ITC SUPPORT TEPA TO PROGRESS NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] one week mission to Saint Lucia by a team from the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC) commenced on Tuesday January 24, 2017. The mission has a three-fold purpose to conduct an initial assessment of Saint Lucia’s export development program, meet with stakeholder agencies that are integral to the Saint Lucia’s export development effort, and critically, to strengthen the local capacity to design, implement, monitor and update trade development strategies. Making up the two-person ITC delegation are Mr. Alberto Amurgo Pacheco (Lead Consultant) and his colleague Ms. Olga Khomula.   The Saint Lucia Trade Export Promotion Agency (TEPA) is the coordinating agency for the mission.

Leading off the itinerary on January 26 will be a National Export Strategy (NES) Training Workshop targeting TEPA’s technical staff and public sector trade stakeholders. Participants will be exposed to four main training modules, namely Requirements and Governance; Diagnostic tools; Designing a national export strategy; and Implementation and monitoring. The training will span two full days and will be delivered at the TEPA conference room.

A National Stakeholder Consultation follows the stakeholders training on January 30 -31, 2017 at the Royal by Rex Resorts. This activity is intended to be a high-profile inauguration that informs the national community of the National Export Strategy. It will also drive home the critical importance of active engagement with and participation of private and public sector stakeholders in the design and implementation of the National Export Strategy.

A national Core Committee comprising relevant stakeholders from the public and private sector has been formed to oversee, advise and direct the National Export Strategy team in formulation of this strategy.

A national Consultative Team has also been formed to provide counterpart technical support to the ITC Consultants which comprises representatives from TEPA, the Private and Public Sectors including the Ministries of Economic Development, Finance and Commerce.