The economy of the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic is rapidly growing, as the government began to decentralise control and encourage private enterprise in 1986.[4] Currently, the economy grows at 8% a year, and the government is pursuing poverty reduction and education for all children as key goals. The country opened a stock exchange, the Lao Securities Exchange in 2011, and has become a rising regional player in its role as a hydroelectric power supplier to neighbors such as China, Vietnam and Thailand.