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Managers heighten skills ahead of economic integration
Local business operators need to improve management practices in order to compete at the regional and international levels in the near future, according to a businesses representative.
“ The government has policies to integrate the nation's economy with the regional and global economies. So management upgrades are needed to build the capacity of businesses and to ensure they can be competitive,” Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President Dr Sananh Chounlamany said yesterday.
Laos will join the Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) by 2015 and “we may join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at the same time,” Dr Sananh said at a management training programme in Vientiane. The chamber cooperated with the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarships of Japan to organise the four-day training course.
“We have to be of a similar standard as international businesses. If we can't do so it will be hard for us to integrate regionally and globally,” he said.
The government works to promote trade and investment and also has policies to develop human resources to ensure social and economic development targets can be met.
Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Secretary Mr Khanthavong Dalavong said the government has opened the door for investment, trade and international cooperation.
“However, we have to conduct business negotiation and cooperation ourselves. Management practices are an important issue at the international level,” Mr Khanthavong said
Dr Sananh said the ongoing training programme will assist managers to learn about how they can ensure their business remains competitive in a changing environment.
The training course aims to assist businesspeople to improve their management practices and become leading business operators in the future.
Dr Sananh said subjects to be covered at the training course include product quality improvement, and healthcare and security for workplace staff.
Laos is trying to become a WTO member as soon as possible, but membership depends on improvements in related sectors.
To be a member, improvements must be made in investment, education, health, telecommunications, security, information, entertainment, tourism and construction.
Laos submitted a proposal for WTO membership in July 1997, after becoming an Asean member. Most other Asean nations are already members.
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Laos' preparations to join the WTO are progressing well and the parties involved are now carrying out the final steps of the process.
Lao officials have attended many working party meetings, answered over 700 questions from WTO members and also completed negotiations on trade, production and services with many countries, including Japan and China.
The questions asked by WTO members mainly related to regulations on trade, exports, imports, inspection, copyright, intellectual property, quality control and health.
The ministry has improved laws, decrees and regulations relating to enterprises, consumer protection, import licensing and import and export management.
The preparations for WTO membership are an important priority of the government to help Laos forge closer links with other countries.
Membership will help businesspeople take advantage of a bigger export market and also increase choices of raw material purchases. Consumers will also have more choice of quality products and prices.
vientiane times
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