Asean-BAC conference to boost regional cooperation and private sector
Asean-BAC conference to boost regional cooperation and private sector
The 2nd Asean-Business Advisory Council (BAC) Conference 2016 on “Post-2015 Agenda of the AseanEconomic Community (AEC) and the Lao PDR” was held in the capital on Friday.
The conference focused on the post 2015 agenda of the AEC and the results of the Asean economic integration process as at the end of 2015.The important international business event also marked the government's commitment to promoting a strong partnership with the private sector.
At the conference, participants shared their experience and consulted on different issues. These included the development gap between old and new Asean member states; Cambodia, the Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) and Asean-EU issues as well as private sector promotion, especially SMEs to push the expansion of Asean markets for economic development.
“Asean has recognised the role of the private sector as a key stakeholder in Asean integration,” Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ms Khemmani Pholsena said at the conference.
“In the AEC Blueprint 2025, it is recognised that greater involvement of the priv ate sector and more structured participation will be beneficial to the achievement of Asean goals,” she said.
The full potential of the AEC could not be realised without strong partnerships with the private sector including foreign companies.
In order to achieve the greater goal of sustainable and equitable development in Asean, she emphasised the importance for Asean-BAC recommendations to enhance the implementation of the post-2015 agenda for AEC.
“The announcement of the AEC at the end of last year was not the end of the road of Asean integration,”Ms Khemmani said.
Now that Asean was finalising its roadmap of Asean beyond 2015, she encouraged the business community and all stakeholders to contribute to the roadmap.
All comments and recommendations from the private sector this conference would be very useful for the new Asean strategic plan up to 2025 and she hoped that Asean-BAC and other Asean business organisations would support the Asean roadmap beyond 2015.
The conference was organised by the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Lao PDR and supported by the Regional Economic Integration of Laos into Asean-Trade and Enterprise Development (RELATED) Project, Lao-German Development Cooperation and EU-Asean Business Council together with the private sector in Laos including Lao Brewery, ST Bank, ANZ Bank Lao Co., Ltd, Phonesack Group, BCEL, HSMM Group and Datacom Co., Ltd.
The conference was also attended by ambassadors to Laos, donors, development partner delegations, representatives from international organisations along with officials from the government and private sector.
