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Ministries team up to facilitate trade
Import-export procedures could become easier after a trade facilitation team met yesterday to discuss their roles, duties and working plan.
The initial meeting of the Trade Facilitation Committee took place in Vientiane to introduce the working team that was set up last October, and to discuss their roles and responsibilities to ensure the effective implementation of trade facilitation work.
The meeting was presided over by Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Ms Khemmani Pholsena, who also heads up the trade facilitation team.
Ms Khemmani said that in international rankings, Laos stands in 170th place out of 180 countries in terms of trade difficulties.
“Trade facilitation is an urgent issue and we have to make improvements to encourage trade, especially in terms of imports and exports, to contribute to the nation's economic development,” she said.
“The regulations related to trading need improving to make links at the regional and international levels. This meeting is important because the parties concerned can discuss and learn about their roles and responsibilities and how they can work effectively,” she added.
The objective of trade facilitation is to eliminate trade barriers, especially for import-export enterprises, to increase foreign trade which is expected to grow at 18 percent per year. The trade facilitation strategy drawn up for 2011 to 2015 aims to ensure that private businesses are competitive on the international stage.
The strategy aims to attract more foreign investment into Laos, ease import-export procedures and make it easy to trade within the region and the international community. This will help to convert Laos from a land-locked country to a land link.
The objective is to make international trade and customs procedures easier, faster and more effective, and to reduce unnecessary costs to allow for efficient production and increased competitiveness.
Represented at the meeting were the ministries of Industry and Handicraft, Agriculture and Forestry, Finance, Public Works and Transport, Health, Planning and Investment, Foreign Affairs, Public Security, Science and Technology, Posts and Communications, and Natural Resources and Environment. Officials from the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bank of the Lao PDR were also present.
vientiane times
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