more than US$655 million to the Lao state budget, making it one of the country’s major corporate taxpayers.

The visit follows Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone’s inspection of Viettel Group’s headquarters in Hanoi during his state visit to Vietnam in June 2026.

The exchanges reflect the two countries’ continued efforts to strengthen economic cooperation and advance digital development under their longstanding friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership.

KPL