In the past the Fund has supported the inauguration in Laos of various kinds of quarterly economic surveys, which are essential to macroeconomic monitoring and forecasting, targeting economic policymakers. This project seeks to support surveys, research, and study tours to build the capacity of young researchers at the National Economic Research Institute as well as to get quarterly economic surveys on track and facilitate the institute's eventual development into a neutral think tank.
This year, quarterly surveys of consumer sentiment and corporate trends were conducted and reports on them distributed to relevant central and local government organs. A conference to present the survey results was also held. The 25 participants included officials of IMF, UNDP, and other international organizations in Laos. In addition, research on products in which Laos enjoys a comparative advantage was conducted, chiefly by young researchers at the National Economic Research Institute, under the direction of experts from the University of Malaya. A study tour to Seoul took place in February 2006. The participants visited the Korea Development Institute, the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, and other institutes and received explanations of their work.