Praia, Cape Verde, 11 May – More than 20 companies from Cape Verde will visit the Netherlands from May 31 to June 7 in order to boost the Program of Cooperation for Emerging Markets (PSOM), officials said in Praia Friday.

The mission is organized by the chambers of commerce of Cape Verde.

The secretary-general of the Barlavento Chamber of Commerce, Adriano Cruz said that the PSOM is quite accessible and could be an opportunity for Cape Verdean businesspeople.

By the end of 2007, the PSOM will finance projects valued at 700,000 euros involving Cape Verdean and the Dutch.

During their stay in the Netherlands, the mission is expected to sign technical cooperation agreements between Dutch and Cape Verdean consultancies.

The first PSOM project for Cape Verde, which involves local and Dutch businesspeople, is a beer factory in the city of Mindelo, on the island of Sao Vicente, the installation of which is at an advanced stage.

Cape Verde signed a memorandum of understanding in April with the Netherlands in order to support the development of business projects in Cape Verde, via the PSOM program.

The PSOM, which is coordinated by the Dutch Foreign Relations, Cooperation and Development Ministry, “will support sustainable economic development projects with the aim of creating employment, income and professional training.”

The Dutch ambassador in Dakar, Johannes Jansing, who signed the memorandum with Cape Verde said at the time that the Netherlands would place instruments for promoting the development of the private sector on the ground.

Included in these are ORET, a Dutch company that finances development and the cooperation protocols signed with the Bilateral Netherlands-Cape Verde Chamber of Commerce. (macauhub)