One of the highlights of the 4th Lancang-Mekong Business Forum (LMBF) was a visit to Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ), on the Lao-Chinese border. The objective of the visit was to learn about Lao PDR’s food processing capacity and explore investment incentives, services and facilities offered by the Lao government.
After attending a business seminar and business matching in Vientiane on November 9th as part of the 4thLancang-Mekong Business Forum (LMBF), participants boarded an express train to Luang Namtha Province where Boten SEZ is located. The objectives of the Structured Learning Visit (SLV) were:
- To learn about the management and the status quo of infrastructure construction and the status of enterprises registered, investment and trade services, and incentives;
- To understand the current situation, challenges and opportunities of personnel and cargo transportation through the Vientiane-Kunming railway since its opening in Dec 2021;
- To understand the cross-border trade, e-commerce, logistics, facilitation services and infrastructure construction.
The delegation consisted of about 60 people, including 25 involved in the manufacturing, processing, trade, investment and service enterprises from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam in the agricultural and food industries, 15 Lao enterprises, 10 representatives from the Department of Trade Promotion, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, the Department and the Foreign Trade Policy of Ministry of Industry and Commerce the Lao SME service center of the National Chamber of Commerce, GIZ Lao (ASEAN SME and Agricultural Products Development Promotion Project) and the Mekong Institute (MI).
At the end of the SLV, the participants were expected to identify potential business partners and obtain updates on the latest technology and product innovation to improve productivity, competitiveness, and business networking in Lao PDR.
For more information on the 4th LMBF, click: MEKONG INSTITUTE JOINS FORCES WITH LAO PDR’S MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE TO PROMOTE AGRIBUSINESS AND INVESTMENT IN PROCESSED FOOD SECTOR AT THE 4TH LANCANG-MEKONG BUSINESS FORUM
