VI MEETING CARICOM-DR BUSINESS FORUM Hotel Melia - Santo Domingo Repu bica Dominicana - Dominican Republic 21/22 Marzo/March 2012 Contents Program (March 21, 2012)...2 Program (March 22, 2012)..3 Fashion Sector...4 Action Plan for Fashion Sector 5 Agro-industry........6 General Private Sector Issues Colin Murdoch, Cesar Dargam, Ivan Ogando, Milagros Puello The VI Meeting CARICOM-DR Business Forum promoted the active participation of the private sector in the compliance of the objectives of the free trade agreement CARICOM-Dominican Republic. Participants from the 15 CARICOM countries (Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, OECS) and the Dominican Republic attended the forum. Among the activities developed were: Discussions between private and public sectors for the execution of the FTA CARICOM-DR, sector meetings and networking between businesses from the sectors agriculture and service in the D.R. and the Caribbean. (Agro-industry)........7 Recommendations to the Business Forum Agro-Industry........8 Developmental Needs Required to Facilitate Trade......9 Introductory Remark...10 Evaluation Forum (Approach)..11 Evaluation Forum (Process)...12 Evaluation Forum (Overall)...13
PROGRAM March 21, 2012 Fernando Gonzalez, Colin Murdoch, Ricardo Koening, Escipion Oliveira 8:30 REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9:00 12:00 PUBLIC/PRIVATE SECTOR EXCHANGE ON THE IMPLEMENTA- TION OF THE CARICOM-DR FREE TRADE AGREEMENT Cesar Dargam and David Hales Mr. Cesar Dargam, Deputy Minister, Economic Affairs and Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dominican Republic Mr. David Hales, Manager External Economic and Trade Relations, CARICOM Secretariat Mrs. Yahaira Sosa Machado, Director, Foreign Trade Directorate (DICOEX), Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dominican Republic DISCUSSIONS Escipion Oliveira, Cesar Dargam, Colin Murdoch, Ivan Ogando - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12:30 14:30 LUNCH - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14:30 17:00 SECTOR MEETINGS AND NETWORKING Guests FASHION AGRIBUSINESS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18:30 20:30 WELCOMING COCKTAIL Lidia Encarnación and Humberto Perez 2
March 22ⁿᵈ, 2012 9:00 9:45 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Mrs. Maribel Gassó, Co-Chair CARICOM-DR BF, President, Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce Mrs. Irene Horejs, Head of the European Delegation to the Dominican Republic Mr. Domingo Jiménez, Secretary of State, National Authorizing Of icer for the EDF, Director of DIGECOOM, Dominican Republic Mr. Ivan Ogando Lora, General Director, CARIFORUM Directorate Mr. Colin Murdoch, Chairman, Caribbean Export, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance & Economy, Antigua and Barbuda 9:45 10:00 COFFEE BREAK Y PRESS CONFERENCE 10:00 12:00 DISCUSSION ON CURRENT STATE OF THE CARICOM-DR FTA AND PROGESS ON: Mr. Ricardo Koenig Agriculture Mr. Fernando Gonzalez Industrial Issues Mr. Nirad Tewarie Services Mrs. Carol Ayoung Unresolved Issues 12:00 14330 LUNCH 13:30 14:15 Dominican Investments in CARICOM: Experiences of the Beer Sector Presentation by Mr. Mario Pujols, Government Relations Manager, Cervecerıá Nacional Dominicana 14:15 16:00 CARICOM-DR Business Forum Action Plan 2012-2015 BREAK OUT WORKING GROUPS ON: Governance and institutional strengthening of the Business Forum Joint actions to Access CARIFORUM and EU Markets Challenges in the implementation of the CARICOM-DR FTA Promoting Services in the framework of the CARICOM DR FTA 16:15 16:45 COFFEE BREAK 16:45 17:45 PRESENTATIONS FROM BREAK OUT GROUPS 17:45 18:15 SUMMARY Y CONCLUSIONS: Mr. Juan Guiliani Cury, Board Member of Caribbean Export, Ambassa- dor to CARICOM, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dominican Republic Mrs. Milagros J. Puello, Executive Vice-president, Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce Mrs. Carol Ayoung, Chief Executive Of icer, Caribbean Association of Industry and Commerce (CAIC) Mr. Escipión Oliveira Gómez, Deputy Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency Escipion Oliveira, Colin Murdoch, Irene Horej, Domingo Jimenez, Maribel Gassó, Milagros Puello Irene Horej Colin Murdoch Nirad Tewarie Carol Young, Colin Murdoch, Irene Horej, Domingo Jimenez, Maribel Gassó, Ivan Ogando 3
