VZCZCXYZ0016
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #3331/01 3421904
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081904Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1605
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6371
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3695
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 7565
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 4815
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2067
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2140
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1961
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 4265
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 4704
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 9289
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS LA PAZ 003331 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/CBA DWINSTEAD AND WHA/AND LPETRONI 
COMMERCE FOR JANGLIN 
TREASURY FOR SGOOCH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ABUD AFIN BEXP BTIO ECON ETRD BL
SUBJECT: BFIF PROJECTS EMPHASIZE BILATERAL EXCHANGE, LOCAL 
FINANCE 
 
REF: STATE 160578 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) Post recently completed three Business Facilitation 
Incentive Fund (BFIF) projects.  This cable outlines outcomes 
and expenditures for an indigenous entrepreneurs' learning 
mission to Washington; a Tarija financial fair; and a series 
of consultations with Partner Post Santiago.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------ 
LEARNING MISSION TO WASHINGTON 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) With BFIF support, post funded the participation of 
four indigenous entrepreneurs and small business owners in an 
eight-member October 14-18 learning mission organized by the 
American Chamber of Commerce of Bolivia (AmCham).  The group 
met representatives of several Washington organizations and 
think tanks, including the United States Chamber of Commerce, 
the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin 
America, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 
the National Endowment for Democracy, and the Center for 
International Private Enterprise. 
 
¶3. (U) AmCham General Manager Ana Maria Galindo reported 
November 15 that the learning mission's participants acquired 
new familiarity with the U.S. political economy, free market 
economic policies, and liberal democratic institutions, 
noting that all left impressed by U.S. political and economic 
freedoms and hoped to work more closely with U.S. businesses. 
 The group promised to share their insight with La Paz and El 
Alto counterparts. 
 
¶4. (U) Galindo also reported a common message from U.S. 
interlocutors: GOB officials should limit anti-U.S. rhetoric 
and clarify public statements if they hope to further 
bilateral cooperation and secure an extension of the Andean 
Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). 
Ambassador Peter DeShazo, Director of the Americas Program at 
the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 
emphasized the importance of establishing a single GOB 
message and avoiding official contradictions, arguing that 
conflicting messages hurt Bolivia's image and undermined GOB 
officials' push for ATPDEA renewal.  His remarks echoed those 
of John Murphy, Vice President for Western Hemisphere Affairs 
at the United States Chamber of Commerce, who called 
attention to the need for a clear GOB position on bilateral 
trade.  All interlocutors encouraged the group to play a 
greater role in Bolivian business and trade policy debates, 
urging them to convey small business needs and concerns to 
GOB officials. 
 
¶5. (U) According to AmCham's expenditure report, the 
organization spent $8,241.12 of its $9,100 grant.  Post will 
fax the report and related documentation to BFIF Program 
Manager Dennis Winstead and EB/EX staff. 
 
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TARIJA FINANCIAL FAIR 
--------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) BFIF funds supported an October 26-27 financial fair 
in Tarija, the capital of Bolivia's southernmost department. 
This was the fourth in a series of workshops organized by 
Chemonics International's USAID-supported Bolivian Trade and 
Business Competitiveness (BTBC) project, which successfully 
conducted similar programs in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and 
Cochabamba.  Workshop organizers sought to introduce Tarija 
business owners to financial sector representatives, in hopes 
of improving their understanding of the utility and 
availability of certain financial products and the way 
financial officers make risk assessments. 
 
¶7. (U) BTBC Financial Specialist John Carrasco labeled the 
workshop a great success, noting that 62 businesses 
participated in banking and microfinance, leasing, capital 
market, and venture capital working groups, far exceeding 
BTBC expectations.  Participants reported high degrees of 
satisfaction with financial sector representatives' expertise 
and workshop organization, with more than two-thirds saying 
they were completely or mostly satisfied with opportunities 
to explain their financing needs and explore different 
financing mechanisms.  Fourteen business owners later took 
advantage of individual, personalized advisory services, 
speaking privately with bank and microfinance organization 
representatives to explore the availability of financing for 
projects ranging from equipment leasing to long-term 
liquidity management plans.  Many companies reported existing 
or potential links to U.S. firms. 
 
¶8. (U) According to BTBC's expenditure report, the 
organization spent $3,711.22 of its $3,825 grant.  Post will 
fax the report and related documentation to BFIF Program 
Manager Dennis Winstead and EB/EX staff. 
 
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CONSULTATIONS WITH PARTNER POST SANTIAGO 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) With BFIF support, post's economic/commercial officer 
and FSN commercial specialist completed October 5-6 
consultations with Foreign Commercial Service officers and 
staff in Santiago.  The two discussed the full range of 
Department of Commerce overseas activities; reviewed 
guidelines and best practices for the preparation of trade 
leads, market research, Gold Key services, and other 
products; considered ways of encouraging more lucrative 
relationships between U.S. and Bolivian firms; and laid plans 
for completing the La Paz installation of Department of 
Commerce software and IT systems. 
 
¶10. (U) Post spent $2,497.48 of the $2,575 budgeted for 
consultations.  Post will fax an expenditure report and 
related documentation to BFIF Program Manager Dennis Winstead 
and EB/EX staff. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶11. (U) The three projects directly supported Mission efforts 
to promote the benefits of bilateral trade and free market 
economic policies; boost the capacity of Bolivian businesses 
to attract investment and enter new markets; improve Bolivian 
entrepreneurs' access to financial services; and strengthen 
post's commercial services.  Post appreciates EB's continued 
support of its BFIF program. 
URS