Requesting Representatives for CACCI Young Entrepreneurs

As part of CACCI efforts to further strengthen the CACCI Young Entrepreneurs Group in Asia Pacific (YEGAP), CACCI would like to request Primary Chamber members ONLY to nominate representatives in the Executive Committee of YEGAP. It is our hope that, with Primary Members duly represented in the Executive Committee of YEGAP, the National Chambers will be able to make an important contribution to CACCI’s efforts in promoting youth entrepreneurship not just in their country but in the Asia-Pacific region as well.

As CACCI members may know, YEGAP was created during the 68^th CACCI Council Meeting held in May 2004 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Its goal is to provide a venue for young entrepreneurs in CACCI member countries to get actively involved in entrepreneurial development. CACCI envisions the YEGAP to serve as an effective venue for identifying suitable programs geared towards entrepreneurial development for young and start-up entrepreneurs.

The CACCI Council last year approved the Governance Framework applicable to all CACCI Product and Service Councils (PSCs), including YEGAP. Under the approved Governance Framework, it is stipulated that the affairs of  PSCs shall be governed and administered by the Executive Committee composed of at most two duly designated representatives from each CACCI Primary Member. We therefore write to seek your nominations for the YEGAP Executive Committee.

As CACCI members very well know, any organization is only as strong and effective as its members. CACCI is therefore looking for YEGAP Executive Committee representatives from Primary members with the following qualifications:

• Must be 49 years old or younger;

• Have a strong interest and commitment to actively participate in the programs and projects of YEGAP;

• Be willing and financially capable to travel at least once a year to attend meetings of YEGAP;

• Take an active role in setting the general direction of YEGAP and in identifying activities of YEGAP to help achieve its objective of promoting entrepreneurship among CACCI members;

• Be in a position to serve as an effective liaison between YEGAP and young entrepreneurs group in his/her country;

• Be proficient in English; and

• Be eager and willing to render voluntary work for YEGAP

• Preferably a Lifetime Special Member of CACCI

Please send us the names and contact details of your designated representatives in the YEGAP Executive Committee.  Kindly download and fill the Nomination Form, and send it back to us through our Fax No. (886 2) 2760-7569, or by e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz, by March 22, 2021 if possible.

CACCI Profile – February edition available

Taipei – The February 2021 issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI VPs take on Designated Portfolio

The incumbent CACCI Vice Presidents have agreed to take a lead role in initiating and implementing programs and projects for their designated portfolios during the rest of their term in office.

Following the 92nd CACCI Council Meeting held online on November 20 last year, the incumbent Vice Presidents were requested to indicate which of the CACCI activities they prefer to be responsible for to help achieve CACCI’s objectives of promoting the interest of CACCI members.

After sorting out their indicated preferences, CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi have assigned each of the CACCI Presidents to take the lead in the following CACCI activities:

• Policy advocacy – Mr. Peter McMullin (Australia)
• Participation in Inter-governmental organizations involved in regional cooperation (e.g., ASEAN, APEC, etc.) – Sheikh Fazle Fahim (Bangladesh)

• Strengthening of relationships with other regional and international business organizations (ICC, Eurochambres, etc.) – Rifat Hisarciklioglu (Turkey)
• Promoting trade and investments among CACCI member countries – Teruo Asada (Japan)

• Information exchange program (publications, social media, etc.) – Henry Kao (Taiwan)

• Membership expansion – Pradeep Kumar Shrestha (Nepal)

• Annual Council meetings and Conferences – Dr. Pedram Soltani (Iran)

Each of the Vice Presidents has been requested to propose programs and projects for his designated portfolio.

“TOBB Digitalization Virtual Fair” on January 26-27, 2021

CACCI is pleased to invite its members to join the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey’s (TOBB) “TOBB Digitalization Virtual Fair ” to be held on January 26-27, 2021.

To be open 24 hours a day, the two-day Virtual Fair aims to enhance the digital transformation process of SMEs and to eliminate the lack of information and to provide access in this field.  By attending the event, participants will not only be able to conduct one-on-one meetings with companies from different sectors, but also join webinars on topics of: (1) Digital transformation in economy; (2) The key of digitalization: 5G and the internet of things; and (3) The new normal: digitalization.

For more information on the event as well as on registration, interested parties may wish to visit the official website at: https://tobb.org.tr/sanalfuar/ , or contact TOBB directly via the following e-mail: sanalfuar2021@tobb.org.tr .

CACCI Profile – January edition available

Taipei – The January 2021 issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI Secretariat tours MiTAC Corp.

CACCI Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado (8th from left, front) joined other representatives in Taiwan of embassies and trade and economic offices from other countries during their visit to MiTAC Information Technology Corp. held on October 20, 2020.

Organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), the visit to MiTAC – a Taiwanese electronics company established in 1982 – provided the participants the opportunity to get a better understanding of Taiwan’s capabilities as one of the leading ICT providers in the world. MiTAC has a wealth of experience in system integration and has participated in numerous projects in other countries, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, among others. MiTAC’s businesses cover mobile and automotive solutions, client computing solutions and enterprise solutions that are tailor made to satisfy regional and global market requirements.

SME Development Council’s newsletter available

Taipei – CACCI is pleased to share with its members the Eleventh Volume of the SME Development Council’s newsletter under the Chairmanship of George Abraham. Please click here to read or download.

We hope that this publication will provide its readers with adequate information about the latest developments in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the Asia Pacific region.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and with best regards.

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

CACCI Profile – November edition available

Taipei – The November issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI Profile – December edition available

Taipei – The December issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

Nominations for CACCI Awards Extended to 31 May 2021

As agreed by the CACCI Council Meeting held on November 20, 2020, we wish to advise you that:

• The deadline for submission of online nomination for the four CACCI Awards, namely the 9^th Local Chamber Awards, 8^th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award, 3^rd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award, and 4^th Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award, will be extended to May 31, 2021; and

• The final selection of winners and the presentation ceremony of the Awards will be made during the 35^th CACCI Conference to be held in Singapore in August 2021.

We encourage your Chamber to participate in the CACCI Awards Program and submit your online nominations for each of the following four Award categories by clicking on the appropriate space below:

• 9^th Local Chamber Awards

https://forms.gle/3FbNJHskKREXsroX8

• 8^th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award

https://forms.gle/Kr9R57NRuPkgySCJ9

• 3^rd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award

https://forms.gle/Ar7V9z8RZqmik7w28

• 4^th Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award

https://forms.gle/PAHNtANvoBNk2ek16

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to let us know by e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry

ICC Saudi Arabia Chairman holds Online Meeting with CACCI Secretariat

Mr. Yassin Alsuroor, Vice Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and concurrently Chairman of ICC Saudi Arabia (and Executive Chairman of A’amal Group), touched base with executives of the CACCI Secretariat on July 13 to discuss the possibility of CACCI organizing a webinar during the upcoming B20 Summit tentatively scheduled on October 26- 27, 2020.

The B20 is a forum through which the private sector produces policy recommendations for the annual meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) leaders. The B20 brings together business leaders from across G20 member countries to reflect the key role of the private sector as the main driver of strong, sustainable and balanced growth. The B20 Summit serves as the occasion for the B20 members to present their final policy recommendations to the G20 Presidency. CACCI has been invited to participate in the activities of B20 in previous years. This year’s B20 is chaired by Saudi Arabia.

92nd CACCI Council Meeting – virtual on 20 November 2020

With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic continuing to prevent people from taking foreign trips, CACCI is left with no choice but to hold this year’s 92nd CACCI Council Meeting in a virtual format.

The virtual meeting of CACCI members will be held on November 20th 2020, from 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm, Taipei time, with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as supporting organization. It is hoped that all Primary Members will be represented in the Council Meeting, given its virtual nature.

To be chaired by CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi, this year’s gathering of the CACCI Council, which is the governing body of the Confederation, will be reviewing the activities of CACCI since the last meeting in November 2019 held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the proposed CACCI Work Program for the next two years, preparations for the 2021 CACCI Conference, the proposed budget for 2021, and proposals for new projects and research study, among others.

The annotated meeting agenda, the link to the meeting platform, and other relevant details was send to the designated representatives of Primary Members prior to the meeting. The latest tentative agenda can be viewed as follows:

Virtual 92nd CACCI Council Meeting

November 20, 2020, 02:00 PM – 04:00 PM, Taipei Time

TENTATIVE AGENDA

(1) Call to Order

(2) Approval of Tentative Agenda

(3) Approval of the Previous Minutes

(4) Report of the Director-General

(5) Financial Report

(6) Membership Report

(7) Report of the Advisory Board

(8) Election of CACCI Officers for 2020-2022

(9) Consideration of the Framework for the 2020-2022 CACCI Work Program

(10) Report of the CACCI Budget Commission

(11) Update on the CACCI Awards

• 9th Local Chamber Awards
• 8th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award
• 3rd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award
• 4th Hydropower and Clean Energy Award

(12) Preparations for the 35th CACCI Conference

(13) Creation of the CACCI Planning Committee

(14) Other Matters

(15) Resolution of Thanks to FICCI

(16) Adjournment

CACCI Profile – October edition available

Taipei – The October issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

34th CACCI Conference Virtual on October 30th, 2020 “Achieving Sustainable Growth in a Turbulent and Disruptive Global Market”

CACCI wishes to remind all its members, associates and friends to register – if you have not done so already – for the virtual 34th CACCI Conference to be organized by the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), with the support of the Federation  of Indian Chanmbers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), on October 30, 2020 from 2:00 PM to 03:45 PM, Taipei Time.

Focusing on the theme “Achieving Sustainable Growth in a Turbulent and Disruptive Global Market”, this year’s CACCI Conference – the first-ever to be held by CACCI in an online format – will feature speakers who will elaborate on their perspectives on current trends, challenges, and uncertainties in the world market environment and geopolitical landscape, and the role of governments and businesses in mitigating the impact of  these market developments and global disruptions on the economy and business operations. The webinar participants will therefore have the opportunity to explore what the new normal might look like and prepare for it, to better understand the current landscape they are operating in, and to know what they need to do to resume operations and achieve business recovery. Attached is a copy of the latest Conference Program.

Focus Areas of Discussion

(1) How the Asian economies are being shaped by the COVID-19 containment measures

(2) The Challenge of Restoring the Multilateral Trading System

(3) The China-US Trade Friction and its Impact on the Global Economy

Register in advance for this complimentary virtual Conference through the following link:

https://registrations.ficci.com/caccia/visitor-registrationv.asp

CACCI Profile – September edition

Taipei – The September issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

“Achieving Sustainable Growth in a Turbulent and Disruptive Global Market” – Virtual 34th CACCI Conference October 30, 2020

The virtual Conference will feature invited speakers who will exchange views on current trends, challenges, and uncertainties in the world market environment and geopolitical landscape, and the role of governments and businesses in mitigating the impact of  these market developments and global disruptions on the economy and business operations. It aims to provide the participants the opportunity to explore what the new normal might look like and prepare for it, to better understand the current landscape they are operating in, and to know what they need to do to resume operations and achieve business recovery.

Proposed Program

(As of September 21, 2020)

02:00pm – 02:05pm     Welcome Statement by FICCI President Dr. Sangita Reddy

02:05pm – 02:10pm     Opening Remarks by CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi

02:10pm – 02:30pm    Keynote Speech by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog

02:30pm – 02:50pm    Presentation by Mr. Abdul Abiad, Director, Macroecononic Research Division, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department, Asian Development Bank

02:50pm – 03:10pm    Presentation by  Dr. Andrew Stoeckel, Honorary Professor, Centre  for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis,  Australian National University

03:10pm – 03:30pm     Presentation by Mr. Richard Koo, Chief Economist, Nomura Research Institute (To be confirmed)

03:30pm – 03:34pm     Panel Discussion / Q&A Session

Register here…

https://registrations.ficci.com/caccia/visitor-registrationv.asp

Moderator:

Mr. Dilip Chenoy
Secretary-General, FICCI

Virtual 34th CACCI Conference on “Achieving Sustainable Growth in a Turbulent and Disruptive Global Market” in October 30th 2020

CACCI invites members, associates and friends to join the virtual 34th CACCI Conference to be held on October 30, 2020.

Focusing on the theme “Achieving Sustainable Growth in a Turbulent and Disruptive Global Market.” the virtual Conference will feature invited speakers and panelists who will exchange views on current developments, challenges and disruptions in the regional and world market environment and geopolitical landscape and how these impact on the economies and business operations of the region.

The CACCI Secretariat is currently coordinating with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on the preparations for the virtual Conference. Members will be duly notified as soon as the Conference Program and other relevant arrangements are finalized.

The three areas of discussion to be presented are:

(1) The emerging challenges in the global environment such as the ongoing US-China trade war, US sanctions on certain economies, the protracted Hong Kong protest movement, security-related challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic, and natural and man-made disasters; and how to mitigate their negative impact on the economy and on business.

(2) How the Asian economies are being shaped by the Covid-19 containment measures and the resulting reduction in mobility, weak external demand, and disruptions in global and regional supply chains.

(3) The need of businesses for digital transformation  to achieve sustainable growth, for training and management of the workforce to meet market challenges, and the role of businesses in mitigating the impact of market disruptions (such as the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and other natural or man-made disasters) on their business operations as well as on their customers.

We look forward to your participation in our virtual gathering this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please do let us know by writing to cacci@cacci.biz

CACCI Profile – August edition available

Taipei – The August issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

MHP is Newest CACCI Lifetime Special Member

PrJSC Myronovskiy Hliboproduct (MHP), a vertically integrated agrarian holding headquartered in Kiev, Ukraine, has become the newest Lifetime Special Member of the Confederation of AsiaPacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI). MHP is the leading Ukrainian producer of poultry products, with a total production of more than 700,000 tons per year.

The company exports its products to more than 70 countries. It has production facilities in the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Slovakia, and a distribution office in the UAE. MHP’s vertically-integrated business model provides an ability to control the quality of products “from the field to fork”.

MHP owns and operates modern facilities at each of the key stages of chicken production processes: grain and fodder production; egg incubation and grow-out; processing; marketing; and sales and distribution. This enables maintenance of strict biosecurity standards throughout the entire production process and enhances quality control.

As part of its verticallyintegrated business model, MHP grows corn, sunflower and soya to support its chicken production. Grains such as wheat and rape are also grown for sale to third parties. The company leases agricultural land located primarily in the highly fertile black soil regions of Ukraine. MHP is headed by its CEO and major shareholder Yuriy Kosyuk.

CACCI meets with Indian Representative in Taiwan

CACCI Director-General Mr. Ernest Lin (2nd from right) had a lunch meeting on July 15, 2020 in Taipei with Mr. Rishikesh Swaminathan Ravikumar, Deputy Director-General of India Taipei Association (3rd from left).

They were joined by Mr. Guann-Jyh Lee, Deputy Director-General, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) (right); Dr. Madhu Cherukury, CEO, Allgenesis Biotherapeutics Inc. (2nd from left); and CACCI Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado (left).

Discussions focused on business and investment opportunities for Indian companies in Taiwan, among others.

