WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/ACC/LAO/9/Rev.6 
23 January 2012 
 (12-0425) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of the Lao PDR Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE LAO PDR 
 
Legislative Action Plan 
 
Revision 
   The following submission, dated 18 January 2012, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). 
  
_______________ WT/ACC/LAO/9/Rev.6 
Page 2 
 
 
  Introduction 
 This document is divided into  two sections.  The first section provides an overview of 
trade-related legislation of Lao PDR.  The second s ection provides legislative action plan of Lao PDR 
to comply with WTO requirements. 
Section I:  Overview of Trade-related Legislation of Lao PDR 
 The following are laws, presidential edicts, d ecrees and lower regulations that relate to 
international trade: 
I. Laws and Presidential Edicts: 
Title Date of Adoption 
Insurance Law No. 11/90/PSA 29 November 1990  
(amended in December 2011, awaiting promulgation) 
Telecommunications Act No. 02/NA 10 April 2001  
(amended in December 2011, awaiting promulgation) 
Constitution of the Lao PDR 6 May 2003 
Presidential Edicts No. 02/OPR" On Legal Act Drafting" 20 October 2003 
Law No. 04/NA "On Food" 15 May 2004 
Law No. 01/NA "On Criminal Procedures" 15 May 2004 
Tax Law No. 04/NA 19 May 2005  
(amended in December 2011, awaiting promulgation) 
Law No. 05/NA "Customs Law" 20 May 2005 
(amended in December 2011, awaiting promulgation) 
Criminal Law No. 12/NA 9 November 2005 
Law No. 07/NA "On the Handling of Petitions", 9 November 2005 
Enterprise Law No. 11/NA 9 November 2005 
Law No. 07/NA "On Court Fees" 27 December 2006 
Forestry Law No. 06/ NA 24 December 2007 
Law No. 08/NA "On Intellectua l Property" 24 December 2007 
(amended in December 2011, awaiting promulgation) 
Standards Law No. 13/NA 26 December 2007 
Presidential Edicts No. 01/P "Governing the Management of Foreign Exchange and Precious 
Metals" 17 March 2008 
Law No. 04/NA "On Judgement Enforcement" 8 July 2008 
Law No. 03/NA "On Livestock Production and 
Veterinary Matters" 25 July 2008 
Contract and Tort Law No. 01/NA 8 December 2008 
Law No. 02/NA "On Investment Promotion" 8 July 2009 
Fisheries Law No. 03/NA 9 July 2009 
Law No. 06/NA "On the Resolution of Economic 
Disputes" 17 December 2010 
  WT/ACC/LAO/9/Rev.6 
 Page 3 
 
 
  II. Decrees:  
Title Date of Adoption 
Decree No. 206/PMO "On Goods Trading Business" 11 October 2001 
Decree No. 25/PM "On Dansavanh Village Border 
Trade Zone" 25 March 2002 
Decree No. 148/PM "On Savan-Seno Special 
Economic Zone" 29 September 2003 
Decree No. 362/PM "On th e Implementation of the 
Customs Law" 19 October 2007 
Decree No. 180/PM "On Import Licensing 
Procedures" 7 July 2009 
Decree No. 275/PM "On th e Implementation of the 
Law on Commercial Bank" 25 September 2009 
Decree No. 228/PM "On the Origin of Import and 
Export Goods" 22 April 2010 
Decree No. 474/PM "On the Administration of Prices 
of Goods and Services" 18 November 2010 
Decree No. 363/PM "On the Notification and 
Enquiry of Trade Related Information" 19 August 2010 
Decree No. 443/PM "On Special Economic Zone and 
Specific Economic Zone in the Lao PDR" 26 October 2010 
Decision No. 0349/MOIC.FTPD "On GATS Enquiry 
Point" 22 February 2011 
Decree No. 114/GoL "On Import and Export of 
Goods" 6 April 2011 
Decree No. 119/PM "On th e Implementation of the 
Investment Promotion Law" 20 April 2011 
 
III. Other Regulations: 
Title Date of Adoption 
Regulations No. 1150/PM "On the Establishment and 
Management of Tourist Service Operators" 25 October 1993 
Regulations No. 1413/49/MCTPC "On the 
Establishment of Businesses of Transportation 
Shipping and Repair Servi ces by the State; State 
Private Collectives and Private Individuals" 22 June 1996 
Regulations No. 159/OPM "On the Management of 
Hotels and Guesthouses" 30 July 1997 
Regulation No. 586/MOH "On the Control on 
Production, Exported-Imported Safe Food" 12 May 2006 
Regulation No. 519/MoH "On Labelling of 
Prepackaged Food" 18 March 2009 
Regulation No. 518/MOH "On the Basic Principles 
in the Application of Sanitary and Technical 
Measures for the Food Safety Management" 18 March 2009 
Instruction No. 01/BOL "On Implementation of 
Decree Law on Management of Foreign Currency 
and Precious Metals" 2 April 2010 
Decision No. 2860/MAF "On Control of Pesticides in 
Lao PDR" 11 June 2010 
Instruction No. 1398/PM "On Customs Valuation" 16 June 2010 
Instruction No. 1970/MoF "On Customs Measures 
for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights" 8 September 2011 WT/ACC/LAO/9/Rev.6 
Page 4 
 
