The 3rd PRC Meeting for Promotion of Export Competitiveness in Northern Laos (ECL)

Vientiane – 4 December 2020 – 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 organized regular project review committee meeting via video link.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Phouvieng Phongsa Director General of Department of Planning and Cooperation. More than 40 participants from relevant public sector agencies from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, relevant provincial authorities as well as National and Provincial chambers of commerce from three northern provinces attended the meeting.

In his remarks, the meeting Chair stressed the importance of accelerating economic integration, continuous improvement of business environment, and enhancing capacity of local enterprises, particularly SMEs amid economic slowdown caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. Mr. Phongsa also 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 those three provinces, leading to sustainably improve incomes of poor households, particularly women in three Northern provinces. The chaired also his remarks by calling all project stakeholders to from both public and private sector to put extra efforts in accelerating project implementation during the remaining two years to make sure all intended project outputs/outcomes can be achieved.

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

Through active participation of participants from both central and local level, the meeting was able to agree a more ambitious work plan for 2021, which includes priority interventions to accelerate local business environment reform as well as targeted technical assistance package for all four target products aimed at improving their productivity and competitiveness in market place. The next project review committee meeting is scheduled for Mid-2021.

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.