CACCI Profile – June edition available

Taipei – The June issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

Young Entrepreneur newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to make available the 21st edition of Young Entrepreneur Group Asia-Pacific, the newsletter of the Young Entrepreneur Group of Asia-Pacific (YEGAP) under the chairmanship of Ms. Anna Marie Periquet from the Philippines.

We hope that this edition– and the future ones– will continue to serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among young entrepreneurs in the region.

If you wish to contribute articles or other materials that can be published in the next newsletter, you may send them through the CACCI Secretariat’s e-mail address at cacci@cacci.biz

Thank you and best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

CACCI Profile – July edition available

Taipei – The July issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available in PDF format and ready for download HERE.

It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI Tourism newsletter available

Taipei – CACCI is pleased to inform all members that the 22nd Volume of CACCI Tourism Newsletter under the Chairmanship of Mr. Anura Lokuhetty from Sri Lanka is available for download.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the tourism sector in the CACCI region.  Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues.  Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.org.tw

Thank you, and with best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

XIV CACCI Health & Education newsletter available

Taipei – We are pleased to inform you that the fourteenth Volume of CACCI Health & Education Newsletter has been formally issued.

You can download the newsletter HERE.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the sector of health and education in the CACCI region.  Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues.  Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.org.tw

Request for Project Proposals for Funding by the CACCI Foundation

CACCI would like to invite Chamber members to submit formal proposals on projects that they wish to be financed by the CACCI Foundation.

As members are aware, the CACCI Foundation was established in 2006 to help Primary and Affiliate Members implement projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The ultimate objective is to assist chambers in Asian developing countries to become sustained contributors to the economic development of the private sector.

Since its establishment, the CACCI Foundation has helped finance the following four projects (pictured above), with each one receiving US$5,000:

(1) “Youth Business Sri Lanka Programme” in Sri Lanka – Managed by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Programme provided assistance (in the form of a loan of US$500 and mentoring support) to enterprising youths who have viable business plans but do not have financial resources;

(2) “Life Forever Beautiful-Organic Mongolia” in Mongolia – An initiative of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), the project was aimed at procuring yak’s milk from herders, with the view to creating a foundation for milk production.

(3) “Promoting Women Entrepreneurship Through Development of SMEs” in Bangladesh – Initiated by the Barisal Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), the project assisted the entrepreneurial development of women, especially the less fortunate ones, in Barisal, which is an old port located some 353 kilometers from Dhaka in southern Bangladesh.

(4) “Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Cosmetic Industry” in Mongolia – The MNCCI project is primarily aimed at strengthening the capacity of female-owned cosmetic companies by conducting training to some 200 employees (both women and men) of the 30 Mongolian companies engaged in the manufacture of end-use cosmetics.

CACCI calls on all Chambers to submit their formal proposals on projects – either ongoing or still to be implemented – that encourage entrepreneurship and promote the growth and development of SMEs, thereby helping us achieve the objective of the CACCI Foundation.

To serve as your guide in preparing the project proposal, please download HERE, a copy of the Project Proposal Framework outlining the suggested elements of the project proposal.

We would appreciate it very much if you could submit to us your project proposal/s by August 15, 2020, if possible.

Should you have further questions, please write to cacci@cacci.biz.

Nominations to 2020 CACCI Awards extended to November 30th

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has led to lockdown in many countries and thereby resulted in the decision to hold the virtual 34th CACCI Conference instead of having a face-to-face meeting, CACCI wishes to advise that:

(a)   The deadline for submission of online nomination for CACCI Awards, namely the 9th Local Chamber Awards, 8th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award, 3rd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award, and 4th Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award, will be Online nomination extended to November 30, 2020; and

(b)   The final selection of winners and the presentation ceremony of the Awards will be made during the 35th CACCI Conference to be held in Wellington, New Zealand in 2021, instead of the original schedule of October 2020 in Taipei.

CACCI encourage your Chamber to participate in the CACCI Award Program and submit your online nominations for each of the following four Award categories by clicking on the appropriate space below:

9th Local Chamber Awards

Apply HERE

8th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award

Apply HERE

3rd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award

Apply HERE

4th Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award

Apply HERE

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to CACCI by e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz.

Virtual conference on “Roadmap Towards Back-to-Business for Asia Pacific Countries”

CACCI is pleased to invite members, partners and friends to participate in the virtual conference on  “Roadmap Towards Back-to-Business for Asia Pacific Countries” jointly organized by CACCI and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on June 2, 2020, at 11:30 AM, India time.

As you are well aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered economic and social shocks globally, sparing no nation from its devastating multi-dimensional impacts, further exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and inequalities and leading to immense suffering in regions around the world. With the economic fallout from the global spread of COVID-19 continuing to increase, FICCI and CACCI have invited representatives from selected CACCI member chambers – including those from Japan, the Philippines, Australia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Georgia, Bangladesh and India – to convene online for a panel discussion.

The panelists will share  information and their insights on:  (a) the expected impact of the health crisis on their respective economies; (b) what the business sector and government authorities in their countries are doing to mitigate the impact of the crisis on the economy and to safeguard business operations; (c) what measures are currently being set in place as part of efforts to put back the economy and businesses on the road to recovery; and (d) the challenges – and opportunities – that their markets face at the present time and what businesses have learned from this situation.

Hereunder are the relevant details on the virtual conference.

Event: Roadmap towards back to business for Asia Pacific Countries

Event address for attendees: https://ficciindia.webex.com/ficciindia/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3632c692ddab554911f0316eea18cc32

Date and time: Tuesday, June 2, 2020 11:30 am India Time (Mumbai, GMT+05:30)

Duration: 1.5 hours

Description: Roadmap towards back to business for Asia Pacific Countries

Event number: 913 359 754

Event password: INT2020

CACCI Joins Virtual 15th ASEAN-BAC JBCs Meeting

The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) participated in the 15h ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Joint Business Councils (JBCs) meeting held via Zoom on May 15, 2020.

Chaired by Dr. Doan Duy Khuong from ASEAN-BAC Vietnam and Vice President of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and moderated by Mr. Gil Gonzales, Executive Director of ASEAN-BAC Secretariat, the two-hour virtual meeting discussed possible JBC response to COVID-19 and the way forward. Among others, the participants considered the ASEAN Secretariat Report on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and proposed policy recommendations. Representatives of each of the JBCs also provided updates on their recent and upcoming activities to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Representing CACCI during the video conference was Mr. George Abraham, Chairman of the CACCI SME Development Council and Chairman and Managing Director of The GA Group Pte Ltd. from Singapore, Also in attendance were CACCI Director-General Mr. Ernest Lin and Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr.

In his report to the meeting, Mr. Abraham:

Cited the disparate nature of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across nations in the region. He noted that Australia and New Zealand are just about out of the virus critical stages with highly successful lockdowns and are now moving towards the reopening of our economies to international travel. Other nations in the region, on the other hand, are not so fortunate.

Underscored the importance of the update of digital technology and to cement the gains and not see a return to the “old ways” post crisis. Especially related to trade and trade facilitation such as trade documents. However, across Asia there are still embedded systems that are constraining trade, especially much-needed health supplies as well as “normal trade” in goods and services that are vital to all economies across our region.

Stressed the need to counter the rise in nationalism and protectionism. Revision to “beggar thy neighbour” policies will see catastrophic consequences well beyond the virus. All business groups must champion free trade and seek to remove barriers to trade including tariffs and non-tariff barriers. This is also true for investment.

Cited the importance of movement of people for the economic success of the region, particularly for labour, education, and tourism, among others. Obviously, this can only be done when it is “safe” and appropriate protocols are observed for some time to come. Airlines and other industries dependent on movement of people will be critically disadvantaged if lockdowns continue too long.

Pointed out the need for the market to continue to operate. Businesses fail all the time. Stimulus measures should not be aimed at subsidising non-viable business – no matter how large they are. Subsidies are a transfer of taxpayer money to business and need to be rejected. The market-based systems of allowing business to flourish and provide jobs needs to be restored as quickly as possible in all nations.

CACCI joined the virtual meeting as an Associate Member of the ASEAN-BAC JBCs. The Confederation was admitted as Associate Member in June 2019.

CACCI Advisory Board Members hold virtual meeting

Members of the CACCI Advisory Board, composed of past and current Presidents of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), held a virtual meeting on May 20, 2020 to discuss how CACCI should adopt to the changing world brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain its relevance to its members.

Presided by Advisory Board Chairman Mr. Kenneth Court from Australia, the virtual meeting was attended by Mr. Harvey Chang from Taiwan, Amb. Benedicto Yujuico from the Philippines, Mr. Jemal Inaishvili from Georgia, and the incumbent CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi from India. Also in attendance were CACCI Secretariat officers led by Director General Mr. Ernest Lin as well as Ms. Aneesha Duggal, Special Assistant to Mr. Modi.

The Advisory Board members exchanged views and insights on how the Confederation can continue to serve and be of value to its members under the current circumstances and uncertainties caused by the pandemic.

Among other, they shared ideas on how to continue bringing members together during this time when congregating in person is not possible, how to assist and learn from each other as they face identical challenges across the region, how to maintain communications with and among members to keep them informed and learn from each other’s experiences; and how to move forward into the future under the so-called new normal created not only by the pandemic but also by the changing geopolitical and global economic landscapes.

The Advisory Board agreed to hold more virtual meetings on a regular basis to discuss issues that may arise during these difficult times and the critical things members can do together to see this through.

CACCI Food & Agriculture newsletter available

Taipei – We are pleased to inform you that the Fourteenth Volume of CACCI Food & Agriculture Newsletter, the publication of the Asian Council on Food and Agriculture, has been formally issued.

You can download the newsletter HERE.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the food & agriculture sector in the CACCI region. Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.biz.

CACCI Profile – May edition available

Taipei – The May issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

Boston Consulting Group’s Perspectives on COVID-19

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) shared with CACCI members the 3rd edition of the integrated BCG Perspectives document on COVID-19 to support them in navigating the turbulent times brought about by the pandemic which “has led to a global, societal crisis that needs to be addressed collaboratively by leaders worldwide.”

According to BCG, the effects on the economy, sectors, business, and society are extraordinary, and they are challenging governments and business leaders globally to find tailored answers to urgent and important issues.

BCG believes that to navigate through the crisis, leaders need to take a multi-timescale perspective, preparing their responses across three phases: (1) FLATTEN the spread of the virus; (2) Collectively FIGHT the virus, preserve public health and progressively reopen sectors of economy and society; and (3) Prepare for the FUTURE. Organizations managing this change well, will emerge stronger from the crisis.

Hereunder are the major points of the report:

Many countries are starting to establish preconditions for a controlled restart, as COVID-19 continues to be a global challenge to societies

• Governments’ actions and societal adherence continue to deliver results in flattening the curve; allowing us to consider relaxation of lockdowns
• However, health care capacity (e.g. masks) and testing (e.g. currently unreliable serology) remain major issues
• Business preparation (e.g. health protocols; workplace safety) and public response (e.g. revised social norms) are key to ensure a sustainable transition

Impact on economy, sectors, and business remains severe in 2020; rebound to pre-crisis levels not expected by end of 2021

• Length of ‘Fight’ phase dependent on many unknowns; accelerated movement toward vaccine or treatment at scale could limit ‘Fight’ phase to 12-24 months; data from therapeutics will emerge in a few months—drugs likely to reduce severity of infection
• Estimating the economic, sector, and business impact requires scenario-thinking to navigate the crisis
• Current consumer sentiment suggests some willingness to resume activities post lockdown but not to pre-crisis levels (even with treatment)
• Economic forecasts point to severe downturn in 2020—global rebound to pre-COVID levels not expected before 2021
• Total shareholder returns (TSR) have rebounded over the last 20 days, most sectors still hit; there are clear winners even in hard hit sectors

To emerge stronger from the crisis requires fast, decisive action; business leaders need to concurrently think across multiple time horizons

• To navigate through the crisis, leaders can leverage real-time, high-frequency, leading indicators to understand patterns and societal shifts
• Experience from prior crises suggests that winners innovate to accelerate out of crisis and seek bold moves, e.g. M&A
• We recommend nine action areas to business leaders that allow companies to emerge stronger
• ‘Winning the Fight’ improves odds to also ‘Win the Future’

The report can be downloaded HERE.

BCG is an American management consulting firm founded in 1963. The firm has more than 90 offices in 50 countries, and is considered one of the three most prestigious employers in management consulting.

If you have questions on the report, please contact:

Il-Dong Kwon
Managing Director & Partner
M (HK, WhatsApp, Viber) +852 5665 4908, M (VN) +84 86 988 0362
kwon.ildong@bcg.com
www.bcg.com

Executive Assistant: Loc Nguyen, +84 94 223 8783, nguyen.loc@bcg.com

Theme and Topics of the 34th CACCI Conference in 2020

CACCI is pleased to inform members and friends that this year’s 34th CACCI Conference, which will be held on October 29-30, 2020 in Taipei, Taiwan, will carry the theme “Achieving Sustainable Growth in a Turbulent and Disruptive Global Market”.

Experts from the business sector, relevant government agencies, multilateral and regional organizations, and the academe will be invited to share their views during the Conference Plenary Sessions on the following topics:

Session One:

Emerging Challenges in the Global Landscape

The session will feature speakers who will share their views on the new and emerging challenges in the global environment such as the ongoing US-China trade war, US sanctions on certain economies, the protracted Hong Kong protest movement, security-related challenges, natural disasters, and corona virus pandemic; and how to mitigate their negative impact on business.

Session Two:

Embracing New Technologies and Innovation for Competitive Advantage

Discussions will focus on opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies (block chain, AI and machine learning, digital platforms, 3D printing, mobile payments, etc.) to make business more innovative, more efficient, less costly, and more responsive to the changing needs of customers.

Session Three:

Creating a Business Model for a Sustainable Future

Speakers – from both the private and government sectors -will be invited to share their insights and perspectives on how to create and maintain a sustainable business model that takes into account effective risk management, good governance, product and customer diversity, business ethics, fair employment policies, appropriate management methods, corporate social responsibility, the conservation of the environment, and other sustainable operating practices aimed at increasing the resilience of business operations.

Session Four:

CEO Forum – Business Strategies Amidst Global Market Disruptions

This session will feature CEOs who will exchange their views on current developments and challenges in the world market environment, the need for digital transformation of businesses to achieve sustainable growth, training and management of the workforce to meet market challenges, the role of businesses in mitigating the impact of climate change and other natural or man-made disasters on their business operations as well as on their customers.

In addition, this year’s Conference will once again  feature a special session on “Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI”. During this special session brief country presentations will be made by selected CACCI member chambers and CACCI Knowledge Partners on the economic situation and the trade and investment opportunities in their respective countries, or on special programs, projects, products or services of their respective organizations that have benefited their constituencies  or the community they serve and may be adapted by CACCI members from other countries.

The Tentative Program for the Conference can be downloaded HERE. Other relevant information – e.g., hotel accommodation, registration procedure, etc. – will be sent to members as soon as these are available.

