Business success stories from
other countries emerging from conflict can help inspire and motivate
entrepreneurs in Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau is one of the world’s poorest countries. Its economy
is based mainly on agriculture; cashew nuts are its main export. In the
1980s, the country began structural economic reforms that helped boost
growth, but civil war, combined with falling cashew prices, set
economic development back. Now the Government is focusing on
reconstruction and aims to diversify exports and forge new
international trade links.
João Bernardo Vieira is Trade Officer in Guinea-Bissau’s Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Craft. In Trade Forum
he finds up-to-date information and trends to share with colleagues and
spark ideas for trade-related technical cooperation. As part of his
work to encourage small and medium-sized firms, he finds the stories of
entrepreneurs from other developing and least developed countries
inspiring.
Q: How long have you been reading our magazine?
A: I got acquainted with Trade Forum
when I started working in the Ministry four years ago in Bissau. It was
kind of love at first sight, because on the one hand I wanted to
maximize my knowledge of trade and, on the other, I wanted to keep up
to date about how countries were implementing strategies to be
self-dependent. Trade Forum combines quality of information and a chance to educate you a bit more.
Q: How do you use Trade Forum in your work?
A:
I use it to formulate ideas, to write technical papers about current
trends in the field or to brief colleagues in the department on how we
can request tailor-made technical assistance and capacity building that
meet our needs, thus contributing to increase our exports. So for me,
it’s a very useful tool for my work.
Q: Do you prefer the print or the online version?
A:
The online version requires an easy and fast connection to the Internet
and no problems with the electricity supply. So, when you take roughly
ten minutes to open the web site, another ten to open an article on the
site and then the electricity is off by the time you are reading it,
you probably aren’t motivated to keep on reading. For this reason I
prefer to read the magazine the traditional way.
Q: Was there a subject or issue of the magazine that was of particular interest, and why?
A:
Actually there was one story that confirms my thesis that we Africans
can do right when there is a political will — the story about how the
ginger trade is contributing to the reconstruction process in Sierra
Leone [issue 1/2007]. After 22 years of decline in the industry, the
country was able to export ginger to several countries in Europe after
meeting European standards. The Sierra Leonean Government, wanting to
stimulate the economy, had identified the development of the spice
sector in general and ginger production and export in particular.
Obviously ginger will not resolve all the country’s problems but it
will definitely solve some. So, if we keep doing our homework, these
success stories will loom large and often.
Q: Are there any subjects you would like to see addressed in Trade Forum?
A:
I’d like to see more articles about cashew nuts, considering that they
are our main product of export. It would be interesting to learn more
about the processing industry for cashew nuts in Brazil, India and
Pakistan, from inception to the final product. Also, stories of
successful cooperation among small and medium enterprises in products
that are not in the forefront of international transactions would be of
interest.
Q: What would be the best way for these articles to reach readers in Guinea-Bissau?
A:
Through more practical examples of what countries emerging from civil
war or natural disasters are doing to boost their economy and improve
the living standards of their people, in urban or rural areas. For
instance, how are they using ecotourism to develop rural locations,
while respecting the traditions of the local people?
It’s also
important to bring in clear examples of how the private sector and
business people, who were completely ruined after war, found the
strength to start from scratch and establish a small business. Why
this? Because I think our major problem in Guinea-Bissau is a matter of
self-confidence.
About the Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Craft
Guinea-Bissau’s
Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Craft is responsible for policymaking
in these fields. After several years of political instability resulting
from the civil war, the Ministry now has an action plan, which aims to
diversify exports, attract more tourists to the country’s 80 islands
and organize the industrial sector.
It has taken several steps
towards meeting these objectives, including elaborating a new
investment code with the support of the World Bank’s Foreign Investment
Advisory Service. The Ministry is also working closely with the Chamber
of Commerce through a forum to examine the possibilities for capturing
national and international partnerships.