DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) in coordination with the Dominican National Lottery, presented the ASONAINCO Exporter project, which seeks to improve production processes, financing and quality of the goods of fifty companies that are part of the National Association of Furniture, Mattresses and Allied Industries.

During a ceremony, held at the headquarters of ASONAINCO, Deputy Minister of Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Ignacio Mendez, explained that the project, for which a baseline study will be completed by the end of this year, seeks to determine the productive capacities, types of employees, experience in marketing and existing needs. "The development of the value chain of wood furniture will be a great contribution to the sector. We are waiting for the diagnosis of consultants to find out what issues need to be addressed," Mendez said.

For his part, José Francisco Peña Tavares, general manager of the National Lottery, said that technical assistance to the furniture sector also includes an export plan tailored to fifteen companies identified as potential exporters, so they can enter in other markets, taking advantage of the facilities provided by the free trade agreements.

Alejandro Nouel, first vice president of ASONAIMCO, thanked the support given by both institutions and listed some of the progress made by the association, among them, the donation made by a company of Italian artisans, of a complete factory for furniture manufacturing, which will be installed in the ASONAIMCO warehouse in the Industrial District of Santo Domingo Oeste (DISDO).