Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor

Obama Administration Launching Business Competitiveness Project

Improving "private sector competitiveness" as well as increasing access to financing will help drive "sustainable economic growth" while reducing poverty, according to the Obama Administration. Consequently, it is launching the Finance and Business Services (FaBS) Project to achieve such goals -- in Ethiopia.

The U.S. must step in to help because of the global economic downturn and the restrictive economic policies enacted in response to those changes, according to Solicitation #SOL-663-12-000013:

Despite impressive growth over the past 5-7 years, Ethiopia’s private sector continues to struggle as a result of an inefficient business climate as well as a number of firm/industry bottlenecks.  Particularly during the past two years, with the economy showing strains associated with the global downturn, escalation of prices for major import products and resultant restrictive monetary policy by government designed to help contain the impact of the global crisis and associated inflation, the prospects for private sector growth appear to have stalled according to some, or to have diminished according to others.  With credit growth continuing to decline, an already challenged business environment has become even more challenging during the past couple of years.

The U.S. Agency for International Development will carry out the 2-5-year program with private contractor assistance at an estimated cost -- if all options are exercised -- of $22 million.

Air Force Fuel Supply and Storage to be Outsourced Around Globe

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) plans to outsource a chunk of its global fuel supply and storage services to industry, though the agency has not disclosed the exact magnitude of those future contracts,  U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor has discovered. According to several presolicitation notices dated Dec. 5 and discovered though a routine search of the FedBizOpps database, the Monitor has learned that significant opportunities to take over such DLA operations on behalf of the U.S. Air Force are on the horizon.

DLA-Energy anticipates releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP) in about 30-60 days for "Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated (GOCO) Aviation and Ground Fuel Bulk Storage Services" in the following global facilities:

Osan Air Base, Korea (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0501);

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0505);

Kadena Air Base, Japan (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0504);

Incirlik Air Base, Turkey (Solicitation Number #SP0600-12-R-0502);

Ramstein Air Base, Germany (Solicitation#SP0600-12-R-0509);

Lajes Field, Azores (Portugal) (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0510);

Misawa Air Base, Japan (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0503);

Domestic U.S.  sites include:

Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0511);

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska (Solicitation #SP0600-12-R-0500); and:

Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP), San Pedro, CA.  (Solicitation #SP060012R0517)

The solicitations stated little else other than declaring that:

The Contractor's responsibility under the resulting contract will be to operate and maintain bulk storage facility to ensure safe and accurate receipt, storage, transfer, and issue of petroleum products under their control.  The contractor will not be required to perform alongside aircraft refueling, truck deliveries, handling cryogenics, operating automated service stations, or other unrelated tasks not specified in the Performance Work Statement.

Most of the above documents indicated that DLA anticipates awarding five-year contracts beginning 2012-2013, depending on location. Additionally, the agency will hold preproposal conferences and site visits for interested contractors at the respective sites.