Report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on Study Visit to Cuba and Brazil, dated 20 August 2003:
The Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, having visited Cuba and Brazil from 29 June to 11 July 2003, reports as follows:
This study visit emanated from a meeting held with the Cuban business delegation headed by Mr Ernesto Senti, Vice Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Co-operation in Parliament in April 2002. This meeting took place against the background of the first meeting of the Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) in December 2001, where it was agreed that both countries would explore the strengthening of bi-lateral links and joint ventures to promote commercial and investment opportunities. Following this meeting, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Dr Rob Davies, received an invitation from the President of the Commission of International Relations of the Cuban Parliament, Mr Ramon Pez Ferro, to lead a delegation from the Portfolio Committee to Cuba. Our Cuban hosts provided accommodation and food, as well as transport and translation services during our visit. As there was little difference in cost of air fares to Cuba via Europe or via Brazil, the Committee decided to travel via Brazil and engage with officials and Parliamentarians in that country on bilateral relations and perspectives on multilateral issues, like the WTO negotiations. The delegation comprised of the following members of the Committee:
ANC- Dr R H Davies: Chairperson and leader of the delegation; Mrs F Hajaij, Mr N M Duma, Ms J C Moloi; DA- Mr C M Louw; ACDP – Adv Z Madasa; Committee Secretary - Mrs L S Matshikiza. On the Cuba leg we were joined by the Director General of the Department of Trade and Industry, Dr Alastair Ruiters, and in Brazil by M s Saroj Naidoo, the DTI’s Parliamentary Officer, and Mr Paul Piterse, the DTI representative based in Sao Paulo.
Objectives of the Visit: Cuba
Bilateral commercial relations between South Africa and Cuba developed promisingly after 1994, but faltered on a payments problem arising from a contract with a South African supplier in 1996. The immediate payments issue was resolved in an agreement reached at the Joint Bilateral Commission in December 2001, and in February 2003, the Cuban government made, on time, the second scheduled payment in terms of the financial agreement between Record Trade 23 (Pty) Ltd and UNECAMOTO (Cuba). Both sides, however, agree that this episode had had a dampening effect on the development of bilateral trade and investment relations – which have potential significant benefits for both parties.
Among other areas of mutual interest are the import of partially processed Cuban nickel for use in the manufacture of high quality steel products in South Africa, an expanded presence in the South African market of traditional Cuban export products (cigars, rum, Cuban-designed shirts), and enhanced cooperation in the area of production of pharmaceutical and bio-technology products (where Cuba has a clear competitive advantage).
In addition to the bilateral issues, the Committee also requested an opportunity to exchange views on multi-lateral issues – the WTO negotiations and Cuba’s relations with the EU (more specifically the withdrawal of its application to join the Cotonou agreement) – a matter under discussion in the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. The visit also gave us an opportunity to learn something of the challenges facing the Cuban revolution in the current period, and of the policies being followed in the post-1990 "special period". Our hosts also invited our delegation to visit the Latin-American School of Medical Science and the Carlos J.Finlay Medical Research Institute, where we were able to get some impression of the significant achievements of the Cuban revolution in the areas of health care and health sciences.
Objectives of the Visit: Brazil Brazil is a country with which South Africa has for some years sought to build a strategic relationship in the areas of trade and investment, among others. Both countries have similar per capita GDPs, Human Development Indexes and face many similar problems and challenges. Brazil has recently had a change of government with the election of Mr Luis Inacio (Lula) da Silva of the Workers’ Party (PT) as President. The objective of our visit was to explore and exchange views with officials and Parliamentarians on issues like the WTO negotiations, the proposed SACU-Mercosul Free Trade Agreement and the separate FTA negotiations each country is involved in with the USA. We also sought to learn something of Brazil’ s approach to issues such as small business development, industrial policy and the new social security programmes (Bolsa Escola and Fome Zero) associated with President Lula’s government.
Main Outcomes of Visit: Cuba During our visit to Cuba we were privileged to meet with a number of key figures in the Cuban government with responsibilities in our main focus areas (see Appendix attached). We were also fortunate in being accompanied by the Director General, Dr Alastair Ruiters, who could offer some immediate follow up on bilateral issues raised.
