USAID Small and Medium Enterprises Development Program, in alliance with SIMAN Stores, recently launched "ARTEC.A.", a Central America-wide brand to distribute handicraft products by Salvadoran artisans in SIMAN department stores throughout the region. During the months of August and September, 30 artisans will be selling their products at the 12 SIMAN stores in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The products include decorative handicrafts, toys, jewelry and clothing items, among others. 

The USAID's program has contributed with technical assistance to help the artisans secure sales with SIMAN, as well as innovating and improving their design, production and distribution processes. Through these initiatives, USAID/El Salvador fulfills some of the commitments made by the governments of the United States and El Salvador in the "Partnership for Growth," specifically those related to solving the factors that cause lower productivity of tradables.