Local design and construction industry players are encouraged to explore business opportunities abroad especially projects funded by the United Nations (UN).
Provincial Director Nelia Navarro of the Department of Trade and Industry gave this advice to companies and businessmen in these sectors during last week’s forum on doing business with the United Nations.
The creativity and skills of local designers, architects and engineers could easily win them projects under the UN, said Navarro.
“All they need to do is register in the UN (United Nations) website and satisfy the requirements that the organization seeks for in a project contractor,” said Navarro.
Navarro described the business opportunities at the UN as a still “undertapped market”
“This is another form of exporting, which is a very huge market that our exporters and even those who are not into exports can start looking into. UN is a gateway for our local companies to go global,” said Navarro.
According to Toshio Mikami, chief for the United Nations logistics and transportation under the procurement division, the United Nations total procurement value of the goods and services that they sourced from different suppliers around the world was at $14.5 billion.
“Out of that, our division’s total procurement value was $3.1 billion last year. We are inviting Filipinos to participate,” said Mikami.
Major items that UN mostly requires from suppliers include food products, pharmaceutical supplies, vehicles, computers and softwares, shelter and housing, telecommunications equipment, laboratory equipment, chemicals, building materials, security services, outsourced personnel services, engineering services, construction, corporate services, freight services, printing services and equipment rental, consultancy services and telecommunications services.
“Based on their data, the value of services and goods that they have sourced from the Philippines since 2007 was only at $48,364. This can still be increased because we have the capacity. Our construction players are already using advanced building technologies and we have local designers and architects that they can tap,” said Navarro.
She said, the local firms or businessmen should however adhere to the specific requirements that the United Nations would impose or ask from their suppliers.
“The United Nations is made up of a variety of organizational entities like Funds and Programmes under which includes the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization. We also have the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund and World Food Programme. Each of these have different specific requirements but follow common principles in finding partners and suppliers,” said Mikami.
Navarro said that interested companies could check out individual websites of the organizations to learn more about the specific requirements to participate.
“They have what they call the UN Global Compact which follows 10 principles which highlight mostly sound labor practices like no child labor, human rights in place, environmental responsibility and works against corruption, extortion and bribery,” said Navarro.
The UN procurement division purchases $478 million worth of architecture, engineering and construction related services in 2010 which according to Navarro is a huge market for our local contractors to tap.
“If they participate and get selected by UN, they can earn more and be able to expand their operations easily in the areas where the United Nations will need their services,” said Navarro.
“The organization needs contractors to rebuild their offices that were destroyed during wars and other crisis like calamities,” she said.