USAID and LNCCI launch Policy Watch Mobile Application that provides business environment reform updates to the Lao SME community.

Vientiane, November 30, 2021. The Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Laos Business Environment Project, officially launched Policy Watch, a mobile application that is designed to provide business environment policy reform-related updates to SMEs.

Speakers at the launch event included Ms. Valy Vetsaphong, Vice President of LNCCI; and Mr. Cullen Hughes, Director, Office of Economic Growth, Education and Energy, USAID Lao. Participants of this event included representative from Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, LNCCI boards of directors and members as well as business associations.

During the opening remarks, Ms. Valy Vatsaphong expressed her sincere thanks to the USAID Laos Business Environment Project for their support in developing this application. The application will be used as a tool to complement and enhance the work of the Lao Business Forum (LBF) and the Local Public Private Dialogue (LPPD) in order to foster a strong business environment and improve business competitiveness and new government policies”.

Policy Watch, developed with funding support from USAID, is a tool to complement existing policy reform advocacy initiatives in Lao PDR such as the Lao Business Forum; the Enhanced Integrated Framework -supported local public-private dialogue initiative in four northern provinces; and the USAID-supported Champasak Local Public Private Dialogue Mechanism. Policy Watch is also intended to be a tool for supporting deliberative and inclusive dialogue and analysis by tracking the results of the policy reform process in the Lao PDR.

Mr. Cullen Hughes, USAID Country Representative to Lao PDR, USAID, stated that “USAID, through the Laos Business Environment Project, is pleased to support the development of this application as it will amplify the critically important work that LNCCI is doing in the areas of policy reform advocacy and public-private dialogue to improve Lao PDR’s business environment.”

Illustrative features and functions of the Policy Watch application include: Policy Update, Policy Talk, News Update, Local Public-Private Dialogue (LPPD), Link, and About the App. The application is available in both Lao and English.

This application will provide SMEs with easy access to policy-related information and promote LNCCI’s advocacy and policy reform efforts. A key medium- to long-term goal is to make Policy Watch the preferred platform in the local business community for accessing policy-related information, news and events.

This initiative aligns with USAID’s support of Lao PDR’s trade and economic growth objectives.

The USAID Laos Business Environment Project assists the Government of Laos to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises while strengthening the business environment in Laos.