The National Competitiveness Council (CNC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID-RD) is promoting the facilitation of commerce, the creation of a business climate and the improvement of collaboration between industries through the Rural Economic Diversification Project.

The Project will lend support to the methodology of comprehensive development of clusters through the adoption of regional strategies...

This decision forms part of the agreement signed by both entities within the framework of the formal launching of the USAID’s Rural Economic Diversification Fund. The two institutions recognize the need to implement a plan earmarked to develop the competitive capacity of the country by increasing productive efficiency.

The agreement was signed by Andrés van der Horst Álvarez, Executive Director of the CNC and Richard Goughnour, USAID Director in the DR. The Rural Economic Diversification Project is being coordinated by the well-known technician Jesús de los Santos. Salvador Jiménez, Minister of Agriculture, also participated in the signing ceremony.

The Project will lend support to the methodology of comprehensive development of clusters through the adoption of regional strategies with goals of increasing the chain of value. The initiative will also follow existing and new groups with the objective of avoiding competition between them as well as to enlarge the association models among the country’s productive sector.

The agreement is possible now that the USAID as well as the National Competitiveness Council have a mutual interest in the implementation of the National Plan for Systemic Competitiveness “determined to promote and develop the competitive capacity of the country.”

In addition is the recognition that cooperation constitutes one of the “most efficient mechanisms to promote a dynamic and sustainable development process that can adjust to the changes and demands of the times.”