Press Release

Lao PDR to bolster sustainable trade, diversify value chains

12 July 2022

Vientiane/Geneva, 7 July 2021 – The Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the European Union, and trade-related national stakeholders discussed sustainable trade solutions and diversifying value chains to further small business competitiveness at a recent meeting, the ASEAN Regional Integration Support from the EU (ARISE Plus Lao PDR) 6th Project Review Committee.

Participants recognized the project’s effectiveness and its potential for policy and financial sustainability. Therefore, the project was granted a full-year no-cost extension and will continue until December 2023.

The Arise Plus Lao PDR project aims to contribute to the recovery of the Lao economy by supporting capacity building of trade officials, enabling the public sector to develop and implement key policy instruments, while equipping the private sector with skills to produce high-value added, export-oriented products.

The meeting brought together over 40 national stakeholders, project partners and funders who reviewed the project’s progress for the first half of 2022 and looked at the priorities for the rest of the year.

Between January and June 2022, the project has supported the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) National Enquiry Point to develop its standard operating procedures, trained

inspectors of the Food and Drugs Department to improve hygiene and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards, 16 quality champions completed 12 workshops under the “Quality Champions Programme” and started coaching eight companies and small businesses in quality standards, coached and trained wood-processing companies and trained entrepreneurs and the Specialty Coffee Association in coffee organic farming, and sensory and cupping skills.

The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, H.E. Manothong Vongxay, the Ambassador of the European Union to Lao PDR, H.E. Ina Marčiulionytė and the International Trade Centre’s Chief for Asia and the Pacific, Xuejun Jiang.

H.E. Manothong Vongxay, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce said: “We strongly believe that full and effective implementation of the technical assistance of ARISE Plus Project could contribute to accelerating economic recovery by addressing trade disruptions, improving overall trade and investment environment as well as strengthening supply chains of targeted sectors to make them more resilient to other shocks in the future.”

H.E. Ina Marčiulionytė, Ambassador of the European Union to Lao PDR added: “The EU is very pleased with ARISE+ concrete outputs for the coffee and wood sector that fully contribute to objectives of Team Europe Strategy for 2021-2025 and our vision of a win-win partnership with Lao PDR. The project is playing a crucial role to support Lao PDR to benefit better from regional integration and trade agreements, such as the ASEAN, the RCEP, the EBA.”

About ITC - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations and is a member of the UN country team of Lao PDR working under the overall Lao-PDR UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026. With partners, such as the EU, ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

More information about the project can be found at: https://www.intracen.org/arise-plus-laos/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ariseplus/

Media enquiries about ITC should be directed to

Ms. Kay-amphone Singhalath

International Trade Centre

Communication Consultant

E: Ksinghalath@intracen.org

T: +856 20 7777 6597