Order on Facilitating Import, Temporary Import, Transit, and Circulation of Goods within Laos

Article 1

Issuance of Permits and Certificates for Import, Export, Temporary Import, and Transit. All ministries, ministry-equivalent agencies, and local authorities nationwide that have relevant functions, duties, and powers directly related to the issuance of permits and certificates for import, export, temporary import, and transit of goods are assigned to rectify and reduce implementation steps and timeframes as follows: 1.1 The industry and trade sector is assigned to take the lead, coordinating with the finance, public works and transport, agriculture and forestry, health, science and technology, energy and mining, and related sectors to implement the following: (1) Continue to review regulations and procedures for the issuance of permits and certificates for import and export of goods within their scope of responsibilities, to streamline and expedite them, striving to reduce time by at least 50% and costs and documents by at least 30% by 2022, in accordance with the Trade Facilitation Action Plan 2017-2022. If regulations, procedures, timeframes, costs, and documents for permit and certificate issuance are deemed unreasonable and duplicative, they shall be rectified or abolished. (2) Study and improve non-tariff trade measures (NTMs) for imported and exported goods to make them rigorous, in order to protect the life and health of humans and animals, ensure the safety of goods for consumers, maintain national stability, and protect the environment, primarily sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS), technical barriers to trade (TBT), and other measures, consistent with agreements and conventions to which Laos is a party. (3) Establish and publish service standards, including process flowcharts, required documents, service fees, and service times, which shall be complete and clear, and set annual improvement targets; simultaneously improve internal document processing procedures to expedite them, with the document recipient immediately checking the documents and responding—if the documents are correct and complete, they must be immediately submitted to the responsible unit for study and submission to the leadership at that level for approval; if the documents are incorrect or incomplete, the submitter must be informed to make corrections. (4) Improve regulations concerning the temporary import and transit of goods to resolve inconsistencies in procedures, required documents, management of business entities, and the validity period of the aforementioned permits and certificates. (5) Streamline the procedures and documents for relevant sectoral agencies to conduct on-site inspections of actual exports of goods, primarily wood products and mineral products. At the same time, the committee appointed by the relevant sectoral agencies to conduct on-site inspections, seal containers, and jointly sign records shall have only one representative per party. 1.2 The finance sector is assigned to take the lead, coordinating with relevant sectoral agencies to implement the following: (1) Gradually promote the transition to modern electronic systems, primarily the Lao National Single Window customs declaration system, for the issuance of permits and certificates and the collection of service fees and charges. (2) Streamline the procedures and timeframes for studying and approving plans for imported materials required for foreign loan and grant projects that benefit from tariff and tax policies, especially the technical certification or approval by the relevant sectoral agency before submission to the finance sector for approval. 1.3 The planning and investment sector is assigned to take the lead, coordinating with relevant sectoral agencies to improve the procedures and timeframes for studying and reviewing annual import plans, in order to facilitate and expedite enterprises investing in projects benefiting from tariff and tax policies, especially the technical certification or approval by the relevant sectoral agency before submission to the planning and investment sector for approval.