We encountered a strong desire on the part of members of the Cuban government and officials to strengthen bilateral ties. There was also agreement on the need to re-visit some of the institutional arrangements through which bilateral trade has been conducted up to now e.g. to see what can be done to encourage the French firm that has the contract to market Cuban exports of rum and cigars to give a higher priority to South Africa and to consider ways to extend the joint venture contract with a Namibian company to produce Cuban-designed shirts to possibly include South African partners. The Cuban Minister of External Trade, Mr De la Nuez indicated that around a quarter of Cuba’s imports consist of products like machinery, chemicals and automobiles. Minister De la Nuez expressed the view that some of these items could be supplied by South Africa. The Cubans are also looking for partners in oil exploration and mining technology ventures. On the issue of supply of semi-processed nickel to South Africa, it was indicated that while most nickel was currently exported to the EU, Cuba was keen to diversify and was planning to raise production from around the 75.000 tonnes currently produced to around 100.000. They would be open to further discussions with South Africa on this matter, and would welcome proposals to mobilize capital – through joint ventures or other mechanisms – to increase output.
The Cubans also stressed the importance of potential cooperation in the area of production of pharmaceutical and bio-tech products. Cuba clearly has a significant competitive advantage in this area and more particularly in the development of vaccines that can combat diseases facing people in the South. During our visit to the Carlos Finlay Institute, we were told that the institute was open to partnerships with other countries and that its research was not just limited to diseases present in Cuba. For example, they indicated that they were close to developing a vaccine against TB.
The main concrete outcome of our discussions on bilateral relations was a proposal that an exchange of correspondence between our Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister De la Nuez should seek to identify an action plan to take some of these proposals forward. Minister De la Nuez told us that a similar arrangement with the Netherlands had resulted in a significant increase in bilateral trade and investment.
On the issue of Cuba’s relations with the EU and the withdrawal of its application to join the Cotonou agreement, we were told that Cuba had submitted an application to join the Cotonou agreement largely at the behest of its neighbours in the Carribbean – who saw Cuba’s involvement in social and developmental programmes with them e.g in the health area as making it logical to draw Cuba into the institutional arrangement through which they received most of their development assistance funding viz. the Cotonou agreement. Cuba had embarked on this process not so much as a basis for building its own relations with the EU, but largely to accommodate this request of its Carribbean neighbours. As a result of this process, Cuba has for some years been a signatory to the Georgetown Agreement, and hence full member of the ACP, and an observer at ACP-EU meetings. The issue of the terms of Cuba’s possible admission to the Cotonou agreement has, however, been a matter of debate within the EU for some time.
The EU’s common position – in whose formulation Spain has played a leading role – is seen by the Cubans as not taking sufficient account of the impact of the blockade and the hostility of the US towards Cuba. Our informants argued that many other things needed to change before there would be political reform in Cuba. Leading forces in the EU were, however, pressing for political change without taking account of the context created by the embargo and hostility from the US. This matter came to a head after the Cuban authorities executed 4 persons convicted of hijacking a ferry boat earlier this year. The EU suspended the process of Cuba’s accession to Cotonou, to which the Cubans responded by withdrawing their application. Our informants told us they did not anticipate major repercussions in terms of the substance of relations with the EU. Cotonou to them was not strategic, and they are convinced that many ties will continue to exist with the EU and EU member states. The one area of uncertainty is Cuba’s future participation as an observer in ACP-EU structures.
On the WTO, Cuba is part of the "like minded group" of developing countries. They plan to be active at the forthcoming Cancun ministerial, but are not particularly hopeful about the prospects of an outcome beneficial to developing countries.
More generally, we were told that the Cuban government sees itself under unwarranted intensified pressure from the Bush administration in the US. This they see as obliging them to act decisively and firmly against externally sponsored subversive action and responses by Cuban dissidents and perpetrators of actions like the ferry hijacking. The jailing in the US of five Cubans convicted of detecting and reporting plans of US based organizations to commit acts of terrorism against Cuba is also seen as a sign of increased hostile intent towards Cuba.
