SMALL STATES NETWORK
FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (SSNED)
NEWSLETTER No. 3
November 2009 – May 2010
This Newsletter is being sent to all
Points of Contact of the SSNED Member States and
other interested persons
Annex, Central Bank of Malta, Pope Pius V Street, Valletta, VLT 1060, Malta
Tel: +356 2122-3525; +356 9926-2141; Fax: +356 2122-8504; Email: admin@ssned.org; Website: www.ssned.org
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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 3
2. MEMBERSHIP………………………………………………………………………………3
3. COMPLETED, ONGOING AND PROPOSED PROJECTS……………………………..3
4. REQUESTING FUNDS FOR THE NETWORK……………………………………..
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1.
INTRODUCTION
This newsletter covers the period 1st November 2009 to 15 May 2010. During this period, the
Secretariat concluded two twinning projects. The Secretariat also received other requests for
funding twinning projects and training workshops.
2. MEMBERSHIP
Five other countries namely Botswana Federal States of Micronesia, Jamaica, San Marino and
Swaziland joined the Network and the Indian Ocean Commission has also become member of
SSNED. As to date the number of countries that joined SSNED is 36 (the list is available at:
http://www.ssned.org/members-network). All members of the Network can apply for funds to
conduct capacity building projects.
Eligibility to join the Network is explained in Article 7 of the Network’s statute (available at:
http://www.ssned.org/statute ).
3. COMPLETED, ONGOING AND PROPOSED PROJECTS
3.1 Completed Projects
3.1 Completed Twinning Projects
The Network has completed another Twinning Project since November 2009 as shown in the
table below. Summary of the project is available at the Network’s website.
Beneficiary
State
Gambia
Beneficiary
Institution
Gambia
Competition
Commission
Theme
Service provider
Development of Strategic Directions for
Competition Commission The Terms of
Reference and budget are available at:
http://www.ssned.org/file.aspx?f=141
(password protected).
Cyprus
Institute
for
Mediterranean, European and
International Studies (KIMEDE)
and the Cyprus Commission for
the Protection of Competition
The contract for this project was drawn up in collaboration with the Government of the Gambia
and the Cyprus Institute for Mediterranean, European and International Studies (KIMEDE) and the
Cyprus Commission for the Protection of Competition who acted as service providers. The contracts
contained a main document with special provisions relating to the project, plus 7 Annexes, three
of which are (i) general conditions for twinning projects (ii) the Terms of Reference for a
particular project and (iii) the budget for a particular project. The budget was agreed upon by
both the beneficiary state and the service provider, and closely vetted by the Secretariat to ensure
that they yield value for money. The other four annexes to the contract are administrative
templates.
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3.2 Ongoing Projects
The following projects are currently being undertaken by the Network.
3.2.1 Ongoing Twinning Projects
The Network is currently engaged in the following twinning project. Other projects will be
proposed at the 6th Board of Trustees Meeting.
Beneficiary
Beneficiary Institution
St Vincent & the St Vincent & The
Grenadines
Grenadines Postal
Corporation
Theme
Counter Automation at
the St Vincent and the
Grenadines Postal
Corporation
Service Provider
Barbados Postal
Services in
collaboration with
Ascent Software
Limited
Main objective:
The objective of the AUTOPOST-SVG project is to implement a modern Postal Counter Automation
solution in the SVG post offices. This will allow SVG Postal Corporation to keep in line with the
obligations of the Universal Postal Union and also allow us to introduce new services and revenue
streams.
Other Objectives:
To help SVG in ensuring the continuation of the provision of postal services for the country.
To assess the feasibility for SVG to offer financial products/services through their postal network
To re-examine SVG’s internal business processes and aim to streamline such, to achieve better
efficiency in their processes.
3.2.2 Twinning Projects being proposed for implementation
The following projects are currently being proposed for implementation by the Network.
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Theme
Service provider
Beneficiary
Beneficiary Institution
Belize
Ministry for the Public Developing a National ICT COMNET – IT,
Service,
Governance Policy for Belize
Malta
Improvements and Boundaries
Mauritius
Ministry
of
Public Support in the Setting-Up Singapore Land
Infrastructure, Land Transport of a Land Transport
Transport
and Shipping
Authority
Authority
Swaziland
TBA
Swaziland
Investment Developing a
Promotion Authority
Competitiveness Strategy
for Swaziland
Tonga Post Limited
Postal Counter
Barbados Postal
Automation
Services
Tonga
Training Workshop
Training Workshops in the Pipeline
Namibia
Mauritius
Theme
Target Participants
Competition Law and Policy in the Government officials, operating in Ministries
African Small States
dealing with trade and commerce or related
portfolios, in African small states
Competitiveness Strategies and Capacity Government officials, operating in Ministries
Building for African and Indian Ocean dealing with trade and commerce or related
Small States
portfolios, in African and Indian Ocean small
states
4. REQUESTING FUNDS FOR THE NETWORK
The World Bank funding will be exhausted at the end of 2010. The Network has been in contact with
various organizations including AusAid, Canada, the E.U and the Governments of Germany, Jersey,
Qatar and Spain. The aim is to secure funding support to enable the Network to continue operations
post 2010. As this date no funds have been forthcoming.
5. CONCLUSION
The Network continued to pick up pace during the period covered in this report with completed
projects and planned workshops for the rest of the year. Many requests for funding were also
received from small states which requests are being considered for implementation should the
Network be successful in securing additional funds for the Network post 2010 operations.
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