FINAL REPORT ON REGIONAL EXPORT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR SOUTH AMERICA

CONTRACTOR WAS TO HAVE WORKED IN COOPERATION WITH PROGRAMS OF THE US DEPT OF COMMERCE"S REGIONAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT CENTER (RTDC) BUT CITES THAT RELATIONSHIP AS "UNREALISTIC AND UNWORKABLE, DUE PARTLY TO THE LACK OF INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN THE FIELD. THE RTDC ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES ARE NOT INTENDED OR ADEQUATE FOR TRAINING OF LATIN AMERICAN PARTICIPANTS ... DURING ITS 14 MONTHS OF EXISTENCE, THE RTDC WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMODATE EVEN 1 TRAINEE. IT WAS ALSO IMPOSSIBLE TO ORGANIZE EXHIBITS." OTHER PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY CONTRACTOR INCLUDED AN INABILITY OF AID/W TO RECOGNIZE THESE FACTS WHEN PRESENTED BY THE CONTRACTOR & THE AID MISSION IN ARGENTINA, LACK OF FUNDS FOR REGIONAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDED IN PROP, DELAY IN AUTHORIZATION OF BUDGETED FUNDS, LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ON AID/W"S PART OF THE BROAD, OVERALL ASPECTS OF EXPORT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO LA COUNTRIES & ABANDONMENT OF EXPORT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE BY AID/W, LA/DR. DESPITE THESE PROBLEMS,CONTRACTOR WAS ABLE TO HOLD A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SEMINAR WITH 34 HIGH-LEVEL COMMERCIAL OFFICIALS FROM 9 LA COUNTRIES. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE: 1.PROMISES MADE BY THE US TO LA COUNTRIES FOR BI-LATERAL EXPORT DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED: 2.SUCH PROGRAMS SHOULD BE ENTRUSTED ONLY TO EXPERIENCED EXPORT SPECIALISTS; 3.ASSIGN AN REA TO WORK WITH THE MISSIONS TO GENERATE & EVALUATE ASSISTANCE REQUESTS; 4.FUNDING FOR THE ACTIVITIES SHOULD COME FROM REGIONAL SOURCES WITH INDIVIDUAL USAID MISSIONS PROVIDING FUNDS FOR MAJOR PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION; 5.USAIDS SHOULD ALSO ATTEMPT TO WORK WITH THE PRIVATE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN EACH COUNTRY & NOT JUST GOVERNMENT ENTITIES; 6.PRODUCTS OF NO INTEREST TO THE US SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO OTHER COUNTRIES THRU SPECIAL ASSISTANCE. REPORT INCLUDES A SUMMARY OF REQUESTS FOR EXPORT ASSISTANCE FROM PERU,ECUADOR,BRAZIL,BRASILIA,SAO PAULO,COLOMBIA.