 
  Title Date of Adoption 
Instruction No. 2401/CD "On Customs Valuation of 
Imported Goods" 29 September 2010 
Decision No. 0471/MOIC "On Notification Unit of 
Sanitary-Phytosanitary Measures and Technical 
Barriers to Trade" 9 March 2011 
Decision No. 0870/MAF "On Animal Slaughtering 
and Animal Product Inspection" 18 March 2011 
Decision, No. 605/MoH "On Adopting Codex 
Alimentarius Standards as Priorities" 27 April 2011 
Decision No. 1199/NAST-PMO "On the 
Organization and Operation of Technical Barriers to 
Trade Enquiry Point" 22 June 2011 
Decision No. 1199/NAST-PMO "On the 
Organization and Operation of Technical Barriers to 
Trade Enquiry Point" 22 June 2011 
Decision No. 1502/MAF "On the Organization and 
Operation of SPS Enquiry Point" 23 June 2011 
Decision No. 2095/MOF "On the Use of Customs 
Declaration Form for Imported Goods subjected to 
Duties and Taxes" 26 September 2011 
Instruction No. 00266/CD "On the Completion of 
Customs Declaration Form was adopted" 4 November 2011 
Regulation No. 0039/MAF "On Principles in the 
Application of SPS Measures in Plant and Animal 
Administration" 11 January 2012 
Notification No. 0076/MOIC.DIMEX "On the List of 
Goods subject to Automatic and Non-automatic 
Import and Export Licensing" 13 January 2012 
  
   WT/ACC/LAO/9/Rev.6
 Page 5Section II:  Legislative Action Plan for WTO Compliance 
Current Status of Main Legislation Enactment for WTO Compliance 
No. Legislation Relevant WTO 
Agreement Status Expected Approval Date 
by National Assembly 
(if applicable) Technical Assistance 
Requirements 
1. Presidential Edict on Export 
Duties  GATT Draft submitted to the National Standing 
Committee in December 2011 
 
To be approved by the National Assembly by 
June 2012 June 2012 TA received from Trade 
Development Facility 
2. Amendment of Presidential Edict 
on Fees and Service Charges GATT  Draft being prepared by the Ministry of 
Finance 
 
To be approved by the National Assembly by 
September 2012 September 2012  
3. Regulation to supersede the 
Regulation No. 2401/CDi CVA  Initial draft prepared by Customs Department 
and seeking comments from experts  
 
To be adopted by Ministry of Finance by 
June 2012 Not required TA sought from USAID  
4. Decree on Implementation of Law 
on Standardizationii TBT Draft endorsed by Ministry of Justice in 
January 2012  
 
To be adopted by the Government by March 
2012 Not required  TA received from USAID and 
TDF 
5. Amendment of Decree on 
Livestock and Livestock Products 
Movement Controliii SPS Draft being reviewed by Ministry of Justice 
and to send to the Government by 
March 2012 
 
To be adopted by the Government by 
June 2012 Not required Recommendations received from 
EU and USAID 
6. Regulations implementing 
2011 Intellectual Property Lawiv TRIPS Draft being prepared by Ministry of Science 
and Technology  
 
To be approved by Ministry of Science and 
Technology by June-December 2012 Not required  TA sought from development 
partners  
  WT/ACC/LAO/9/Rev.6 
Page 6 No. Legislation Relevant WTO 
Agreement Status Expected Approval Date 
by National Assembly 
(if applicable) Technical Assistance 
Requirements 
7. List of essential utilities (services) 
subject to price administration GATS List prepared by Ministry of Industry and 
Commerce 
 
To be approved by Ministry of Industry and 
Commerce by April 2012 Not required   
 
 
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i     See also details in the revised CVA Action Plan, document WT/ACC/LAO/12/Rev.4. 
ii    See also details in the revised TBT Action Plan, document WT/ACC/LAO/14/Rev.5.  
iii   See also details in the revised SPS Action Plan, document WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.5. 
iv   See also details in the revised TRIP S Action Plan, document WT/ACC/LAO/15/Rev.5.