Bridgetown,
BARBADOS - The Caribbean Export Development
Agency (Caribbean Export) has awarded €700,000 to 31 firms and Business Support
Organizations (BSOs) in Haiti and the Dominican Republic via the Binational
Grants Programme, as part of the Haiti/Dominican
Republic Binational Programme, Commerce Component, funded by the European Union
under the 10thEuropean Development Fund (EDF).
The
announcement was made at the launch and reimbursement workshops in the
Dominican Republic and Haiti, on 16th and 20th March,
2015, respectively. Grant contracts were awarded to 21 Dominican organizations
for an approximate value of €500,000, and to 10 Haitian firms for an
approximate value of €200,000.
The
resources seek to benefit companies and BSOs from the agribusiness and
handicraft sectors that are currently exporting or that have the potential to
export their products, with the purpose of increasing their competitiveness by
increasing production capacity, developing market and export strategies,
participating in international fairs, obtaining quality certifications, among
others.
Opening
remarks at the launch event in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic were given by
Ambassador Alberto Navarro, head of the EU Delegation to the Dominican
Republic; Mr. Antonio Vargas, National Authority of the European Development
Funds and Director of the General Directorate of Multilateral Cooperation
(DIGECOOM); and Mr. Escipión Oliveira, Deputy Executive Director of the Caribbean
Export Development Agency.
In
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, opening remarks at the launch were delivered by
Ambassador Javier Niño Pérez, Head of the EU Delegation to Haiti who
congratulated the grant recipients expressing that they “presented solid
projects that reflect a vision and a development strategy for the medium and
long term that will contribute to the building of a more dynamic Haitian
economy”. Mr. Charles Jean Jacques,
National Authority of the European Development Funds (BONFED); and Mr.
Jean-Claude Merine, Deputy Programme Manager of Caribbean Export Development
Agency also addressed the attending audience.
The
reimbursement workshops were conducted by Mr. Horacio Alvarez, Private Sector
Expertat the Caribbean Export Development Agency, with the participation
of more than 50 executives and representatives of Dominican and Haitian
beneficiary firms and BSOs.
