On May 15, Andean Community of Nations General Secretary Jorge Hernando Pedraza said that e-commerce and virtual business rounds are to be fostered in order to stimulate the economic reactivation of member countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. These measures aim to encourage “fast productive recovery” in the post-COVID-19 era.

In this regard, the Secretary said that a virtual training program is set to be launched May 27 for Andean exporters, in order to strengthen the technical capacities of SMEs. The program will address basic rules for entering Andean markets and the main aspects related to regulations, operational phases of export and promotion mechanisms provided by the Andean integration process.

Pedraza indicated that other actions to be promoted by the General Secretariat will be the coordination among the four Andean countries, for the construction of regional value chains, and the promotion of productive capacities in strategic sectors. Similarly, research and technological development will be promoted to accelerate the digitalization and automation of production processes. It will also seek to activate cross-border transportation of cargo, passengers and individuals.

The official also said that considering that more than 90% of companies in the Andean Community are MSMEs and generate 60% of employment, their support and strengthening are going to be prioritized. To this end, they plan to implement a policy aimed at “manufacturing and tourism companies, restaurants, services and trade in general.”

On the other hand, he said that the secretariats and export promotion agencies of the four Andean countries are coordinating the organization of the 9th Andean Business Meeting, accompanied by a business conference to be held virtually in late August and early September, which will seek to bring together Andean exporters and international buyers.