Mr. Phounesavath is Director General of the Department of Internal Trade (DOIT), Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Lao PDR, where he leads high-level coordination, strategic planning, and international partnerships. With over a decade of experience in trade negotiations, consumer protection, and institutional strengthening, he has become a key voice in shaping Laos’s integration into regional and global markets. Mr. Phounesavath combines rigorous academic trainings with practical leadership. His career includes senior roles as Director General of the Department of Intellectual Property, Deputy Director General of the Department of Foreign Trade Policy, and Director of the Multilateral Trade Division. He has been a lead negotiator for landmark agreements such as the ASEAN–Hong Kong FTA, RCEP, WTO accession,
CISG, and ITA (WTO). In his current role, Mr. Phounesavath places strong emphasis on competition policy and market regulation, particularly in retail and wholesale sectors. He has overseen the drafting of enforceable instructions to prohibit anti-competitive conduct. His work addresses pressing challenges such as price manipulation, and consumer vulnerability, aligning Laos’s domestic frameworks with ASEAN and international standards. Mr. Phounesavath is recognized for his expertise in modernizing institutional language and building consensus across diverse stakeholders. His vision is to build a resilient, inclusive, and digitally enabled trade environment in Laos, where competition policy safeguards consumer interests and fosters fair, dynamic markets.