ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 20th Oct, 2020) The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, ADDED, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, ADAFSA, to enhance the competitiveness of local products.
The cooperation will foster the role of the Abu Dhabi Local Content, ADLC, programme, one of the initiatives under the Ghadan 21 accelerator programme, in accelerating localisation measures by supporting local producers in the government procurement and tendering processes.
The ADLC seeks to unlock growth opportunities for the private sector to be at the heart of Abu Dhabi Government’s investments, encourage businesses to invest in the local market, strengthen the supply chain and increase Abu Dhabi’s gross domestic product, GDP.
The agreement was signed virtually by Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Under-Secretary of ADDED, and Saeed Al Bahri Al Ameri, Director-General of ADAFSA. The partnership further supports the Abu Dhabi Government’s modernisation and development strategy to enhance government performance and increase the effectiveness of services offered to the business sector.
Al Balooshi said the agreement will also help develop a framework for defining the key areas of cooperation between ADDED and ADAFSA that are related to the implementation of the ADLC programme in the agricultural sector. This would include facilitating the required procedures, increasing investment opportunities and enhancing the services provided for investors.
Al Ameri said, "The agreement demonstrates the spirit of cooperation and responsibility between government entities in Abu Dhabi, and we are pleased to work with ADDED towards building a diversified, globally competitive and sustainable economy based on a balanced approach to attain socio-economic development."
Al Ameri added that the ADLC programme has been considered a leading example of the initiatives that seek to direct government spending towards supporting local production; encouraging suppliers and companies to increase their production; as well as attracting more investments into the national economy.
Al Ameri noted that ADAFSA has asked suppliers and companies participating in tenders to present ADLC certificates. He further emphasised that the new agreement helps the Authority to expand the scope of the programme’s beneficiaries to include small and large producers in the agricultural and food production sectors, support local products and enhance their competitiveness in the market.
Under the terms of the agreement, ADDED will provide the necessary technical support to train and qualify ADAFSA’s employees tasked to implement the ADLC programme. It also includes facilitating and amending the required procedures in coordination with certifying bodies to encourage companies to buy local products and thereby increase their local content value.
Meanwhile, ADAFSA will provide ADDED with data on the size and types of food production, exports and imports and other necessary information to properly implement the ADLC programme. This data will enable the Department to issue reports and submit proposals and recommendations supporting local products in the emirate.
The two parties agreed to forge key areas for cooperation and develop a working plan in all fields related to the implementation of the ADLC programme, as well as to form a committee which will monitor the progress and implementation of the terms of the agreement.
