International Business in the Americas
Article by Terry Rauch
New initiatives by the United States Government, in cooperation with fellow governments and commercial companies, will certainly enhance regional trade and business development throughout the Americas.
As a company with vested and strong interests in the region, World Investment and Trade, LLC (WITCO) believes these new initiatives can have a lasting impact in the Americas, especially regarding the manner in which businesses in our different countries relate, deal and partner with each other. Increased and substantial dialog will also enhance coordinated actions by our governments in addressing some of the biggest challenges that this hemisphere has faced in quite a long time.
These new initiatives follow the Summit of the Americas which was initiated in Miami 1994 with subsequent meetings in Santiago, Quebec, and Mar del Plata. The initial goals of the Summit were trade and democracy. While the following summits witnessed a shift in focus to more social issues, the 5th Summit titled ?Securing our Citizens? Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability? will, in fact, place considerable focus on business and development.
We believe there are four goals that the Summit of the Americas and the accompanying Private Sector Forums can and should achieve:
Renewed Focus. The first, and most important goal, is placement of a preeminent focus on the Western Hemisphere. It is acknowledged that in light of continued issues in Afghanistan and Central Asia, and other global hot spots, this is no small task. None the less, the international financial crisis requires placement of considerable attention in this hemisphere. Moreover, regional cooperation is of critical importance for shared success. President Obama, in conjunction with his new foreign policy team, has the opportunity to proposition the Americas for emphasized attention.
Toward this goal, ongoing forums and sessions, have encouraged the regions? governments to closely examine such issues as free trade, small arms trafficking, ethanol tariffs, infrastructure and border renovation, health reform, private sector partnerships and immigration reform in an effort towards the implementation of positive change.
Acquaint. The second goal is to truly acquaint our new leadership and corporate entities with their counterparts in the Americas, thereby creating the foundation and foothold for fostering good will and the creation of enhanced regional cooperation. The Obama administration has repeatedly said that the United States is not only a member of the hemispheric chorus, but a player as well. President Obama has pledged to support and enhance governing arrangements that emphasize the basic principles of economic freedom and market-led economic policies. In fact, in his recent meetings in Brazil, President Obama praised Brazil for implementing prudent fiscal and monetary policies, attracting private investment and achieving robust economic development while alleviating poverty.
The contextual impact of these statements by the charismatic President Obama has generated a willingness on the part of Latin American countries and their leaders to give the President a clean slate with which to work. This provides the genesis for coordinated action between the United States and other regional leaders, toward the development of solutions for all the peoples of the hemisphere.
Building a Plan. The third goal is the building of a 21st century common agenda and plan of action for a globally competitive Western Hemisphere. The plan would be directed toward addressing common problems ? notably, international financial stabilization and regulation, energy, trade, climate change, social inclusion and poverty alleviation.
Regional competitiveness can only be achieved by building a plan that integrates increased private sector involvement while focusing on social stability. Even in view of Latin America?s overall democratic stability, there is a palpable fear that, with the global economic crisis, Latin America remains at risk for more populist backlashes if the poor and disadvantaged are not included.
Implementation. The fourth goal is implementing the regional plan of action that, again, centers on the advancement of all segments of our Western Hemisphere societies through government and private sector involvement. Upcoming forums and summits, like most regional and global summits will produce discussions and synergies with which to move forward. But these intelligent, compassionate, well-meaning, conversations, will do very little to ensure that the respective governments take action nor will they convince citizens, observers or participants that increased corporate involvement is necessary.
The conviction to move toward increased corporate involvement must grow not only, out of the recognition that private sector mechanisms will bring more freedoms of choice, dignity, and prosperity, but also out of the recognition that a connection exists between macro pro-market policy and the power of enterprise at the micro level.
Of course, to see this happen, there must be those who will roll up their sleeves and lead this difficult public relations issue ? not just to convince, but to listen, adapt solutions, and produce hard, accurate, and relatable evidence. Central to this is the understanding that the stats revealing macro success may be an opportune way to convincing foreign investors, but these same stats are far less effective at convincing people who believe that they have been left behind or, even worse, mislead.
The Organization of American States (OAS) has set a broad agenda for regional cooperation, but it is evident that an overarching issue is economic development. We anticipate that the messages over the coming years is an imperative to protect the social gains attained in the Western Hemisphere over the past two decades; an imperative to ensure economic recovery for all member countries; and an imperative to ensure that the pursuit of economic recovery does not come at the expense of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our societies. In this regard, and with little doubt, the private sector has an important and increasing role.
