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

PHONGSALY – 18 December 2019 – The Department of Planning and Cooperation, Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) in collaboration with provincial offices of Industry and Commerce of three northern provinces organized Program Review Committee (PRC) meeting for the new project (ECL) and Private Sector Working group (PSWG) to support the Local Public-Private Dialogue (LPPD).

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Director General (DDG) of Department of Planning and Cooperation Mr. Sengphanomchone Inthasane and Head of Department of Industry and Commerce Mr. Thanoukham Phitchavong of Phongsaly Province. The PRC and PSWG meeting were attended by more than 40 participants from relevant public sector agencies from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and three provincial authorities as well as provincial chambers of commerce and private sector in Phongsaly Province.

In his remarks, DDG stressed the importance of economic integration, continuous improvement of business environment, and enhancing capacity of local enterprises, particularly SMEs. Private sector lead economic growth is an outcome of increasing export and economic cooperation. DDG also highlighted that ECL aims to increase investment in and exports of targeted sectors, namely Maize in Oudomxay, Rice in Luangnamtha, Tea in Phongsaly, and handicraft in those three provinces, leading to sustainably improve incomes of poor households, particularly women in three Northern provinces.

The PRC meeting also reviewed the achievements of the first year and endorsed some priorities for the first quarter of 2020, which followed by PSWG meeting to discuss key issues for private sectors to propose to public sector for improvement. The meeting also provided useful full picture of project intervention’s progress and further actions to improve export competitiveness of three target agro products.

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.