Economy would benefit from ‘exports supremo’

PROSPECTS for future economic success would receive a significant boost with the appointment of an exports supremo, according to a report by the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs.

This new role is vital to promoting the interests of Irish-owned industry to maximum benefit overseas, it said.

It called for an urgent reconfiguration of the trade promotion portfolio to replace the Foreign Earnings Committee and said the Trade Advisory Forum could be achieved by establishing the position of the exports supremo.

Such an office would be incorporated within the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Innovation and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The aim would be to provide a focus on the export sector, to ensure policy consistency in key areas of indigenous exports, such as education, professional services, agri-food and tourism.

Called Ireland’s foreign trade promotion policy: Developing international markets for Irish exports, the report also called for a “thorough review of visa policy and practice” to get rid of unnecessary red tape hampering such key sectors as tourism, education and services.

It also called for an agreement on a programme of trade missions by senior Government figures and Oireachtas members for 2010-2012 in support of those business sectors.

Committee chairman Michael Woods said a great opportunity exists “to build the confidence of the indigenous SME sector” and “the state will support their efforts to grow markets abroad in high-value goods and services”.

“There is no other route to long-term economic sustainability and our embassies and missions abroad have a key part to play in reaching this goal,” he said.