​On 29th December 2014 at Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane Capital, the Domestic Trade Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC), organized a Ministry of Industry and Commerce Consultation Workshop to Finalize the draft Law on Competition of the Lao PDR. The workshop was chaired by H.E Bounmy Manivong, Vice Minister of Industry and Commerce, also supervising Domestic Trade Department. There were more than 40 representatives attended, Mr. Bounthien Keosipha, Acting Director General of Domestic Trade Department as well as acting Head of Competition Law Drafting Committee, Director Generals, Deputy Director Generals and representatives from relevant departments within MoIC, Mr. Frank Tibitanzl GIZ CPL Principal Advisor and representatives from relevant sectors assigned asCompetition Law Drafting Committee. This workshop was supported by German Government under ASEAN-German Cooperation Project and implemented by GIZ.

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​This workshop took place after several public consultation workshops at local levels nationwide. H.E Bounmy Manivong, Vice Minister of MoIC opened the workshop and urged all participants to provide comments and suggestions on the draft Law in order to make it clearer, more completely, more concisely and consist with real country situation of Laos, and towards the regional and international integration. Furthermore, Mr. Bounthien Keosipha, Acting Director General of Domestic Trade Department, reported the workshop on progresses of the draft Law processes. The objectives of this workshop were to consult with and obtain comments and suggestions from representatives within Ministry of Industry and Commerce in order to find consensus on content and context of the draft Law before proposing it to Ministry of Justice. After the meeting, the Competition Law Drafting Committee will consider the incorporation of comments and suggestions of participants into the draft Law. The next step is to submit it to Ministry of Justice in January 2015 as planned for consideration and endorsement of its context. The draft Law will be further submitted to the Government meeting in March 2015, and to the National Assembly ordinary session in mid-2015 respectively. Based on the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint all ASEAN Member States will endeavor to introduce their Competition Policy and Law by 2015.