Ms Vilayphone Xindavong (right) and Ms Sianong Phomkong chair a workshop in Vientiane.

Govt moves to strengthen competition and consumer protection laws

The government is working to improve the Competition Law and Consumer Protection Law to enable businesses and consumers to deepen participation in regional and global markets.
National and provincial government agencies, private sector organisations, academia, civil society organisations, development partners, and consumer groups are attending a meeting in Vientiane on June 25-26 to review and improve these laws.
The workshop is chaired by Deputy Director General of the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ms Vilayphone Xindavong, and the Regional Manager of RT4D, Ms Sianong Phomkong.
The meeting seeks to strengthen awareness, facilitate structured dialogue, and support evidence-based improvements to the implementation of these laws.
The laws play a critical role in promoting fair markets, protecting consumers, encouraging responsible business conduct, and creating an enabling environment for sustainable economic growth.
As Laos continues to deepen its participation in regional and global markets, effective implementation of these laws becomes increasingly important to support business confidence, consumer trust and economic resilience.
Over the two days, participants are reviewing findings from recent assessments of the Competition Law and Consumer Protection Law, discussing implementation challenges and emerging market trends, and exchanging views on areas requiring improvement.
A key feature of the workshop is the sharing of regional experiences and best practices from ASEAN member states, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Through these discussions, participants are exploring how neighbouring countries have strengthened competition enforcement, consumer protection mechanisms, public awareness programmes, and stakeholder engagement processes, and how these experiences may inform future reforms in Laos.
The workshop also places strong emphasis on gender equality and disability and social inclusion.
Discussions consider how competition and consumer protection policies affect different groups within society and how future reforms can better support equitable participation in economic activities.
Ensuring that women-led enterprises, people with disabilities, and other disadvantaged groups have opportunities to contribute to policy discussions are an important priority.
The workshop is organised by the Department of Internal Trade of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, with support from the Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative under the RCEP Implementation Support Programme.
RT4D, funded by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, assists ASEAN member states in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The workshop also benefits from complementary support provided by the United Kingdom through the British Embassy to Laos.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update June 26, 2026)