The objective of the Roundtable is to promote the Forestry Industry Value Chain. In that sense, productive-industrial competitiveness and sustainability was the component analyzed in this first meeting, in which representatives of unions, companies, organizations and officials from public institutions linked to the area participated.
Likewise, the competitiveness of the value chain was analyzed, where the need to promote the expansion of forest plantation areas and have raw materials that will allow the development of different industries, the implementation of the circular economy, in the processes and technological improvement to achieve new goals.
The members of the Table talked about the “attraction of foreign direct investment” and high-impact industrial development in the country.
Another topic addressed was the “Opening of markets”, where the need to expand the exportable supply of products in high demand and the management of effective marketing was raised. It was decided that Eng. Ricardo Kiriluk, representative of the Paraguayan Federation of Loggers (FEPAMA), will be the president of the Board.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Paraguayan Industrial Union (UIP) committed to promoting the technological development components in the forestry industry and circular economy; while the vice minister of REDIEX, Rodrigo Maluff, indicated that he will be responsible for the “investment attraction” component.
For his part, Fernando López, director of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), took on the challenge of strengthening component 3, “opening of new markets.”
In addition, during the dialogue, other topics of importance to the sector were addressed, such as the need to review current regulations and the importance of land ownership.
The representatives of the Board committed to moving forward with the tasks assumed and to continue talking to unblock obstacles and strengthen the growth of this sector. Currently, the sector has annual export income of USD 107 million and generates approximately 5.000 jobs, occupying 204.000 hectares, with a committed foreign direct investment of USD 4.000.000.000.
However, the forestry industry has a potential of 1.200.000 hectares of occupation, which would generate annual income of USD 2.000.000.000, taking the number of projected jobs to 100.000 and FDI greater than USD 10.00.000.000, as Maluff explained during the reactivation of this Sectoral Table.
