Andean Competitiveness Program Launched

In 1999, CAF and Harvard University signed an agreement to devise a policy agenda for the public and private sectors to improve competitiveness in Andean countries. The Andean Competitiveness Program (PAC) was then created – a four-year, USD 8-million program, which CAF is already funding in the first stage.

In the words of Project Director Joaquín Vial, “Andean countries are at risk of being left behind if action is not taken to radically improve their competitiveness.” Hence our concern and the key to understanding the need for this study conducted locally by Venezuelan specialists, which is initially conceived as a two-year program. The purpose is to take actions to produce high-quality goods and services that allow the nation to tap into global markets competitively. Similar studies will be carried out simultaneously in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The National Competitiveness Forum is a permanent exchange and monitoring mechanism, with the participation of different stakeholders: government, civil society, academic institutions, think tanks and the business sector.

The topics covered in the Andean Competitiveness Program include:

· Supporting governments in maintaining a stable macroeconomic framework and identifying and implementing reforms aimed at the modernization of States.

· Boosting productivity and competitiveness of their economies.

· Promoting modernization and competitiveness of the business sector and its insertion into global production chains, with an emphasis on export and high-tech areas.

· Supporting and advancing regional integration, prioritizing the development of sustainable physical infrastructure, border development, strengthening integration logistics and establishing regional competitiveness networks.

· Promoting the strengthening and integration of the region’s financial systems.