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“CHINA: GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL COOPERATION INITIATIVE” ORIENTATION VISIT
(USTDA Project No: 2007-31027A)
KEA will plan, organize and manage this capacity building Orientation Visit (OV) in coordination with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC), with the goal of facilitating the Chinese delegation’s and thus the Chinese government’s understanding of and obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement of Government Procurement (GPA) (www.wto.org) . This program is expected to lead to a more transparent Chinese government procurement system that adheres to non-discriminatory procurement practices.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will invite a total of twelve (12) delegates from China and one (1) representative from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, to visit the United States for twelve (12) days in the fall of 2008. Delegates will include high level policy officials involved in China’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procedures (GPA). The Working Group will include representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Finance (MOF), National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and other stakeholders.
“The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) is to date the only legally binding agreement in the WTO focusing on the subject of government procurement. Its present version was negotiated in parallel with the Uruguay Round in 1994, and entered into force on 1 January 1996. It is a plurilateral treaty administered by a Committee on Government Procurement, which includes the WTO Members that are Parties to the GPA, and thus have rights and obligations under the Agreement. The GPA is based on the principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination, which apply to Parties' procurement covered by the Agreement, to the benefit of Parties and their suppliers, goods and services.”
This OV will target significant procurement issues and discussions to include the following subjects:
The objectives of this OV are:
• To introduce the delegation from China to U.S. federal, state and municipal authorities engaged in procurement policies and procedures;
• To enhance the Chinese Government’s understanding of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA);
• To highlight issues related to best practices in government procurement policies and regulations, GPA accession processes, implementation of the GPA obligations, and the benefits of GPA accession as demonstrated by the U.S. Government procurement systems.
The proposed delegation may include the following senior officials from the following Chinese Government Ministries and Agencies:
• Ministry of Finance (MOF)
• National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
• Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM)
• Associated stakeholders in public and private sectors
Additional topics and examples of procurement policies and practices will be included in the agenda, based upon the specific interests and needs of the delegation.
The visit is scheduled to take place in Sacramento/San Francisco, CA; New York City/Long Island, New York; and Washington, D.C. Two Round Table Briefings may take place in Washington, D.C. Site visits will be arranged to both federal, state and municipal agencies and facilities and commercial supply chain and procurement firms in the sector who have specific interest or potential for business in China.
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“SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA REGIONAL: EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY (EAC) TRANSPORTATION SECTOR POLICY DIALOGUE”
ORIENTATION VISIT
(USTDA Project No: 2008-11011A)
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (www.ustda.gov) will invite sixteen (16) delegates from the transportation sector from the five East Africa Community (EAC) countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda - Minister of Transport and two - three from each country – to the United States for a one week Policy Dialogue - Orientation Visit (OV) in mid November, 2008. The OV will take place as a follow-on from the recent “U.S.-AGOA Transportation and Trade Forum” sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation (Office of the Secretary) (USDOT-OST) (www.dot.gov) (organized by KEA on behalf of USDOT-OST) and attended by the Director of USTDA, The Honorable Larry Walther, who announced his agency’s intention to fund the ministerial level OV as part of the “African Trade Lanes Partnership” initiative under a Memorandum of Understanding with the EAC.
The EAC is striving to widen and deepen co-operation among the Partner States in, among other areas, the political, economic and social fields, for their mutual benefit. To this extent the EAC countries established a Customs Union in 2005 and are working towards the establishment of a Common Market by 2010, subsequently a Monetary Union by 2012 and ultimately a Political Federation of the East African States. The realization of a large regional economic bloc encompassing Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda with a combined population of 120 million, land area of 1.85 million square kilometers and a combined gross domestic product of $ 41 billion, bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects of a renewed and reinvigorated East African Community. The regional integration process is moving forward. The encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the enlargement of the Community with admission of Rwanda and Burundi, the ongoing negotiations of the East African Common Market as well as the consultations on fast tracking the process towards East African Federation all underscore the serious determination of the East African leadership and citizens to construct a powerful and sustainable East African economic and political bloc.
