Morning

OPENING SESSION 

• Nelson Toca Simó, Minister for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic (MICM)
• Isidoro Santana, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development of the Dominican Republic
• Wilton Juma, Vice Minister of Labor of the Ministry of Labor of the Dominican Republic
• Rebeca Vidal, Chief Executive Officer and Expert in Business Development of CAF-development bank of Latin America
• Óscar Hernández, Senior Adviser to the Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)

COFFEE BREAK

SESSION I: Strengthening of institutional capacities to promote the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean

The formalization of a productive unit demands compliance with requirements and procedures, which shall be subject to the labour and tax laws and in accordance with the legal system of property and market operation rights. This heterogeneous nature of regulatory objectives and stakeholders can result in complex and inefficient registration systems with high monetary costs and increased amount of time and paperwork required.

Presentations in this session will focus on regional and international experiences in the implementation of measures that strengthen institutional capacities to promote formalization, making emphasis on the results achieved and recognizing the major challenges and opportunities identified.

Presentations of 20 minutes each

Moderator: Óscar Hernández, Senior Adviser to the Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) 

• Anna Wiersma, Policy Analyst for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Public Policy Index for SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean (IPPALC): Pacific Alliance and participating countries in South America (Spanish).
• Rebeca Vidal, Chief Executive Officer and Expert in Business Development of CAF-development bank of Latin America. Institutions for productivity. Towards a better business environment (Spanish).
• Pavel Isa Contreras,  Professor Researcher at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) for the Dominican Observatory of International Trade (ODCI)
• Alvaro Ramírez Bogantes, Senior Skills and Enterprise Specialist of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Strengthening institutional capacities to promote formalization (Spanish).
  
• Oral Shaw, Principal Director of the MSME Division of the Ministry for Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries of Jamaica. Jamaica MSME overview and strategy to promote entrepreneurship informality.

COFFEE BREAK

OPEN DEBATE: Questions and comments about the main problems and challenges in strengthening institutional capacities to promote the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Selected countries will encourage the discussion and exchange of ideas on the main problems, obstacles, and challenges faced in the formalization of MSMEs in the region. After their presentation, the floor will be given to the rest of delegations that wish to make remarks.

Presentations of 7 minutes each.

Moderator: Óscar Hernández, Senior Adviser to the Permanent Secretary of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) 

• Johny Lamour, Coordinator of the Centre for Development of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship of the Ministry for Trade and Industry of Haiti. Formalization of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Haiti.

LUNCH

Afternoon

2:00 – 3:00

SESSION II: Quality of work and social equity as benefits arising from formalization 

One of the constraints that MSMEs face in their process of formalization arises from obstacles for them to access the social security and protection system of workers, given their low taxable capacity, irregular income, complex declaration and payment procedures, and transaction costs to access these public services.

Presentations will focus on experiences in the region, in order to achieve one of the main incentives for formalization of MSMEs, such as increasing the quality of work, improving employment equity, and promoting access to the social security of workers of small and medium-sized enterprises. 

Presentations of 20 minutes each

Moderator: Valentín Herrera, Director of Labour of the Ministry for Labour of Dominican Republic 

• Alvaro Ramírez Bogantes, Senior Skills and Enterprise Specialist of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Work quality and social equity as a result of formalization (Spanish).
• Isaac Godoy Larroza, Vice-Minister for MSMEs of the Ministry for Industry and Commerce of Paraguay. Strategy to formalize MSMEs in Paraguay (Spanish) - Comprehensive strategy for the formalization of employment and social security in Paraguay. National Economic Team (Spanish).

3:00 – 3:15

COFFEE BREAK 

3:15 – 4:15

OPEN DEBATE: Questions and comments about the main problems and challenges in quality of work and social equity as benefits arising from formalization

Selected countries will encourage the discussion and exchange of ideas on the main problems, obstacles, and challenges that MSMEs have faced in accessing the social security and protection systems of workers of small companies. After their presentation, the floor will be given to the rest of delegations that wish to make remarks.

Presentations of 7 minutes each.

Moderator: Escarlen Vidal Vargas, Manager of Economic Analysis and Simplification of Procedures of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic 

• Albert Chow, Executive Director of the National Entrepreneurship Development Company Ltd. (NEDCO) of the Ministry for Labour and Small Enterprise Development of Trinidad and Tobago. Problems/Obstacles and Challenges faced by MSMEs Accessing Social Security and Protection Benefits for their Workers in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director of the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE).  Belize Trade  & Investment Development Service.
• Verónica Santos, Professional Adviser to the National Directorate for Crafts and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (DINAPYME) of the Ministry for Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay. Problems and challenges in quality of work and social equity as benefits of formalization (Spanish).

