VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMS #0035/01 0141237
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141237Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9147
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EEB/CBA (DWINSTEAD), NEA/ARP 
COMMERCE FOR ITA THOFFMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP ETRD ECON MU
SUBJECT: OMAN FY08 BFIF REQUEST 
 
REF: 07 STATE 159597 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. Continued Business Facilitation Incentive Fund (BFIF) 
assistance will be essential in helping the Embassy promote 
the soon-to-be-implemented U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement 
(FTA).  Post requests $6,807 in BFIF program funds for 
outreach to the local community on the benefits of the FTA, 
strengthening our relationship with our Commercial Service 
(CS) partnership posts in the UAE, and supporting the 
programming efforts of the Muscat American Business Council 
(MABC).  End Summary. 
 
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PROMOTING THE FTA 
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¶2. As we approach implementation of the FTA, the Embassy has 
received numerous inquiries from the business community 
regarding the contents of the Agreement.  For this reason, 
the Embassy requested that consultant Booz Allen Hamilton, 
under contract to the USG through the Middle East Partnership 
Initiative to develop a competitiveness study of the Omani 
economy, build into the finished product an overview of the 
benefits expected from the FTA, both from a broad-sweeping 
perspective and from its analysis of the following sectors: 
information, communications, and technology; transportation; 
and energy.  The analysis has been completed and translated 
by Booz Allen Hamilton into Arabic.  In order to make this 
study more widely available, the Embassy requests BFIF monies 
to print the publication for distribution to key contacts in 
the business community.  The estimated cost to produce 300, 
40-page color booklets is $4500.  We are ready to proceed 
with its publication, so consideration of this proposal at 
the earliest would be greatly appreciated. 
 
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LEARNING THE ROPES OF A TRADE SHOW 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3. The Embassy depends on its partnership with its CS sister 
posts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in efforts to improve its 
commercial service offerings.  As the FTA nears 
implementation, the Embassy would like to take advantage of 
this unique opportunity to promote U.S. exports by sending 
our Commercial Assistant FSN to our CS partnership post in 
Dubai.  The purpose of her visit would be to learn how to 
work a trade show for U.S. products, how to manage a booth at 
trade expositions, how to better utilize the e-menu programs, 
and how to better attract Omani participation in 
international buyer programs, which has been identified as a 
top commercial service goal for 2008.  The estimated cost of 
this 3-day, 2-night proposal is $1468.50 ($350 airfare, $724 
lodging, $357.50 per diem, $37 taxi expenses).  CS Abu Dhabi 
has identified an opportunity for our Commercial Assistant to 
participate in the Arab Health trade show on January 27-30, 
making consideration of this proposal a priority. 
 
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PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESS COUNCIL 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. The Muscat American Business Council (MABC) plays an 
important role in promoting stronger ties between the U.S. 
and Omani business communities.  Sponsored by the Embassy, 
the organization is now in its fourth year of operation.  The 
MABC is now recognized as an affiliate member of the U.S. 
Chamber of Commerce, and the Chamber's Vice President for the 
Middle East and Africa recently visited with MABC officials 
to discuss the chapter's near-term plans.  With the 
implementation of the FTA, the MABC has the opportunity to 
play a key role in fostering FTA-related programs for its 
membership, especially with regard to tariff-free treatment 
of goods, understanding of rules of origin requirements, and 
regulatory updates, including the sweeping changes to Oman's 
labor code. 
 
¶5. The MABC faces challenges in serving as an independent, 
institutional voice for the American business community in 
Oman.  The executive director, a former Fulbright scholar in 
Oman, has now taken on a full-time position with an Omani 
company.  To assist the new executive director in crafting 
the MABC's message, the Embassy requests BFIF assistance to 
bring the executive director of the American Business Council 
of Dubai and the Northern Emirates (ABCD) to Muscat for a 
one-day mentoring session.  Aside from providing an overview 
on the operation of a business council, the ABCD executive 
director would be able to provide best practices on how to 
better address membership expectations through enhanced 
program offerings and how to manage an annual meeting, which 
the MABC has not hosted in recent years.  The estimated cost 
of this 2-day proposal is $838 ($350 airfare, $172 lodging, 
$274 per diem, $42 taxi expenses).  Post would wait until a 
suitable candidate has been identified and brought on-board 
before committing funds to this proposal. 
 
¶6. Embassy appreciates the opportunity to use BFIF monies to 
advance USG commercial goals in Oman.  The Embassy's point of 
contact for the BFIF program is Economic/Commercial Officer 
Brian Grimm, phone (968) 2464-3623, GSM (mobile) (968) 
9945-9887, email: GrimmBM@state.gov. 
GRAPPO