In the meantime, we would appreciate it very much if you could send us your suggestions on possible speakers, panelists, and chairman/moderator for each of the Conference sessions. Please let us know your thoughts by filling out the Speaker Suggestion Form and returning it to us through our e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz, or our fax number +886 2 2760 7569, if possible by April 15, 2020.

Once again, we count on your valuable participation for the successful outcome of the annual gathering this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at our Conference in Taipei, Taiwan on October 29-30, 2020.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

Trade Facilitation Newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to share with its members volume IX of the Trade Facilitation Newsletter. We hope that this publication will provide you with adequate information about the latest advances in trade facilitation among countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and with best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

Invitation to suggest CACCI Product & Service Councils’ Representatives

CACCI wishes to follow up on our earlier request for your Chamber’s representatives in each of the following currently active CACCI Product and Service Councils (PSCs):

1. Asian Council on Tourism (ACT)
2. Asian ICT Council (AICTC)
3. Asian Council on Food and Agriculture (ACFA)
4. Asian Council on Health and Education (ACHE)
5. Asian Council on Water, Energy, and Environment (ACWEE)
6. SME Development Council (SMEDC)
7. CACCI Women Entrepreneurs Council (CWEC)
8. Young Entrepreneurs Group Asia Pacific (YEGAP)

As you very well know, any organization is only as strong and effective as its members. We are therefore looking for representatives from your Chamber with the following qualifications:

• Have a strong interest and commitment to actively participate in the programs and projects of the PSC;
• Willing and financially capable to travel at least once a year to attend meetings of the PSC;
• In a position to serve as an effective liaison between the PSC and the sectoral association in his/her country;
• Proficient in English;
• Eager and willing to render voluntary work for the PSC

Please send us the names and contact details of your designated representatives to each of the above-mentioned PSCs by filling out the attached Nomination Form, and sending it back to us through our Fax No. (886 2) 2760-7569, or by e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz.

In compliance with the approved Governance Framework and Terms of Reference for the PSCs, we would appreciate it very much if, from among your duly designated representatives in each PSC, you can name at most two of them whom you would want to serve in the Executive Committee (which is the governing body) of the PSC concerned,

We hope to hear from you by April 30, 2020 if possible. We will then invite your designated representatives to the 34th CACCI Conference to be held on October 29-30, 2020 in Taipei where they can participate in the breakout sessions of their respective s.

Your kind attention is most appreciated.

Thank you very much, and best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

CACCI Profile – April issue available

Taipei – The April issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

SME Development Newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to share with its members the Tenth Volume of the SME Development Council’s newsletter. We hope that this publication will provide you with adequate information about the latest developments in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the Asia Pacific region.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and with best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

Water, Energy & Environment Newsletter available

CACCI has the pleasure to present to its members the “Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment (ACWEE)” newsletter, edition 9, 2020. This publication is a compendium of relevant news, reports, and analyses on recent developments in the water, clean energy and environment sector in Asia Pacific countries.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and with best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

34th CACCI Conference to be held on October 29-30, 2020 in Taipei, Taiwan

CACCI is pleased to inform all CACCI officers, members, and partners that the 34th CACCI Conference will be held on October 29-30, 2020 in Taipei, Taiwan

This year’s gathering will be jointly hosted by the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA) and the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC).

Relevant information – e.g., Tentative Program, hotel accommodation, registration procedure, etc. – will be sent to members as soon as these are available. In the meantime, may we request you to already block the dates in your calendar of events this year?

Once again, we are counting on your valuable participation for the successful outcome of our annual gathering this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you all in Taipei in end-October.

With best regards. Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

Immediate Past CACCI President attends WCF General Council Meeting in Paris

Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, Immediate Past President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), represented CACCI in the meeting of the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) General Council held on February 12-13, 2020 in Paris.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the formal presentation by each of the three chambers bidding to host the 13th World Chambers Congress scheduled to take place in 2023. The three bidders are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (a CACCI Primary Member), the Stavanger Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Norway, and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce , Industry and Services.

As a transnational chamber, CACCI is a Permanent Member of the ICC WCF General Council, the governing body of the WCF.

CACCI Profile – February issue available

Taipei – The February issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI Joint Workshop on “Incoterms 2020 & Documentary Credits and Bank Guarantees”

CACCI plans to organize, in cooperation with interested Primary Members, two-day workshops on Incoterms 2020 & Documentary Credits and Bank Guarantees in the first quarter of 2020.  The workshops will be conducted on a road-show format covering two or three countries.  In this regard, we would like to know whether member Chambers are interested to host the workshop under a cost-sharing arrangement as outlined in the ANNEX 1 form.

As the international commercial terms 2020 (Incoterms 2020) are applicable starting January 1, 2020, being familiar with all changes and their impact is a must in the international trade and finance world.  By attending this workshop, participants will be able to get the most adequate advice and solution to their needs. In addition, the workshop will also focus on model sales contracts, documentary credits and demand guarantees, as well as current developments in the trade finance – approaching digitalization.

Major outlines of the workshop include:

(1) Differences and similarities: Incoterms 2020 versus Incoterms 2010
What are the main changes in the new Revision? What has been discussed during the revision process and has been taken on board? What, on the other hand, has been left unchanged, despite the profound consultations?

(2) Direct and indirect impact on buyers and sellers sales contracts
What buyers and sellers should know about the changes to accommodate their needs in their contracts of sale? How to adjust the terms for one´s specific needs? Learn how to use standard model international sales contracts.

(3) Changes with possible impact on Letter of Credits operations
Which changes will have impact on the documentation and thus on documentary payments such as Letters of Credit? How to best reflect each Incoterm 2020 in the L/C terms and conditions? What are the common pitfalls and challenges when using the Letter of Credit as means of payment?

(4) Practical scenarios and different case studies to be aware of and/or to predict their impact while handling a Letter of Credit
Practical studies to demonstrate proper use of the Incoterm trade terms in conjunction with Letters of Credit. E-term, F-terms, C-terms and D-terms: their particular challenges for the L/C users.

(5) Case studies on import and export Letter of Credit operations
Cases to learn how to prevent common errors and problems when using documentary credits in importing and exporting goods.

(6) Bank Guarantees in international practice
How to draft a proper terms and conditions of a bank guarantee, learning about various clauses, conditions.

(7) Digitalization of trade finance
What are the current trends and developing solutions in the area of digitalization of international trade finance?

The proposed DAY 1 and DAY 2 of the program can be downloaded for consultation.

The two-day workshop will be conducted by Mr. Pavel Andrle, who is Secretary to the Banking Commission of ICC Czech Republic as well as Member of UCP 600 Consulting Group, ICC Banking Commission Global Supply Chain Finance Forum Working Group, ICC Task Force on Guarantees and ICC Banking Commission.

Please let us know if your Chamber is interested to host the proposed workshop under the proposed cost-sharing arrangements by filling out the RESPONSE FORM Form and returning it to us through our Fax No. (886 2) 2760-7569.

Thank you, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

CACCI Profile – January issue available

Taipei – The January issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

Online Nomination for the 2020 CACCI Awards

We are pleased to announce the launching of the Online Nomination for the CACCI Awards to be presented during the 34th CACCI Conference to be held later this year.

The awards aim to recognize and honor individuals, companies, and chambers not only for their outstanding achievements in their respective fields but also for providing services that benefit the communities in which they operate.

We encourage your Chamber to participate in this year’s CACCI Award Program and submit your online nominations for each of the following four categories by clicking on the appropriate space below. Please use your GMAIL account in order to APPLY:

• 3rd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award APPLY
• 4th Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award APPLY
• 8th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award APPLY
• 9th Local Chamber Awards APPLY

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to let us know by e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry

CACCI Food & Agriculture newsletter available

Taipei – We are pleased to inform you that the Thirteenth Volume of CACCI Food & Agriculture Newsletter, the publication of the Asian Council on Food and Agriculture, has been formally issued.

You can download the newsletter HERE.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the food & agriculture sector in the CACCI region. Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.biz.

CACCI Profile – December issue available

Taipei – The December issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI 2019 Year-End Review available

CACCI is pleased to make available to its members a copy of the CACCI 2019 Year-End Review which summarizes our Confederation’s activities over the past year.

CACCI would like to take this opportunity to thank its members for the cooperation and assistance they have extended in undertaking CACCI’s projects and programs in 2019. Without members’ help, CACCI would not have accomplished what it had set out to do for the  year.

CACCI looks forward to members continued support of the CACCI and its activities in 2020, and CACCI hope to see members, friends and partners in our gatherings in the year ahead.

With best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Why is there a backlash to Smart Cities?

An interview with Eugénie L. Birch
Co-Director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research

Eugenie Birch is the co-director of the Penn Institute for Urban Research and the Lawrence C. Nussdorf chair of Urban Research and Education. BRINK asked her whether she saw any common thread to these protests.

Photo: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: A person speaks on the phone as they walk in front of buildings near Paris. People tend to think that their privacy is being invaded by devices that are being used under smart-city rubrics.

Eugenie Birch: Fear. What’s uniting the protests is fear. People tend to think that their privacy is being invaded by devices that are being used under smart-city rubrics. In addition, they’re fearful about how the government might use any data that it collects — and not only big government, but also corporations, who might be selling that data. There’s just a lack of transparency about what’s happening to data right now, and that then multiplies when one thinks about the increase in activity in smart cities.

BRINK: So in your view, it’s mainly a concern about the use of data, rather than necessarily an opposition to the use of technology itself?

Ms. Birch: Well, I think they’re intertwined. I also think there is a lack of rules around the use of technology, so that also makes people quite uncomfortable. Some of these complaints are justified because, in the face of an absence of control around the use of the collected data, it can be like the Wild West out there. Even the providers would welcome more transparency and accountability in this area.

BRINK: A lot of the protests seem to center on the question of transparency and communication between the companies, the local government and the people.

Ms. Birch: At the local level, you have mayors or advisers who are being pressured by many different companies that want to provide them with various services, and I think it’s difficult for them to make the choices.

A number of useful studies on smart cities have emerged recently on this issue. One is the Building a Hyperconnected City project by the ESI Thought Lab, a two year initiative surveying city leaders, companies and citizens about the uses of technology. Its key purpose is to understand their perceptions about the topic, while also developing metrics for assessing the return on investment of various smart city approaches.

By the way, I would like to tip my hat to higher-level bureaucrats in very large cities who are extremely knowledgeable and open to innovation. I live in New York City, and the ability to deliver water, collect garbage, provide transportation efficiently and regularly is just amazing. The care and scale with which these people engage in these activities is something to be admired.

With regard to the use of technology and its governance, I think having the conversations with these higher-level leaders is extremely important.

BRINK: You’ve been quoted as saying that you think that citizens need to be better educated on this issue. Can you give an idea of what you mean?

Ms. Birch: People have to understand how they’re being monitored right now. Just by carrying a cellphone, your location is known; just by using Google, your interests are known. So I think people should be more knowledgeable about how much is already known and being used in terms of their data.

Then, they need to think about the drawbacks and advantages of the use of this data. There needs to be a lot more conversation about what’s really going on today, in order to make educated judgments about the various proposals put forth in the name of smart cities.

BRINK: Do you have any guidance for companies as to how to engage with these cities in a way that is likely to be successful?

Ms. Birch: I personally have been involved in a number of tours by companies that have extremely interesting labs and applications. It would be very instructive for citizens and local decision-makers to see corporations demonstrate some of the very exciting capacities that they have developed, to the degree they’re able.

MasterCard has a program, for example, where it convenes city leaders, something like 30, 40 meetings a year around these topics. So having conversations with decision-makers, public and private, to understand their needs, their motivations, the difficulties that a politician might have with data — and the benefits that they can get from the use of data — I think is really important.

BRINK: As an urban planner, do you divide between good and bad uses of technology in cities?

Ms. Birch: As an urban planner, I am interested in making human settlements, cities, better places to live. The question is: In what ways can we use technology to do that? And multiple ways come to mind: from very practical public administration efficiencies, such as traffic management, ensuring safety, delivering public health information and monitoring water main leakages, to devices to enhance democratic decision-making, including citizen participation in budgeting and reviewing land-use decisions.

In many places, these things are already in place. For example, traffic controllers have been using technological approaches for decades. In terms of safety, we have seen increasing surveillance in public spaces. My feeling is that such places are public, and if people are doing things they shouldn’t be doing in a public space, the cameras will record them, and the authorities will catch them — that’s OK.

An interesting case is the Quito bus monitoring system that, in the event of molestation, enables a person with a cellphone to send an SMS to the transport agency that immediately activates a siren in the bus and also allows the person to summon police to the next stop. This simple program has increased public transit use, especially by women, older persons and children.

In terms of quality of life, there are lots of rather simple things that are now happening to assist busy people get public services via technology.

BRINK: Is there a way to use technology to do better planning and urban design?

Ms. Birch: Oh absolutely, yes. Low-income, low-capacity countries experiencing rapid urbanization can keep track of this phenomenon with the use of remote sensing either by government-supported satellite services providing periodic maps or from private sector satellites, offering development in real time.

Within a very short time — a few days — you can watch the appearance and growth of a new informal settlement. This data is extremely useful in terms of figuring out what services are needed or if something appears in a vulnerable place and needs a quick response.

The original article can be read at Brink website HERE.

B2B Meetings during CACCI Conference in Dhaka

CACCI invites CACCI members to join the B2B Meetings on the sidelines of the 33rd CACCI Conference.  Especially organized by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), this year’s host chamber, the B2B Meetings will be scheduled at 03:45 p.m. – 05:15 p.m. on November 27, 2019 at Padma Room, 1st Floor, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka.

By joining the B2B Meetings, CACCI members will be able to to explore potential business opportunities and cooperation with their counterparts from other countries as well as from the local.

Interested parties are requested to indicate their interest and business lines by notifying the CACCI Secretariat via e-mail: cacci@cacci.biz and the Conference Secretariat via: 2019cacci@fbcci.org by November 22, 2019.

You can download the latest Program HERE for your perusal.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in Dhaka.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director General
CACCI

CACCI Profile – November issue available

Taipei – The November issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

“Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI” Session During the 33rd CACCI Conference on November 26-27, 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh

CACCI wishes to invite all CACCI officers and members to participate in the “Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI” Session to be held in conjunction with the 33rd CACCI Conference on November 26-27, 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh,

This special session will feature country presentations by selected member chambers or key partner organizations of CACCI on current economic conditions in their respective countries and opportunities for trade and investments, or on special projects or programs that have benefited their respective constituencies

Invited to make country presentations are the following:

• Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry
• Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Department of Trade and Industry of the Republic of the Philippines
• Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
• Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory

Attached is a copy of the latest Conference Program for your perusal. Updated information about the Conference will be sent to all members, and will be posted on the Conference and CACCI websites, as soon as they are available.

In the meantime, we encourage you to register for the event and make your hotel booking as early as possible.  You may do so on-line by visiting the official Conference website at http://fbcci.org/2019cacci/

Once again, we are counting on your valuable participation for the successful outcome of our annual gathering this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you in Dhaka..

