USAID supports the first Champasak Business Forum
Pakse, March 15, 2022. The Champasak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), in partnership with the Division of Industry and Commerce of Champasak (DICC) and the Provincial Trade Facilitation Committee, organized the first-ever Champasak Business Forum (CBF). The forum was chaired by Champasak Vice Governor, Mr. Somboun Hueangvongsa. The event was supported by the US Agency for International Development through its Laos Business Environment Project (USAID-LBE). The main goal of the CBF is to support local private sector advocacy in order to improve the business environment for provincial SMEs.
Forum participants included 60 representatives from Champasak provincial government departments; chambers of commerce and industry from four southern provinces; individual businesses; foreign investors based in Champasak; and international organizations.
During his opening remarks, Champasak Vice Governor, Mr. Somboun Hueangvongsa, said that “CBF serves as a significant platform in strengthening the collaboration and dialogue between the public and private sector with a view to address the challenges faced by the local business sector. It is necessary to ensure that CBF continues to serve as an efficient mechanism to create an enabling environment for the private sector in Champasak. This could be done through enhanced coordination among all relevant provincial sectors including the DICC and CCCI.”
The CBF covered several important topics including: 1) the local business perspectives on doing business in Champasak province; 2) the foreign investor perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in doing business in Champasak province; 3) progress and achievements under the local public-private dialogue (LPPD) mechanism in the tourism and agriculture sectors; and 4) the progress of trade facilitation activities.
Ms. Bounhueng Calor Litdung, President of CCCI, said that “the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive impact on businesses in Champasak province, resulting in a decreased economic growth rate. CBF will serve as a mechanism between Government and the private sector to provide significant support for improving the business environment during the recovery period in the ‘new normal’ era.” She expressed her appreciation to the (USAID-LBE) for its support in establishing the CBF and the LPPD mechanism in Champasak province.
The Director General of the Department of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Bounyadeth Thongsavanh, noted that “through a number of technical meetings under the LPPD mechanism, the issues faced by the private sector have been reported and consolidated. DICC will continue to collaborate closely with relevant government authorities in Champasak province in order to ensure the convening of the CBF.”
The USAID Deputy Country Representative to Laos, Mr. Cullen Hughes, noted that “the Champasak Business Forum will play a significant role in improving the ease of doing business in Champasak province and creating a more enabling environment for local SMEs by addressing the private sector’s priority issues; monitoring the implementation of key laws and regulations; and facilitating regular dialogue between the public and private sectors.”
At the end of the forum, the Champasak Vice Governor discussed the way forward and the additional steps needed to ensure a sustained focus on resolving the main business issues facing provincial SMEs.
The USAID Laos Business Environment Project (USAID-LBE) assists the Government of Laos to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises while strengthening the business environment in Laos.