Officials gather for a photo session at the opening ceremony for the training course on Monday.

Officials sharpen skills for preparing proposals to access technical funding  

Officials of the SMEs Promotion Fund are participating in a five-day training course on preparing proposals for accessing funding for projects.
The training session kicked off on Monday at the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) with the participation of representatives from various departments under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Vientiane Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), the SME Service Centre (SSC) and the Secretariat Unit at the SMEs Promotion Fund.
The main goal of the training course is strengthening the capacity of officials of the SMEs Promotion Fund to understand conditions for funding projects and other relevant regulations related to technical funding projects. The Fund is part of the SMEs Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC). 
After their training, the participants will be able to pass on knowledge and skills gained through this course to officials working for SMEs promotion funds in provinces across the country. 
The Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Bountheung Duangsavanh, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SMEs Promotion Fund, and the Director of the SMEs Promotion Fund, Mrs Lattana Duangboubpha, attended the opening ceremony for the training session.
During the training session, experts and trainers will exchange lessons learnt and take up other important issues. The participants will learn about theories and practical actions to ensure they are well-trained and able to write a technical project proposal to access technical funds from the SMEs Promotion Fund.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce is hopeful that the participants will be equipped with the necessary and important skills to comply with requirements at workplaces and to implement their more efficiently in future.
The promotion of SMEs is crucial for the government to ensure that such firms properly contribute to the nation’s socio-economic development.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 9, 2022)