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

CACCI Profile – October issue available

Taipei – The October issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

Young Entrepreneur Groups from Taiwan and Thailand hold Networking Lunch in Taipei

Officers and members of the Third Wednesday Club Young Entrepreneurs Group (TWC YEG) joined with their visiting counterparts from the Young Entrepreneur Chamber of Commerce of Thailand and the Young Entrepreneur Council Bangkok during a Networking Luncheon held on October 4, 2019 in Grand Mayfull Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan.

Above photos show the key officers of the three organizations offering a toast to the attendees (above) and the 80-strong delegation from both sides posing for a group photo at the end of the luncheon (below photo).

The Taiwan side was led by Mr. Jerry Hsu, Chairman of TWC-YEG, and the Thailand side was headed by Ms. Prim Jitcharoongphorn, Deputy Secretary General of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. The occasion was graced by the presence of Ambassador Thongchai Chasawat from the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taiwan (photo below.)

Are intangibles now the most important asset class in the global economy?

Over the past half century, intangible assets have skyrocketed in terms of their saliency and criticality with respect to modern businesses. Often more difficult to value than physical assets, it is easy to miscalculate a business’s reliance on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and similar intellectual property (IP) of the like.

From a large technology company’s source code to a small entrepreneur’s medical device patents, unique IP is more often than not what unlocks considerable investment opportunities, growth and business innovation.

In the modern era, particularly in advanced economies such as the United States, IP matters should be a habitual concern for risk managers and general counsel across the board. Just as a business’s security department would aim to prevent office equipment and inventory from being stolen or misused, the same mindset should apply to the business’s (potentially much more valuable) intangible assets. While IP may demonstrate a more abstract and difficult risk to protect, it should nonetheless be top of mind, and there are new tools to manage and transfer intangible risks that are well-suited to protect these modern assets for the prudent modern business.

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Photo: The U.S. Supreme Court is shown after members of the court issued major rulings on copyright law in Washington, D.C. There are 13,000 intellectual property lawsuits filed in federal court each year in the U.S. alone.

The Majority of Company Value Is Now Intangible

Recognizing the evolution of IP as an integral part of business is a somewhat newer prospect; many industries have proven to be largely unprepared to protect some of their most vital assets. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) now claims that IP is the most valuable asset class on the planet. Their data suggests that through the 1980s, tangible assets accounted for around 80% of company value, and now, more than thirty years later, the reverse is the case, with 80% of company value composed of intangibles.

The IP merchant bank Ocean Tomo’s 2015 Intangible Asset Market Value Study said that the S&P 500’s intangible asset base accounts for 84% of the total value of the index, up by an astounding 52% since 1985.

This widespread economic shift has facilitated globalization and the rapid transmission of products and services throughout the world.

We have seen that stronger IP undoubtedly leads to more opportunities for businesses with foresight in terms of accessible financing, scalability, innovation and building as well as maintaining a unique, protectable and valuable brand. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that IP in the U.S. alone is worth around $6.6 trillion, which is more than the nominal GDP of any other country in the world. Furthermore, IP accounts for 52% of all U.S. merchandise exports, which amounts to nearly $842 billion.

Navigating the Risks of the Intangible Economy

Along with the opportunities for tremendous growth from which developed economies have benefitted for the past half century, the widespread transformation to a less tangible economy carries new problems for modern businesses. Few companies have developed or otherwise obtained sophisticated intellectual capital management capabilities, which would include effective risk management of their intangible assets.

There are 13,000 intellectual property lawsuits filed in federal court each year in the U.S. alone. IP litigation can create inordinate expenses for a business, with U.S. companies spending a total of $3.17 billion in 2018, notwithstanding any eventual settlements or damages owed. With average patent damage awards of $30 million from a settlement and $599 million from a plaintiff verdict, companies can absolutely not afford to be complacent.

Damages at these levels are clearly catastrophic for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

What makes the IP space all that much more litigious is the threat from both practicing entities (competitors or other operating companies), and nonpracticing entities (firms that hold IP assets but do not engage in commerce). Even if a company can prevail in an IP lawsuit, such victories often come at the expense of significant opportunity cost due to the distraction of resources caused by the activity of defending an IP lawsuit — not to mention the potential for an adverse impact on morale. Not surprisingly, some of the most litigious companies operate in particularly R&D-heavy industries, such as telecommunications and life sciences.

Intangible asset risks are not exclusive to small businesses or the high-tech industry. Just this past year, Belgian shoe company Shoe Branding Europe challenged the validity of the European Union trademark registration for Adidas’ three-stripe logo, after an attempt to obtain a trademark for its own two-stripe design was challenged by Adidas. The General Court of the European Union agreed with Shoe Branding’s assertion, a ruling that resulted in Adidas losing their trademark registration and no longer being able to prevent other companies from using the stripe designs that comprise their classic logo. Such challenges to a business’s IP assets can be highly detrimental to branding and, ultimately, profit.

Virtually no successful business would consider operating without the protection of property and casualty insurance.

Nevertheless, very few companies effectively insure their intangible assets, even though such less-physical assets often represent the most critical components of their success and survival. Traditional corporate insurance packages such as commercial general liability largely provide only a narrow sliver of intangible risk protection that is insufficient to provide adequate protection and thus inadequate for modern businesses.

Insuring Intangibles

For years, IP insurance programs were too expensive, offered insufficient limits, had limited data to apply to underwriting and were generally difficult to obtain.

Fortunately, a new set of comprehensive intangible asset risk-transfer products has emerged. Dedicated IP insurance policies can now provide a real opportunity for companies to manage and transfer IP-associated risks. There are four types of IP insurance products: contingency, residual, offensive and defensive.

• Contingency insurance covers known risks. For example, a contingency policy might provide catastrophic loss protection for the defendant in a known, ongoing IP litigation.
• Residual insurance policies backstop the valuation of intangible assets pledged as collateral to secure a loan.
• Offensive insurance may cover the costs of IP enforcement and is closely aligned with litigation finance.
• Defensive IP insurance, now being the most affordable and readily available of the four, protects a company’s registered IP and products or services from external attack and can backstop a company’s contractual obligations.

A robust defensive IP insurance policy will provide all three of the foregoing coverages, including protection from not only defense costs, but also damages (from settlements or judgments) in the case of an inbound infringement suit or contractual indemnification claim. The market will now even allow a company to tailor coverage by scheduling select registered IP, products and services or contractual indemnification obligations, as requested by the client.

Related themes: Intellectual Property Investment Risk Mitigation

The original article can be read at Brink website HERE.

Jason Sandler
Associate at Marsh
Jason Sandler is an associate in Marsh’s financial and professional liability group (FINPRO), located in New York City. Jason is focused on bringing innovative solutions to market for Marsh’s clients, within the financial and professional lines of insurance.

Matthew Flug
Senior Underwriter at Ambridge Partners
Matthew Flug is a senior underwriter with Ambridge Partners and resident manager of the firm’s San Francisco office. He focuses on underwriting complex financial and transactional programs and developing innovative risk-transfer solutions in a rapidly evolving market.

Register online for 33rd CACCI Conference in Dhaka now!

CACCI is pleased to announce the launching of the official Conference website at http://fbcci.org/2019cacci/, which contains relevant information about the upcoming 33rd CACCI Conference to be held in Dhaka on November 26 & 27, 2019.

We hope that the website information will further raise your interest to join us at our annual gathering this year. Members, delegates and friends are encouraged to visit the website for on-line registration and hotel booking as early as possible.

Hosted by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), our Dhaka Conference will feature the theme of “Asia: At the Centre of a New World Order” and is designed to provide another valuable platform for CACCI members and invited experts to exchange views on measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to address the challenges faced by businesses in the current market environment, as well as to take full advantage of the opportunities offered not just by markets in the Asia-Pacific region but by countries in other parts of the world.

Speakers from government, the private sector, and the academe will share their valuable perspectives in various sessions.

In addition, our Dhaka Conference also includes sectoral breakout discussions and concurrent sessions that will gather government and private sector leaders for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues pertaining to entrepreneurship, food safety and security and SME development, among others.

With this year’s gathering expected to bring together over 200 business leaders from at least 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, CACCI and FBCCI hope that discussions will be of commercial interest to the participants.

We are also confident that holding the CACCI annual gathering for the first time in Dhaka will further increase the knowledge of delegates about Bangladesh – its economy, its trade and investment potentials, its business and financial sectors, and its people and manpower resources – and help them establish contact with important decision makers in business and government of the host country.

Updated information about the Conference will be sent to all members, as well as posted on the Conference and CACCI websites, as soon as it is available.

Once again, we are counting on your valuable participation for the successful outcome of our annual gathering this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to contact us at cacci@cacci.biz

CACCI Profile – September edition available

Taipei – The September issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

NZ Trade Minister thanks CACCI’s on Rules of Origin

Hon. Damien O’Connor, Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth of New Zealand, acknowledged with thanks the submission of CACCI of its Statement on Rules of Origin in Preferential Trade Agreements.

CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi in early August this year submitted to the Ministers responsible for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement the CACCI Statement calling on governments party to bilateral and regional PTA negotiations to instruct their negotiators to ensure that their regional and bilateral agreements harmonise Rules of

Origin by following wherever possible the provisions and procedures of the Revised Kyoto Convention (2006), and embracing the principles of harmonisation contained in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (2013).

In his acknowledgement letter to Mr. Modi, Minister O’Connor outlined the positions of the New Zealand on important RCEP-related issues, including the following:

1. Its commitment to ensuring that the procedures for making claims for preferential treatment are clear, transparent, and predictable;
2. Its support of self-declaration as the preferred proof of origin, but that you recognize the need to reach an agreed outcome that meets the needs of all;
3. Its assurance to seek, in the Customs chapter, the use of the provisions contained in the WTO Trade Facilitation (TFA) as a baseline, seeking to have TFA+ provisions where possible;
4. Its strong support for the simplification and drive for consistency in FTAs, including in RCEP

Minister O’Connor encouraged CACCI to participate in the public discussions being held by officials from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the ongoing negotiations of free trade agreements, including RCEP.

The RCEP is a proposed FTA between ten member countries of the ASEAN and the six Indo-Pacific starts with which ASEAN has existing trade agreements namely, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand. RCEP negotiations were formally launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia.

ICDF officers visit CACCI Secretariat

Officers of the International Cooperation and Development Fund of Taiwan (TaiwanICDF) led by Ms. Regine Liu; Ms. Yun-Ching Tseng; and Mr. Tim Tseng, on August 22 visited the CACCI Secretariat to meet Mr. Ernest Lin, Secretary-General; Mr. Amador Honrado, Deputy Secretary General and Ms. Wendy Yang, Sr. Officer.

Both sides discussed possible areas of cooperation between the two organizations that would mutually benefit their respective stakeholders. Founded in 1996, TaiwanICDF assists developing countries in economic, social and human resource development and in promoting economic relationships among these countries through technical cooperation, lending and investment, international education and training, and humanitarian assistance.

Ms. Wendy Yag, Mr. Amador Honrado, Ms. Yun-Ching Tseng,  Mr. Ernest Lin, Ms. Regine Liu and Mr. Tim Tseng

CACCI joins ASEAN-BAC Meetings in Bangkok

Mr. George Abraham, Chairman of the SME Development Council, represented CACCI in the 14th Joint Consultation Meeting with ASEAN + 1 Business Councils and Associations and other related meetings held by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) on September 5-6, 2019 in Bangkok. It was the first ASEAN-BAC meeting attended by CACCI in its capacity as Associate Member of the Joint Business Councils.

Mr. Abraham with ASEAN BAC Deputy Chairman Mr. Robert Yap at the ASEAN MSMEs Conference

Mr. Abraham and with participants of the Inclusive Business Network meeting

Mr. Abraham with ASEAN-BAC Chairman Mr. Arin Jira

CACCI Foundation offers funding 

CACCI would like to invite Chambers to submit formal proposals on projects that you wish to be financed by the CACCI Foundation.

The CACCI Foundation was established in 2006 to help Primary and Affiliate Members implement projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The ultimate objective is to assist chambers in Asian developing countries region to become sustained contributors to the economic development of the private sector.

Since its establishment, the CACCI Foundation has helped finance the following three projects (pictured above), with each one receiving US$5,000:

(1) “Youth Business Sri Lanka Programme” in Sri Lanka – Managed by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the Programme provided assistance (in the form of a loan of US$500 and mentoring support) to enterprising youths who have viable business plans but do not have financial resources; and

(2) “Life Forever Beautiful-Organic Mongolia” in Mongolia – An initiative of the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the project was aimed at procuring yak’s milk from herders, with the view to creating a foundation for milk production.

(3) “Promoting Women Entrepreneurship Through Development of SMEs” in Bangladesh – Initiated by the Barisal Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), the project assisted the entrepreneurial development of women, especially the less fortunate ones, in Barisal, which is an old port located some 353 kilometers from Dhaka in southern Bangladesh.

We therefore call on your Chamber to submit to us your formal proposals on projects – either ongoing or still to be implemented – that encourage entrepreneurship and promote the growth and development of SMEs, thereby helping us achieve the objective of the CACCI Foundation.

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to let us know.

Thank you, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Ernest Lin
Director-General, CACCI

CACCI Tourism newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to inform all members that the 20^th Volume of CACCI Tourism Newsletter under the Chairmanship of Mr. Anura Lokuhetty from Sri Lanka is available for download.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the tourism sector in the CACCI region.  Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues.  Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.org.tw

Thank you, and with best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General

Young Entrepreneur newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to make available the 20^th edition of Entrepreneur Asia-Pacific, the newsletter of the Young Entrepreneur Group of Asia-Pacific (YEGAP) under the chairmanship of Ms. Anna Marie Periquet from the Philippines.

We hope that this edition– and the future ones– will continue to serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among young entrepreneurs in the region.

If you wish to contribute articles or other materials that can be published in the next newsletter, you may send them through the CACCI Secretariat’s e-mail address at cacci@cacci.biz

Thank you and best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General

33rd CACCI Conference in Dhaka on November 26-27 – Brochure available

CACCI is pleased to provide its members and friends with brochure of the 33rd CACCI Conference which will take place on November 26-27, 2019 at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel Dhaka.

The brochure contains relevant information about this year’s gathering that we hope will further raise your interest to join us at our annual gathering this year.

Hosted by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), our Dhaka Conference will feature the theme of “Asia: At the Centre of a New World Order” and is designed to provide another valuable platform for CACCI members and invited experts to exchange views on measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to address the challenges faced by businesses in the current market environment, as well as to take full advantage of the opportunities offered not just by markets in the Asia-Pacific region but by countries in other parts of the world.

Speakers from government, the private sector, and the academe will share their valuable perspectives in various sessions.  In addition, our Dhaka Conference also includes sectoral breakout discussions and concurrent sessions that will gather government and private sector leaders for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues pertaining to entrepreneurship, food safety and security and SME development, among others.

