The MSME sector in Laos has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lao MSME sector can play a vital role in responding to the economic impact of the pandemic and in driving a sustainable and resilient recovery.

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILO and SDC project will promote resilience and recovery for Lao MSMEs. The programme will leverage ILO’s prior experiences supporting women- and men-owned MSMEs in the country, which has resulted in a strong existing network of business associations, financial institutions, workers’ organizations and government institutions, to forge a strong, collaborative and needs-based response.

Objective

1. Women- and men-owned MSMEs have increased access to financial services - MSMEs tend to have limited cash flows and financial liquidity, making them especially vulnerable to crisis such as COVID-19. The project will work with financial institutions in Lao PDR to ensure that financial services are available and accessible to MSMEs.
2. Women- and men-owned MSMEs have increased access to COVID-19 related information and a more enabling business environment - Having access to reliable and consistent information is critical for MSME owners dealing with COVID-19. The project will strengthen the accessibility to COVID-19 related information so owners are able to make sound business decisions.
3. Women- and men-owned MSMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs have increased access to business development services - Business development services will be crucial for MSME owners as they gradually resume operations again. Courses and trainings on financial management, occupational health and safety and entrepreneurship could help boost local economies while limit COVID-19 transmissions.

For further information please contact:

Ms Anjali Patel 
Project Technical Officer
Supporting resilience of Lao MSMEs in response to COVID-19
ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic
Email: