The development of smart cities in Luang Namtha and Oudomxay provinces will soon get underway as authorities in charge are finalising negotiations on project agreements. Addressing the annual meeting of the planning and investment sector in Vientiane, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment, Dr Sonexay Siphandone, briefed participants on the progress of these projects. Once the negotiations are finalised, the authorities and the potential developers will proceed to the next step of drawing up concession agreement. It was previously reported that the smart cities will be developed by Thailand’s Amata Corporation Public Company Ltd. Thursday’s meeting reviewed the progress made in implementing several mega projects such as the Laos-China railway and the Vientiane-Vangvieng expressway.