Dear ,
with lockdown still in place AustCham's Activities will still carry on online for the month of October. I would like to flag you our upcoming events Trends and Opportunities in Laos, China-Lao Railway: The Inside Track! and a new training course on Introduction to Design Thinking (details will follow). Earlier this month, we presented the LAO CSR AWARD, of which AustCham is a founding Member, and subscriptions are now open! We are calling for applications that show creativity, sensitivity, inclusivity, and especially embedded local practice under the theme of "Encouraging Environmental Excellence." Sign up below in this newsletter.
We also launched our Mates Rates Program, which consist of special offers and discounts from Members to Members. If you wish to join the program, please email us at austcham@austchamlao.org.
We are looking forward to seeing you in person again and to resume our sundowners as soon as possible, meanwhile please feel free to reach out to the AustCham's Team if you wish to be connected to other Members or if you need business support.
Stay healthy!
Best regards, Alessia Executive Director |
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| WEBINAR: China-Lao Railway, the Inside Track! | | Trends and Opportunities in Laos Series | 
| Oct 29, 2021
(9 AM - 10:30 AM)
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| This event aims to analyse and understand all aspects of the logistics, customs and regulatory framework in which the China-Lao Railway will operate. We will also investigate with the speakers which opportunities a better connectivity will bring to Laos and discuss with the DG of Cross Border Transport all reforms and regulations around improving import/export to and from Laos. | |
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| Introduction to Design Thinking | | Online Workshop |
| Nov 12, 2021
(8:30 AM - 12 PM)
(GMT+7) |
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| This course will introduce you to Design Thinking, a collaborative, human-centered approach to solving a wide range of complex business problems. This course is fully hands on: rather than simply telling you what design thinking is, we’ll show you and let you carry out a design thinking project yourself guiding you step by step! | |
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| PAST MATE TO MATE INTERVIEWS |
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Watch last month's episodes of MATE to MATE, AustCham's topical interview series on our members' Covid-19 emergency response. |
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Mate to Mate 'A Diverse Workplace' with Chuluun Chinbaatar, COO LAO PRIDE INC. Hear from Chulun what's Lao Pride Inc.'s strategy to promote a more inclusive and diverse workplace.
Click on "read more" to play the interview! |
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Vientiane, 1 October 2021 – The Australian Chamber of Commerce, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Canadian Embassy, the British Business Group Lao PDR, the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Lao PDR, and Civitas Co., Ltd, together announced today the launch of Lao PDR’s first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards, to be issued in February 2022 under the theme “Encouraging Environmental Excellence”.
The organizers behind this new CSR Award wish to recognize those Laos-based businesses applying outstanding CSR practices, and with a focus for this first year on an environmental theme. The contest is an opportunity for businesses to increase and extend their visibility, to be recognized as role models by the business community, and to actively advocate for the broader application of CSR in Laos.
“Doing good is not only measured in terms of profit, but also by how a company addresses its social and environmental impacts”, said Carli Renzi, President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce. “We want businesses in Lao PDR to contribute to local economic development while improving the quality of life of the local communities and society at large,” added Mr Oudet Souvannavong, President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Each year, the CSR Award will go to two successful companies operating in Lao PDR, representing small and medium-sized enterprises (up to 25 employees), and larger enterprises (25 and more employees). A company can only apply once per cycle. The CSR initiative has to have been undertaken for at least 6 months.
Deadline for applications is 1 December 2021, and the CSR Awards winners will be announced at the next Responsible Business Conduct Forum which will coincide with the International CSR Day 18 February 2022.
We are now calling for applications that show creativity, sensitivity, inclusivity, and especially embedded local practice under the theme of "Encouraging Environmental Excellence."
Contact: austcham@austchamlao.org for more information.
Click on "Read more" to apply |
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| Thursday 16th of September, AustCham Lao hosted a webinar on the Trends & Opportunities in Laos Series: Activating Smart Cities, Underpinned by 5G.
It was really interesting to hear how Smart Cities development can contribute to promote and bring sustainable investments into Laos and what the Government strategy is to develop Smart Cities.
We also heard from AMATA, who are developing Smart and Eco cities in Northern Laos, about their projects and opportunities they see for the competitive advantage Laos has compared to neighbouring countries.
We also focused on connectivity, especially on 5G rollout in Laos and technologies for Smart Cities.
Click on "read more" to play the record and the passcode is: Ax%4=xUv
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| WORKSHOP: HOW TO ANALYSE DATA COLLECTED BY FACEBOOK TO GENERATE SALES LEADS |
| Friday 24 September we hosted a workshop on How to Analyze Data Collected by Facebook to Generate Sales Leads, last episode of the AustCham-J&C Marketing series. Thank you very much to the trainer Sudha Wadhwani for the six absolutely interesting sessions!