With this year’s gathering expected to bring together over 200 business leaders from at least 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, CACCI and FBCCI hope that discussions will be of commercial interest to the participants. We are also confident that holding the CACCI annual gathering for the first time in Dhaka will further increase the knowledge of delegates about Bangladesh – its economy, its trade and investment potentials, its business and financial sectors, and its people and manpower resources – and help them establish contact with important decision makers in business and government of the host country.

Updated information about the Conference, including launch of the Conference website, registration procedures and hotel reservations, will be sent to all members, as well as posted on the Conference and CACCI websites, as soon as they are available. In the meantime, may we request you to already note down this event in your calendar of activities for 2019?

In the meantime, the Conference’s program is available just below for your consultation.

Once again, CACCI is counting on its members’ valuable participation for the successful outcome of our annual gathering this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please write to cacci@cacci.biz.

CACCI Presidential Visit to the Philippines on October 13-15, 2019

Following his highly successful visits earlier this year to Wellington, New Zealand on May 7-8 and to Tokyo, Japan on July 22-23, 2019CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi is inviting all CACCI officers and members to join him in another Presidential visit, this time to Manila, Philippines, which includes participation in the 45th Philippine Business Conference and Expo. The itinerary of the CACCI Presidential Visit can be viewed below.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) is hosting the visit and has prepared a Tentative Program, a copy of which is attached herewith. The whole Program starts on October 14 and ends on October 18.

Your participation in the Philippine visit will give you the valuable opportunity to gather first-hand information on the current economic and business situation in the host country, join the courtesy calls on government officials, and meet leading local businessmen.

The 45th Philippine Business Conference and Expo is the biggest annual gathering of local business and government leaders to be organized this year by PCCI on October 16-17. The Conference’s Program can be downloaded HERE.

Members of the CACCI delegation will therefore have the opportunity to meet and network with local chamber leaders from around the country. Attached herewith is a copy of the latest PBC&E Program for your perusal.

We will send you additional information on the visit (e.g. hotel accommodation, updated Tentative Program, etc.) as soon as these are available. In the meantime, should you wish to meet with specific businessmen in the Philippines, visit specific local companies or organizations, or conduct specific activities during the trip, please let us know so we can convey your request to PCCI for their consideration.

Please confirm you participation in the CACCI Presidential Visit by filling the CACCI CONFIRMATION FORM and returning to us by Fax (886 2 2760 1139) or e-mail (cacci@cacci.biz), preferably before September 20, 2019.

Should you wish to participate in the 45th Philippine Business Conference & Expo, kindly fill the CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM and submit to the Fax number and/or e-mail address indicated in the Form

We are also providing an informative PHILIPPINES REVIEW of the current conditions in the archipelago.

Please feel free to contact us at the Secretariat (cacci@cacci.biz) for any additional inquiries.

The 33rd CACCI Conference will be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 26-27, 2019

CACCI wish to inform all CACCI officers and members that the 33rd CACCI Conference will now be held on November 26-27, 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) as the host chamber.

The change in venue was made following the advice from Kitakyushu CCI, which originally offered to host the Conference in Kitakyushu, Japan, that the Kitakyushu International Conference Centre – where they proposed to hold it – will not be available until late May 2020 at the earliest, which we deem would already be too late. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience that the change in venue has caused you and your Chamber.

Holding the Conference in Bangladesh takes on added significance as it will be the first time that CACCI members will be visiting the country for the annual gathering. It will give them the opportunity not only to obtain first-hand information on the trade and investment opportunities Bangladesh has to offer, but also to network with the local business community and relevant government agencies. We are therefore grateful to FBCCI and its officers and members for confirming its willingness to host this year’s Conference.

The Tentative Conference Program can be viewed just below. We will be sending you more information about the Conference (updated Program, hotel information, registration procedure, and other relevant details) in due course. In the meantime, we encourage you to already mark the dates in your calendar of events.

Thank you for your continued support of CACCI and its activities, and we look forward to joining FBCCI in welcoming you to Dhaka in November.

Sincerely yours.

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

CACCI webinar on “Trade-based Money Laundering & Sanctions Risks” – September 18 – Free registration

The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) and Fintelekt Advisory Services (Fintelekt) are pleased to invite all CACCI members to participate in the FREE webinar on “Trade-based Money Laundering & Sanctions Risks” to be held on September 18, 2019 at 11:00am Kolkata, India time.

(1) Background
Corporates operating in the current complex and dynamic trade environment need to continually assess the risks to their business from trade-based money laundering as well as their exposure to sanctioned entities to avoid increasingly stringent enforcement actions and penalties being levied for breaches.

Although the banking industry is often under the global scanner when it comes to sanctions and transactions monitoring, companies with extensive trade supply chains as well as those with sales channels in multiple countries are at equally higher risk for sanctions violations. An up-to-date understanding of regulations and enforcement is critical to put in place compliant procedures and due diligence standards.

(2) Duration of the webinar: 90 minutes

(3) Key Issues to be covered:

3.1 Sanctions – latest trends and good practices in screening
Understanding the most recent global geopolitical developments, underlying consequences and recent trends in enforcement action. The session will also cover good practices in what and how often to screen.

3.2 Trade-based money laundering – challenges and inherent risks
The latest typologies used to launder money using the trade route, use of methods such as shell companies and tax havens, how can companies safeguard themselves against the risk of TBML.

3.3 Enhanced due diligence to understand complex ownership structures
The strategic use of data to manoeuver through complicated ownership patterns, especially among intermediaries and supply chain partners.

3.4 Audience Question and Answer session

(4) Who Should Attend?
Senior business leaders and managers from risk & compliance, finance, operations, logistics, legal, technology, treasury, sales and business development functions representing corporates and export houses.

(5) Registration Deadline: September 17, 2019

(6) Registration: Interested members may register through the following link:

https://fintelektwebinars.clickmeeting.com/webinar-trade-based-money-laundering-and-sanctions-risks-for-corporates/register

(7) Certification
Registered participants will receive the presentation PDF files and an optional test after the presentation on September 18, 2019.
Participants that answer the optional Test before September 27, 2019 will receive a Certificate of Participation issued by CACCI and Fintelekt.

If you have further questions, please write to cacci@cacci.biz

CACCI invited to “Singapore International Energy Week 2019”

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore is inviting CACCI members to attend the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2019 to be held on October 29 – November 1. CACCI is among the supporting organizations.

Organized by The EMA, the four-day event is a platform in Asia for energy stakeholders to discuss energy issues that impact the region. Annually, SIEW attracts over 13,000 delegates from more than 70 countries including energy ministers, industry captains and heads of international organizations. As global energy demand continues to grow, especially in Asia, SIEW 2019 will bring together energy stakeholders to discuss and drive the transformation towards a more sustainable energy future with the theme “Accelerating Energy Transformation”.

By attending the event, the participants will be able to exchange ideas and discussions on pertinent energy-related issues, understand the strategic objectives of Singapore’s commitment to becoming a global leader among energy companies, as well as to experience innovative products and solutions in the energy marketplace.

For more information on the event, please visit the following website: https://www.siew.sg/

CACCI invited to Sri Lanka Investment & Business Conclave 2019

CACCI would like to convey to you an invitation from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) to attend the “Sri Lanka Investment & Business Conclave 2019” which will be held on September 16-17, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Focusing on bringing potential investors including business partners to Sri Lanka, the two-day event serves as a strategic platform to connect SMEs globally and support them in meeting potential partners and financiers not only from Sri Lanka but also from other parts of the world. A special zone at Conclave 2019 venue will be devoted to SMEs to network, meet and explore opportunities of collaboration and partnership. All SMEs interested in this feature and would like to be promoted during Conclave 2019 are requested to register online through the Conclave 2019 portal.

In addition, it offers the perfect blend of opportunities aimed at enriching institutional, corporate and individual investors and business houses with a comprehensive set of guidelines for their investment decisions, and act as a networking opportunity for introductions to potential business partners with a view of establishing partnerships in Sri Lanka.

For more details on the event, please visit the official website at: http://invest-srilanka.lk/conclave/.

Asian ICT Council’s newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to present you herewith the Asian ICT Council’s newsletter, edition #7.

We hope that this publication will provide you with adequate information about the latest advances in the information, communication and technology  (ICT) market in the Asia Pacific region.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

CACCI joins CoNGO in Bangkok

Bangkok – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) attended the Regional Committee in Asia-Pacific (RCAP) of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) held on May 29-30, 2019 at the premises of Siam University in Bangkok, Thailand. The agenda for the meeting was “The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Civil Society – National and Local Implementation and Follow-up”.

Representing CACCI at the Bangkok meeting was Mr. Amador R. Honrado, Jr., CACCI Deputy Director-General, who joined some 30 other officers and members of CoNGO in this year’s gathering. Also in attendance with Mr. Honrado was Ms. Allisson Hsu, Consultant of CACCI and Chief, Taiwan Technical Mission in the Kingdom of Thailand, International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF).

The other CoNGO member organizations that registered for the meeting included the following:

(1) Siam University
(2) Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education
(3) Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
(4) Christian Conference of Asia
(5) Coast Trust Bangladesh
(6) International Federation of Business and Professional Women
(7) International Planned Parenthood Federation, South Asia Region
(8) International Society of Geriatric Oncology
(9) Life Development Center
(10) Nonviolence International
(11) Pan-Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association
(12) Soka Gakkai International
(13) Southeast Asian Press Alliance
(14) Taiwan Alliance in International Development
(15) Taiwan District, Kiwanis International
(16) Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
(17) United Methodist Church, Global Board on Church and Society
(19) Vanguard Service Brigade
(20) Taipei Economic Cultural Office (Observer)

Chaired by CoNGO President Mr. Liberato Bautista and co-chaired by CoNGO First Vice President Mr. Cyril Ritchie, the two-day meeting aimed to examine case studies by NGOs/CSOs on implementation (regional, national, local) of the six Sustainable Goals (SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13, 16, 17) that are to be reviewed at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in July 2019.

Introduction & background on the meeting

In their introductory remarks, President Bautista and First Vice President Mr. Ritchie pointed out that CoNGO and RCAP are committed to Agenda 2030 and to mobilization and action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They explained that since the adoption of the 17 SDGs by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, NGOs and CSOs throughout the world – including those in the Asia-Pacific region – have set to work to make the Goals meaningful to the populations they serve, working in concert with governments, communities, academia and other stakeholders.

NGOs/CSOs advocate with governments at national and local level to achieve meaningful commitment to implementation of the Goals. The HLPF reviews each July the progress and the gaps on achieving the SDGs. This is done on a rotation basis, and in 2019 the HLPF will review the following Goals:

(a) Quality Education
(b) Decent Work and Economic growth
(c) Reduced Inequalities
(d) Climate Action
(e) Peace, Justice and strong institutions
(f) Partnerships for the Goals

Mr. Bautista and Mr. Ritchie said that NGOs/CSOs throughout the Asia-Pacific are working in many different ways and at many different levels on the six SDGs up for review at this year’s HLPF. Thus for the Bangkok Meeting of RCAP on May 39-30, CoNGO invited a wide range of Asia-Pacific NGOs/CSOs to present and discuss their substantive on-the-ground experience in advocating for and implementing one or more of the above six SDGs.

The participating NGOs/CSOs were requested to focus their discuss good practices, such as what initiatives have worked, what cooperation mechanisms with other stakeholders have proven valuable; as well as core challenges, such as what impediments have arisen in cooperation and outreach; and lessons learned, including what new mobilization actions and channels are needed and/or foreseen to make progress on SDG implementation.

The CoNGO officials said that the presentations on each of the six SDGs made at the Bangkok meeting of the RCAP would serve as the focus of analysis, lessons learned, and new cooperation – whether at country or regional level. They explained that following the RCAP session in Bangkok, CoNGO is expected to produce a synthesis which will be fed into the 2019 HLPF. They added that on an ongoing basis, all of these processes would serve also to enhance NGO/CSO relationships with and input to the UN Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), the prime regional intergovernmental body promoting the SDGs. They expressed their hopes that, taking account of existing interactions and structures linking NGOs/CSOs with ESCAP, the May 2019 meeting of RCAP in Bangkok would further foster long-term and enhanced cooperation.

Sumary of CACCI Presentation

Ms. Allison Hsu made the presentation on behalf of CACCI. Hsu’s presentations focused on the “Case Studies on Training Education and Better Jobs.”

The case studies – mainly from ICDF’s various programs – presented how NGOs can support beneficiaries find decent jobs by providing formal and non-formal education and training. The case study underscored the importance of human capital as the foundation for all business, and that in the Asia-Pacific region, formal education is vital to gaining access to decent jobs.

The study pointed out that for people who are not able to achieve tertiary education, education training or on-the-job training can improve the quality of employment, adding that for the people cannot afford higher education and those who seek better positions, international NGOs/NPOs can provide solutions to them.

The case studies presented by Ms. Hsu demonstrated the strategies, methods and outcomes of providing education and training in the Asia-Pacific region and how it helped to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Among the examples she highlighted on formal education were ICDF’s International Higher Education

Scholarship Programs for Asia-Pacific students focusing mainly on agriculture and fisheries, public health and medicine, business and management, engineering and science, and human resources. On the other hand, nonformal education programs offered to participants from Asia-Pacific countries focused mainly of health care personnel training, professional workshops on agriculture biodiversity, circular agriculture, water management, and youth entrepreneurship development.

She also highlighted ICDF’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) program that aims mainly to improve the employability of the youth and women in the small developing island states in the Pacific region, by fostering professional skills through training and building capacity for micro-business start-up.

Among the recommendations presented by the case studies included the following:

(a) Providing affordable and quality technical, vocation and tertiary education for all, and covering both youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training;

(b) Achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, and developing and operationalizing a global strategy for youth employment and implementing the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour;

(c) Enhancing the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of SDGs

Other presenters

The other presenters included the following:

(a) Soka Gakkai International (SGI) – SGI is a lay Buddhist Association of constituent organizations in 192 countries and territories. It was originally founded in 1930 in Japan as a group of educators who were concerned about the then education systems during wartime and stroke to practice Soka Education or Value-Creating Pedagogy.

In essence, Soka education is a humanistic process that nurtures wisdom and enables the individual’s potential to bloom to the fullest while setting the happiness of children as the utmost priority. It was regarded a radical idea under fascist militarism at that time,

This idea has very much endured and is alive today in SGI, which now has a general membership of people from all walks of life. The presenter was Mr. Hiro Sakurai, Director, SGI.

(b) Siam University – Since its founding in 1965, Siam University has become the fifth largest private university with a student body containing over 15,000 students across 13 programs, including an International and Graduate Program. The University also offers its students opportunities to work and study abroad for valuable experiences. Siam University is affiliated with more than twenty universities and institutions on four continents, including the Philippines and Japan. In its commitment to each and every student’s future, Siam University has devised a set of 3 Pillars, named employability, sustainability, and diversity. In line with these three pillars, the university has set three main objectives, namely:

(i) Empower and prepare students to become significant leaders and operators in international environments; (ii) Utilize cutting-edge research and innovative methods to preserve academic advancement and infinite wisdom as an unwavering effort to achieve virtue among the ASEAN community and other world markets.; and (iii) Maintain Asian ethnics and preservation of individuality among nations along with clear understanding and recognition of its cultural diversity. The presenter was Mrs. Chanita Rukspollmuang, Vice President, Siam University.

