The Compete Project Weekly Progress Report March 18-29, 2012

The project is implemented by DAI Palestine in partnership with the USAID Mission in the West Bank and Gaza. The agribusiness sector is a key focus area for the Compete Project, with the team conducting field visits to Jericho and Jordan Valley to assess the needs of stakeholders and gather information on their short and long-term needs. The visits included meetings with farmers, processors, and exporters, highlighting the challenges faced by the sector, such as logistic constraints, limited water resources, and remoteness from market trends and food safety requirements. In Jericho and Jordan Valley, the team met with key stakeholders, including growers and processors of dates, herbs, and vegetables, as well as the single Dead Sea table salt processor. The primary challenges faced by these stakeholders include logistic constraints, limited water resources, and remoteness from market trends and food safety requirements. To overcome these challenges, the Compete Project will support progressive commercial farmers and processors who are investing to improve infrastructures to meet international best practices and Global-gap standards. In Tubas and Jenin, the agribusiness team visited key stakeholders, including fresh herb growers, potato growers, and olive oil press lines that supply both the local market and international markets. The team assessed the needs of the agriculture industry and gathered information from stakeholders to better understand their short and long-term needs to fill the gap in these enterprises' competitive position. The Compete Project also focuses on the tourism sector, with the team reviewing industry documents, plans, strategies, and reports to gain a deeper understanding of the sector's focus and capacity to increase the value of tourism to Palestine. Stakeholder meetings were held with key industry players, including the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, to discuss priorities for the upcoming short and medium terms. In the ICT sector, activity focused on the preparations to develop a strategic framework for IT sector-related activities. The team is working closely with stakeholders to identify key areas of focus and develop a comprehensive approach to enhance the competitiveness of Palestinian enterprises in this sector. The Compete Project aims to support Palestinian enterprises in various sectors to become global competitors by developing strategies and adopting comprehensive approaches for each sector. The project will assist targeted firms in presenting their needs for reaching international markets, addressing gaps in each sector, and mapping out work frames by priorities and regions to create and maximize value for the project goals and future partners. The project's progress is being closely monitored, with regular updates provided to stakeholders. The Compete Project is expected to have a significant impact on the Palestinian economy, enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises and contributing to the country's economic growth and development.