The Government of Laos held its monthly cabinet meeting on Monday and Tuesday this week in Vientiane Capital. The meeting discussed solutions to issues such as improving the business environment and tackling economic hardship.
The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office, chaired by Lao Prime Minister, Mr. Phankham Viphavanh, and was attended by deputy prime ministers, ministers, and members of government.
During the meeting, the cabinet agreed that strong action must be taken to address six major issues, as well as discuss next year’s plan and review progress toward completing the agenda items for 2022.
The following six agenda items were also discussed at the November meeting:
Stop Financial Leaks and Implement Austerity Policy
Authorities were told to take measures to more efficiently close gaps in order to prevent revenue leaks and to redouble their efforts to implement the government’s austerity policy in compliance with relevant directives.
Enterprise Definition Revision
The cabinet approved in principle several draft amendments to a decree on the definition of micro, small, and medium enterprises, as well as a decree on the SME Promotion Fund.
National Dress
The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism was instructed to revise last year’s decree on national dress based on the comments of the cabinet to encourage Lao people to preserve the unique beautiful cultural dress of the nation.
Taxpayer Identification Numbers
The government tasked the Ministry of Finance and relevant authorities with revising the decree on taxpayer identification numbers in order to better manage the collection of taxation from individuals and businesses.
Civil Servant Managment
The meeting approved a new draft national strategy on civil servant management that would cover civil servant quotas, the selection process, and ensuring the promotion of talented staff.
The 10th National Report on CEDAW
The cabinet approved the 10th periodical national report on the implementation of the UN’s Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
At the closing of the meeting, the Prime Minister told cabinet members to draft a detailed implementation plan based on the resolutions of each sector, with the division of tasks, personnel at each level, and clear expectations for each period.