The Transportation Policy Dialogue OV will allow discussion between African ministers and U.S. senior trade, transportation and financial officials during a one-week visit to Washington, D.C. A one-day Business Briefing is scheduled to be held in Washington D.C.
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“WEST BANK: MARBLE AND STONE”
ORIENTATION VISIT
(USTDA Project No. 2008-21016A)
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (www.tda.gov) will invite a total of twelve (12) Palestinian delegates from the West Bank and one (1) representative from the Commercial Service Office (USCS) in Jerusalem, to visit the United States for twelve (12) days in October, 2008. The dates of the OV will be Monday, October 6th through Friday, October 17th. Delegates will include high level decision makers responsible for their procurements of technology for the stone industry in the West Bank.
The visit will focus on introducing the Palestinian delegation to U.S. federal and state standard-setting agencies and departments and to commercial providers of Stone Cutting, Transportation and technology, services and training relevant to their national projects.
The goals of the visit are:
• To promote trade ties between U.S. manufacturers of equipment and Palestinian producers of marble and stone;
• To improve the quality of Palestinian Stone and Marble products;
• To present West Bank companies with information on current and future trends in the stone and marble industry.
This OV will expose the delegation to environmentally conscious U.S companies working in the extraction, cutting, shaping, and finishing of natural stone. It is expected that the activity will have a positive impact in the following developmental categories:
• productivity improvement
• technology transfer
• human capacity building
• infrastructure improvement.
USTDA support of this OV will help U.S. firms position themselves as major trading partners with the Palestinian Territories as well as support the Middle East peace process and the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership. The OV will also represent an additional positive outcome of the Palestine Investment Conference held May 21-23, 2008 in Bethlehem.
The delegation has been proposed by the Palestinian Marble and Stone Union (USM) in conjunction with the Economic Section of the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem. The U.S. Commercial Service will include a senior official from the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem.
The delegation will include:
ABDALSAMAD S. M. ALATRASH - General Manger and Owner of Alanan Co. for
Marble & Stone
WALID H. K. DIREYA - General Manger and Owner of Alwaleed Co. for
Marble & Stone
SAMEEH M. K. THAWABTA - General Manger and Owner of Alkhlah for
Quarries
NOURALDIN A. K. JARADAT - General Manger and Owner of Abu Ezzolf Stone
& Marble Co.
JAWDAT M. A. SUHAIL - General Manger and Owner of Suhail & Saheb
Trade & Industrial Co.
OMAR A. A. DIREYA - General Manger and Owner of Sosa Co.
JEHAD F. A. ALI - General Manger and Owner of Jamae’n National
Contracting Co.
SOBHI H. K. THAWABTA - General Manger and Owner of Al-Aqsa Co. for
Marble
MOHAMMED MAJED M. M. ALSHARBATI - General Manger and Owner of Al-Sharabati
Modern Company.
HABIB H. H. MORRA - General Manger and Owner of Hanna Murra &
Sons Co.
IHAB H. M. KHALIL - General Manger of Union of Stone and Marble
NAZIH N. A. AMER - General Manger and Owner of Architect Co. for Construction Stone & Marble
The delegation shall undertake site visits to U.S. Government agencies including the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) (www.osha.gov); the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) (www.msha.gov) – both part of the U.S. Department of Labor; and commercial quarries and companies associated with the stone industry in Washington, D.C.; Bloomington and Bedford, IN; and Las Vegas, NV. In Las Vegas, the delegation will attend the annual “StonExpo/Marmomacc 2008” (www.stonexpo.com) exposition sponsored by the Marble Institute of America (MIA) (www.marble-institute.com), the authoritative source of information on standards for stone workmanship and practices and the suitable application of natural stone products, and by the Natural Stone Council (www.Genuinestone.com), a collaboration of businesses and trade associations that have come together to promote the use of Genuine Stone in commercial and residential applications. “StonExpo/Marmomacc 2008” is the premier trade show and educational venue for the natural stone industry.
USTDA will host a one-day Business Briefing be held on Tuesday, October 14th at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (www.mandalaybay.com) in the "Tradewinds" Room immediately prior to the start of “StonExpo/Marmomacc 2008”.
