President of the Dominica Manufacturers Association (DMA), John Robin has called for the Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA) to come up with innovative and creative ideas to improve Dominica’s export market.
Robin said during a panel discussion which formed part of DEXIA’s 35th Anniversary celebration, that despite the challenges the company faces, its new General Manager, Paula Platsko is committed to revitalize DEXIA.
“The onus is on her, the staff to be extremely innovative and to be extremely creative in coming up with new ideas to help government to achieve four major macroeconomic objectives,” the DMA president said.
He said the macroeconomic objectives include high economic growth, a low and stable rate of inflation and a favourable balance of payments.
“That is, our import should equal our export,” Robin explained. “But as it is right now, that is not necessarily the case, but we are confident that this can happen.”
He said mentioned that as of 2019, Dominica export revenue was US$ 4.7 million.
“Our import was US$561 million,” Robin added.
Robin, who is a local manufacturer, said export-ready products must be identified.
“We need to identify the export ready products,” Robin said. “There are a number of products that are world class products and if we only work with the manufacturers instead of criticizing them, I think in a very short time we can increase manufacturing contributions…”
DEXIA is a public sector institution created to spearhead the development of Dominica’s export sector with a focus on agriculture, agro-processing, and more recently, the cultural industries and Professional Business Services sectors.
So, country-man, and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way, because your phenotype identify you even better than your name.
Nevertheless; whereas I don’t have to wonder about the importation of merchandise, and various goods, perishable, and none-perishable; I do not know what is our nations potential of manufacturing goods for export!
What do we have for Export, and where are the locations of these Export Market?
John, be kind to me and respond and tell me what sort of manufacturing products do we have for exporting from Dominica to any place in the Caribbean, Europe, or to North and South America.
When I was a little boy, in the days of Green Gold (bananas) we had a market in England to which we exported; that market is dead, the banana industry is dead; prior to that we exported citrus; spices; such a nutmeg, cinnamon spice and vanilla.
Those died in the 1950’s when bananas took over, we had coconuts too.
Contiune:
So, you know, in order to have manufactured products to export, we need to have the raw material to process into something; something the nations of the world will buy.
If all you have for export is agricultural produce, you are not talking about anything; because any type of agricultural produce you grow on a farm in Dominica are grown elsewhere in the Caribbean, and in Central America.
If you are thinking of exporting such products to the United States, your competition will be high, because all of what we have in Dominica, are imported from the Philippines, Vet Nam, some islands in the South Pacific okay; and mind you it is my experience that only the natives of those countries indulge in such staples.
Go to Canada, those products are only bought by West Indians (Caribbean) people.
Now if you are able to process such products, even coconut chances markets might be found, but until you can clarify what you propose exporting, that to me is simply “talk.”
Over the years, no one could have tried harder than I have to infuse creative ideas into DEXIA – right up to Board level – but alas, they all fell on stoney ground.
Skerrit has only one export ready commodity in his portfolio and that is ordinary passport and diplomatic passports. That’s all that counts for him because it’s very easy to put a thick smokescreen around the proceeds of these exports. So al you may excuse him if he is not to much in your kind of exports. NOTHING IN IT FOR HIM!
“Robin, who is a local manufacturer, said export-ready products must be identified.
“We need to identify the export ready products,” Robin said. “There are a number of products that are world class products and if we only work with the manufacturers instead of criticizing them, I think in a very short time we can increase manufacturing contributions…”
Really? Name one non-perishable, non-commodity product manufactured in Dominica. Is there a Dominica hi-tech manufacturing center somewhere?
St. Kitts is taking advantage of light assembly of tech products. The value of their exports is one of the highest in the region. Lets just say they export radios. 1 radio may be equal to 3 boxes of fig. the value of the commodity is higher. Now there are non tech agro processed commodities that can also be done here. People like the bay oil co-operative have the right idea. i gallon of pure bay oil is worth over US$1,000. see the website https://www.natureislandimporters.com/product-page/pure-bay-oil-pimenta-racemosa-1-gallon
Vertiver is another one. https://bulknaturaloils.com/vetiver-oil-haiti.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx_GGl4jP8QIVgQmICR26mwMWEAAYASAAEgLKsPD_BwE
but yet, here we are. lamenting. thinking selling raw dasheen, ginger and all other valuable resources etc without any value being added to the product is the way to go. Bravo. Keep it up. Production standards and CAPACITY are our biggest problems.
Thing is, the government likes to piggy back on the success of the already hard working manufacturers. Look at Choco Dominique and Big G, they arent using them as posterboys for their efforts in the sector anymore. What happened to Tony’s Punch? or 3rd Wheel Punch? You dont hear much about them. The government has not understood manufacturing or agro processing. Why must Benjo seamoss import seamoss from neighboring island when we have it here. Why must DEXIA import pepper mash and coconut oil for peppersauce manufacturers and soap makers when we can grow it here. OK MARIA was the excuse, Why didnt we go on a drive spearheaded by the min of agriculture to replant cash crops like coconut and hot peppers? why dont the ministry of agriculture meet with the DMA to discuss these matters? Only then can we begin to seek markets. Why because we have a history of inconsistency and quality of supply. we need to get serious with production and capacity, then we can speak about being export…
This Government is worthless and useless, you claim you are spending millions to increase agriculture but who is going to take your products to the regional markets, the boat owners you have imprisoned in horrendous condition on the wharf in Portsmouth?
Don’t you understand that Dominica, population 60,000 most of whom could not possible get to the same workplace daily, can’t scale to meet world demands? Plus that, it lacks requisite port facilities and shipping costs would kill it economically.
As to crops, they are not unique and can easily be grown elsewhere.
Dominica’s only unique “product” is its natural beauty. Which isn’t being preserved, and is hard for people to reach. Filth and crime and poor service and facilities are also killing tourism.