At the workshop we learnt: - Accuracy of data; what data points are reliable? - Types of engagement and what they mean for your business - Analysing and understanding the power of your content and action taken by customers
Thanks to all participants for making it an interactive and fun session! We are looking forward to hosting again soon another marketing series with our Member and Partner J&C Group - Insurance, Marketing, Investment |
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| BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT & INFO |
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| The World Bank issued on 17th September 2021 the Lao PDR Country Economic Memorandum - Leveraging Strategic Location and Natural Wealth for Inclusive and Sustained Growth.
[...] In contrast to other land-locked countries, Lao PDR’s natural assets and location offer significant potential for a more sustainable and inclusive growth model [...] |
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The Asia Society Policy Institute project – Supply Chains: A Shifting Indo-Pacific – examines this emerging trend by mapping out the supply chain and foreign investment policies of economies in the Indo-Pacific region in a dynamic and easy-to-use format. By combining key investment climate information and economy-specific investment policies into a single one-stop-shop resource, this tool aims to provide stakeholders with a simple and informative way to stay abreast of policy trends in this dynamic area. We hope this new, digital tool proves useful to companies looking to diversify supply chains and mitigate risk, U.S. policymakers focusing on promoting supply chain resiliency and reducing vulnerabilities, and Asian governments looking to learn more about what their neighbors are doing in this space.
Currently, the geographic scope of the project includes 17 Indo-Pacific economies: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Across these economies, over 180 policies have been mapped out in detail, including tax incentives, subsidies and the creation of special economic zones, as well as those limited to specific sectors including information and communication technology (ICT), medical, automotive and agriculture. The data and policies will be regularly updated and expanded over time. |
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| Tammy Medard, Managing Director, Institutional Australia & PNG, at ANZ talks about the foundations of her push for equality really kicking off in Laos - “In my time there I resolved that when my kids entered the workforce as young adults, I would be able to look them in the eye and say I did everything in my power to make the workplace balanced and fair.”[...] |
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| At Crowne Plaza Vientiane, our commitment to make a difference for our people and communities has been the main driver for our sustainable business practice.
As part of IHG®'s Giving for Good month in September, we have been busy giving 'thanks' to our team and inviting our team to participate in the contribution together with us. This year, our activities include packing lunches and distributing them to public hospitals and local authorities, donating medical supplies to units combating covid and special meal days for our team members throughout the month to thank them for all their hard work.
IHG’s Giving for Good is IHG’s flagship programme for communities and charitable giving, which works with partners to help change lives for the better through building skills and education in hospitality and supporting communities. Giving for Good month is a part of True Hospitality and provides thousands of IHG colleagues around the world with the chance to give back to communities.
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Prudential Life Assurance Lao Company Limited (“Prudential Laos”) is pleased to be named “Domestic Life Insurer of the Year” by The Insurance Asia Award 2021. The company was recognised for launching its all-in-one digital health and wellness application Pulse by Prudential (Pulse) to help Lao people take charge of their health and wellness. The prestigious award also applauded the community engagement initiatives rolled out by Prudential Laos in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Veejay Madhavan, Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Laos said: “We are proud to be named the ‘Domestic Life Insurer of the Year’, which is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our employees to meet the health and protection needs of the Lao community.
“Our purpose at Prudential is to help people get the most out of life, and we are fulfilling this purpose by making healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone. With Pulse, Lao people are able to access healthcare and manage their wellbeing on their fingertips. We are also providing cash allowance and free insurance coverage through the Pulse app under our COVID-19 Care Fund to help people safeguard their health and financial security amid the pandemic outbreak.”
Prudential Laos was recognised for its notable innovation, the Pulse app, a first-of-its-kind to offer holistic health management to users in the region. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered self-help tools and real-time information, Pulse serves as a 24/7 partner to users, empowering them to take control of their health and wellbeing anytime, anywhere. |
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| Our Silver Sponsor BFL has won a prestigious award from the International Business Magazine Awards for the "𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐋𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏"
This prestigious award demonstrates BFL's outstanding capability to provide financial solutions and services to meet its customers needs. BFL supports corporate customers with growth potential as well as plays a pivotal role to drive Laos's economic growth. |
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| Our Bronze Sponsor DFDL is pleased to announce that their offices in the Lao PDR and Myanmar have both been named ‘Firm of Year 2021’ by Asialaw.
They are delighted to receive this recognition and even more pleased to receive the ‘Editor’s Choice Impact Deal and Case’ Award for our work on the Thai Airways restructuring along with Chandler MHM, Kudun and Partners, R&T Asia (Thailand), SCL Nishimura, Tilleke & Gibbins, Weerawong C&P.
Their deepest gratitude goes to their teams across the region for their dedication and hard work. |
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