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• Facilitating Trade and Connecting to Markets
• Improving Firm-Level Competitiveness
• Supporting Better and More Inclusive Policies
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• Priority Business Operating Licenses Enhanced Productivity and Exports of Key Sectors, namely Handicraft in all three Provinces, Rice in Luangnamtha, Maize in Oudomxay and Tea in Phongsaly, using a Value Chain Development Approach.
• More Inclusive Collaboration between the Public and Private Sector
• More Effective Facilitation of the Market Economy
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NIU Division and T4D Lao PDR
The NIU Division is the anchor division within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for a sector wide approach on trade in the Lao PDR and is responsible for coordinating trade-related assistance to the country. Based in the Department of Planning and Cooperation , the NIU has been implementing the Lao Competitiveness and Trade (LCT) multi-donor trust Fund, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Tier II Project and others project. All projects support the Lao Government’s National Socio-economic Development Plan (NSEDP) in its aims to reduce poverty and sustain economic development by facilitating trade and cross-border movement of goods, and by increasing capacity of the Government to undertake specific tasks related to regional and global economic integration.
The Major Projects are Providing Aid-for-Trade Resources to Lao PDR
The Government Executed Projects and Donor Executed Projects in both Lao PDR and Regional
Government Executed Projects
Donor Executed in Lao PDR
Donor Executed in Regional
Research
Diagnostic Trade Integration Study Updated 2022 (DTISU 2022)
The Lao PDR Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) 2022 identifies priority actions in support of the country’s strategy of diversifying the economy, rebuilding from COVID-19, and graduating from Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2026, through accelerating trade integration. The study seeks to (a) take stock of the progress in implementing the Trade and Private Sector Roadmap adopted in the DTIS 2012, (b) provide an in-depth focus on agribusiness, tourism, and manufacturing, and (c) prepare an updated Trade and Private Sector Roadmap. While the report focuses on agribusiness, tourism, and manufacturing, it more broadly addresses the business enabling environment, trade costs, small-scale trade, and gender. The report identifies a priority list of measures that will support Lao PDR to realize more inclusive, diversified, and resilient growth.
Gender Study on Identification of Key Constraints affecting women entrepreneurs in Lao PDR
The purpose of this study was to identify constraints to women-owned and managed enterprises that affect key areas of the business environment including business regulation and licensing; tax policies and administration; access to finance; land title registration and administration; and access to commercial courts and alternative dispute resolutions (ADR). The study then examined ways that specific interventions and complimentary policy changes could be adopted to ameliorate these constraints, as a part of the Lao Competitiveness and Trade (LCT) Project managed by the National Implementation Unit (NIU)
Online Portals Supported by the T4D Lao PDR Projects
BAF II
The Lao PDR Business Assistance Facility II (BAF II) is to support private sector companies and SMEs to build their skills and expertise so that they can become locally, regionally and internationally competitive by providing matching grants that reduce the cost of hiring technical advisory services aimed at improving competitiveness.
Lao Trade Portal
The LTP website will help traders to find all the information regarding import goods into Laos and export goods from Laos, including information related to import/export process, regulations for specific products, relevant laws and other useful information.
Lao Trade Statistic System
Lao Trade Statistic System is one of the key tools to provide a figure on import, export and transit goods in order to support government, stakeholder, researcher, professor, student, interorganization and non-government organization on accessing foreign trade data of Lao PDR.
Electronic Certificate of Origin Issuing System
The e-CO system provides convenient for entrepreneurs on their export with Preferential Certificate of Origin and to save time and cost in accordance with laws and regulations of the Lao PDR and international. Thus, it also contributes to strengthen national economy.
Inventory of Business Licenses
The IBL website is to create the catalogue of all the procedures to start and run a business in Lao PDR. The web portal is a tool to improve the transparency and efficiency of the general business environment to reduce the costs it currently imposes on all enterprises, and in particular SMEs that find it more difficult to deal with complex and opaque procedures.