(c) Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) – The ASPBAE is a regional network of more than 200 civil society organisations and individuals operating in around 30 countries of the Asia-Pacific. ASPBAE works towards promoting the right to quality education and transformative and liberating lifelong adult education and learning for all. Through its work, ASPBAE lobbies with governments to uphold education as an empowering tool to combat poverty and all forms of exclusion and discrimination, enable active and meaningful participation in governance, and build a culture of peace and international understanding. ASPBAE works to ensure that the internationally agreed goals, especially Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education, its targets, indicators, and framework of action are translated in robust education sector plans at the country level; the resources required to meet the full agenda are mobilised and judiciously applied; and that the processes and mechanisms for accountability, coordination, capacity building, and monitoring of Education 2030 are set up, with the institutionalised participation of civil society, including representative organisations of learners, teachers/educators, parents, and youth. The Presenter was Ms. Cecilia Soriano, Officer, ASPBAE.

(d) Pan-Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA) – The PPSEAWA is the only international women’s organization devoted to families, peace and understanding in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Since the founding of PPSEAWA in 1928, in Honolulu, Hawaii, its membership has grown to 23 national associations, many having several local chapters. It is an all- volunteer organization and is financed by contributions from individuals, organizations, and PPSEAWA member associations. Continued monitoring of and participation in various United Nations bodies have enable PPSEAWA to inform its members and help them identify areas where they can be of assistance by mobilizing local support.

PPSEAWA branches in individual countries, also known as National Member Organizations, have local programs to further the education, health, security, economic empowerment, and human rights of women and girls, especially those who are marginalized and vulnerable. The presenter was Mrs. Mondhiya Bhangsbha, President, PPSEAWA.

(e) Taiwan Alliance in International Development (Taiwan AID) – Taiwan AID is a platform for Taiwan-based NGOs with nearly 30 members working all over the world. Members are involved in various sectors, such as medical service, education, information, gender issues, emergency relief, community development, human trafficking, humanitarian assistance, and volunteer service. Taiwan AID is an NGO platform with the aim of strengthening transparency, efficiency and cooperation among Taiwan-based NGOs involved in international humanitarian aid with the value of humanity, equality, justice, and sustainable development. Its mission includes:

(i) Facilitate an interaction platform for international cooperation, such as seminar; (ii) Facilitate capacity building to improve professional services; (iii) Promote concept of international development through public education; (iv) Advocate and facilitate international development policies; (v) Establish principles, ethics and regulations of international development and assistance; and (vi) Make other efforts in favor of international development. The presenter was Ms. Nina H. L. Kao, Board Member, Taiwan AID.

(f) Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS) – Founded in 2008, CPCS is a Cambodia-based NGO, working in the field of peacebuilding and conflict transformation in Asia. Its aim is to strengthen strategic intervention into armed conflict with the overall goal of reaching sustainable and positive peace in the Asia region. Given Cambodia’s experience of passing from carpet bombing to genocide, to civil war, to peace process, rehabilitation and now relative peace, CPCS considers the country as a vital and critical basis for regional learning. While CPCS does not undertake peacebuilding initiatives in Cambodia, it utilises the country’s rich post-war history and reconciliation efforts as a learning base for other contexts, as well as provide support to other Cambodian organisations focused on local peacebuilding initiatives. The Centre is home to a range of interconnected programmes and initiatives that are based on robust analyses and guided by CPCS’ theory of change. The presenter was Ms. Rachana Thummala, Programme Coordinator, CPCS.

(g) International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) – Founded in 2000, SIOG has been working to foster the development of health professionals in the field of geriatric oncology, for the optimization of treatment of older adults with cancer. SIOG was registered as a non-profit organisation under the Swiss Law in 2012. SIOG is a multidisciplinary team of oncology and geriatrics physicians, as well as allied health professionals and expert trainers with a unique collaborative approach to address the rising public health challenges related to ageing and cancer around the world. As of 2018, it counts over 1700 members in more than 80 countries worldwide. SIOG is powered by global collaborations to strengthen the national capacity for Human Resources for Health and to promote and advocate for SDG3 ‘Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages’. SIOG promotes efforts in 3 strategic directions: education, clinical practice, and research. The presenter was Ms. Barbara Ewals, Director for Partnerships, whose presentation focused mainly on why successful partnerships are important to the 2030 Agenda and elaborated on the guidelines for partnerships.

About Congo

Founded in 1948, the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) is an independent, international, non-profit membership association of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It facilitates the participation of NGOs in United Nations debates and decision-making. CoNGO is most active at the major UN centres of New York, Geneva and Vienna but its work stretches out to all regions of the world. CACCI, which was granted Consultative Status with the ECOSOC under the United Nations in 1970, joined CoNGO in 1979.

SME Development Council’s newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to present you herewith the Ninth Volume of the SME Development Council’s newsletter.

We hope that this publication will provide you with adequate information about the latest advances in the small and medium enterprise (SME) market in the Asia Pacific region.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

CACCI to join CoNGO Meeting in Bangkok

The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) will attend the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO) – of which CACCI is a member and join the CoNGO Regional Committee in Asia-Pacific (RCAP) on May 29-30, 2019 in Bangkok. The agenda for the meeting is “The UN Sustainable Development Goals and Civil Society – National and Local Implementation and Follow-up”.

The RCAP is an initiative serving the widest non-governmental and civil society constituencies throughout this vast region. Being wholly committed to multilateral consultation and cooperation, to human rights, to social justice, to sustainable development and peace, CoNGO seeks – through RCAP – to be of service to the NGO/CSO sector in Asia-Pacific. Among CoNGO’s core purposes are strengthening civil society interactions and mutual learning; facilitating the input and dialogue of civil society throughout the United Nations System; and generating opportunities for civil society and the UN to promote their shared values and goals.

CoNGO and its Regional Committee in Asia-Pacific are wholly committed to Agenda 2030 and to mobilization and action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since the adoption of the 17 SDGs by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, NGOs and CSOs throughout the world – and not least in the Asia-Pacific region – have set to work to make the Goals meaningful to the populations they serve, working in concert with governments, communities, academia and other stakeholders. NGOs/CSOs advocate with governments at national and local level to achieve meaningful commitment to implementation of the Goals.

The UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) reviews each July the progress and the gaps on achieving the SDGs. This is done on a rotation basis, and in 2019 the HLPF will review the following Goals:

1. Quality Education
2. Decent Work and Economic growth
3. Reduced Inequalities
4. Climate Action
5. Peace, Justice and strong institutions
6. Partnerships for the Goals

NGOs/CSOs throughout the Asia-Pacific are working in many different ways and at many different levels on the six SDGs up for review at this year’s HLPF. Thus for the 2019 RCAP in May in Bangkok, CoNGO is inviting a wide range of Asia-Pacific NGOs/CSOs to present and discuss their substantive on-the-ground experience in advocating for and implementing one or more of the above six SDGs. Issues will include good practices, such as what initiatives have worked, what cooperation mechanisms with other stakeholders have proven valuable; as well as core challenges, such as what impediments have arisen in cooperation and outreach; and lessons learned, including what new mobilization actions and channels are needed and/or foreseen to make progress on SDG implementation.

The presentations on each of the six SDGs will be made at RCAP 2019, and be the focus of analysis, lessons learned, and new cooperation – whether at country or regional level. Following the RCAP session, CoNGO will produce a synthesis which will be fed into the 2019 HLPF. On an ongoing basis, all of these processes will serve also to enhance NGO/CSO relationships with and input to the UN Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), the prime regional intergovernmental body promoting the SDGs. Taking account of existing interactions and structures linking NGOs/CSOs with ESCAP, RCAP 2019 will seek to foster long-term and enhanced cooperation.

CACCI Profile newsletter, May edition available

Taipei – The May issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz.

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

33rd CACCI Conference to be held in Kitakyushu, Japan

CACCI wishes to inform all its members and friends that, following the violent attacks that took place in and around Colombo on Easter Sunday last month, it has been decided to move its 33^rd CACCI Conference – which was originally scheduled to take place on September 18-19, 2019 in Shangri-la Hotel Colombo with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as host – to Kitakyushu City, Japan, at a date to be announced soon.

The Japan Conference will be jointly hosted and organized by the Kitakyushu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kitakyushu CCI) and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), which graciously offered Kitakyushu City – situated in the Fukuoka Prefecture in southern Japan – to be the new venue of its 2019 annual gathering.

The CACCI Secretariat is currently coordinating with Kitakyushu CCI and the JCCI on the Conference arrangements, and will notify members of additional details soonest.

CACCI sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience this decision to change the venue of the 2019 Conference may have caused its members, chambers, and friends. CACCI was looking forward to having this year’s Conference in Colombo as originally agreed, however, rest assured that Sri Lanka would be re-considered as venue of its annual gathering in the future, when the situation in the country would have normalized.

CACCI is once again counting on its partners’ valuable participation for the successful outcome of its gathering in Kitakyushu this year. Should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to contact CACCI at cacci@cacci.biz

Asian Council on Trade Facilitation’s newsletter available

CACCI is pleased to present you herewith the Eight Volume of the Asian Council on Trade Facilitation’s newsletter.

We hope that this publication will provide you with adequate information about the latest advances in trade facilitation among countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Members are encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to mig.moreno@cacci.biz.

Thank you, and with best regards.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
CACCI

Asian Textiles & Garments Council’s newsletter available

CACCI joins ASEAN-BAC Business Council

The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) has been formally accepted as Associate Member of the Joint Business Council under the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC). Its application was formally approved by the ASEAN BAC during its May 3 meeting in Manila, Philippines.

The ASEAN-BAC was BAC established by the ASEAN Heads of State and Government at the 7th ASEAN Summit in November 2001 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. Launched in April 2003, ASEAN-BAC was set up with the mandate to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN’s efforts towards economic integration. Aside from providing private sector feedback on the implementation of ASEAN economic cooperation, the Council also identifies priority areas for consideration of the ASEAN Leaders.

Accordingly, ASEAN-BAC’s activities are primarily focused on reviewing and identifying issues to facilitate and promote economic cooperation and integration. To help them in this regard, the ASEAN-BAC invites a number of joint business councils with interest in ASEAN (e.g., ASEAN-US Business Council, ASEAN-India Business Council, Australia-ASEAN Business Council, etc.) to attend regular meetings for dialogues and exchange of ideas on how to improve regional cooperation.

As Associate Member of the Joint Business Council, CACCI will be invited to join these regular dialogues, and will have the opportunity to provide inputs to the recommendations that the ASEAN-BAC will present to the ASEAN Leaders.

In his Letter of Intent to the ASEAN-BAC Chairman Mr. Arin Jira from Thailand, CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi pointed out that, as a regional organization composed mostly of apex chambers of commerce and industry and business associations in Asia, CACCI is in a position to make significant contribution to the work of the Joint Business Council and the ASEAN-BAC in identifying issues to facilitate and promote economic cooperation and integration.

“Given the regional nature and geographical scope of our organization, I believe CACCI will be able to provide expertise in the area of trade facilitation and trade generation, which have been the focus of our policy advocacy work in the past few years.

In addition, we can also contribute to the work of ASEAN-BAC that may focus on specific sectors, such as the promotion of entrepreneurship, SME development, food safety and security, energy and environment, and regional tourism, among others. We have sub-committees, or Product and Service Councils that are focused on these sectors and a few others as well.”

CACCI had attended, as observer, two previous meetings of the Joint Business Council, namely, the 9th Joint Consultation Meeting held on January 26, 2017 in Manila, Philippines, and the 11th Joint Consultation Meeting held on January 17, 2018 in Singapore. Furthermore, CACCI had participated in several of past years’ ASEAN Business and Investment Summit organized by the ASEAN-BAC in conjunction with the ASEAN Leaders Summit.

“Through our participation in these important gatherings, we have learned that most of the issues being discussed by your organization are the same issues taken up by CACCI members in our meetings and conferences. Hence, we believe that CACCI can provide inputs to the discussions and formulation of recommendations by the ASEAN-BAC,” Mr. Modi stated.

Unbearable pain and sorrow

CACCI Profile newsletter – March issue available

Taipei – The March issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz.

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

CACCI Tourism newsletter is available

Taipei – We are pleased to make available the 19^th Volume of CACCI Tourism Newsletter under the Chairmanship of Mr. Anura Lokuhetty from Sri Lanka.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the tourism sector in the CACCI region. Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues.  Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.org.tw .

You can download the newsletter HERE.

Successful “International Trade Contracts” workshop held in Tehran

Tehran – Iran Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) in partnership with CACCI and ICC Czech Republic, conducted a workshop on “The Latest Rules and Regulations of International Trade Contracts” on March 5-6, 2019 in Iran. Mr. Andrle Pavel from ICC CR led the workshop which was attended by more than 80 participants from SMEs and financial and scientific research institutes.

Latest issues related to Incoterms 2020, transportation laws, banks, insurance and international trade laws based on ICC rules and regulations were discussed during the workshop.

CACCI member Mr. Salauddin Yousuf shares photo with India PM Narendra Modi

Gujarat – CACCI Lifetime Member and Director of Lub-rref Bangladesh Limited, Mr. Salauddin Yousuf, shares his photo With India PM Narendra Modi taken at the Vibrant Guzrat Summit held on January 18-20, 2019 in Gujarat, India.

Attended this year by over 35,000 participants, the Vibrant Gujarat Summit was conceptualized in 2003 by Prime Minister of India and the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi, to re-establish Gujarat as a preferred investment destination within India.

Today, the Summit has evolved into a platform for brainstorming on agendas of global socio-economic development, in addition to being a facilitator for knowledge sharing and forging effective partnerships.

XVIII CACCI Women Entrepreneurs newsletter is available

Taipei – We are pleased to make available the Eighteenth Volume of Grow, the publication of CACCI Women Entrepreneurs Council.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among women entrepreneurs in the CACCI region. Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.biz

You can download the newsletter HERE.

CACCI President Inaishvili’s Reflection 2014-2018

We are pleased to make available to all members a copy of the President’s Reflection (2014-2018) summarizing the activities undertaken by Immediate President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili during his four-year term from 2014 to 2018.

On behalf of Mr. Inaishvili, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the cooperation and assistance you have extended to him in undertaking the projects and programs he initiated during his Presidency. Without your help, Mr. Inaishvili would not have accomplished what he had set out to do to when he first took over the helm of CACCI in 2014.

We  look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities in the years ahead under the incumbent CACCI office-bearers, and we hope to see you and your colleagues in future CACCI gatherings.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry

CACCI Profile newsletter – February issue available

Taipei – The February issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE. It is our ardent hope that this monthly publication is useful to you and your work, and enables you to know more about the CACCI, our members, and their activities. If you wish other members of your organization to receive a copy of the CACCI Profile, please send us their names, titles/positions, and email addresses through cacci@cacci.biz.

We would also appreciate receiving your comments on how we can further improve the CACCI Profile in terms of its format and contents. Thank you for your kind attention, and we look forward to your continued support of the CACCI and its activities.

XI CACCI Food & Agriculture newsletter available

Taipei – We are pleased to inform you that the Eleventh Volume of CACCI Food & Agriculture Newsletter, the publication of the Asian Council on Food and Agriculture, has been formally issued.

You can download the newsletter HERE.

We hope that this publication will serve as an effective platform for an exchange of information among the food & agriculture sector in the CACCI region. Members are, therefore, encouraged to contribute articles for our future issues. Kindly forward your materials (preferably with accompanying photos) to wendy.yang@cacci.biz.

CACCI members invited to Cambodia International ICT & Mobile Expo 2019

Phnom Penh – We wish to inform members that the Cambodia International ICT & Mobile Expo (CIIME 2019) will be held on July 11-13, 2019 at the Diamond Island Exhibition & Convention Centre in Phnom Penh. All CACCI members are invited to this event.

Organized by Twin Goat Exhibition and Trading Co., Ltd, one of the leading exhibition organizers in Cambodia, with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Posts and Communications, and the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, the exhibit allows participants to meet Cambodian’s foremost ICT leaders and gain access to a fast growing market in the region. The CIIME 2019 provides the opportunity to capitalize on this potential, and combines exhibit, B2B meetings, panel discussions, and conference involving both local and international participants.

You can download the event’s brochure HERE. For more details click HERE or send them an email at info@twingoat.com

KCC Officers visit CACCI Secretariat

Taipei – Officers of the Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC) visited the CACCI Secretariat Headquarters during their February 25 business trip to Taipei. KCC Permanent Chairman Mr. Conrad Lee (former CACCI Honorary Treasurer), KCC Vice Chairman Mr. Ernest Yuen (concurrently CACCI Honorary Treasurer), and KCC Vice Chairman Mr. Wyler Wong (concurrently CACCI Vice President) discussed with the CACCI Secretariat executives on their possible participation in CACCI activities in 2019, as well as KCC programs and projects for which CACCI assistance may be requested by the Chamber this year.

CACCI Secretariat hosts lunch to visiting KCC Officers

Taipei – CACCI Secretariat Hosts Lunch for Visiting KCC Officers – CACCI Director-General Mr. Ernest Lin (2nd from right) hosted lunch on January 25, 2019 in Taipei for visiting officers of Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC) Mr. Wyler Wong (2nd from left), Mr. Conrad Lee (3rd from left) and Mr. Ernest Yuen (3rd from right). Other guests included Mr. Chin-Che Cheng, Dean Director and Associate Professor at CTBC Business School, center), Mr. Kenneth Yu from CTBC Bank (left), and Mr. Amador Honrado from CACCI Secretariat (right). The KCC officers discussed with Mr. Cheng on possible student exchange program with the CTBC Business School for interested students from  Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and other Asian countries.

CACCI invited to ASEAN Chambers of Commerce & Industry Business Meeting – February 25-27, 2019 in Bengaluru

Bengaluru – CACCI members are invited to take part in the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce & Industry Meet on February 25-27, 2019 in Bengaluru, India.

The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) is organizing this business meet for the first time in South India, in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affiars, the Government of India, Government of Karnataka and Event Partners. It is supported by the ASEAN India Business Council, Malaysia; India-ASEAN-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chennai; and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi.

The objective of the event is to enhance, “Two Way Investment, Trade and Technology” flow from 23 countries into Karnataka in some 18 identified sectors. Around 1,500 delegates from Chambers of Commerce, Business & Industry, Embassies, Consulates and Government are expected to participate. There will be B2B, B2G, B2C meetings and a trade exhibition with 150 stalls with exhibitors from different countries including India with a footfall of around 3000 per day.

Significance of the ASEAN Business Meet:

• Bangalore is known for IT (Information Technology) & Start up business and it is great opportunity for ASEAN Entrepreneurs & Business fraternity to interact and develop the new business opportunities.
• Karnataka is the first State in India to host such an event among the Chambers of 23 plus countries.
• Provides a common platform for sharing the experiences for all participating Chambers of Commerce from across the world
• Enables sharing of Best Practices of Industry & Trade which will be an ideal template to help to bring about the Next Practices
• Attract investments in to Karnataka in various identified sectors for mutual benefit of both host country as well as participating countries
• Showcase Karnataka’s ambitious project on the Cluster development in the nine specially identified Districts of the State that can become a model for enhancing global trade

For registration and other details please click HERE or write to delegate@fkcciasean.com

CACCI Profile Newsletter – January issue available

Taipei – The latest issue of the monthly CACCI Profile newsletter is available now. You are invited to download the version in PDF format HERE.

Suggestions on themes and topics for the 2019 33rd CACCI Conference

Taipei – As you are aware, the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) will hold the 33^rd CACCI Conference in September 2019, with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce as host.

In preparation for the 2019 Conference, members of the CACCI Planning Committee will meet on March 25, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka primarily to discuss the Conference Program, including the theme and topics for the Conference.

In this connection, we would like to seek your suggestions on economic, business or policy issues which you think are currently of great concern to members and the business sector of the region as a whole, and should be discussed by members during next year’s Conference. Please let us know your thoughts by accomplishing the attached Suggestion Form and returning it to us through our Fax No. (886 2) 2760 1139 or via e-mail at cacci@cacci.biz

CACCI would appreciate hearing from you before February 15, 2019 to give us enough time to circulate all suggestions to the Planning Committee for consideration prior to its meeting.

Attached for your reference is a List of the themes and topics of past years’ Conferences.

2019 33rd CACCI Conference to be held in Colombo

Colombo – CACCI wish to inform all CACCI officers and members that the 33rd CACCI Conference will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka and is tentatively scheduled on September 17-18, 2019. To be hosted by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, next year’s Conference will take place at Shangri-la Hotel Colombo. The dates and venue were agreed during the 89th CACCI Council Meeting held on November 23, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The two-day event is designed to provide another valuable platform for CACCI members and invited experts to exchange views on issues of current concern to the business community of the region. Parallel sectoral breakout session will be organized that will gather government and private sector experts for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues.

The Planning Committee Meeting will be held on March 14, 2019 in Colombo to discuss preparations for the Conference. We hope that CACCI members and friends join the meeting and share your ideas and suggestions on how we can make our 2019 Conference productive and meaningful for our members.

CACCI Secretariat will send details as soon as arrangements are finalized.

CACCI Planning Committee Meeting on March 25, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka – Register now!

Colombo – CACCI would like to invite its members to attend the meeting of the CACCI Planning Committee scheduled on March 25th, 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The meeting will primarily:

• Discuss preparations for the 33rd CACCI Conference to be hosted by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (e.g., Conference venue, theme, topics, speakers, format, etc.)
• To review the progress of activities under the CACCI Work Program for 2019.

The Tentative Agenda/Program is presented below and further information (e.g., Annotated agenda, discussion papers, hotel accommodation, etc.) will be sent to members upon confirmation of attendance.

Once again, CACCI is counting on members’ valuable participation for the successful outcome of this important meeting. We certainly need members’ inputs on how we can make the 2019 33rd CACCI Conference in Colombo meaningful and productive.

CACCI requests its members to kindly confirm their participation in the Colombo meeting by returning the Confirmation Form through our Fax No. (886 2) 2760-7569 or our e-mail address at cacci@cacci.biz on or before January 31, 2019.

2018 Year-End Review

As the year 2018 came to a close and the year 2019 begins, it is an opportune time for CACCI to take stock of our accomplishments over the past year, with the view to build on them in order to make our Confederation even more relevant to our members in this new year.

Here under is a summary report on the activities undertaken by CACCI in 2018:

I. Preparations for the 32nd CACCI Conference

A. Planning Committee Meeting in Istanbul

(1) A highly productive and successful Planning Committee Meeting was held jointly by CACCI and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) on February 5, 2018 at the TOBB Headquarters in Istanbul.

(2) Chaired by CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and co-chaired by TOBB President Mr. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the meeting was attended by 31 representatives of 9 CACCI Primary Members from 9 countries, as well as representatives from TEPAV, the think-tank of TOBB. Discussions focused mainly on preparations for the 32nd CACCI Conference to be held in November 2018 in Istanbul, as well as on the recent and upcoming activities of CACCI in the year ahead.

(3) Some 15 representatives from the Turkish media were also present at the Opening of the meeting. They asked questions addressed to the CACCI and TOBB Presidents, as well as to other CACCI officers including CACCI Senior Vice president Mr. Samir Modi from India.

(4) As decided by the CACCI Planning Committee, the 2018 Conference would focus on the theme “Asia: Expanding Boundaries”. Invited speakers would address the following topics: (a) The Changing Role of Chambers in Promoting Business; (b) Innovation and Digitization: Implications for Business; (c) Regional Integration and Connectivity for Sustainable Development; and (d) A New World Economic Order: What It Means for Asia.

B. Teleconferences with TOBB and other CACCI officers

(5) Following the Planning Committee Meeting, the CACCI Secretariat coordinated regularly with the TOBB on preparations for the 32nd CACCI Conference. They reviewed – via regular teleconferences – the proposed program, the possible speaker line-up, the Conference format, and other related matters. During some of these teleconferences, CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and Senior Vice President Mr. Samir Modi participated in the discussions.

C. Solicitation of nominees for the CACCI Awards 2018

(6) The CACCI Secretariat sought nominations from Primary Members for the various CACCI Awards to be presented during the 32nd CACCI Conference in November 2018 in Istanbul. These Awards include the following:

(6.a) 8th CACCI Local Chamber Awards, which aim to recognize local chambers for their outstanding achievement in promoting the industrial, commercial and social welfare of their respective communities.

(6.b) 7th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award, which aims to recognize excellent young entrepreneurs in Asia who not only are successful in their business but also advocate corporate social responsibility.

(6.c) 2nd Asia-Pacific Women Entrepreneur Award, which aims to recognize excellent women entrepreneurs in Asia who not only are successful in their business but also advocate corporate social responsibility.

(6.d) 3rd CACCI Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award, which recognizes a person or institution that has contributed significantly to the sustainable promotion of hydropower and clean energy in the Asia Pacific region.

(7) The Secretariat also invited selected members to constitute the Awards Committees tasked to evaluate all the nominations for the various Awards, as well as the Board of Judges that would conduct the final evaluation process for selecting the winners.

D. Suggestions on activities for the CACCI Work Program for 2018-2020

(8) CACCI members were requested to submit suggestions on activities that CACCI should undertake in the next two years (2018-2020). They were asked to propose activities that benefit all members, further promote the growth and development of the Confederation, and help CACCI attain its primary objectives. All suggestions received from members were integrated into the draft Work Program that was later considered and finalized during the 90th CACCI Council Meeting held on November 24, 2018, in Istanbul.

E. Nominations for CACCI officers for 2018-2020

(9) The CACCI Secretariat solicited nominations from CACCI Primary members for qualified members to assume leadership positions in CACCI for the next two-year term of 2018-2020. Election of the new set of CACCI office bearers was scheduled to take place during the 32nd CACCI Conference on November 23-24, 2018 in Istanbul.

II. 32nd CACCI Conference

(10) CACCI successfully held its 32nd CACCI Conference in Istanbul, Turkey on November 23-24, 2018, with the participation of some 450 delegates composed largely of businessmen and chamber of commerce representatives from 22 Asia-Pacific countries, led by CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili from Georgia and Mr. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB). Focusing on the theme “Asia: Expanding Boundaries”, the Conference was held at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski and was organized under the patronage of H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey.

A. Opening ceremony

(11) The Opening Ceremony featured Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay and Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan as Special Guests of Honor , while the Keynote Speech was given by Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization.

(12) Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay in his Address emphasized CACCI’s important role as a key regional organization in the development of economic boundaries of Asia, regional economic integration and broadening consultation on new economic trends.

(13) Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan pointed out that it is important that young entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and SMEs participated in the CACCI conference this year and said that the world economy cannot be interpreted correctly without understanding developments in the Asia Pacific region.

(14) In his Keynote Speech, Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, pointed out that in order to make progress on the emerging issues of greatest interest to business in the future, a strong multilateral trading system is indispensable. He called on CACCI members to voice their concerns to their governments and ask them to engage constructively with the multilateral trading system, including their participation in ongoing discussions on WTO reform, stressing that safeguarding the WTO is the best way to keep protectionist pressures at bay and to secure the benefits of global trade today and in the future.

B. Plenary sessions

(15) Plenary Sessions featured eminent speakers who shared their perspectives on the following timely and relevant issues: (a) The Changing Role of Chambers in Promoting Business; (b) Innovation and Digitalization: Implications for Business; (c) Regional Integration and Connectivity for Sustainable Development; and (d) A New World Economic Order: What It Means for Asia.

C. Sectoral roundtable discussions

(16) In addition, parallel sectoral breakout sessions were organized that gathered government and private sector experts for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues, including the following: (a) Woman entrepreneurship; (b) Youth entrepreneurship ; (c) Information and Communication Technology; (d) Food and Agriculture; (e) Health and Education; (f) Tourism; (g) Trade Facilitation ; (h) SME Development; and (i) Water, Energy and Environment.

D. Discover business opportunities through CACCI

(17) The two-day program also included a special session on “Discover Business Opportunities through CACCI”, which featured country presentations by selected organizations on current economic conditions in their respective countries and opportunities for trade and investments.

E. Election of new CACCI officers

(18) The CACCI Council, which is the organization’s governing body, elected the office bearers for the term 2018-2020. Mr. Samir Modi, Member of Executive Committee, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and Executive Director of K.K. Modi Group, was elected CACCI President.

(19) The other elected/appointed CACCI officers included:

(19.a) Vice Presidents:

Mr. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President, TOBB & Chairman, Eskihisar Group of Companies

Mr. Pradeep K. Shrestha, Former President of Federation of Nepalese CCI’s and Managing Director, Panchakanya Group

Mr Peter McMullin, Board Member, ICC Australia & Special Counsel, Cornwall Stodart Lawyers

Mr. Teruo Asada, Special Advisor, Japan CCI and Chairman of Marubeni Corp.

Mr. Henry Kao, Charman of CIECA and Chairman, Imei Foods Co. Ltd.

Mrs. Magvan Oyunchimeg, CEO, Mongolia National CCI

Sheikh Fazle Fahim, FBCCI and Managing Director, Obsidian Bangladesh Ltd.

Dr. Pedram Soltani, First Vice President ICCMA and Chairman, Persol Corporation

Mr. Wyler Wong, Vice Chairman of Kowloon Chamber of Commerce and Owner of various business enterprises

(19.b) Honorary Treasurer:

Mr. Ernest Yuen, Vice Chairman, Kowloon Chamber of Commerce, and Partner, Messrs, Yuen & Partners

(19.c) Budget Commission Members:

Dr. Steve Hsieh, Convener of Board of Supervisors, Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association and Chairman, Taiwan Lottery Company

Mr. Obaidur Rahman, Former Director, FBCCI and Managing Director, Dorasco Ltd.

