The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for managing the overall development of commerce throughout the country. It aims to stimulate and develop production, to move the economy from one based on primary products to one based on commercial goods, to develop the domestic market and link it to regional and global markets, to accelerate development and to improve the country’s infrastructure step by step. The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for the implementation of its state management duties and responsibilities in accordance with the Law on the Government of the Lao PDR. Specific duties of the Ministry include: studying and implementing the Party's strategic guidelines for commerce in the form of long term plans and projects; taking responsibility for successes and failures in the implementation of commerce activities; studying and establishing policy, law and decrees concerning commerce development during each planning period, for submission to the government and approval by the National Assembly; studying and researching domestic and foreign markets in order to stimulate and promote growth in domestic production and reduce imports, with a view to stimulating and protecting domestic production in a more appropriate way; managing the commerce sector in a vertical line of authority at levels of administration throughout the country; educating, training, developing, managing and updating the quality of officers and civil servants in the commercial sector; summarising and evaluating the implementation of commerce activities within each planning period and then reporting them to the government; managing and administering budgets, means of transport and premises equipped by the government in relation to commerce activities; maintaining relations and co-operating with foreign countries and international organisations in the commerce sector as authorised by the government; co-ordinating and collaborating with the commerce sector at central and local levels in order to implement commerce activities more efficiently; assisting the government in managing and supervising the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and carrying out the examination of profession commerce works throughout the country.