Welsh Government urged to rethink overseas office expansion
The Welsh Government has been urged to rethink its expansion of the overseas office model. The Labour administration is expanding its network in 2018 in a bid to boost post-Brexit trade.
There will be new offices in Canada, France, Germany and Qatar.
However, Welsh Conservatives have called on the Welsh Labour Government to introduce a series of new trade envoys instead, calling upon the expertise of the business community to raise Wales’ commercial presence after Brexit.
It’s not the first time the Welsh Government’s overseas offices have come under fire, with the FSB recently claiming they have “no tangible effect” on export performance.
Shadow Economy Secretary, Russell George, said:
“We need to see a more dynamic approach to boosting foreign trade, and the Welsh Government’s overseas offices are not fulfilling their potential.
“We have to be much smarter in our bid to win the race for jobs, trade and investment in new markets after Brexit – and that’s why we’ve called for a move towards Trade Envoys.
“They can play a key role in the new era, harnessing the expertise of the business community to help support Welsh businesses in growing and succeeding internationally.”