The 40 year US economic blockade is estimated to have cost the Cuban economy $ 70 billion and to be the major factor underlying the country’s economic and payments problems. Nevertheless, the officials we spoke to are confident that they have weathered the storm and, indeed, see some of the reforms imposed in the "special period" after the collapse of the Soviet Union as even being beneficial. For example, large scale state farms using cheap oil and machinery imported from the Soviet Union became impractical after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the abolition of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon). Most of these were decentralized into smaller units and many have become cooperatives. These now make up 70 percent of Cuban agricultural enterprises. This change was accompanied by the introduction of new crops and new systems of marketing which have had net beneficial effects on output. Another major reform was the opening up to foreign capital and tourism. The circulation of foreign currency along with the national currency was allowed in the early 1990s. This had the effect of introducing a dual currency regime with both negative and positive results. On the positive side, it has given Cuba greater access to the world economy and helped to maintain price stability. On the negative side, it affected the Cuban self-esteem and reduced options for exchange rate and monetary policy.
Our informants expressed optimism that despite the US blockade, Cuba had passed through the worst of the shock created by the collapse of the Soviet Union. We were told that the economic performance of the country was improving. Growth between 1995 and 2000 averaged 4,1%, more than the 3,5% average for Latin America as a whole. Electricity generation output had improved, foodstuff production was up and unemployment, which had reached 9 percent in the mid-1990s had now fallen to around 3 percent. Tourism had grown significantly with over 2 million tourists visiting the island in 2000. Tourism is now the country’s largest earner of foreign exchange. Although tourism had been adversely affected by the impact of the events of September 11th 2001, the millionth tourist of 2003 arrived just a few days before our visit.
Our informants were particularly proud of the country’s achievements in the areas of social security and social service provision. These rank with the best in the developed world and are seen as gains of the revolution that many are determined to defend.
We were told that Cuba has the highest school retention rate, over 99 percent between pre-school to the ninth grade, of all the nations in the hemisphere. The country ranks first, world wide with the highest number of teachers per capita and has the lowest number of students per classroom. All children with physical or mental challenges are enrolled in special schools. Computer education and the intensive use of audiovisual methods are extended to all of the country’s children, adolescents and youth in both cities and countryside. There is no illiteracy in Cuba. Under a recently introduced programme, young people between the ages 17-30 who were previously neither in school nor employed have been given the opportunity to resume their studies while receiving allowances. Everyone in the country is given the chance of studying from pre-school to a doctoral degree without paying a cent. The average Cuban citizen presently has at the very least a ninth grade level of education. University campuses are progressively spreading to all the country’s municipalities. Life expectancy has increased by 15 years.
Social security is extended to all the country’s citizens. 85 percent of the people own their homes and pay no property taxes on them. The remaining 15 percent pay only a nominal rent, which cannot exceed 10 percent of their salary. Discrimination against women is considered to have been eradicated and women play an important role in society at all levels. Their participation in government is growing. There are four women ministers and there is no ministry that does not have a woman in a senior position. 72 percent of the technical and scientific workforce consists of women.
Main Outcomes of Visit: Brazil During our visit to Brazil we were privileged to meet with a number of key figures in the Brazilian government with responsibilities in our focus areas (see Appendix attached). All informants expressed their firm commitment both to strengthening bilateral ties with South Africa and SACU in a number of areas and to developing strategic alliances to confront common challenges facing both countries.
Significant results are expected in the near future from the Bilateral Commission, which began working in 2002, and our informants indicated that they attach high priority to the Mercosul-SACU Free Trade Area negotiations, although it was acknowledged that both parties are also involved in a range of other multi-lateral and bilateral negotiations, which are extremely demanding in terms of time and personnel deployment. For Brazil, the most important of these are the negotiations for a Mercosul-EU FTA and the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA). We were told that Brazil, the largest country and economy in Latin America, was experiencing great difficulty in ensuring that it was represented at each stage of the FTAA negotiations. Our informants told us that Brazil was looking to forge strategic alliances with similarly placed developing countries such as China, India and South Africa and was looking to establish a trilateral commission of the three southern developing country continents. Brazil is also seeking to strengthen its relations with the African Union and sent a strong delegation to the Maputo summit.
