The Ministry of Trade, Energy and Employment is tasked with the responsibility of formulating and implementing Dominica’s domestic and external trade policies. This includes export development and promotion, market penetration, external trade negotiations, consumer protection and standards management and meteorology.
The Ministry has been on a drive to maintain already existing markets, explore new and emerging markets and also to ensure improved standards of the products which leave our shores. All this preparations would be wasted if there were not local productive activity to benefit from the ongoing work of the Ministry.
The Government of Dominica itself is appreciative of the importance of the health of its citizens, in that thrust a National Non-Communicable Diseases Advisory Commission (NCDAC) has been established to drive initiatives geared at keeping our population informed and healthy. It is also clear that chances of ingesting healthy foods are increased if one buys and eats that which is grown and manufactured locally.
The Ministry is also aware that the services sector is one of the most rapidly progressive and lucrative areas in which to ply trade. At the Division of Trade there has been great efforts to build specialist capacity in the area of services; our research has also shown that in engaging negotiations with international partners services is usually the most practical and advantageous areas for our Region and our country. The continued existence of the Dominica Coalition of Services Industries (DCSI) also indicates that the Ministry and by extension the Government is instinct as it relates to the importance of services for job creation and economic development.
On the Regional front Dominica continues to partner with the CARICOM Secretariat in ensuring that the objectives and perceived outcomes of Seven (7) ongoing consultancies, geared at enhancing services trade within the Region, are achieved.
The Ministry continues to work collaboratively with other line Ministries and Departments and the Private Sector under the “Giving Trade a Face” initiative. This initiative is geared at getting to know our producers more intimately by visiting them at their place of operations, understanding their productive processes, engaging discussions on constraints faced and trying to assist in the alleviation of said constraints. This initiative also allows the Ministry representative an opportunity to be better prepared to represent producers’ interest on the Regional and international arenas where negotiation of market access for their products are concerned.
It is against this background that this Ministry states with unequivocal clarity and resolution that it stands in solidarity with the Dominica Manufacturers Association (DMA) and the Dominica Coalition of Services Industries (DCSI) in their efforts, to among other things, bring greater awareness and appreciation for our local products and services. This is seen to be an excellent, timely and greatly important initiative. The Ministry therefore pledges its support to Buy Dominica Month and stands ready to assist in any way possible in ensuring the success of this endeavor.
The Ministry of Trade Energy and Employment therefore wishes the DMA and the DCSI a successful month of activities!
Buy Dominica Month began on September 1.
I will buy local, all things being equal. But I will not spend my hard earned money simply because a product is made in Dominica. That would would be condescending for the people, who craft these products. It has to be equal in quality and in price, it must be competitive. I do not want to buy local only because I feel sorry for my country.
You make no sense. What does “feeling sorry” have to do with anything? Don’t be so quick to put down your own people and country.