IDA facilitates the Manufacturing Sector

Invest Dominica Authority (IDA) promotes and supports several sectors and the Manufacturing Sector is no exception. Since 2010, IDA worked closely with a few local manufacturers to reinstitute the Dominica Manufacturers Association (DMA) which was inactive for several years. Furthermore, the IDA continues to operate as the secretariat for the DMA and provides several facilitation and administrative services to the DMA.

Recently, an opportunity was available to receive training and equipment through the Banana Accompanying Measures (BAM). BAM is an EU funded program primarily geared towards the development of agriculture and agro processing in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. IDA assisted the DMA in the process and it was successfully approved. Today the DMA boasts of having benefitted from the BAM Program particularly in the areas of technical assistance (in Business Management, Best Manufacturing Practices and Quality Control training), execution of an Internal Audit of all selected agro processors and financing for necessary machinery and equipment needed for the upgrade of production processes and increase of outputs.

The DMA has utilized this program in the execution of their existing MOU with other private and public sector entities for development of agro processing and improvement of exports, particularly targeting the neighbouring French islands. IDA continues to work closely with the manufacturers which benefitted and also monitors their output to ensure full success.