Based on the Decree of the Prime Minister No 71/PM dated 5 May 1993, the Ministry of Information and Culture of Laos has the following duties: to study and apply the People’s Revolutionary Party’s guidelines and policies and government regulations and laws in information and culture plans, programmes and projects; to set up a network to collect data and statistics on information and culture for research and planning of projects and formulation and modification of laws on information and culture; to co-ordinate and collaborate with information and culture services at central and local levels and to develop and expand their operations; to study and analyse cultural and work in various fields, aiming to tap, expand and preserve the fine culture of the Lao people and of the ethnic minorities so that these will together form the colourful culture of the Lao nation, and to analyse, select and use the cultural quintessence of humanity as a whole; to monitor, supervise, advise, stimulate and facilitate operations of all information and culture services at both central and local levels; to study, formulate and enforce the working methods of the Ministry as well as its institutional regulations on information and culture services and on its vertical structure in the whole country and to determine the number of personnel needed to operate the Ministry; to establish news networks for both domestic and overseas offices; to prepare and manage the budget and other properties under the authority of information and culture in the country; to develop and maintain relations with different countries and international organisations with respect to information and cultural affairs; to plan the training and upgrading of personnel working in the field of information and culture across the country; and to study and formulate personnel policies for those engaged in the field of information and culture, and submit them to higher authorities for consideration.