A Department of Commerce and Industry is a government agency that improves a nation’s economy through marketing, consumer protection, and business regulation. The Philippines and South Africa are the only nations with this department. The Philippine department focuses on attracting foreign tourists and investors while South Africa’s department has a larger portfolio, including economic empowerment programs for farmers and entrepreneurs. The UK’s now-defunct department had a broad mandate, including overseeing grant programs, labor rights laws, and energy policy.
A Department of Commerce and Industry is often tasked with improving a nation’s economy through marketing, consumer protection, and business regulation. This type of national government agency can also lobby to adjust import tariffs and product regulations in legislative bodies. It often stimulates entrepreneurship within a region using small business grants and tax incentives authorized by the legislature. As of January 2011, the Philippines and South Africa were the only nations in the world with this department. The above responsibilities are divided by other nations into separate departments dealing with trade, law enforcement and labor protection.
Officials of the Department of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines mainly focus on attracting foreign tourists and investors. This department was created in 1987 to eliminate inefficiencies between separate departments dealing with the nation’s economic affairs. Previous governments dating back to 1947 bogged down the Department of Commerce and Industry with dozens of subcommittees and bureaus covering all aspects of economic health. The national government works with the agency to create advertisements that attract travelers to Asia, Australia and Europe. His additional responsibilities include working with neighboring nations to reduce tariffs and export restrictions.
In South Africa, this department has a larger portfolio than its Philippine counterpart. Partners with other agencies to coordinate economic empowerment programs that help farmers and entrepreneurs achieve economic self-sufficiency. Departmental officials work with intellectual property lawyers to register trademarks, copyrights and patents for domestic enterprises. Consumers across South Africa have access to consumer education and protection tools through the nation’s Department of Commerce and Industry. The national government works with the department to create regulations on working conditions and corporate responsibility.
The now defunct department in the UK offered an example of a broad mandate for this type of agency. Conservative and Labor governments between 1970 and 2007 added new responsibilities to the department depending on national economic trends. The agency’s initial responsibilities included grant programs for each region of the country and overseeing labor rights laws. It assumed responsibility for the region’s energy policy starting in 1992. This department also oversaw national government investment in research laboratories to improve products ranging from automobiles to computers.
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