Established in 1989, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) is a social organisation under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce , which seeks to unite individuals, groups and associations operating business enterprises within the Lao PDR with the aim of promoting the development of commerce, industry, handicraft production, finance and service industries. It seeks: (i) to assist state and private agencies including groups and associations in the trade, industrial/handicraft/forestry, financial, transport, tourist, service and other sectors to operate their businesses freely in conformity with the regulations and laws of the Lao PDR; (ii) to represent the labour force nationwide with a view to formulating comments and proposals to government and to various international agencies; and (iii) to co-operate with governmental organisations with a view to obtaining Generalized System of Preference (GSP) from various countries and to act as the responsible authority for Certificate of Origin and Form A of Lao Products by co-operating with international bodies. LNCCI plays an important role in providing information to local and foreign investors and businessmen, helping them to identify potential business projects and partners and meet with concerned authorities and officials. Other important services provided to its members include arranging textile export visas through the agreement with foreign embassies, issuing Certificates of Origin (COs) for products manufactured in the Lao PDR, organising arbitration in the course of doing business, preparing and publishing membership directories and newsletters, listing member firms in its trade mission handbook, developing and promoting Business Associations, developing human resources in enterprises through workshops, training and scholarships organised under partnership projects with the support of related agencies, and developing competency standard for industries. In recent years LNCCI has been active in organising seminars for potential foreign investors, enabling them to make direct contact with public and private sector representatives. It has also organised seminars for visiting business delegations from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Japan, Great Britain, Sweden, Hong Kong and China. LNCCI organises the annual Lao Handicraft Festival in collaboration with the Lao Handicraft Association. There are currently plans to establish LNCCI as a state enterprise and to relocate it to Km 5 Trade Exhibition Centre once suitable accommodation has been constructed for it there.