to the country in search for jobs is another variable to be considered. This is a turning point for the country since it has the opportunity to create conditions that allow it to respond successfully to the demographic changes coming. What are the main objectives of this national competitiveness agenda? General objective: To improve competitiveness in order to increase national productivity to accomplish inclusive, accelerated and sustainable economic growth A. CLUSTERS OBJECTIVE: POTENTIAL TO CREATE JOBS B. COMPETITIVENESS PRIORITY OBJECTIVE C. TERRITORY OBJECTIVE: CAPABILITIES OF EACH INTERMEDIATE CITY Is there sufficient support to make these objectives likely? Various important sectors and government agencies responsible for articulating the efforts to benefit the policy have been approached. Readiness and good backing in the area of influence of each sector, and for the implementation of the policy is evident. Yet, I should emphasize that to accomplish the desired outcomes it is necessary to have long-term support, not only through budget allocation for each agency but also through the support of the technical staff of each area of influence. Are there latent hindrances that restrict the good operation of these policies? Public policies involving multi-sector and cross-agency inclusion will always face possible obstacles in the search of adequate articulation to accomplish their successful implementation. Success depends on adequate oversight and permanent assessment of implementation processes, to be carried out by the National Competitiveness Program. How and in what sense will Guatemala accomplish improvements with this agenda? The three guidelines seek to contribute to better performance by the productive sectors with the greatest potential to create jobs, in order to add more Guatemalans
to the labor force through improvements in competitiveness conditions that prioritize nine territories which are in a good development stage to become consolidated as Intermediate Cities. This seeks to enhance economic growth that in turn will lead to more tax revenues to be earmarked for the social agenda of the country. 6 specific changes will be proposed to address 11 priorities in terms of competitiveness, in: government agencies, infrastructure, health, primary education, financial market and innovation. •Legal certainty and the streamlining of processes to do business in Guatemala, which will lead to greater investment attraction and more formal job creation •Greater connectivity through local, regional and national infrastructure that provide broad road networks for the distribution and marketing of goods and services in Intermediate Cities (90% of the population). •Learning, aimed at acquiring labor competencies will make it easier for youths to be more competitive in a globalized world. In your capacity as the Presidential Commissioner for Competitiveness and Investment: what message would you like to convey to the sectors that this agenda seeks to benefit? Guatemala has very well developed plans. The problem is that plans are not drawn to collect dust in a drawer; they are drawn to be implemented. Quite often, they are not implemented because they do not meet the needs of the majority, unlike the National Competitiveness Agenda that is capable of proposing and compiling different policies and initiatives from every sector. The National Competitiveness Agenda is not only PRONACOM’s. It BELONGS TO ALL OF US, and as it continues to be recognized it can acquire even more momentum. It will become a reality that Guatemalans are anxiously expecting.