(Unofficial translation)

LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
PEACE INDEPENDENCE DEMOCRACY UNITY PROSPERITY

Ministry of Industry and Commerce                            No. 2501/MOIC.DTD

                                            Vientiane Capital, dated 16 Dec 2015

 Order
of Minister on Lao Language Labelling

To: Industry and Commerce Divisions in Provinces, Vientiane Capital
-  Pursuant to the Law on Consumer Protection, No. 02/NA, dated 30 June 2010.
-  Pursuant to the Decree on the Organization and Operation of Ministry of Industry and Commerce, No. 522/PM, dated 23 December 2011.
-  Pursuant to the Decision on Consumer Protection Implementing Authority of Industry and Commerce Sector, No. 1746/MOIC.DTD, dated 23 August 2012.

In order to elaborate the content of Articles 18, 19, 20, 60 and 61 of the Law on Consumer Protection, No. 02/NA, dated 30 June 2010 for details and ease of understanding on functions of implementing authority by provincial officers on consumer protection supervisory and monitoring Lao language labelling, domestic producers and foreign imports must attach Lao language labelling before distribution, providing consumer understanding on content and quality of products before choosing to purchase or consume in order to avoid consumption of unqualified, expired or incorrect content not fit purpose by consumers, preventing negative impacts on health, assets of consumers and the environment.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Ordered as follows:

1.      Industry and Commerce Divisions in Provinces, Vientiane Capital collaborate with District Industry and Commerce Offices in Provinces, Vientiane Capital to disseminate and guide producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers to attach Lao language labelling as follows:

1)      Producers, assemblers, manufacturers, packagers of products in Lao PDR, importers and goods distributors registered business as a wholesale or a distributor of a product must attach Lao language labelling prior distributing to consumers or supplying to retailers. If inspection officers found products supplied without Lao language labelling, there will be warning, fine, sanction or termination of business registration certificate.

2)      Retailers: must accept only products with Lao language labelling only. In addition, retailers must sell only products with Lao language labelling. If inspection officers found products supplied without Lao language labelling, there will be warning, fine, sanction or termination of business registration certificate.

3)      Retailers must contact suppliers for Lao language labelling for products produced or imported for distribution prior the announcement of implementing this Order. If the suppliers cannot provide labels, Industry and Commerce Divisions in Provinces, Vientiane Capital will collaborate with District Industry and Commerce Offices to inspect and record such products. After that there will be a periodically distribution monitoring until such products are all distributed.

2.      Content of labels must contain certain content according to Article 19 of the Law on Consumer Protection, No. 02/NA, dated 30 June 2010 as follows:

1)      Types or categories of products;

2)      Trade marks registered by producers and importers for distribution;

3)      Location of manufacturing and importers for distribution, producing countries;

4)      Price, amount, quantity, quality, volume, ingredients with content ratios, user instruction, warning, manufacturing date and expiry date.

3.      Labelling must be firmed, easy to see and must be attached on both products and packages or containers. For imported products, content of Lao labelling must be the same as interpreted from foreign language labelling.

4.      Products that are exempted from this labelling Order are as follow:

1)      Imported products for re-export, temporary imported products for exhibition and re-export later, transit goods;

2)      Gifts and souvenirs;

3)      Fresh food, cooked food without packaging and direct sales to consumers;

4)      Raw materials without packaging for supplying to manufactures or construction.

5.      Sanctions:

1)      First violation, there will be a warning and record of violation;

2)      Second violation, there will be a fine for retailers ranging from five hundred thousand to one million kip (500,000-1,000,000 kip), for producers, importers, wholesalers and distributors ranging from five million to seven million kip (5,000,000-7,000,000 kip);

3)      Third violation, there will be a fine for retailers ranging from one million to two million kip (1,000,000-2,000,000 kip) and confiscating products that are not attached Lao language labelling, for producers, importers, wholesalers and distributors ranging from seven million to nine million kip (7,000,000-9,000,000 kip) with sanction and termination of business registration certificate;

6.      Starting period for implementation of sanctions are as follows:

1)      The implementation of sanctions for retailers is starting 3 months from the date of the effectiveness of this Order;

2)      The implementation of sanctions for domestic producers, importers and distributors registered business as a wholesaler or a distributor of products is starting 2 months from the date of the effectiveness of this Order.

7.      After the implementation, Industry and Commerce Divisions in Provinces, Vientiane Capital must report outcomes of implementation to the Minister of Industry and Commerce every 3 months. In case of encountering challenges that lead to inability of implementation, urgent report requesting for solution guidance from the Minister of Industry and Commerce is required.

8.      The Domestic Trade Department of Ministry of Industry and Commerce is assigned to monitor and guide Industry and Commerce Divisions in Provinces, Vientiane Capital to strictly and effectively implement this Order.

9.      Inspection officers and relevant officers are not allowed to impose sanctions on the violation parties prior the time period specified in Article 6 of this Order.

10.  This Order is effective from the date of signature and fifth teen (15) days after published on the Official Gazette.

Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce

[signature and seal]

Siaosavath Savengsuksa

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#	Title	Download
1	Ordinance of the Minister of Industry and Commerce on products labeling in Lao language, No. 2501/MoIC.DTD, dated 16 Dec 2015	PDF
2	ຄໍາສັ່ງ ຂອງລັດຖະມົນຕີວ່າການ ກະຊວງອຸດສາຫະກໍາ ແລະ ການຄ້າ ກ່ຽວກັບ ການຕິດສະຫຼາກສິນຄ້າ ເປັນພາສາລາວ ສະບັບເລກທີ 2501/ອຄ. ຄພນ, ລົງວັນທີ 16 ທັນວາ 2015	PDF

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