National Export Strategy early next year

Dominica could have a National Export Strategy (NES) within the next six to eight months. So says Gregoire Thomas, General Manager of DEXIA at the close of a three-day seminar to begin the process of consultation on the design and implementation of a NES for Dominica.

The strategy which will be designed by a national core team with technical and financial support from the International Trade center and the Commonwealth Secretariat is expected to raise Dominica’s international competitiveness and lead to significant improvements in the country’s export performance.

At the close of the three-day workshop yesterday, participants pledged their commitment to begin work on the process immediately. The group unanimously recommended the establishment of a National Export Council (NEC), a public- private sector management framework that would be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the NES. Ricardo James, the Director of trade was appointed to lead a working group set up to prepare a document to be presented to the Trade Minister and Cabinet on the scope and legal framework of the proposed council.

Participants also recommended the establishment of a national core team to be constituted and commissioned within the next two weeks while DEXIA was appointed to function as the NES secretariat. Once commissioned, the team will begin the process of collecting the baseline data to establish the scope of the strategy and conduct a situational analysis of Dominica’s export sector.

On completion of the baseline study, sector analyses, resource and other related strategic analysis, a Response Paper will be drafted and submitted to government for approval. This is expected to be done within the next two months and will mark the first phase in the NES design process. Once approved, the national core team will begin phase two of the NES which will focus on the detailed design and development of specific sector and cross-sectoral strategies.

The final draft of the NES is expected to be presented to government early in the first quarter of 2008.