On the WTO process, we were told that Brazil is working towards a successful outcome of the Cancun ministerial meeting and wants the Doha round concluded by the target date of 2005. It wants this because (1) the world economy is passing through a difficult period, and Brazil sees its only prospects for accelerated growth arising from exports (2) it sees the multi-lateral system as under challenge with a risk of proliferation of FTAs. Brazil is, however, concerned that there has not been sufficient progress in the WTO negotiations on issues of concern to developing countries. Agriculture is seen as the key. Brazil the fourth largest food exporter in the world and has therefore offensive interests in agriculture. Brazil sees a breakthrough as critical to the success of Cancun. Brazil wants to see the removal of export subsidies and stricter disciplines on other forms of support. They see both the US and the EU as placing obstacles in this regard, and have taken the US to a WTO panel over the question of subsidies on cotton. They say they can live with the Harbinson draft text as a basis to begin negotiations even though it is not ideal, but also want to see the modalities for discussions on geographic indications and the precautionary principle decided at Cancun. They see the issue of access for agricultural products to developed country markets becoming complicated by sanitary and animal welfare regulations as well as other technical and non – tariff barriers to trade. Cancun needs to address these as well as tariffs. Brazil recognizes that several developing countries have become more protectionist on agriculture, and suggests dealing with this reality through provisions for Special and Differential Treatment allowing exceptions for strategic products and special safeguard measures. Brazil is prepared to work with the chairperson’s text on non-agricultural market access, but does not favour sectoral negotiations and does not want zero for zero to become a mandatory form of negotiation of non-agricultural tariff reductions. The TRIPS and public health issue must also be resolved, and Brazil would like to see the TRIPS agreement deal with the issue of "indigenous knowledge". On the "Singapore issues", Brazil has no strong objection in principle to some of the issues. They suggest that if there is sufficient progress on agriculture, there could be some discussion of transparency but not access in government procurement and some aspects of trade facilitation as a quid pro quo.
While Brazil is a major food exporter, and has the potential to feed all it people, access to food remains a major problem for millions of Brazilians. Presently, nearly a third of the population is in a situation of "food insecurity". During our visit, we had an opportunity to visit the offices of the Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) programme, one of the priority programmes of the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The Fome Zero programme is an innovative initiative that aims to create mechanisms both to fight hunger and to address the causes that generate poverty. It aims to do this by using the allocation of grants to low income families in ways that promote local economic development through creating mechanisms to channel the increased demand for food products created by the scheme into local productive activity, thereby generating employment, and income in poverty pockets. The programme, according to one official, envisages a number of inter-connected activities that will be implemented gradually throughout the government’ s four-year mandate. These activities will involve nearly all ministries and all three spheres of government namely federal, state and municipalities as well as the entire society. The first phase involves the establishment of a Special Ministry of Food Security and Hunger Combat (MESA) located within the Office of the President. A Food Card Programme (PCA) is one of its first activities.
Through the PCA, targeted recipients are given a card which allows them to purchase a defined range of locally produced food and other products up to a fixed monetary value (of around US $ 20 a month). The items which can be bought are identified by local committees, and recipients have a choice within the range of eligible items thereby enhancing their own responsibilitry and self esteem. Later phases will coordinate the provision of micro-credit and other facilities to local productive activities. Around US $ 6 bn will be distributed in this way, with a total of between US $ 9 and 12 bn expected to be deployed on priority poverty programmes by the end of the current mandate of President Lula. These interventions are also to be complemented by land reform and employment creation programmes.
The Committee also had an opportunity to meet with Mr Marcelo Aguiar, who is the head Bolsa Escola Programme. This programme provides a grant to low income families with school going children. It began in 1995 as an initiative of the then Workers’ Party (PT) mayor of the federal district of Brasilia, who is now Minister of Education. It became a national programme when former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso sanctioned a federal law in 2002. The Bolsa Escola programme provides a cash grant to low income families provided that their children attend school during at least 85% of the school year. This is not a grant for school fees but for basic family expenditure and was designed to address a problem of children being absent from school because they had to work to supplement family incomes. It is available to all families with an income below US$90.00, or half the monthly minimum wage and with children from six to 15 years of age. Those eligible receive US$15.00 per child with a maximum of US$45.00. The grant is distributed through a bank card, which removes the necessity of queues and is seen as enhancing the self-esteem of mothers by giving them greater control of family expenditure. The programme currently reaches 5,5 million families with 10 million children. President Lula has announced the government’s intention to deepen and expand it.
There continues to be a debate in Brazil on a Basic Income Grant (BIG). The Committee met with Senator Eduardo Suplicy of the PT, who is one of the strongest proponents of a BIG. Senator Suplicy introduced a resolution on the adoption of a BIG, which was unimously approved by the Senate several years ago. It is now in the Chamber of Deputies. Senator Suplicy told us that existing grants will begin to be consolidated gradually and systematically into a single social security grant in 2005. This will be according to the criteria designed by the executive power, and initially – as at present – be based on a means test using records of those most in need. Mr Suplicy continues to lobby for this to become a BIG paid to all without a means test, on the model adopted by the US state of Alaska.
