A consultation meeting on procedures to request for import license of spare parts assembling in factory was held on August 16, 2018 at Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane Capital by the Department of Import and Export as an office of Trade Facilitation Secretariat and Non-Tariff Measures Team (NTMs). The meeting was chaired by Mr. Soulinhon Philavong, Director General of Department of Import and Export, Deputy Head of the Trade Facilitation Secretariat, attracting concerned sectors such as Department of Industry and Handicraft, the Department of Transport, Customs Department, Investment Promotion Department, Department of Industry and Commerce of Vientiane Capital and business sectors to attend.
NTMs team reported their study on time to request the import license of spare parts of approximately 144 hours (excluding verification of CO by Customs Department) compared to the study of the World Bank Group that is approximately 216 hours (may include other procedures, for instance, annual work plan and approval before manufacturing or registration). The estimated time studied by Department of Import and Export (DIMEX) is 72 hours less than the WB. Moreover, there are some issues needed to be addressed for business sector and considered improving the import and export permitting procedures and to disseminate the work of NTMs for better understanding of concerned sector.
The meeting aims to brainstorm for reducing and improving procedures to request for import license of spare parts assembling in factory in order to enhance the business competition and importers to become big vehicle manufacturer in international market.
Pursuant to the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Ordinance on Regulatory Amendment and Coordination Mechanism of Business Operations in Lao PDR. No 02/PMO, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as an office of Trade Facilitation Secretariat to coordinate with concerned sectors aims at reducing the procedures, time, costs and unnecessary documents for import and export at least 50% by 2019 and the ranking of trading across border indicator on WB’s ease of doing business shall be 2 digits or under 100.
At the end of the meeting, NTMs team also proposed future plan to improve the services at border checkpoints, develop and improve system of import and export, monitor the progress of legal documents on the E-signature for import and export through the Lao National Single Window (LNSW) system.
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