Consequently, governments must work with the private sector and multilateral development banks to ensure that development occurs in all countries in the region, especially the Central American and the Caribbean countries. More specifically, governments must concurrently craft strategies which create and encourage environments of partnership with multilateral development banks, sub-regional development banks, and other financial institutions toward the formulation of plans directed toward successful attacks upon and eradication of poverty and inequality. The concurrency of these actions is absolutely essential for regional demonstration of the ability to protect and continue financial gains without burdening the backs of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our societies.
The fact is, there has been a steady integration of economies across the hemisphere driven by technological and market changes, private investment and the diverse and changing needs of our societies. As business leaders it is our job to be a part of the solution for hemispheric success.
Private Sector forums will enable dialogue and fruitful cooperation in the difficult task of promoting development, prosperity and democracy in the Americas. The scheduled participation of various government officials in these forums is a concrete sign of the interest of governments in the region to listen to ideas and proposals from the business sector.
The dynamics of today?s world makes it necessary to acknowledge that national policies cannot be static, but require input from the experience of the private sector to create a catalyst for better public policies. Moreover, exercising its leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation, the private sector can independently develop solutions that complement the action of States and development agencies.
The main objectives of the forums are:
? to promote dialogue on a new competitive agenda in light of the current financial crisis and the uncertain global economic situation;? to review success cases and exchange experiences and ideas on ways for businesses to meet these challenges and remain competitive;? to provide an opportunity for business networking for companies across the Americas; and? to identify areas for public/private sector partnerships.
This final objective warrants important consideration especially during these trying times.
At WITCO, we believe the private sector has an indispensable role to play in economic and social development and it is therefore critical to harness the potential energies and resources of the private sector so they can be channeled into development.
We all agree that poverty generates instability and a lack of governance. This is a current and long-term challenge for the global competitiveness of the hemisphere. It is essential to undertake a public-private dialogue in order to identify and implement actions that will improve the quality of institutions and regulations that affect the development of both traditionally public sectors and private sectors.
While the role of our governments should focus on building a foundation for long-term economic growth, the private sector has a critical role to play as a creator of income and wealth. The simple fact is, long-term poverty reduction cannot take place without the jobs, markets, trade, and investment that the private sector creates.
Recent example of this include: ViaQuatro?s S?o Paulo Metro Line IV concession which was the first public-private partnership to be executed in Brazil. The projects represents a marriage of commercial concession requirements with the government?s nascent procurement strategies; and the 2008 hospital PPP in the Turks and Caicos; the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The project is led by InterHealth Canada and was just designated the #1 PPP project in Latin America by ProjectFinance Magazine.
Projects such as these are extremely important especially in the current economic and financial downturn. With this understanding the forum seeks the following outcomes:
? Enhanced cross-border alliances for investing in key growth sectors? Exchange of views on the impact of the economic crisis and opportunities for sustaining investments and competitiveness? Identification of areas for public-private sector partnerships? Structures and a framework for implementing collaborative activities
_______________Mr. Terry Michael Rauch II (Terry.Rauch@wit-co.net) is the CEO of World Investment & Trade, LLC (WITCO) a leading consulting and contracting firm based out of Washington, D.C.. Mr. Rauch has led several international business development teams and conducted feasibility studies in the Caribbean, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and South East Asia.
Mr. Rauch has been a pioneer in the incorporation of advanced technologies into traditional business development realms. He developed the Technology Integration Model that is in use today in many corporate structures around the world. He has presented trade and technology briefings to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Commerce Department, the various country ministries, and several U.S. state agencies. He was featured in Family Circle Magazine and was selected by the Department of Education and the West Virginia High Tech Consortium to sit on an expert panel on Technology and Safety. Mr. Rauch has written several articles, reports, and white papers on business, and international trade and development that have appeared in numerous publications. He is an active participant in regional planning and development meetings for the Caribbean and Central America and provides insights on future trends and prospects in international trade and development.
About the Author
New initiatives by the United States Government, in cooperation with fellow governments and commercial companies, will certainly enhance regional trade and business development throughout the Americas.
As a company with vested and strong interests in the region, World Investment and Trade, LLC (WITCO) believes these new initiatives can have a lasting impact in the Americas, especially regarding the manner in which businesses in our different countries relate, deal and partner with each other. Increased and substantial dialog will also enhance coordinated actions by our governments in addressing some of the biggest challenges that this hemisphere has faced in quite a long time.
These new initiatives follow the Summit of the Americas which was initiated in Miami 1994 with subsequent meetings in Santiago, Quebec, and Mar del Plata. The initial goals of the Summit were trade and democracy. While the following summits witnessed a shift in focus to more social issues, the 5th Summit titled ?Securing our Citizens? Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability? will, in fact, place considerable focus on business and development.
Source: http://www.afghanistan-news.us/international-business-in-the-americas/
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