AEC workshop to boost Asean integration post 2015
AEC workshop to boost Asean integration post 2015
The Lao government is now enhancing its strategic plans to ensure preparations for the Asean Economic Community by the end of next year are well established.
It has targeted the single market and production base concept and the free flow of goods, trade, investment and tourism in the region.
To ensure government officials are properly equipped with the right knowledge and skills, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in collaboration with the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (ERIA) has organised a series of seminars.
They are designed to enhance the knowledge and planning capability of Lao officials and members of academia and the private sector following AEC establishment.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Industry and Commerce Ms Khemmani Pholsena said Laos is working on an all-encompassing revision and evaluation of preparations for AEC integration.
“AEC preparation is a fundamental issue for Laos as well as other Asean members,” she said, adding that Laos still has to work much harder to meet the requirements of the Asean framework.
Last year the Asean Secretariat had expected that overall Asean was 81.3 percent prepared for integration while Laos alone had already reached 85.1 percent.
At the capacity building workshop, Lao and regional experts on economic integration participated in the event, including the Senior Economist of ERIA Dr Ponciano S. Intal Jr., a Fellow Researcher of the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO) Dr Souknilanh Keola and other senior economists from ERIA.
Another essential workshop will be held today on energy security, under the title ‘Seminar on New Understandings and Some Best International Lessons on Energy Development towards Sustainability.'
This seminar is co-organised by ERIA and the Ministry of Energy and Mines and a variety of issues will be discussed, including fuel efficiency in transportation, energy audits and energy database system improvement.
Biomass synthetic gas fuel, energy saving and conservation through education and outreach activities are amongst other issues to be debated.
The key speakers are Toyota Motor Corporation Group Manager Mr Takayuki Kusajima, Assistant Prof. Pruk Aggarangsi from Chiang Mai University of Thailand and economists from ERIA.
