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Under the provisions of the Standards Act of 1987, and the Standards Regulations of 1998, standards formulation and development is mainly the responsibility of ABBS. The mandate to prepare a technical regulation or standard generally comes from the Standards Council, which is composed of representatives from several agencies, based on a request from the general public or business enterprise, or as a result of developments that could have a negative impact on health, safety, the environment, or trade. (…)

(…) Also, the export of wild birds or of any live or dead wildlife or parts, is prohibited in accordance with the CITES.

To operate in the FTPZ (Free Trade and Processing Zone), a licence is needed. Licence and registration are granted only to corporations, regardless of where they are incorporated, or a branch or unit of such corporation. The decision to grant a licence is based on considerations such as the level of investment; the project's capacity to generate employment; generation of foreign exchange; technological adaptability and transfer possibilities; and environmental impact. The licence fee ranges between US$10,000 and US$20,000 and does not depend on the size of the project. There is no information on the amount of the subsidy under the programme.

The Fisheries Act of 2006 is aimed at promoting sustainable development and the responsible management of fisheries and aquaculture activities. Under the provisions of the Act, all fishing vessels must be registered and have a valid fishing licence.

With a view to increasing tourists, the authorities are looking to develop niche markets such as medical tourism, nature excursions, sports tourism, and residential tourism via the Citizenship by Investment Initiative. In this regard, the authorities will offer tax credits to those who contribute to maintain and preserve natural and man-made historical sites. This implies that any business that contributes substantially to the maintenance or preservation of strategic natural or manmade historical sites will be able to reduce its corporate income tax liability; the business will also be able to access an annual tax credit of up to EC$250,000 on its assessable profits.

Table A2. 3 Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) on Foreign Investment Access to the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (2013)
Agriculture, forestry, husbandry and fisheries
Category/Sub category: Agriculture, forestry, husbandry, fisheries services
Specific regulations: R&D, breeding, cultivation of rare or peculiar species and production of relevant propagation materials including superior genes in crops, husbandry and aquatic sectors; R&D in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and production of genetically modified crop seeds, animal and aquatic breeds (prohibited)

The Growth and Social Protection Strategy (GSPS) identifies the challenges facing Dominica as those related to accelerating growth in the economy that can be sustainable. The challenges are economic, social, political, and environmental, some of which are beyond the control of Dominica. Dominica continues to be challenged by the global economic crisis, weather systems, and setbacks in foreign investments flows.

Priorities set in this document make poverty reduction the direct focus of the Government's economic and social policy. Government regards the pursuit of sustained strong economic growth to be the main strategy to alleviate poverty.
(…)
The main objectives of the GSPS include:
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• The attainment of sustainable growth and development.
• A reduction in vulnerability to shocks – economic and natural disasters.
(…)

Dominica is an upper middle-income country with a population estimated at 71,780 inhabitants in 2012, and a per capita GDP of US$6,692. Compared with other OECS countries, Dominica is relatively small in terms of population and GDP. The island is mostly volcanic, and is vulnerable to a range of natural disasters and hazards (hurricanes, storms, landslides). In 2007 and 2008, Dominica was struck back-to-back by two hurricanes (Dean and Omar), resulting in socio-economic disruption and considerable damage to infrastructure. In 2011, major flooding severely damaged bridges and roads.

Agriculture (including livestock and forestry) remains a major source of foreign exchange earnings and employment in Dominica. Although in decline over the long term, its contribution to GDP increased from 8.9% in 2007 to 10.5% in 2013 (Table 1.1). This contribution is far larger than in any other OECS country where the agriculture sector accounts for less than 6% of GDP. The sector is vulnerable to natural disasters and crop conditions, which is particularly costly given their relatively frequent occurrence. In 2010, the sector was hard hit by a drought. In 2013, the production of bananas was halved due to a leaf disease.