4:15 – 4:30

COFFEE BREAK

4:30 – 5:00

Closing of the day. Representative of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic (MICM): Challenges of formalization for Dominican Republic

Friday, 15 Februay 2019 

Morning

9:30 – 10:30

SESSION III: Experiences and best practices in the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Presentations will focus on experiences and best practices in public and private efforts to promote the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, they will address the various national strategies that have been developed in the region to improve regulatory frameworks, strengthen institutional capacities, promote the quality of work and social equity, and encourage tax benefits through the formalization of MSMEs.

Presentations of 15 minutes each.

Moderator: Elupina Almonte, Executive Director of the Dominican Federation of Chambers of Commerce (FEDOCAMARAS) 

• Mercedes Canalda, Chief Executive Officer of Fundación Microfinanzas BBVA – Banco Adopem. Formalization of MSMEs, creating responsible businesses (Spanish).
• José Alex Linares Rosa, Manager of Acquisitions of the Centre for the Promotion of Micro and Small Enterprises in Central America (CENPROMYPE). MSME care centres based on partnership among public, private and academic sectors (Spanish)
• Iván Ornelas Díaz, Director of Business Linkage Programmes of the National Institute for the Entrepreneur (INADEM) of the Secretariat of Economy of Mexico. Experiences in formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean: Mexico (Spanish)
• Aman Sánchez, Coordinator of Business Climate of the National Pogramme for Competitiveness (PRONACOM) of the Vice-Ministry for MSME Development of Guatemala. Formalization of SMEs in Guatemala (Spanish)
• Trevor Fearon, Executive Director of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce. Formalization of MSMEs

10:30 – 10:45

COFFEE BREAK 

10:45 – 11:45

OPEN DEBATE: Questions and comments about experiences and best practices in the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Selected countries will encourage the discussion and exchange of ideas on the main problems, obstacles, and challenges that MSMEs have faced in complying with their tax and fiscal obligations, and the incentives and benefits that could arise from their incorporation into the tax system in the context of a differentiated treatment for small taxpayers. After their presentation, the floor will be given to the rest of delegations that wish to make remarks.

Presentations of 7 minutes each.

Moderator: Nayensky Concepción, Financial Inclusion Manager of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic (MICM) 

• Javier Dávila, Vice-Minister for MSE and Industry of the Ministry for Industry of Peru. Situation of formal and informal MSEs in Peru (Spanish)
• Marion Stekkel, President of the Suriname Business Forum (SBF). For Sustainable & Innovative Development of the Local Private Sector.
• Jaime Domínguez, Adviser to the Presidency of the National Commission for Micro and Small Enterprises (CONAMYPE) of El Salvador. Taxes and tax benefits in a scheme of promotion of formalization of enterprises and taxation (Spanish).
• Pablo Ruisi, Foreign Policy Adviser to the Secretariat for Entrepreneurs and SMEs of the Ministry for Production and Labour of the Argentine Republic. SMEs in Argentina (Spanish).
• Óscar Acevedo, Development and Quality Promoter of the Directorate-General for Workshops and Small Businesses of the Ministry for Family, Community, Cooperative and Associative Economy of Nicaragua. Experience in formalization of MSMEs in Nicaragua (Spanish).

11:45 – 12:00

OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH

12:00 – 2:00

LUNCH

2:00 – 3:30

Towards the construction of a roadmap for the promotion of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean. Conclusions, proposals and initiatives to make progress in the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean 

Moderators: Javier Gordon Ruiz, Director (a.i.) of Relations for Integration and Cooperation of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), and Noel Bou Vásquez, Director of Support Services for MSMEs of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic (MICM)

In this session, three subregional working groups will be established to identify priorities and points of interest with a view to promoting and strengthening policies and programmes for the formalization of MSMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Presentation of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic (MICM)

2:30 – 4:00 

OPEN DEBATE 

CLOSING SESSION 

• Óscar Hernández, Senior Adviser to the Permanent Secretary del Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA)
• Rebeca Vidal, Chief Executive Officer and Expert in Business Development of CAF-development bank of Latin America
• Ignacio A. Méndez Fernández, Vice-Minister (a.i.) for Promotion of MSMEs of the Ministry for Industry, Trade and MSMEs of Dominican Republic (MICM)

Dinner at El Conuco Restaurant (hotel lobby 7:00 pm)