Juan Francisco Ballén is deputy-minister for foreign trade policy at the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Ecuador. This paper was prepared in the framework of the EU-LAC Foundation’s conference of its project Polos de Competitividad of 30 April 2015. This is a translation of the responsibility of the EU-LAC Foundation; to read the original version in Spanish please follow the link.
As an introduction, it is important to point out that for Ecuador the development of productive sectors with high levels of competitiveness, innovation and internationalisation are vital elements in the National Strategy for Productive Matrix Change (EN-CMP), promoted by the national Government as part of the National Plan for Good Living (NDP) 2013-2017, always with an emphasis on the establishment of a united, fair and inclusive economy, while operating on markets where the human being is always the axis and the end of Ecuadorian society.
Evidently, this new model of economic development based on knowledge and skills should count on a scheme to promote and support productive and non-speculative entrepreneurship, formed by entrepreneurs and businesses characterised by an ethics based on respect for Nature, labour rights, commitment to quality and excellence in the products offered to the consumer, and responsible tax return practices as an essential element for corporate social responsibility. (Read article)