US – Laos Business Opportunities: Making NTR a reality

Lang Xang Hotel, Vientiane, Lao PDR

December 14 – 16, 2005

 

 

December 14th:

 

8:30 – 9:00      Registration

9:00 – 10:00    Overview of Lao Small and Medium Enterprises   

Mr. Somdy Inmixay, Director General, SME Promotion and Development office, Ministry of Industry and Handicraft

 

10:15               Depart for Visits to Lao businesses, factories and government offices:

 

  1. Agriculture/Food Processing -
  2. Construction/Real Estate development
  3. Education/training –
  4. Furniture/Wood products -
  5. Garment   - Lao Garment Association
  6. Handicraft – Lao Association of Handicraft

 

December 15th:

 

7:30 – 8:30      Registration

8:30                 Opening Ceremony/Remarks

HE Soulivong Daravong, Minister of Commerce, Lao PDR

HE Patricia Haslach, Ambassador of the US to the Lao PDR   

 

Mr. Chau Lee, reads letter from Representative Betty McCollum

 

9:15                 Status of the US-Lao BTA 

                                    Mr. Scott Rolston, Economic Officer, US Embassy 

9:45                 Lao socio-economic situation, infrastructure, natural resources  

Dr. Khamlien Pholsena, Director General, Department of General Planning, Committee of Planning and Investment Lao PDR 

10: 15                Role of the private sector in Lao PDR development plans

                                    Mr. Phonethavong SINGHALATH, Deputy Director of Investment

                                              Promotion Division, Department of Investment Promotion, CPI

                                    Ms. Ekaterina Vostroknutova, Economist, World Bank

10:45               Coffee Break

12:00               Lao Tourism Administration – Investment opportunities

Ambassador Vang RATTANAVONG, Vice Chairman Lao National

                                    Tourism Administration

11:00               Lao as a Crossroads to East and West, North and South  

Rattanatay Luanglatbandith, Senior Economist Asian Development Bank

12:00               Question and Answer Session

12:30               Lunch

2:00                 US government agencies and other organizations in place to assist investment in Laos or trade with the US

                                    Ann Bacher – Senior Commercial Officer, US Embassy, Thailand

Russ  Nicely, Foreign Agriculture Services, US Embassy, Thailand

3:30                 Import/Export rules and regulations

                                    Mr. Vongchan LAWKHAMPHROTAGAOUN, Deputy Director, 

                                    Customs Department, Ministry of Finance

4:00                 Break

4:15                 Lessons from the field:

Rassanikone Nanong, Nikone Handicraft Center

Brian Lingham, Country Manager, RM Asia Lao Ford City

5:00                 Meeting close

18:30              Basi Ceremony

19:00               Dinner hosted by Minister Soulivong Daravong

 

December 16, 2005

8:00 – 8:30      Registration,

8:30                 Laotian Americans: Investors in Laos and market for Lao products

                                    Khamphoui Manyseng, Global Advanced Technology, Wichita, KS

                                    Dr. Yang Dao, Lao Multiethnic Alliance, St Paul, Minnesota        

9:15                 Role of NGOs in private sector development/training

                                    Mrs. Jane Snider, Mennonite Central Committee

                                    Mr. Philip Hazelton, APHEDA

9:45                  Finding Lao’s competitive edge: niche markets

Mr.Viravanh Phannourath, Director General, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Mr. Mike Carroll, Field Advisor, Lao-American Integrated Rural Development Project, Phongsaly Province

10:30               Presentation of individual business plans:

                                    Ernst Wolfinger – Homeland Investment Group

                                    Mr. Yee Yang, Cattle Rancher, Wichita Kansas

                       

11:00               Sectoral Group meetings:

                        Group 1: Agricultural products and food processing

                        Group 2: Construction/ real estate

                        Group 3: Education and Training

                        Group 4: Furniture

                        Group 5: Garments

                        Group 6: Handicrafts

                        Group 7: Import/export

                        Group 8: Tourism, hotel and tour services