The Bank of the Lao P.D.R. (Lao: ທະນາຄານ ແຫ່ງ ສ. ປ. ປ. ລາວ) is the central bank of Laos. It is also the bank of last resort, controlling the money supply, managing the country's reserves, and supervising the commercial banks operating in Laos.
Headquarters | Vientiane, Laos |
---|---|
Coordinates | 17°57′57″N 102°36′25″E / 17.9658°N 102.6070°E |
Established | 7 October 1968 |
Ownership | 100% state ownership[1] |
Governor | Xonexay Sithphaxay |
Central bank of | Laos |
Currency | Lao kip LAK (ISO 4217) |
Reserves | ~US$ 1.0 billion[1] |
Website | www |
The bank is managed by an executive board, a governor and a deputy governor. The current governor is Xonexay Sithphaxay.
The Bank of Laos was formed on 7 October 1968[2] and has been operating since in the country's capital, Vientiane. It succeeded the National Bank of Laos, which itself had taken over in early 1955 from the French-controlled Institut d'Émission des États du Cambodge, du Laos et du Viet-nam.
Governors
edit- managing director of the National Bank (1975–1983)
- Thongchanh Uparavanh, 2 December 1975 – 1977
- Nouphanh Sithphasai, 1978–1980
- Khamphoui Keoboualapha, 1980 (3 months)
- Soth Phetrasy, 1980–1983
- Chairman of the State Bank (1983–1990)
- Bousabong Souvannavong, 1983–1987
- Nouphanh Sithphasai, 1987–1988
- Pany Yathotou, 1988–1990
- Governor of the State Bank (1990–present)
- Pany Yathotou, 1990–1992
- Bousabong Souvannavong, 1993–1994
- Pany Yathotou, 1995–1997
- Cheuang Sombounkhanh, 1997–1999
- Soukanh Mahalath, 1999–2001
- Phoupheth Khamphounevong, 2001–2002 (acting)
- Chanhsy Phosikham, 25 April 2002 – 1 February 2003
- Phoumy Thipphavone, 21 February 2003 – 2005
- Phoupheth Khamphounevong, 2006–2009
- Somphao Phaysith, 2009–2018[3]
- Xonexay Sithphaxay, 2018–incumbent[3]
Source:[4]
Lao PDR Kip (1979)
editOn 16 December 1979, the old Pathet Lao “Liberation” kip was replaced by the new Lao kip at a rate of 100 to 1.[5]
Coins
editCoins were again issued in Laos for the first time in 28 years in 1980 with denominations of 10, 20 and 50 att, with each being struck in aluminum and depicting the state emblem on the obverse and agricultural themes on the reverse. These were followed by commemorative 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 kip in 1985 for the 10 year anniversary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. However, due to the economic toll of the Soviet collapse in 1991 and the persistence of chronic inflation, there are no coins currently in circulation in Laos.
Banknotes
editIn 1979, banknotes were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 kip. 500 kip notes were added in 1988, followed by 1000 kip in 1992, 2000 and 5000 kip in 1997, 10,000 and 20,000 kip in 2002 and 50,000 kip on January 17, 2006 (although dated 2004). On November 15, 2010, a 100,000 kip banknote was issued to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the founding of the capital, Vientiane and the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.[6][7][8] Kaysone Phomvihane is pictured on the obverse of the 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, and 100,000 kip banknotes.
The Bank of Laos governor announced on January 25, 2012, that the Bank of Laos would issue 100,000 Kip banknotes as a regular issue on February 1, 2012 (but dated 2011) to encourage Lao people to use the national currency instead of U.S. dollars and Thai baht.[9][10][11]
Current Series | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image | Value | Description | Date of issue | Series Designation | |||||
Obverse | Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | ||||||
[1] | [2] | ₭1 | Militia unit at left, arms at upper right. | Schoolroom scene at left. | 1988 | P-25a | |||
[3] | [4] | ₭5 | Shopping | Elephant Logging | 1979 | P-26a | |||
[5] | [6] | ₭10 | Dark brown on multicolor underprint. Lumber mill at left, arms at upper right. | Medical scenes at left. | 1988 | P-27a | |||
[7] | [8] | ₭20 | Arms at left, tank with troop column at center. | Brown and maroon. Textile mill at center. | 1988 | P-28a | |||
[9] | [10] | ₭50 | Rice Planting | Hydroelectric Dam | 1979 | P-29a | |||
[11] | [12] | ₭100 | Harvesting | Bridge | 1979 | P-30a | |||
[13] | [14] | ₭500 | Modern Irrigation | Fruit Harvesting | 1988 | P-31a | |||
[15] | [16] | ₭1,000 | Lao Loum, Lao Sung and Lao Theung Women | Cattle Herd | 2008 | P-39 | |||
[17] | [18] | ₭2,000 | President Kaysone Phomevihane, Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Laos | Hydroelectric Complex in Xeset, Laos | 2011 | P-41 | |||
[19] | [20] | ₭5,000 | President Kaysone Phomevihane; Pha That Luang | Cement Factory in Vang Vieng | 2003 | P-34b | |||
[21] | [22] | ₭10,000 | President Kaysone Phomevihane; Pha That Luang | Mekong River Bridge | 2003 | P-35b | |||
[23] | [24] | ₭20,000 | President Kaysone Phomevihane; Haw Pra Keaw (Ho Phra Keo) | Small River Dam | 2003 | P-36B | |||
[25] | [26] | ₭50,000 | President Kaysone Phomevihane; Pha That Luang | Presidential Palace | 2004 | P-37 | |||
[27] | [28] | ₭100,000 | President Kaysone Phomevihane, Pha That Luang in Vientiane, Laos | President Kaysone Phomevihane Statue and Museum [29], Vientiane, Laos | 2011 | P-42 | |||
[30] | [31] | ₭100,000 | King Sethathirath statue, Pha That Luang in Vientiane, Dork Champa Flower and Naga Dragon. | Ho Phra Keo Temple in Vientiane, Laos | 2010 | P-40 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Weidner, Jan (2017). "The Organisation and Structure of Central Banks" (PDF). Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek.
- ^ "History of the Bank". Archived from the original on 2010-07-14. Retrieved 2014-05-11.
- ^ a b ":: KPL :: Lao News Agency". kpl.gov.la.
- ^ "File Upload" (PDF). www.bol.gov.la. January 16, 2017.
- ^ Linzmayer, Owen (2012). "Laos". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com.
- ^ "BanknoteNews – Breaking news about international paper & polymer money". 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ Laos new 100,000-kip commemorative confirmed Archived 2011-09-17 at the Wayback Machine BanknoteNews.com. Retrieved 2012-01-31
- ^ "ທະນາຄານແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
- ^ "Nation Thailand news website, thai news, thailand news, Bangkok thailand, aec, breaking news : Nation Thailand".
- ^ "ທະນາຄານແຫ່ງ ສປປ ລາວ" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-05-01. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
- ^ Laos new 100,000 kip note confirmed Archived 2012-10-06 at the Wayback Machine BanknoteNews.com. Retrieved 2012-02-03.