VIENTIANE, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith recently told the ongoing National Assembly (NA) meeting that there has been good progress in investments in Laos, with 4,118 enterprises being registered and approved for investment between January and June 2.

The enterprises registered have invested a total value of about 30,340 billion kip (3.72 billion U.S. dollars), the premier told the fifth ordinary session of the NA's Eighth Legislature, which opened on June 6.

The registrations include investments in and development of more than 20 big projects under Memorandums of Understanding, local online newspaper Vientiane Times reported on Sunday.

These projects include 12 power plants, seven mining units and six tourism and expressway study plans.

An official of the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Investment Promotion Department said the value of investments made during first six months of this year was much higher than the investments during the same period last year.

Thongloun said the government continues to remove obstacles and difficulties hampering business operations and investments.

The Lao government will continue increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of single-window services and management mechanisms at the central and local levels, "particularly removing some investment approval procedures and increasing speed and transparency in business operation approval," Thongloun said.