Strategic Plan for Trade Facilitation.

The Strategic Plan for Trade Facilitation is a multi-sectoral plan on trade, entered into force in 2011. The Plan will be implemented during the period 2011-2015 and it provides the vision, overall targets, objectives, specific targets and six strategies of the trade facilitation strategy that involve: the creation of a coordination mechanism; improvement of laws and regulations related to international trade and customs; capacity building for both public and private sectors on trade issues; and the improvement of infrastructure to create a facilitated environment for trade.
The main objective of the Plan is to ensure Lao’s business competiveness in overseas markets (including the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors). The Plan aims to: attract more foreign investment; effectively manage import and export procedures; increase national revenue; fulfil trade commitments in the region and internationally; and improve the trade environment to ensure transparency, standardization, safety, stability and sustainability through systematically simple, predictable and harmonized processes. In particular, the government will seek to set-up an information and advice hub to provide information about trade procedures and trade compliance operation in Lao; organize seminars and technical and rational trainings for the import and export business sectors; and develop an education and training strategy to ensure that future generations have advanced skills in trade and trade compliance operations.
The Plan assigns the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to take a leading role in coordinating with the relevant agencies, whose tasks are related to trade facilitation at the central and local level, the implementation of the strategy effectively.