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FIDC and DoA to merge.

The Falkland Islands Development corporation (FIDC) is to be formally integrated with the Department of Agriculture (DoA), "?in those functions where a shared mission and objectives can be obtained." Falkland Landholdings (FLH) will become a statutory corporation and share a common board with the other two organizations. The decision follows a number of proposals on ways to "?improve the delivery of economic development in the Islands," submitted for public scrutiny over the months since March of this years. According to a join press release form the Department of Agriculture and FIDC, "The integration will entail the co-location of related functions and the building up of multidisciplinary project teams that can evolve form one project to another." It will aim to: ·Assist and encourage businesses in all sectors of economy in Stanley and in Camp to grow, ·Promote and facilitate the diversification of the economy, ·Market the Falkland Islands overseas and manage of the Falkland Brand, and, ·Stimulate investment through assistance matched to other inputs and by creating access to other sources of finances. The new board which will be oversee the activities and monitor expenditure of FLH and the merged FIDC/DoA (other than regulatory functions) will be known as the Falkland Islands Development Board. The board will be advised by two panels, one nominated by the Rural Business Association and one by the Chamber of Commerce, and have some members drawn from these Associations In October the Chief Executive Dr. Blanche and the Senior Managers will spend a week in the Camp on a roadshow and give a seminar in Stanley to give everyone the opportunity to became familiar with the new initiative. Dr. Blanche recently commented, "Agriculture is the biggest problem, rural development is the challenge, a focused common and consisted approach to marketing, training and business development is the key." Asked who will be in charge of the merged DoA/FIDC Acting General Manager FIDC, Richard Bakers said, "?for the foreseeable future things will carry on as they are?, a decision will be mad