The committee also had an opportunity to visit the small business support body, SEBRAE. SEBRAE has been in existence for around 30 years, and is structured as a public, non-profit, non–state institution. It has a budget of around US $ 35 million and provides a variety of services to small enterprises. We were told that SEBRAE had contributed to the building of the capacity of thousands of SMEs in Brazil, but that this had to be weighed against the reality of the existence of millions of SMMEs. Since the election of President Lula, SEBRAE was examining ways of responding to the new priority of providing micro-credit to micro-enterprises, through developing programmes to enhance the capacities of micro-credit agencies. SEBRAE provides a range of technical support, human resource development and management services to SMMES. These services are subsidized; in some cases, people do not have to pay at all.
Entrepreneurs are given guidance and mentorship. There are two models in this regard namely the cluster model and the consultancy model, the latter focuses on individual guidance. The more complicated one is the cluster model that takes two to three years of mentorship. SEBRAE has 500 service centers in 27 states assisting individuals and groups of small business. There are 5 000 to 6 000 people working in SEBRAE. SEBRAE is looking to expand its activities through partnerships. We were told that they aim to train almost 3.5 million people through various courses throughout Brazil.
Municipalities have around 2 000 institutions working with SMMEs and this is an important resource. Millions of people consult SEBRAE through Internet services seeking different kind of assistance e.g. legal, business, and technical. We were told that there is also a significant Small Business Incubator Programme, with more than 200 incubators operating in Brazil.
SEBRAE has a technical cooperation agreement with Ntsika, in terms of which Ntsika sends groups of South African small business people to participate in courses run by SEBRAE. These courses also involve exposing the participants to the SMME environment in Brazil. It is our impression that there is probably significant scope to increase cooperation with SEBRAE beyond this particular programme. SEBRAE is a larger organization, with significant experience, confronting similar challenges in promoting SMME development to our own. We propose that consideration be given to finding ways in which cooperation between SEBRAE and South African institutions responsible for SMME development can be enhanced.
In our interactions, with parliamentarians we were told that the period of uncertainty and instability that had characterized the period immediately preceding President Lula’s election had passed. President Lula’s government has defined its priorities as reducing poverty and inequality through expanding a series of redistributive programmes, including those whose officials we had an opportunity to interact with. It is, however, having to do this in the context of significant macro-economic challenges. Among these are the reform of the public sector pension scheme and the reduction of interest rates. Our parliamentary colleagues told us that these were the major issues they had been involved with in recent times. The public sector pension fund reform will involve the reduction in benefits for some and a strike against this took place during our visit.
Also during our visit to the Brazilian congress, we had an opportunity to interact with Senator Marisa Lucia Ferreira de Mello of the PT, a member of the congress’ women’s caucus. Senator de Mello briefed us on the activities of the women’s caucus, which is a multi-party working group on gender issues which makes requests to the executive. They also work for greater gender equality and representivity in the executive and in congress. Currently there are 5 woman federal Ministers (compared to zero in the last government) and there is a Special Secretariat to deal with gender issues. There are 43 women members of congress and 9 senators, compared to 9 women congress members in 1981. Parties are by law required to nominate women for at least 30% of their lists, but this we were told never results in 30% representation in congress.
RECOMMENDATIONS - Cuba There are many areas in which South Africa and Cuba can develop mutually beneficial trade and investment relations. With the payments obstacle now having been addressed, and both governments keen to promote further cooperation, significant opportunities now exist to significantly take the process forward.
The proposed exchange of correspondence between the Cuban Minister of External Trade and our Minister of Trade and Industry to identify an action plan to enhance relations needs to be acted on. When agreement is reached on the scope of the action plan, steps need to be taken to alert South African enterprises in various fields – small as well as large – on the opportunities available. The DTI needs also to determine what support should be provided to South African enterprises to enable them to become involved.
The DTI should work closely with the Department of Health to identify ways in which cooperation with Cuba in the area of research and production of pharmaceutical and biotechnology products can be mutually beneficial. We were made aware of a keen interest on the part of the Cuban authorities to extend cooperation in this area.
The DTI should similarly work with the Department of Minerals and Energy to identify ways in which cooperation can be enhanced in the areas of mining technology and oil.
