[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1134, 313], "category": "Text", "text": "issuance process, vessel registration fees, export fees, taxes and bureaucratic processes, among others). Additionally, the fisheries management system is not transparent enough to facilitate business operators' information on fish resources. However data is crucial to allow companies to understand and predict trends, opportunities and market conditions. Construction of an industrial fishing port and certification for export to the EU have been identified by Guinea-Bissau's government as strategic priorities to transform and diversify the national economy."}, {"bbox": [96, 323, 1134, 856], "category": "Text", "text": "The mentioned value chains, beside their specific challenges, face **systemic issues**. Due to the fragility of the institutions, there is a lack of **coordination** of national, regional and international institutions aiming at the complementarity of the agribusiness and fisheries value chains. **Research** is not sufficiently supported by the public sector and its potential to contribute to the scientifically informed development of MSMEs working in the food value chains is limited. The **food safety quality assurance system** in Guinea-Bissau is fragile and embryonic. The accreditation of a national laboratory for quality control and introduction of a regulatory framework for food safety system is therefore essential to enable export to high value international markets – such as the EU - and capture opportunities offered by regional integration frameworks, including the Africa Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Compliance with high level requirements and products certification is particularly relevant for some value chains, as fisheries. Another major issue is related to **human capital**, in particular with regard to technical skills at the various segments of the food value chains and gender equality. Women farmers are especially disadvantaged since men control decisions over land and resources and allocate these first to their own work. There is a need to support women economic roles and labour productivity (areas of need: access to financing, extension services and training to improve production and sales, and provision of basic infrastructures to ease time burdens and increase efficiencies of market work and domestic work as well), which has a potential impact on food and nutrition security among others. Vocational training as well as high level expertise should address the specific needs of each product. Furthermore, although public bodies for the promotion of entrepreneurship exist, their operationality remains very low today. However, support for the identification of business opportunities, **networking** for knowledge sharing and promotion, coaching and guidance form the early stages of the MSMEs, including through **incubators**, access to **financing mechanisms** and **digitalization opportunities**, is key for their viability and development."}, {"bbox": [96, 868, 1030, 922], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Identification of main stakeholders and corresponding institutional and/or organisational issues (mandates, potential roles, and capacities) to be covered by the action:"}, {"bbox": [96, 948, 1134, 1055], "category": "Text", "text": "The action involves three main stakeholder groups as duty bearers: 1) public actors providing the institutional framework and support to the development of the selected value chains (cashew, rice, tropical fruits and plants, fisheries), 2) the private sector involved in the development of the selected value chains, 3) the stakeholders involved in the improvement of the business and investment climate."}, {"bbox": [96, 1080, 421, 1107], "category": "Text", "text": "The key partners are the following."}, {"bbox": [96, 1133, 307, 1158], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### National stakeholders"}, {"bbox": [103, 1173, 271, 1197], "category": "Section-header", "text": "#### Public sector"}, {"bbox": [96, 1199, 1134, 1279], "category": "Text", "text": "* *Ministry of Economy and Planning*, responsible of the Business Environment Strategy and action plan, as well as to coordinate the business environment inter-ministerial reforms (Energy, Transport, Public Administration) and its institutional working plans from the technical and political point of view."}, {"bbox": [96, 1279, 1134, 1436], "category": "Text", "text": "* *Ministry of Finance*, responsible for macro-economics and public finance management though mobilization and allocation of public resources. It plays an important role in the coordination with the Ministry of Economy and BCEAO (Central Bank) for the formalization, tax regimes and incentives. Furthermore, it includes the Customs Directorate that has the responsibility of controlling the administrative conditions of origin and specifications of exported products (in the case of fisheries, sanitary certification, IUU catch certificate, exporter eligibility, among others)."}, {"bbox": [96, 1437, 1134, 1490], "category": "Text", "text": "* *Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development*, to improve the strategic, budgetary and regulatory framework for the value chains of cashew nuts, tropical tree and rice."}, {"bbox": [96, 1491, 1134, 1571], "category": "Text", "text": "* *Ministry of Fisheries* is directly involved in the implementation of the Sector Policy and the Strategy for the Fisheries Sector 2023-2027. The operational departments in charge of the sector comprise several General Directorates of Fisheries and autonomous services for the sector policy implementation."}, {"bbox": [96, 1571, 1134, 1624], "category": "Text", "text": "* *Ministry of Trade* for the regulatory frameworks relevant for each value chain, *Ministry of Health*, important for its role in the regulation of food safety, *Ministry of Environment and Biodiversity*, for the sustainability of"}, {"bbox": [1131, 1682, 1145, 1703], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "8"}]