Services and Manufacturing Linkages : An Empirical Analysis for Lao PDR


== Abstract ==

This report seeks to shed light on the             ways in which the services sector has contributed to Lao             PDR’s competitiveness and integration into the global             marketplace. It focuses on two complementary roles that the             services sector plays: first, as an avenue for export             diversification and growth and, second,by providing inputs             into other productive sectors of the economy, such as the             manufacturing sector. As economies grow, the importance of             the services sector generally increases, but its role as an             enabler of other sectors of the economy in moving up the             value chain is frequently overlooked. However, the services             sector is critical in raising competitiveness of these other             sectors to boost growth and create better quality jobs. The             main policy recommendations that emerge from this report are             aimed at increasing competition in the services sector,             reducing distortive regulations, and opening up the sector             to foreign participation, building up skills, both at the             individual and at the firm level, and investing in hard and             soft infrastructure to promote the development of the sector.


== Original document ==

The different versions of the original document can be found in:

* [http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24040 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24040] under the license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/