Asunción, Agencia IP.- Minister of Industry and Commerce Marco Riquelme stated that Paraguay needs to initiate an industrial revolution that will enable it to compete in the global economy with local capabilities by investing in technology, training, and developing new production zones throughout the country.
During an interview with the program Tribuna, broadcast on Paraguay TV, the Secretary of State explained that the objective is to promote an economic transformation to generate wealth and new job opportunities for the population.
«The beginning of the industrial revolution is a call to a national cause. Paraguay is destined for great things,» he affirmed.
The minister recalled that his vision for industrial development took shape during his time as vice minister, when he began his career in the public sector. Since then, he noted, the priority has been to promote policies to strengthen the country’s productivity.
He explained that one of the main challenges is investing in technology and training, conditions he considers essential for the country to compete in an increasingly demanding international market.
«Without technology, there is no productivity. We need to invest in advanced machinery that allows us to reduce production costs and compete both in the domestic market and globally,» he stated.
Industrial zoning strategy
The Minister of Industry and Commerce (MIC) stated that the government is promoting an industrial development zoning strategy that divides the country into four layers to organize production planning.
The first layer corresponds to logistics corridors, which will be developed in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC).
The second layer includes the municipalities along these corridors, which will receive support to consolidate into industrial zones.
The third layer involves creating industrial clusters or agglomerations, which will enable the identification of regions of the country that specialize in specific industries.
Finally, the fourth layer envisions the creation of training, certification, and research institutes, designed to develop a skilled workforce to support industrial growth.
In parallel, the government is working on a new industrial park law, which, according to the minister, will be the most modern in the region and will facilitate the establishment of companies and the arrival of investments.
Municipalities and the private sector
Riquelme emphasized that local governments will play a fundamental role in the industrialization process and noted that mayors must actively work to attract investment to their municipalities.
He also highlighted the formation of a working group within the Business Council of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in which the private sector will play a central role in defining management priorities.
«The governance of this council will be in the hands of the private sector, which will help us identify priorities for the country’s industrial development,» he stated.
The challenge of youth employment
One of the central pillars of the strategy is job creation for young people. Each year, around 100,000 young people enter the labor market in search of their first job, so the country must expand its capacity to create jobs.
«We have to become a job-creation machine,» he stated.
In that regard, the minister maintained that the industrialization process will open new opportunities for the population and contribute to economic growth.
«The resurgence of a giant, as President Santiago Peña says, will happen with our people. Our commitment is to generate opportunities for our people,» he expressed.
Support for MSMEs
The Head of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MIC) also highlighted the Government’s commitment to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), considered a key engine of the country’s economic development.
In that context, he announced a firm policy to combat informal lending that affects this sector.
«We have declared war on usury. We will not rest until MSMEs never have to resort to loan sharks again,» he concluded.