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PRIVATE SECTOR ADVISORY GROUP
In March 2013, Caribbean Export
convened the inaugural meeting of its
Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG)
in Barbados. The meeting took the
form of a roundtable discussion on
how best the private sector can play
a role in the economic development
of the region. The overall objective
of PSAG is to ensure that the delivery
of Caribbean Export’s programme is
relevant to the region’s exporters and
by extension the private sector.
The specific objectives of this Group
are to:
• Advise on the overall strategic
direction of the Agency;
• Advise on the delivery of the
Agency’s programmes, including but
not limited to the 10th EDF RPSDP;
• Advise on the current challenges
affecting private sector growth,
paying particular attention to export related issues;
• Advise on the areas of focus for future Caribbean Export programmes;
• Provide comments and guidance on how to improve existing mode and
content of programmes that are offered by Caribbean Export; and
• Provide recommendations on future export markets for CARIFORUM
goods and services.
Members of the PSAG also attended the Regional Workshop of the Caribbean
Growth Forum in the Bahamas in June 2013 and a consultation meeting on
Defining Key Positions and Recommendations on Private Sector Support in
African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries held in Brussels, Belgium in November
2013. Following the first PSAG meeting, Caribbean Export developed a TOR for
the re-engagement of public-private sector dialogue. The resulting consultancy
examined the state of the private-public sector dialogue in the CARIFORUM
region with a view to drafting a roadmap for the best way forward.
During the second staging of the PSAG held in November 2014 in Barbados. The
members were given the opportunity to hear presentations and provide feedback
and recommendations on the work that Caribbean Export is undertaking in
regional private sector development. Specifically, the PSAG members reviewed
and discussed the following:
• Matrix on the Implementation Status of Issues Discussed at PSAG Meeting -
March 2013
• TOR Governing the PSAG
• TOR for the Development of a Business Plan for a Not-for-Profit arm of the
Caribbean Export Development Agency
• Concept Note for Caribbean Export Incorporated (CE Inc.)
• CARICOM-CARIFORUM Public-Private Sector Dialogue: A Roadmap for Re
Engagement
• Draft Strategic Plan for Caribbean Export
Members present also discussed many of the challenges and issues facing the
private sector including regional transport, access to non-traditional financing,
market agility for competitiveness and to attract investment, the role of the
private sector in trade negotiations, joint warehousing, building trust among the
private sector, and regional branding among others. Following the deliberations,
Caribbean Export agreed to initiate the process for the validation of the Caribbean
Business Council (CBC), and continue the follow up action necessary for the
building out of concept to establish CE Inc. For the full list of PSAG members
please refer to Annex 8 of this report.
Special attention was further paid to
branding and intellectual property
rights, the highly debatable question of
whether the private sector should seek
to innovate or imitate, transportation
and shipping challenges, access to
finance, and the identification of non-
traditional platforms for funding.
A total of 280 representatives from
regional and international firms
participated in both events. Overall,
78%ofColloquiumparticipantsbelieved
that the initiative met or exceeded
their expectations, with 86% believing
that the event would strengthen
networking and improve the region’s
productivity and competitiveness.
STRENGTHENING CARIBBEAN EXPORT’S
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY