2023 37th CACCI Conference – The Program
2023 37th CACCI Conference – The Program
The 37th CACCI Conference hosted by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is taking place on November 6-7, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. CACCI members and colleagues are invited to REGISTER ONLINE for the conference.
With the theme Chambers of Commerce – Helping Businesses Get SET for the Future, the conference will have plenary sessions focusing on Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, and Trade, as three important tenets to better business. CEOS and business leaders are featured in the CEO Forum, during which they can share insights on development challenges and opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region. As well, there will be several breakout sessions focusing on specific industries and sectors, including ICT, Tourism, Food and Agriculture, SMEs, Young Entrepreneurs, and Water, Energy, and Environment. The Conference’s final roster of Nepalese dignataries and foreign speakers can be viewed below.
Registration is US$400 per person, inclusive of:
- Attendance to ALL sessions during the 2-day conference
- Welcome Reception Dinner/ Cocktails on 6 November 2023.
- Gala Dinner on 7 November 2023.
- Coffee breaks & 2 lunches over the 2 days
- Roundtrip airport transfers
Groups of 10 or more may contact FNCCI directly to request a group rate. Hotel booking, visa, and other relevant details may also be found on the conference website.
REGISTER HERE
Sunday 5 November 2023
02:00pm onwards Registration open at Conference Venue in the Hyatt Regenccy Hotel
Monday 6 November 2023
“Chambers of Commerce – Helping Businesses Get SET for the Future”
(S) Sustainability is critical for SMEs to gain a competitive advantage in today’s market, to be able to manage business risks, grow their brand and enhance their access to capital. According to the OECD, SMEs collectively contribute to over 50% of global Greenhouse Gas emissions from business globally. The majority of SME owners are concerned about the impacts of climate change but they need help to make this transition. Chambers can offer this support to current and potential new members looking to decarbonise their businesses and contribute to a sustainable economy.
(E) Entrepreneurship and particularly inclusive entrepreneurship supports people with new ideas to solve some of our most entrenched challenges. By supporting entrepreneurs embrace new technologies, include and support diverse groups of entrepreneurs and allow for innovation to flourish we will see new business models emerge to move us toward a truly just economy.
(T) Trade supportis a critical service Chambers provide to the business community. Trade not only helps business supply the world with the goods and services we all desire, it also builds and maintains cross border relationships. Chambers offer a range of services including mediation, ease of doing business by digitising processes as well as connecting SMEs through networking and business matching opportunities. Through this work Chambers are truly strengthening global multilateralism and in-turn global peace.
09:00am-10:30amOpening Ceremony (Main Hall)
- National Anthem of Nepal
- Nepali Cultural Performance
- Welcome Remarks: Mr. Chandra Prasad Dhakal, FNCCI President (Nepal) & Mr. Peter McMullin AM, President, CACCI (Australia)
- Remarks by: Mr. Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, Vice President, CACCI / Former President, FNCCI ( Nepal)
- Remarks by: Special Guest Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Honorable Finance Minister of Nepal
- Keynote Speaker: Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Former Prime Minister of Nepal
- Address by Chief Guest: Mr. Ramchandra Paudel, Right Honorable President of Nepal
- Vote of Thanks: Mr. Anjan Shrestha, Senior Vice President, FNCCI( Nepal)
- Group Photograph & Tokens of Appreciation
10:30am-10:45am Coffee Break
10:45am-12:00pm Plenary Session 1
SUSTAINABILITY: Developing Clean and Renewable Energy for a Greener World
(Main Hall)
This session will feature speakers who will share their views on how to ensure a sustainable supply of renewable energy, improve access to modern energy services, identify possible areas of regional cooperation to achieve a clean energy integration to build a greener world, and how chambers can play the role as a voice of change at COP28 in Dubai.
Speakers – 10 minutes each
- Mr. Sushil Chandra Tiwari, Secretary, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, Government of Nepal. (Nepal)
- Mr. Khurram Sayeed, CEO, Planet Energy Pvt. Ltd / Vice President, CACCI (Pakistan)
- Mr. Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, Chairman, Asian Council on Water, Energy, and Environment (ACWEE) (Nepal)
- Dr. Alireza Yavari, Deputy President for International Affairs, ICCIMA / Vice President, CACCI (IRAN)
- Mr. Homer Yu, Vice President, Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC) (Hong Kong)
- Moderator: Mr. RV Shahi, Ex-Secretary, Ministry of Power India (India)
Tokens of Appreciation
12:00pm-01:15pm Plenary Session 2
ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Driver for Regional Economic Growth
(Main Hall)
Discussion will focus on how to promote the entrepreneurial spirit in the region – particularly young and women entrepreneurs – through, for instance, mentorship and access to capital and markets, in order to make them effective and sustained contributors to the economic growth of their respective communities and the national and regional economy as a whole.
Speakers – 8 to 10 minutes each
- Mr. Michael Lee, Chair, Membership and Partnership Alliance Committee, YEGAP / CEO, CreBiz Factory (South Korea)
- Mr. Allen John Ku, Vice-President, EVERIII & Partners / Director, Startup Island Taiwan (The Intersection of Innovation & Technology) (Taiwan)
- Mr. Sanjeeb Panthee, Good Return (Nepal)
- Ms. Sudha Shivkumar President, FICCI Ladies Organization (Women Entrepreneurs) (India)
- Prof. Pramod B. Shrestha Ph.D. Entrepreneurship and the Metanarrative of Economic Growth: An Overview, Ph.D. (Engineering Management, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University (Nepal)
- Ms. Narin Shahrokhi Kabir, ICCIMA (Iran)
- Moderator: Mr. Suraj Vaidya, Past President, FNCCI / President, Vaidya’s Organization of Industries & Trading Houses (Nepal)
Tokens of Appreciation
01:15pm – 02:30pm Lunch
02:30pm – 03:30pm
Policy Advocacy Working Group Meeting
(Main Hall)
- Session Chair: Mr. Peter McMullin AM, President, CACCI (Australia)
- Presenter (virtual): TEPAV (Turkey) on “Sector Specific, Green Transformation Model for Value Chain Formation Among CACCI Member Countries”
03:30pm – 05:00pm
Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI
(Main Hall)
- Session Chair: Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, President Emeritus, CACCI (Georgia)
- Special Remarks: Mr. John Denton AO, Secretary General, ICC (Video) (Australia)
- Country Presenters: (1) Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), Mr. Lennon Tan (Singapore)
- (2) FNCCI, Mr. Kush Kumar Joshi, Past President, FNCCI /Managing Director, Nepal Ekarat Engineering Co. Pvt. Ltd. (Nepal)
- (3) Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines & Agriculture (ICCIMA) – VIRTUAL (Iran).
05:00pm – 6:30pm Business Matching Sessions
07:00pm – 08:30pm Welcome Reception/Dinner
CACCI internal meetings
03:30pm – 04:30pm Budget Commission Meeting (Bhaktapur Hall) (Not open to the public)
05:00pm – 06:30pm 97th CACCI Council Meeting (Bhaktapur Hall) (Not open to the public)
Tokens of Appreciation
07:00pm-08:30pm Welcome Reception (Cocktails followed by casual dinner)
Tuesday 7 November 2023
08:30am-09:00am Registration
09:00am-10:15am Parallel Breakout Session – Group 1
Asian ICT Council on “Envision the Future of AI”
(Main Hall 1)
Invited speakers will be requested to share their perspectives on the session theme “Envision the Future of Artificial Intelligence”: what are the challenges, opportunities, and benefits for industries and businesses
Speakers – 8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Sam Shen, Global Business Director, Taiwan Smart Solutions Alliance (TSSA) (Taiwan)
- Mr. Parag Shrestha, Managing Director, Fuse machines Inc. (Nepal)
- Mr. Homer Yu, Vice President, Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC) (Hong Kong)
- Mr. Umesh Raghubanshi, Vice President, Federation of Computer Association Nepal (CAN Federation) (Nepal)
- Prof. Andrew Koh, President, Singapore Chapter, Government Blockchain Association (Singapore)
- Session Chairman: Mr. Mangesh Lal Shrestha, Immediate Past Chairman, CACCI YEGAP / Global Vice President (Growth & AI) at Frost & Sullivan (Nepal)
Tokens of Appreciation
Asian Council on Food and Agriculture on “Food Security and Access: Ensuring Equitable and Sustainable Food Systems”
(Main Hall 2)
Invited speakers will be requested to elaborate on their views on how to ensure equitable and sustainable food systems through food security and food access.
Speakers -8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Rommel Gerodias, President, A101 Innovation Inc.“Food Safety”(Philippines)
- Mr. Sumit Kedia, Executive Director, Kedia Organization / Commodity Council Advisor , FNCCI (Nepal)
- Mr. Igor Piasetskii, Representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russian Federation in India. (Russia)
- Mr. Hem Raj Dhakal,Vice President (Commodity), FNCCI (Nepal)
- Session Chairman: Mr. Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, Vice President, CACCI / Former President, FNCCI (Nepal)
Tokens of Appreciation
10:15am-11:30am Parallel Breakout Session – Group 2
Young Entrepreneurs Group Asia-Pacific on “Digital Transformation and Adoption of AI: Driver for Innovation in Entrepreneurship, Trade and Sustainability”
(Main Hall 1)
This session will feature speakers who will examine how digital transformation and the adoption of AI will serve to drive and enable innovation in entrepreneurship, trade and sustainability.
Speakers – 8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Michael Lim, Founder, Beyond Value (Australia)
- Mr. Aabhushan Jyoti Kansakar, Board Member, Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs Forum (NYEF) (Nepal)
- Mr. Saurabh Jyoti, Chairman, Syakar Trading Co. P. Ltd. (Nepal)
- Session Chairman: Mr. Rommel Gerodias, President, A101 Innovation Inc. (Philippines)
Tokens of Appreciation
Asian Council on Tourism on “Green Tourism for Sustainable Future”
(Main Hall 2)
Invited speakers will share their experiences and best practices in promoting green tourism in their respective countries for a sustainable future.
Speakers – 8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Yogendra Shakya, Chairman, Club Himalayan Resort, Nagarkot (Hotel Ambassador) (Nepal)
- Dr. Dhananjaya Regmi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board (Nepal)
- Mr. Binayak Shah, President, Hotel Association Nepal (Nepal)
- Session Chairman: Mr. Anura Lokuhetty, Chairman, Red Apple Travels & Holidays Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. (Sri Lanka)
Tokens of Appreciation
11:30am-12:45pm Parallel Breakout Session – Group 3
SME Development Council on “Private sector and government cooperation for SMEs change management”
(Main Hall 1)
This session will feature speakers who will elaborate on their countries’ experience in promoting the growth and development of SMEs and the government policies in place to achieve this objective amidst a changing market environment.
Speakers – 8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Stuart Thomson, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Good Business Foundation / Chief of Staff, Office of the President, CACCI(Australia)
- Ms. Jyotsna Shrestha, Vice President (Associate), FNCCI(Nepal)
- Ms. Juna Mathema, Chairperson, Startup and Innovation Forum, FNCCI (Nepal)
- Session Chairman: Mr. George Abraham, Chairman, The GA Group Pte. Ltd.(Singapore)
Tokens of Appreciation
Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment on “Clean & Green Energy: CO2 Zero Emission”
(Main Hall 2)
Invited speakers will share their views and perspectives on the importance of promoting clean and green energy and what their respective countries are doing in this regard.
Speakers – 8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Melvin Tan, Managing Director, Cyclect Pte. Ltd. / Vice President, SMF(Singapore)
- Mr. Ganesh Karki, President, Independent Power Producers Association, Nepal (IPPAN) (Nepal)
- Mr. Sher Singh Bhat, Former Deputy MD of Nepal Electricity Authority (Nepal)
- Session Chairman: Mr. Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, Chairman, Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment, CACCI (Nepal)
Tokens of Appreciation
12:45pm-02:30pm Lunch
02:30pm- 03:45pm Plenary Session 3
TRADE: Helping Businesses Become Global Trade Players
(Main Hall)
Invited speakers will elaborate on their thoughts and ideas on how to assist businesses, particularly the SMEs which comprised majority of chambers’ constituencies, adequately equipped to participate in the international market through, for instance, digital transformation, mediation and dispute resolution capability, and labor mobility and skills development to meet new business and market demands.
Speakers – 8 to 10 minutes each
- Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada, Former Finance Minister of Nepal (Nepal)
- Ms. Deborah Lockhart, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Disputes Cetner (Mediation/Dispute Resolution) (Australia)
- Mr. James Shi Chu, Secretary General, Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC), Taiwan (Taiwan)
- Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Executive Chairman, South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (Nepal)
- Dr. Gunveena Chadha, Assistant Secretary General and Coordinator International Division, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) (India)
- Moderator: Mr. Sheikh Fazle Fahim, Vice President, CACCI / Former President, FBCCI (Bangladesh)
Tokens of Appreciation
03:45pm – 04:00pmCoffee Break
04:00pm – 05:30pm Plenary Session 4
CEO FORUM: Development Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia-Pacific Region
(Main Hall)
Company CEOs and business leaders will be invited to share their insights on what they think are the development challenges and opportunities faced by the region, including – but not limited to – food safety and security, tourism, supply chain resilience, climate change, cooperation in healthcare, the impact of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and China’s economic growth.
Speakers – 8-10 minutes each
- Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, President Emeritus, CACCI / Former CEO, Poti Sea Port (Georgia)
- Mr. Samir Modi, Immediate Past President, CACCI / Executive Director, Modi Enterprises (India)
- Mr. Lennon Tan, President, Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) (Singapore)
- Mr. Padma Jyoti, Chairman, Jyoti Group / Past President, FNCCI (Nepal)
- Moderator: Mr. Peter McMullin AM, President, CACCI (Australia)
Tokens of Appreciation
06.30pm Gala Dinner
Wednesday 8 November 2023
Optional Post-Conference City-Tour
Departure of delegates
