ITC Executive Director, Côte d’Ivoire Prime Minister to attend official presentation of National Export Strategy (en)

International Trade Centre (ITC) Executive Director Arancha González will join the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr Daniel Kablan Duncan, and the Minister of Commerce, Arts and Crafts and SMEs promotion, Mr Jean-Louis Billon, as well as representatives of the Ivorian private sector on 13 November in Abidjan for the official presentation ceremony of the National Export Strategy of Côte d’Ivoire.

‘This strategy, elaborated in coherence with the National Development Plan, is the result of a participatory and inclusive process based on the interests of the private sector and public sector,’ said Prime Minister Duncan.

With the technical support of ITC, the Ministry of Commerce, Arts and Crafts and SMEs promotion and the national export promotion agency, APEX-CI, designed the National Export Strategy to help diversify the country’s exports, to improve the competitiveness of Ivorian products and to improve the business environment to boost exports and reduce transaction costs.

The Strategy was elaborated under the Trade Support and Regional Integration Programme for Côte d’Ivoire (PACIR), financed by the European Union. The Strategy defines a consolidated plan of action, detailing short, medium and long-term activities to develop value-added exports and to diversify export markets to generate jobs.

The success of the strategy, however, will depend on its implementation, said ITC’s Executive Director.

‘Only successful implementation of the strategic plans of action will realize the promise of new markets, products with greater added value and new jobs in export sectors,’ Ms. González said.