Dutch experts offer technical assistance

The PUM Netherlands Senior Experts assistance project is looking at supporting at least 15 projects in Cebu this year, specifically in the fields of environment, water distribution/waste management, furniture, as well as tourism.

PUM chief executive officer (CEO) Thijs van Praag announced in a press conference that the Philippines is one of the important countries that is being supported by the project, due to a lot of industries, and small and medium companies that have great potential to grow and employ more people.

PUM, a developmental support program established by the Dutch government in partnership with the Employers’ Association Holland, expects to dispatch about 15 Senior Experts to help Cebuano companies, including Local Government Unit (LGUs) beneficiaries for an intensive technical and technology support.

Although, the main focus of the project’s support for the Philippines is into food and agricultural industries, Praag said support for Cebu will be given to diverse industries, since the province is not an agricultural area.

Praag was in Cebu early this week to lead the two-day Country Team Meeting held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel.

Since the senior experts are Dutch volunteers, PUM will only spend about P6 million for the total support for the Philippines this year. The organization’s expenses will only cover the transportation cost of the experts, while beneficiaries will take care of the accommodation of the Dutch senior consultants.

“We can’t afford commercial consultants,” Praag said. The project’s annual budget is within the 12 million Euro level.

In 2007, the PUM had supported a total of 62 projects, covering Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bacolod, Palawan, Bulacan, among others.

Ton M. Hens, the project’s country coordinator for the Philippines, said that companies which are candidate for technical support from PUM are those that employ from 10 to 250 personnel.

Aside from senior expert dispatch, PUM will also sponsor training for beneficiary companies to be sent to Netherlands, and also to develop business linkages to Dutch companies.

In Cebu, the project had supported several SMEs, which are into export, education, wellness, food, Information Technology (IT), home accents, skin care, spa management, real estate, automotive, printing, mining among others.

One of the leading development agencies in Holland operating in more than 80 countries worldwide is the PUM Netherlands Senior Experts with a database of more than 4,000 volunteer senior experts available to help enterprises in Eastern & Southern Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Asia, Northwest, South and West Africa.