|
Leopard Capital eyes investment in Laos
Leopard Capital, an investment fund manager with offices in several Asian countries, is introducing potential foreign investors to investment opportunities in Laos.
The company is taking the group, made up mostly of people from the USA and Australia, to visit the Nam Mang hydropower plant in Vientiane province and processing plants run by VVK Industrial, Vientiane Industrial Gas and Lao Indochina Group.
The visits will allow the group to hear about the experiences of these operators in investing and doing business in Laos.
Leopard Capital is also hosting a seminar in Vientiane featuring speakers from the government and private sectors on the government's investment policy and the macro economic outlook and overall business climate in Laos.
The company considers Laos as a new frontier market, which can offer international businesses attractive investment opportunities especially in mining, hydroelectric power generation, agribusiness, processing and tourism.
Leopard Capital has already invested in EDL Generation and is now looking at the possibility of investing in other Lao companies.
Speaking at the seminar, Mr Mana Southichack said the company's decision to bring interested business operators to Laos was not unusual as the country was fast becoming an attractive investment destination in Asia.
One of the main attractions was the strong growth of the Lao economy over the past five years, he said, adding that international financial institutions such as the World Bank had forecast the economy would continue to grow.
Mr Mana said that though inflation was increasing, it was still manageable. Laos also enjoys political and social stability, which is particularly attractive to investors, he said, and is rich in natural resources and fertile land that offer potential for agribusiness.
He also said the banking sector was a possible area of interest as Laos had relaxed its investment policy in this sector.
Leopard Capital made the observation that foreign investment rules in Laos have been streamlined and liberalised. For example, foreigners can now lease land for 99 years, and the government is offering faster investment approvals and better tax breaks. Foreign investors can own 100 percent of an approved business.
Leopard Capital, a private equity fund manager, was founded in 2007 by Douglas Clayton as a partnership of experienced Asian investment professionals with backgrounds in fund management, investment banking, business consulting, and operations management. The company is based in the Cayman Islands and has presences in Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and China's Hong Kong.
vientiane times
|
