PRODUCTIVITY and competitiveness
A national guild that oversees the development of the national industry, CIP seeks to promote the most suitable conditions and regulations for businesses to thrive.
How has the chamber evolved to become one of the most representative trade associations in the country?
With over 83 years of history, CIP has consolidated itself as the guild that oversees the development of the national industry, promoting the most suitable conditions for production and contributing to the improvement of life of Ecuadorians. In 2009, CIP started one of its most important transformations, reforming its statutes in line with the fourth industrial revolution and grouping the most significant sectors that shape the Ecuadorian economy. As a result of this transformation, CIP has ceased to be a provincial trade union entity and became a national coverage institution. In 2019, our union brought together companies and organizations from more than 50 productive sectors that together generate more than 150,000 direct jobs. These jobs represent 30% of non-oil GDP, contribute 30% of the total income tax, and contribute 14% of the total social security contributions. At present, we preside the National Federation of Chambers of Industry of Ecuador, a leadership body that brings together Ecuador’s 10 main industrial organizations.
The private sector is gaining more importance in Ecuador. How does the chamber promote responsible practices at the corporate level?
The chamber is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and aims to help guarantee an appropriate quality of life for the next generations. CIP has an occupational health and safety policy, as well as an occupational health and safety regulation. We reaffirm our commitment to the health and safety of employees by generating policies and procedures that prevent work accidents and occupational diseases. In terms of promoting gender equity, we are working with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) on the study of the cost of violence against women in business. In addition, we have our own initiatives such as the Talent Has No Gender Award, which we organize together with Women for Women Ecuador and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The objective of this award is to recognize the advances and good practices implemented by organizations in Ecuador in the field of gender equality and work complementarity. In the long term, we want to encourage business behaviors and policies that promote gender equality at all levels.
What is the role of companies, especially productive ones, in the 2030 National Agreement?
The role of companies is to work on an agenda that allows the country to face one of its most important structural challenges: productivity and competitiveness. These two themes are fundamental to the development of the national industry and Ecuador in general. We have presented a competitiveness agenda with eight pillars: innovation, technical education, fight against illicit trade, strategic business agenda, efficient labor market, long-term financing, tax simplicity, and good corporate governance.
How is the chamber supporting the birth of Ecuador’s mining industry?
Responsible mining will generate many opportunities for the country in the shape of decent employment, investment, infrastructure, and collateral industry development. For Ecuador, responsible mining is one of the main sources of foreign investment. In 2018, USD742 million in FDI was invested in the mining sector. The sector represented more than 53% of the USD1.4 billion in FDI that Ecuador received in 2018. And this is only the beginning, since the production of strategic projects has not yet begun. At present, mining represents approximately 8% of the total external debt, and this figure is set to increase considering that mining will represent between 3% and 4% of Ecuador’s GDP by 2021. Moreover, promoting legal and formal practices will further ensure the production of strategic projects that will benefit Ecuador's development. In 2019, the chamber welcomed its first affiliated company from the mining sector and moving forward, the chamber will work with all the stakeholders to make sure favorable conditions are in place for the emergence of an industry that will undoubtedly be fundamental for Ecuador’s future.
Represents 50 productive sectors Aligned with UN’s SDGs Advocates for deep comprehensive economic reforms