VIENTIANE, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Lao government is keen to minimize importing products that can be produced domestically, especially agricultural produce, to help boost domestic production while also tackling inflation.
Southern Laos' Champasak province is placing some items that can be produced in Laos on a list of controlled imports, hoping to reduce the overall volume of imports and spur domestic production.
The plan was discussed during a meeting of the provincial Industry and Commerce Department on ways to reduce the volume of imported goods and, at the same time bolster productivity in Champasak.
During the meeting on Dec. 20, participants unanimously agreed that the relevant sectors should prepare a list of products whose import should be banned or reduced, especially agricultural produce such as vegetables.
It was agreed that the import of vegetables should be banned when local farmers can produce enough for consumption in Champasak, some 484 km south of Lao capital Vientiane.
The meeting also discussed the framework of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement with regard to imports and exports involving vegetables, livestock and animal-based products, and the use of appropriate measures to limit the import of such products.
Concerning industrial products, provincial officials will focus on goods that can be manufactured or processed locally, such as drinking water, paint, steel, cement, polyethylene pipes, and instant coffee.
The relevant sectors were also asked to monitor the trade in imported and exported goods that avoids the use of the banking system.
Meanwhile, the northern Lao province of Xayaboury, on Dec. 5, issued a list of banned imports, which included 59 types of vegetables, 23 types of fruit, some livestock species, and industrial and handicraft products.
The proposed import ban is aimed not only at strengthening local producers, but also promoting greater use of goods that can be made or grown in Laos, to reduce the outflow of foreign currency and curb the downward spiral in the value of the Lao currency kip.
The Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, organizes various activities to promote Lao products and popularize Lao brands in the region and beyond.
In addition, the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has advised to minimize importing certain vegetables and other agricultural produce, to help boost the cultivation of these crops in Laos and tackle inflation.
Meanwhile, the Lao government is encouraging farmers and producers to supply more goods to the domestic market and to produce more for export, as this will bring in much-needed foreign currency and help reduce high foreign exchange rates. ■