FASHION SECTOR Challenges Fashion Sector is Facing Over 30 representa- tives from the CARICOM region and the Dominican Republic met for a sector wide meeting in Santo Domingo within the CARICOM-DR Business Forum Framework. A mix of designers, fashion show producers and manufacturers discussed how the fashion businesses in the Caribbean have evolved, and what major hurdles must be addressed collectively in order to have an industry of success. The group has identi ied the following challenges within the sector: Development of Design technical skills. Lack of a uni ied source of information regarding designers, manufacturers, and related businesses. Business funding scarcity. Development of export potential. Logistical and shipping high costs. Marketing constraints. 4 Fashion Industry Debate
As a direct result from the discussion regarding the challenges that this sector faces, a serious of actions were recommended to address these issues. This action plan needs a direct attention from stakeholders at the policy level and support from the donor community to operationalize the plan. ACTION PLAN FOR FASHION SECTOR These are the recommendations that address each particular priority issue: Development of Technical Skill For this, workshops at the national and regional level need to be coor- dinated, especially in pattern making. Bring World known fashion institutes on board to develop a capacity building plan. Development on Market Intelligence Database Create a production sourcing database where designers, manufactur- ers, models, press contacts are listed and where stakeholders can get the appropriate and updated contact information. Assistance in the Business Development/Management Strategy Create a structured consultative meeting where the appropriate stakeholders within the sector can discuss any strategy for the devel- opment of a Caribbean Fashion Industry. Assistance in the development of business management skills, so that these skills are also incorporated within the designer s Project. 5
AGRO-INDUSTRY T wo main areas were identi ied that will enable and strengthen successful business between CARICOM and the DR: Continued ful illment of responsibilities of the forum and the Joint Council of the FTA. Agro-Industry Debate Development of private sector for export readiness. Commerce Debate 6
GENERAL PRIVATE SECTOR ISSUES Need for honest and ef icient distributors with improved transportation logistics. Improved market intelligence. Marketing promotion. Access to inance at lower rates. Sourcing raw material. Improved human resource skills training. Improved cultural understanding and language communication. Innovation and product development (research and development). Laboratory facilities for product testing and quality assurance. Website development and upgrade to e-commerce and information. Procurement of raw material and packaging need to facilitate joint procurement (facility/group initiative). Facilitation of joint ventures and clustering. Inability of SME irms to supply export demands (on a consistent basis). Needs should be met by national governments and regional institutions to allow: - Full implementation of CARICOM-DR - Free trade agreement 7
RECOMENDATIONS Recommendations to the Business Forum- Agro-Industry Enforcement of FTA schedule with the support of governments to create the enabling environment, through legislation and regulations. Harmonization of trade requirements as a single market (within CARIFORUM) by countries and regional agencies. Eg. SPS and CAHFSA can be implemented. Business to Business (match-making) platforms to be promoted within the region among distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, etc. High tariffs- there is a need for government to government negotiation, with private sector involvement, for future tariff reduction. 8
DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS REQUIRED TO FACILITATE TRADE Logistics and transportation issues should see continued improvement, and identi ication of consolidators at trans-shipment points. Shipping less than regular container load is an issue, look into specialized smaller transportation containers (10-foot or smaller). Plant Modernization, guided by requirements of food standard (eg. ISO 22000, and HACCP). Food Safety regulations upgraded to meet Food Safety System Certi ication (FSSC). This certi ication would allow companies access to any regional and international market. Identi ication of remaining non-tariff barriers to trade. Facilitate improved dialogue and information lows between public and private sectors, and private sector to seek to encourage the public sector to improve their machinery, for enhanced growth of the sector. Encourage greater use of Trade Promotion organizations to promote relationship building. Market Guide for doing business in CARIFORUM/CARICOM - harmonization- a uniform Instrument/tool. Intensi ication of effort of private sector lobby groups. Marketing Specialist for product development and evaluation and product upgrades for increased market penetration. Development and promotion of a Caribbean Brand. These developmental needs, may be supplied by developmental agencies, trade promotion agencies or private sector agencies: Eg. Caribbean Export, CARICOM, etc 9
INTRODUCTORY REMARK Domingo Jimenez Mr. Domingo Jimenez stated the important role the private sector portrays in the development of our economies, being the principal generator of jobs and investments. Mr. Domingo Jimenez, the National Authorizing Of icer for the EDF, spoke out in discussion of the Caribbean Export program. He stated the importance to continue to support and promote the intra- CARIFORUM commerce, being one of the EPA objectives to promote and strengthen the regional integration process of the CARIFORUM. At the same time, he pointed out the importance of stimulating the relationship of our private sector, in order to achieve the increase of commerce between countries and develop strategic alliances for the bene it of our region in particular and our countries individually. He also mentioned the importance to continue to promote investments between countries, giving the successful example of the investment made by a Dominican company (Cerveceria Nacional Domincana in other CARICOM countries), speci ically in Saint Vincent. 10
EVALUATIONS With 95 attendees, only 26 people completed the evaluation. Countries that participated: Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, OECS. Approach Caribbean Export Development Agency VI Meeting CARICOM-DR Business Forum Evaluations The working sessions were useful 1= Not at all 2= Minimally 3= Substantially 4= Extensively 19% 8% 46% 27% The plenary discussions were useful 1= Not at all 2= Minimally 3= Substantially 4= Extensively 20% 4% 44% 32% The presentations were useful 1= Not at all 2= Minimally 3= Substantially 4= Extensively 4% 20% 28% 48% 11
Process Caribbean Export Development Agency VI Meeting CARICOM-DR Business Forum Evaluations The extent to which you were made to feel comfortable during the forum 1= Very poor 2= Poor 3= Fair 4= Good 5= Very good 0% 0% 50% 27% 23% The oportunities for you to actively participate 1= Very poor 2= Poor 3= Fair 4= Good 5= Very good 0% 12% 42% The oportunities to learn from the experience of the participants 46% 1= Very poor 2= Poor 3= Fair 4= Good 5= Very good 0% 8% 19% 19% 54% The oportunities for you to share your own experience with other participants 1= Very poor 2= Poor 3= Fair 4= Good 5= Very good 11% 0% 8% 54% 27% 12
Overall Caribbean Export Development Agency VI Meeting CARICOM-DR Business Forum Evaluation Most of the persons that attended the forum marked it as overall met their expectations, two of them exceeded their expectations and three of them did not 25 20 15 10 meet their 5 expectations. 3 0 1 2 3 Overall a.exceded my expectations b. met my expectations c. Did not meet my expectations List of Important Things Achieved in Forum: 1. Updated on status of the CARICOM-DR agreement. 2. Caribbean unity is needed to take the industry forward. 3. There is a long road to walk. 4. Networking. 5. Knowledge of the interest of other companies. 6. A better understanding of the FTA. 7. The goals of Caribbean Export. 8. Received updates on the process of implementation. 9. A better understanding of what is going on with CARICOM. 10. Learning from the experience of others. 13
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