USAID Supports Private Sector Working Group Meetings for the Tourism, Handicraft and Agriculture Sectors in Champasak Province

Pakse, June 7-8, 2022. The Champasak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) organized a two-day workshop for businesses in the tourism, agriculture, and handicrafts sectors in Champasak to discuss their priority issues as part of the second cycle of the Local Public-Private Dialogue (LPPD) Mechanism. The workshop was supported by the United States Agency for International Development through the Laos Business Environment Project.

The two-day workshop was co-chaired by the President and Vice President of CCCI, Ms. Bounhaeng Calor Litdung and Mr. Prachit Noraseng respectively, and the Deputy Chief of Party of the USAID Laos Business Environment Project, Ms. Phanmany Khamphilavong. Participants included representatives from tourism-related business associations, the handicraft association and its related businesses, and the coffee and casava associations.

The workshop aimed to assist businesses in the represented sectors in addressing the principal business issues that impede their competitiveness and growth, as well as propose possible solutions and recommendations to the concerned government departments.

During the opening session, Ms. Bounhaeng Calor Litdung emphasized the importance of the LPPD mechanism and encouraged the participating businesses to take this opportunity to actively engage in the discussions and to exchange information.

Ms. Phanmany Khamphilavong congratulated the Champasak authorities and CCCI for the successful implementation of the LPPD mechanism and the 1st Champasak Business Forum that was convened in March 2022. She also stated that the project will continue supporting the LPPD mechanism in Champasak to improve the provincial business environment and support the private sector’s efforts to address their priority issues through active engagement in the policy dialogue process at both the local and central levels.

The results of each sector discussion and dialogue will be recorded, summarized, and prioritized in order to develop issue papers to propose to the concerned local authorities and set the stage for further discussions during the subsequent public-private consultation workshop.

USAID, through the Laos Business Environment Project, assists the Government of Lao PDR to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises and improve the climate for investment and trade.