On April 04th, 2018 at Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Trade Facilitation Secretariat has organized the second meeting on the Implementation Unit for Trade Facilitation in order to connect with the first meeting on last March. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Souliyon Philavong, Director General of Department of Import and Export and Deputy Director General of Trade Facilitation Secretariat (TFS), attracting TFS’s members to attend. The objective of this meeting is to discuss and monitor the implementation in accordance with Prime Minister’s Ordinance on Regulatory Amendment and Coordination Mechanism of Business Operations in Lao PDR. No. 02/PMO and to present the new draft of Decision on the Organization and Operation of Trade Facilitation Secretariat that determines the central and local level which was amended from previous Decision on the Organization and Operation of Trade Facilitation Secretariat No. 023/NSC, dated 20 October 2010.

According to the participants' report indicated that the implementation is moving ahead, particularly the reduction of procedure in the field of licensing among sectors. In addition, some of the legislation related to import and export were amended for its compliance that reducing license procedures of some commodities which were listed in the World Bank's report, such as the import of vehicle parts and the export of mineral that concerned sectors have implemented following the plans. The Custom Department has issued a Notification on the Management of Mineral Exports, which has reduced the procedure by requesting approval only once (first time) at the Custom Department and then licensing with concerned sectors. Moreover, some sectors are using an electronic system instead of paper to issue import license.

For a draft of Decision on the Organization and Operation of Trade Facilitation Secretariat (amended version) which presented in the meeting, all participants have agreed on the structure and content and also shared comments on the draft before propose for the official approval.

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