Trade Ministry starts talks on regional value chains

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has started consultations with local stakeholders on the development of regional value chains.

A ministry statement said the consultations, which started on May 31, took place over three days with stakeholders from
selected manufacturing sectors in food, beverage, building construction materials/furniture, printing and packaging and industrial and household chemicals.

The sessions focused on participants identifying and critically examining the opportunities and constraints in their respective value chains,
in the areas of input supply, production, assembly, wholesale, retail and export.

That included mapping forward and backward linkages along the value chain.

The ministry also announced a study on developing regional value chains for the manufacturing sector aimed at enhancing production sustainability and increasing production integration.

The study is expected to be completed by August and is being funded through the Inter-American Development Bank.

The ministry said the study was relevant in light of the covid19 pandemic and other international events, which resulted in global disruption to supply chains.