RECOMMENDATIONS - Brazil There is great potential both for strengthening bilateral relations between Brazil and South Africa and for developing a firmer strategic relationship to confront common challenges. Both sides recognize this and are keen to strengthen ties. The Bilateral Commission appears to working well and needs to be encouraged in its work.
Brazil has a wealth of experience that can usefully be drawn on in devising policies to confront development challenges facing South Africa. The small business support body, SEBRAE, is but one body whose counterparts fall under the DTI, where we believe we could benefit from much more extensive interaction and cooperation than currently takes place. We recommend that consideration be given in the Bilateral Commission to exploring possibilities in this regard.
We became aware during our visit of a number of administrative obstacles to developing bilateral trade, including significant delays at ports for South African goods entering Brazil and anti-dumping actions initiated by both parties. Some consideration needs to be given, in our view, to finding ways to address such concerns.
CONCLUSION The Committee believes that its visit to Cuba and Brazil was both informative and contributed to fostering a spirit that can contribute to building stronger ties with these important Latin American countries.
We would like to thank all those who met with us and facilitated our visit. We are particularly grateful to the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba for the invitation that gave rise to this visit and for the exceptional hospitality extended to us in Cuba.
APPENDIX PERSONS CONSULTED: CUBA Dr Franklin Sotolongo, Director: Directorate of Applied Technical Assistance "DACTA"
Dr Louis Garcia, Head: Cholera Vaccine Project
Mr Lic Georgina Afalla, Specialist: Marketing Affairs.
Ms Ester M -A Fasardo, MSC Scientific Advisor: Vaccines (Biologist/Biochemist)
Ms Esther Amentereos, Ambassador (designate) to South Africa
Mr Jose a Guerra Menchero, Deputy Minister: Africa and Middle East
Mr Ricardo Cabrisas, Minister of the Government
Mr Ricardo Alarcon, Speaker: National Assembly of People’s Power
Mr Osvaldo Martinez, Chairman: Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly of People’s Power.
Mr Raul de la Nuez, Minister: Foreign Commerce
Mr Ramon Ripol Diaz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Investment and Cooperation
Mr Jose Ramon Balaguer, Chief: Department of International Relations of the Central Committee of Cuban Communist Policy.
The delegation was accompanied by Mr Silvio Castro Fernandez, Assistant to the International Relations Commission of the National Assembly of People’s Power.
PERSONS CONSULTED: BRAZIL Mr Marcello Crivella, Senator: Vice – President of the Commission of External Relations, Federal Senate
Mr Carlos Gastaldon, Vice Minister: Secretary of Development Production (SDP); Mr Antonio Sergio, Vice Secretary and Mr Cesar Rech, Director
Mr A Gadelha, General Coordinator of Trade Promotion in the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (SECEX& DEPLA); Mr R Dantas, General Coordinator of Data and Statistics Processing (DEPLA) Mr E S Carl, General Coordinator: Department of Internal Trade Operation (DECEX); and Ms E Fontes, General Coordinator of Regional Integration: Department of Trade Negotiations (DEINT)
Ambassador C Huguemey, Under Secretary Economic and Commercial Issues: Secretariat of Foreign and Integration and Commercial Issues
Senator Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy, President: Worker’s Party
Mr Livia Jappe, Assessora de Imprensa: Cabinet of Deputies
Mr Cesar Rech, Director: Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce
Mr Fernando E Rodrigues, Assessoria de Assuntos: Intermacionais. Sebrae.
Mr Mario Mugnaini Jr: Executive Secretary: Ministry of Development and Trade and Industry (CAMEX); Mr Fernando Gomes: Senior Advisor and Mr Aluisio Tupinamba: Senior Advisor
Mr Delfim Netto, Deputy Minister and Member of the Commission: Economy, Industry, Trade and Tourism: Chamber of Deputies (Former Minister of Agriculture)
Ms Marisa Lucia Ferreira de Mello: Federal Senator
Mr Clodoaldo Hugeney, Special Representative to the President of the Republic Para Assuntos Do Mercosul.
Mr Joao Andre, Counselor: Extraordinary Ministry of Food Security and Struggle Against Hunger
Dr Flavio Botelho, Executive Secretary: Extraordinary Ministry of Food Security and Struggle Against Hunger
Mr Marcelo Aguiar, Head: Bolsa Escola Programme, Ministry of Education.