The 6th PRC Meeting for Promotion of Export Competitiveness in Northern Laos (ECL)

Luangnamtha – 31 May 2022 – The Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), in collaboration with Provincial Offices of Industry and Commerce of the three northern project target provinces, Luang Namtha, Oudomxay and Phongsaly provinces, organized the sixth Project Review Committee (PRC) meeting.

The meeting was co-chaired by H.E.Dr. Manothong VONGSAY, the Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and Mr. Phommasouk VILAIKOUNE, Vice Governor of Luangnamtha Province. More than 50 participants from relevant public sector agencies from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, relevant provincial authorities, and Provincial Chambers of Commerce and Industry from the three northern provinces attended the meeting.

In the remarks, Mr. Phommasouk VILAIKOUNE, the Vice Governor of Luangnamtha Province, welcomed the Deputy Minister and highlighted that the ECL aims to increase investment and exports of targeted sectors, namely Maize in Oudomxay, Rice in Luangnamtha, Tea in Phongsaly, and handicraft in all three provinces, leading to sustainably improved incomes of poor households, particularly women in three Northern provinces. These activities support two out of three main strategic pillars of the trade and private sector development, especially improving the Lao business environment and enhancing the firm-level competitiveness. The Vice Governor also called cooperation from relevant stakeholders to support business activities which brings increasing in economic growth, and seek more channels of development fund to the provinces.

H.E.Dr. Manothong VONSAY, Deputy Minister, stressed the importance of accelerating economic integration, continuous improvement of the business environment, and enhancing the capacity of local enterprises. In addition, the ECL project is the first project of MoIC implementing in provinces and achieved satisfied outcomes particularly the Provincial Public-Private Dialogue which structure has been implemented in other project in southern areas.

The PRC meeting also discussed the progress achieved and challenges encountered in implementing specific interventions under each of the two project components, namely: 01) improving the local business environment through simplification of procedures for business entry and institutionalization of PPD; 02) enhancing the competitiveness of target products, including textile handicraft, rice, maize, and tea.

Through the active participation of participants from both central and local level, the meeting was able to finalize agree on priority activities for the last 6 months of the project to further improve local business environment and build capacity of key players in handicraft, maize, rice, and tea value chains.
In the closing remark, the chairs expressed his great gratitude to all implementing agencies, especially the provincial agencies and NIU under the Department of Planning and Cooperation for their hard work and commitment to the project.

ECL Project is funded by the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF). EIF is an Aid for Trade partnership in action for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Operational since 2009, the EIF is a multi-donor program that supports the LDCs to become more active players in the global trading system by helping them tackle supply-side constraints to trade.