Raising the Bar: Salvadoran Private Sector Receives Support for International Competitiveness

Left image: (from left to right) Rodrigo Rivas Melhado, El Salvador Country Manager of TFB Project; Florence Quiñónez, BEMISAL CEO; Silvia Cuéllar, COEXPORT Executive Director; Ana Cristina Quiñónez, member of BEMISAL board of directors; Lorena Aceto, TFB Project’s COR; and Christopher Cushing, Mission Director of USAID El Salvador, starting the guided tour through BEMISAL facilities. Right: (from left to right) Francisco Quiñónez, BEMISAL President; Christopher Cushing; USAID Mission Director; Florence Quiñónez, BEMISAL CEO, celebrating the successful closing of BEMISAL’s participation in the Business Trade Facilitation Program. Photo: © USAID, 2023.

On March 23, BEMISAL, a leading environmentally friendly packaging company, successfully completed a technical assistance program under the USAID Central America Regional Trade Facilitation and Border Management Program (TFB). In collaboration with the Corporation of Exporters (COEXPORT), the TFB program aims to strengthen the Salvadoran private sector by providing companies with technical assistance to achieve Trusted Operator (TO) certification through the General Customs Directorate (DGA) of El Salvador.

As a result of the assistance provided by the program, BEMISAL met all the requirements needed for certification as a TO, which has made the company more competitive in international markets. The TO certification enables BEMISAL to easily import and export products, making the company more attractive to potential clients and partners.

To celebrate the successful completion of the assistance program, an event was held at the BEMISAL plant. The event was attended by the Mission Director to USAID El Salvador, representatives from COEXPORT, private sector associations, and the Project. During the event, BEMISAL shared its experience with the program and the results they achieved. Companies that have received assistance from the program regularly attained TO certification and improved their production and clearance process procedures.

In recognition of BEMISAL’s achievement, the USAID Director and COEXPORT Director presented the President of the company with a plaque. The success of BEMISAL is a testament to the effectiveness of the program, which has successfully carried out this program with 30 companies, including BEMISAL.

The program has been instrumental in strengthening the institutional knowledge of risk management mitigation in customs, best practices to overcome cross-border challenges, and the requirements needed for TO certification. Overall, the program has been an integral and successful component of TFB’s work to strengthen the Salvadoran private sector.

By supporting the Salvadoran private sector in achieving international competitiveness, the Business Trade Facilitation Program is helping to promote economic growth and improve the livelihoods of Salvadoran citizens.

About TFB:

TFB is supporting USAID’s overall efforts to facilitate economic growth and stability in the Northern Triangle and to support the integration strategy of the Central American governments. As such, TFB also works closely with other USAID regional and bilateral programs, particularly those focused on private-sector development, which have access to medium and small enterprises, and other international technical assistance organizations.