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How to boost Colombian entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises to make them more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable in the current context was one of the topics discussed on the first day of the Local Development Forum held by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Barranquilla until Friday.
LEA TAMBIÉN
Various experts gathered at the parallel session convened by the Organization of American States (OAS) with the support of ProBarranquilla to discuss the drivers of competitiveness and innovation that can improve the capacities of subnational governments and promote sustainable economic development.
“The use of technology and artificial intelligence are key to competitiveness, as is economic cooperation,” said César Parga, head of the Competitiveness, Innovation, and Technology Section of the OAS Department of Economic Development.
Lamia Kamal is the director of the OECD’s Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. Foto:OCDE
Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, director of the OECD’s Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, stressed that public policies must be different in rural areas of Colombia, where informality rates can reach as high as 80 percent, compared to capital cities such as Bogotá, where they can be less than 35 percent. “It is necessary to ensure that national industrial strategies adopt a regional approach,” she said.
She also stressed the importance of prioritizing public spending and aligning it with local businesses and communities in order to achieve better economic results.
“It is crucial to ensure more effective public investment, especially in the current global context of regional consolidation. Across the OECD, it has declined, so we need to invest more and more effectively, which means better coordination between different levels of government,” Kamal-Chaoui said.
Barranquilla was chosen as the venue for the Local Development Forum. Foto:Foto: Guillo González / Agencia Kronos.
The OECD expert commented on the importance of developing land use and urban regeneration policies to achieve ambitious transformations, as has been the case in Barranquilla over the past two decades. “Access to affordable housing, as well as to good services, connectivity, environmental resources, and culture is key to generating regional attractiveness,” she said.
She also spoke about the importance of regions striving to attract new talent and have a good business climate that includes benefits for companies.
“A good business and investment climate is needed not only for foreign companies, but also for local ones. Rather than offering tax breaks and subsidies, effective regional strategies depend on good access to talent, connectivity, and the ability to build capacity,” he stressed.
It should be noted that the OECD Entrepreneurship Center is one of the organizers of the event, together with the mayor’s office of Barranquilla. It is responsible for helping local and national governments to boost the potential of small businesses, in particular the creation of local, inclusive, and sustainable employment.
Vicky Osorio is the director of Probarranquilla. Foto:Sergio Cárdenas. El Tiempo
For her part, Vicky Osorio, executive director of Probarranquilla, said that the choice of Barranquilla as the venue for this OECD forum is not a symbolic recognition, but rather reflects the development process that the city has undergone in recent years.
“Urban development has been linked to the natural environment, sustainability, education, and inclusion. Barranquilla has understood that sustainability cannot be separated from the economic context,” she said.
The Local Development Forum expects to bring together more than 3,400 people over four days at the city’s Puerta de Oro Convention Center. The various sessions will address topics such as fair labor markets, entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation, digitization, and cooperation.
Noelia Cigüenza
EL TIEMPO
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