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“REGIONAL SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: HIGHWAY SECTOR”
ORIENTATION VISIT
(USTDA Project No: 2008-11012A)
The background and objectives of the Orientation Visit (OV) is to expose the African delegations to U.S. technologies, companies, policies and best practices involved in road building, and to promote the export of U.S. transportation equipment and services, including the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure, during the planning and implementation of regional road network development.
By funding this Regional Sub-Saharan Africa Highway Sector OV, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (www.ustda.gov) will continue to work closely with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) (www.mmc.gov) who’s funding of infrastructure development forms a critical driver to expanded trade and economic growth in the region and nationally for independent countries.
MCC has enacted Compact Agreements in Burkina Faso (expected to be formalized in 2008), Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania and in conjunction with the host countries is funding major infrastructure highway projects and long term development plans in each nation as follows:
Burkina Faso is located in Western Africa, north of Ghana, with a population of over 14 million. The nation was named eligible for MCC Compact Program assistance on November 8, 2005 and the MCC Compact, when finalized in 2008, is expected to include approximately $300 million in transportation investments for rural road construction.
• Best practices in government procurement policies and regulations
• Open and effective competition
• Accountability and due process
• Non-discrimination in procurement procedures
• GPA accession process and information exchange
• Implementation of GPA obligations
• Benefits of GPA accession
• U.S. government procurement system, policy, regulations and examples of implementation of GPA obligations.
Ghana - Transportation Infrastructure Development Project
The project funded under the MCC Compact is designed to reduce transportation costs for rural farmers taking crops to market and includes:
• Upgrading sections of National Highway N1;
• Upgrading of main roads by paving or laying gravel; and
• Improvement of the Lake Volta ferry system services.
• Construction of 1,200 kilometers of feeder roads.
Mozambique - Transportation Project ($176.3 million)
The MCC Compact includes a Transportation Project that will improve access to markets, resources, and services; reduce transport costs for the private sector to facilitate investment and commercial traffic; expand connectivity across the Northern region and the southern half of the country; and increase public transport access for individuals to take advantage of job and other economic opportunities. Specifically, MCC funding will rehabilitate 491 km of key segments of the National Route 1 which forms the backbone of country’s transportation network. The Transportation Project is expected to improve access to markets and services for nearly 2.3 million Mozambicans by 2015.
Tanzania - Transport Sector Project
The MCC Compact specifically will focus on:
• Rehabilitates high-traffic roads on the mainland;
• Upgrades the airport on Mafia Island; and
• Repairs selected rural roads on Zanzibar. The Project also includes funds for road maintenance to enhance Tanzania’s capacity to maintain its road network.
A one-day Business Briefing be held at the USTDA Business Center in Arlington, VA.
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“IRAQ CIVIL AVIATION RECONSTRUCTION" ORIENTATION VISIT
(USTDA: 2005-21004A)
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) (www.ustda.gov) will invite twelve (12) senior Iraqi Civil Aviation officials to visit the United States in December of 2008. A representative of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will accompany the delegation from Iraq.
The visit will last ten (10) days (including travel time) with five (5) of those days being spent in the Washington, D.C. area. This phase will include meetings with senior officials in the:
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT),
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
U.S. Financial Institutions
and other U.S. Government Agencies and Civil Aviation Firms.
Site visits will include regional FAA Air Traffic Management (ATM) facilities and local international and domestic airports, including the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The delegation will travel to Oklahoma City, OK to meet with officials from the FAA Academy, the FAA Logistics Center and the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute.
The objective of the OV will be to support the Iraqi delegations efforts to develop significant relationships with U.S. organizations that would then lead to greater U.S. involvement in Iraq's civil aviation sector. Civil aviation is essential to economic growth, and to opening up Iraq, especially the safer provinces, to international commercial passenger and cargo traffic. USTDA anticipates that this OV will help advance Iraq's reconstruction under infrastructure growth, technology transfer, and productivity improvement.
A one-day Business Briefing for U.S. companies will be held during the period in Washington, D.C.