LNCCI organized the implementation review meeting of the 13th LBF

10 September 2021, Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), on behalf on the secretariat of the Lao Business Forum (LBF) organized the Implementation Review Meeting for the 13th LBF at Vientiane Province. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms. Valy Vetsaphong, the Vice President of the LNCCI, and Mr. Phouvieng Phongsa, the Director General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The meeting was honorably participated by Mr. Oudet Souvannavong, the President of LNCCI, through the virtual meeting. In addition, 15 participants, 6 females from the Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry and Commerce attended this meeting.

The objective of this meeting is to review the implementation of the 13th LBF meeting, including the LBF implementation structure and discussion mechanism in the past and brainstorm how to improve the LBF in general to ensure the effectiveness of the discussion mechanism as well as addressing issues proposed by the private sectors under the LBF.

Mr. Phouxay Thepphavong, the secretariat of the LNCCI reported and reviewed the implementation of the LBF since it was first established in 2005, with the objective of discussion facilitation between public and private sector to address the constraints of the business operation in Lao PDR, including providing comments on laws and regulation documents, reducing costs during the enterprise registration process to facilitate and improve the business environment and attract domestic and international investors. In addition, the LBF also reports its implementation including challenges and issues raised during the Trade and Private Sector Working Group and the commitment of the public sectors to address those issues.

The meeting also discussed various topics regarding the LBF structural reform and discussion mechanism in the future, especially the official approval of the LBF structure, the LBF and public focal points’ work flow, periodical progress report to the government and the sustainability of the LBF mechanism in the future.

The discussion in this meeting will be reported to the committee in the LNCCI and MOIC for further improvement of the structure and discussion mechanism.

This meeting was supported by Lao Competitiveness and Trade (LCT) project, which is a multi-donor project funded by the World Bank Group, Australian Aid, Irish Aid, and USAID that aims to eliminate barriers to private sector-led growth by improving the regulatory environment, lowering trade costs and raising firm-level competitiveness.