Dr. Iqbal Thaheem, Secretary-General, Federation of Pakistan CCIs

F. Admission of new members

(20) CACCI announced the admission of two new Affiliate Members, namely:

(20.a) Hong Kong Children, Babies, Maternity Industries Association Ltd. and (b) Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei

(21) CACCI also admitted five new Lifetime Special members, namely: (a) Shan Sabil (BD) Ltd. (Bangladesh); (b) Mrs. S. Ayesha Akhtar Jahan (Bangladesh); (c) Mongol Basalt JSC (Mongolia); (d) Bishrelt Group (Mongolia); and (e) Mr. Yassin Saeed Al Suroor (Saudi Arabia)

G. CACCI Work Program for 2018-2020

(22) The CACCI Council adopted the 2018-2020 Work Program outlining activities over the next two years in the area of policy advocacy, professional development program, membership expansion, relationship with other regional and international organizations, and development of the CACCI Product and Service Councils, among others.

H. MOU signing

(23) During the 89th CACCI Council Meeting on November 23, the TOBB and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining possible areas of cooperation between the two organizations.

I. Presentation of CACCI Awards

(24) CACCI announced the winners of the 8th Local Chamber Awards, the 7th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award, the 2nd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award, and the 3rd Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award during the Gala Dinner of the Conference held on November 24, 2018. The winners received their awards from Outgoing President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and newly elected CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi during the Gala Dinner.

(24.a) There were two winners for the 8th Local Chamber Awards. The Aegean Region Chamber of Industry from Turkey won under the Big Chamber category, and the Union The Primorsky Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Russia was proclaimed the winner under the Small Chamber category.

(24.b) CACCI presented the 7th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award to Ms. Nazanin Daneshvar, Founder and CEO of Takhfifan from Iran,. A Special recognition was also given to Mr. Roman Nikolaevich Bobylev, Founder/Head of Lozaholding from Russia.

(24.c) Two nominees were declared joint Winners of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award, namely: Ms. Sherill R. Quintana, President/CEO of Oryspa Spa Solutions, Inc. from the Philippines, and Ms. Zeynep Erkunt Armagan, Chairperson of Erkunt Tractor Industries Ltd. from Turkey.

(24.d) The winner of the 3rd Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award was Meghna Group of Industries from Bangladesh.

J. Next CACCI Conference

The CACCI Council accepted the offer of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to host the 33rd CACCI Conference in September 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with the exact dates and venue to be finalized during the CACCI Planning Committee to be held in early 2019 in Colombo.

II. Presidential visits

A. Three-Country Visit to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

(26) CACCI President Mr. Inaishvili led a delegation of CACCI officers and members to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos for Presidential visits on April 19-20 in Phnom Penh, April 23 in Hanoi, and April 25 in Vientiane.

(27) The three-country trip was a milestone on two counts. It was the first-ever CACCI Presidential visit covering three countries in one trip. It was also the first-ever Presidential visit undertaken by Mr. Inaishvili to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos since he took over as CACCI President in 2014. The CACCI delegation was composed of key chamber officers and leading businessmen from Australia, Bangladesh, Georgia, India, Nepal, and Taiwan.

(28) The Presidential visits enabled the CACCI delegation to meet with various government officials of the three host countries (such as the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam) to exchange views on trade and investment issues as well as identify areas where the host countries and CACCI member economies may strengthen their economic relations.

(29) The delegation also had the opportunity to network with officers and members of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), as well as with other local businessmen.

(30) They also visited special economic zones and made company visits, including textile and garment companies. Business matching sessions were also arranged, with the attending host chamber members approaching the individual members of the CACCI delegation who may take interest in exploring possible business cooperation with them.

B. Vladivostok visit

(31) Following his successful Presidential visits to Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos in April 2018, CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili led another delegation of CACCI officers and members for a visit to another CACCI member country, this time to Russia – specifically in the port city of Vladivostok.

(32) Considered the administrative center of Primorsky Region, the city of Vladivostok (literally means “ruler of the east”) is located around the Golden Horn Bay, not far from Russia’s borders with China and North Korea. The population of the city as of 2017 was 606,589, up from 592,034 recorded in the 2010 Russian census. The city is the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the largest Russian port on the Pacific. The city’s main industries are shipping, commercial fishing, and the naval base. Fishing accounts for almost four-fifths of Vladivostok’s commercial production. Other food production totals 11%. A very important employer and a major source of revenue for the city’s inhabitants is the import of Japanese cars.

(33) The visit was another milestone as it was the first-ever CACCI Presidential visit to Vladivostok. Like the other previous Presidential visits, the Vladivostok trip was aimed at providing the CACCI visitors the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the economic conditions in the city and explore possible joint business ventures and investment cooperation with their local counterparts. The visitors had the opportunity to meet with key officers of important organizations – such as the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Primorsky Krai Administration, and the Duma of Vladivostok City – and to share information with them on the current conditions as well as the trade and investment opportunities in Vladivostok and the Primorsky Region, as well as to exchange views with them on other matters of common interest.

(34) They also visited local companies – including the European Diamond Centre Co. Ltd., the Aviapolis Yankovsky Co. Ltd., the Techno Holding Sumotiru Co. Ltd, and the Marine Experimental Center – and learned first-hand about their activities and the areas in which they are open for investments.

C. Taipei visit

(35) CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and CACCI Senior Vice President Mr. Samir Modi visited Taipei on September 3-4, 2018 to meet with officers of CACCI Primary Members in Taiwan – namely, the Chinese International Economic Association (CIECA) and the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC) – as well as make courtesy calls on key government officials and other business organizations involved in promoting trade and investment cooperation between Taiwan and other countries. Mr. Inaishvili and Mr. Modi also visited local business enterprises to explore possible areas of business cooperation.

(36) The two-day program of President Inaishvili and Senior Vice President Modi was mainly arranged by CIECA through its Chairman Mr. Henry Kao, head of I-Mei Foods, a leading food company in the Taiwan market. The government officials, trade organizations, and business enterprises visited included the following:

(36.a) ROC President H. E. Tsai Eng-Wen

(36.b) Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROC. Amb. Jose Maria Liu

(36.c) Taiwan External Trade Development Council

(36.d) Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei

(36.e) I-Mei Foods

(36.f) Taiwan Family Mart Co. Ltd.

D. Mongolia visit

(37) CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili led another Presidential visit to Mongolia on September 6-8, 2018, accompanied by CACCI Senior Vice President Mr. Samir Modi and 30 other delegates from Georgia, India, China and Taiwan.

(38) During the visit, the CACCI delegation made courtesy calls on Mongolian President Khaltmagiin Battulga and the Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar. The visiting delegation took the opportunity to introduce CACCI and its activities, inform them of the role played by MNCCI in the Confederation, exchange information with them on the economic conditions in Mongolia as well as on the government’s trade and investment policies, and invite them to the 32nd CACCI Conference in Istanbul in November.

(39) As part of the Presidential visit program, the MNCCI organized a Conference entitled “Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI” which gave an opportunity for CACCI delegates to obtain information on the economic, trade and investment environment in Mongolia, as well as for the local entrepreneurs and organizations to learn more about CACCI and its activities. The Conference was aimed at increasing knowledge and generating awareness about CACCI among entrepreneurs of Mongolia and enhance the cooperation between Mongolia and members of CACCI.

(40) The CACCI delegates also attended the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day program at the MNCCI headquarters. This one-day program provided the delegates a great opportunity to learn from the global and domestic communities to meet the needs of women entrepreneurs today. Women entrepreneurs from a multitude of backgrounds from Mongolia and other countries discussed the policies and programs of their governments to promote the women entrepreneurship in their respective countries. In order to establish and enhance the cooperation among the members of Council, an exhibition was organized to showcase all the products and services they offer.

(41) The Mongolia visit also took place at the same time as the Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2018, the country’s largest international trade fair. Jointly organized by the Mayor Administration of Ulaanbaatar City and MNCCI on September 7-10, the Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2018 brought together international and domestic companies from the food, textile, light industry, and agriculture sectors. CACCI members were invited to participate in the trade fair and set up their own booths. CACCI itself was given a complimentary booth in which CACCI related materials were displayed.

(42) The delegates also had the opportunity to visit the International Intellectual Puzzle Museum, or the IQ Museum, which displays rare and precious puzzles from around the world, and the Gobi Corp., which is one of the five largest vertically integrated producers of cashmere in the world, holding 60% of the domestic market of cashmere, and exports to over 30 countries globally. The CACCI delegation also visited Thonjin Boldog to see the biggest Chinggis Khan Monument, as well as the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, hosts some of the loveliest and most picturesque scenery of the country. the Bayagal Resort located inside the Terelj National Park, the delegation was hosted for lunch by the MNCCI officers . The MNCCI also arranged a Mini-Naadam Festival featuring some cultural performances and wrestling matches for the delegation in the open field of the countryside.

III. Training Programs

(43) The CACCI Secretariat coordinated with Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) CACCI and VCCI in co-organizing two-day workshops on International Trade and Short-Term Trade Finance in Vietnam. The first workshop was held in Hanoi on April 17-18 and the second one in Ho Chi Minh City on April 19-20.

(43.a) Day One of the workshop focused, among others, on the current revision of Incoterms. The facilitator explained the logic behind the proposals and the discussion around them. The participants were expected to learn about the main current issues with Incoterms 2010, the ideas for improvements, and the likely outcome: what the main changes in the Incoterms 2020 would be like.

(43.b) Day Two focused on short-term trade finance – documentary credits, financing, factoring, supply chain finance best practices. Participants were expected to gain a solid knowledge of how to use documentary credits in a day-to-day operational practice.

(43.c) The seminar was delivered by Mr. Pavel Andrl, an active and well established international trade finance specialist and senior tutor with the electronic Business School International.

IV. Participation in regional and international meetings/events/projects

A. Project on “South/Southeast Asian Business Society Models”

(44) Mr. Chandula Abeywickrema, Chairman of CSR Lanka, solicited CACCI’s support for a project with the Durham University UK on “South/Southeast Asian Business Society Models” which will focus on SMEs. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) UK (www.esrc.ac.uk) as part of Britain’s Official Development Assistance, the 30-day project covered Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

(45) Mr. Abeywickrema requested CACCI to endorse the project and to facilitate – within its organizational mandate – the project in the countries covered. By endorsing the project, CACCI would be given the opportunity to participate in workshops/conferences and knowledge sharing events in the South/Southeast Asian region to be organized by the Durham University Research Office and use the research findings.

(46) There was no financial obligation on the part of CACCI, as the cost of project activities was borne by the Durham Research Office and ESRC. Costs of the participation of a designated CACCI representative in workshops/conferences would be covered by the project.

B. ASEAN Business Advisory Council Meeting in Singapore

(47) CACCI was invited to participate, as an Observer, in the 11th Joint Consulting Meeting of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) with ASEAN +1 Business Councils and Associations that took place on January 17, 2018. Held at the Supply Chain City, a 6.5-hectare logistics facility located in Jurong West, Singapore, the meeting was attended by ASEAN-BAC members, Joint Business Council Members, and representatives of the ASEAN + 1 Business Councils and Associations.

(48) It was the second time CACCI was invited as an Observer to a Joint Consulting Meeting regularly organized by the ASEAN BAC with ASEAN Business Councils and Associations from various Dialogue Partners of ASEAN. CACCI attended the 9th Joint Consultation Meeting held in January 2017 in Manila. Representing CACCI at both meetings was Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr.

(49) The ASEAN BAC was formed following decision of the ASEAN Leaders at the 7th ASEAN Summit and launched in April 2003, with the mandate to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN’s efforts towards economic integration.

C. 4th ICC Asia-Pacific CEO Forum in Tokyo

(50) CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili served as one of the panel of experts during the 4th ICC Asia-Pacific CEO Forum held on March 8-9, 2018 at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo, Japan.

(51) Mr. Inaishvili was invited by ICC Japan as Panelist during the session on “Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Through Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” He joined Mr. Takeo Harada, CEO, Institute for International Strategy and Information Analysis, Inc., and Ms. Cherie Nursaalim, Vice President, GITI Group in the panel discussion. The session was chaired and moderated by Mr. John Danilovich, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce.

D. ICC World Chambers Federation General Council Meeting

(52) CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili attended the meeting of the General Council of the International Chamber of Commerce World Chambers Federation (ICC WCF) on April 11, 2018 in Beijing, China. The meeting was hosted by the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and held at the Guido Hotel Beijing. Attending the meeting with M. Inaishvili was CACCI Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado, Jr.

(53) During the meeting, President Inaishvili had the opportunity to introduce CACCI to the meeting participants and to brief them about the ongoing and upcoming activities of CACCI, including the CACCI Presidential visits to Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Russia and Mongolia scheduled to take place during the year. He also invited them to the 32nd CACCI Conference held on November 23-24, 2018 in Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul.

E. Belt and Road Trade and Investment Forum

(54) CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili joined other ICC-WCF General Council Members in attending the “Belt and Road Trade and Investment Forum” held on April 12, 2018 in Beijing at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The Forum was Organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), and the ICC World Chambers Federation (ICC WCF), and supported by the Silk Road Business Council.

(55) Focusing on the theme “Unleashing Potential for Shared Future,” the Forum aimed to introduce and disseminate the Belt and Road concept, strengthen the dialogue between government and business, enhance connectivity between China and foreign countries, and build consensus of cooperation. The Forum discussed such topics as financing and unimpeded trade. It brought together about 700 business and industry delegates from more than 70 countries, including those covered by the CACCI membership. Several officers from CACCI member chambers served as panelists in the various sessions.

F. Meeting of ICC and CACCI officers in Taipei

(56) Amb. Feng Chi-Tai, CACCI Vice President, received Mr. Philip Kucharski, Chief Operating Officer of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), during the latter’s visit to Taipei on April 16-17. Amb. Feng and Mr. Kucharski exchanged views on the current conditions in the global economy, the growing protectionism among some of the major economies, the challenges and opportunities they offer, how these would impact on the Asian business community. They also explored possible areas of cooperation between CACCI and ICC that would be beneficial to their respective members, and bring the two organizations closer together in pursuing their common objective of promoting the interests of the business community.

G. ICC-CIECA Business Forum

(57) CACCI Secretariat executives joined members of the Chinese International Economic Association (CIECA), CACCI Primary Member in Taiwan, at the ICC-CIECA Business Forum held on April 16, 2018 in Taipei. The Forum featured Mr. Philip Kucharski, Chief Operating Officer of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as Keynote Speaker. Mr. Kucharski made a presentation on the ICC – its mission and its activities aimed at expanding international trade, representing business, and promoting peace and prosperity. He identified areas where ICC would like to work more closely with the ICC national committees and other chambers of commerce in the Asian region – particularly those in Taiwan – to help achieve its objectives.

H. Forum on “The Great Silk Road: Towards New Frontiers of Development”

(58) CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili was invited as one of the special guests of honor at the international forum on “The Great Silk Road: Towards New Frontiers of Development” held at the Turkmen Awaza National Tourist Zone in the Caspian Sea shore in Turkmenistan on May 2, 2018. The Forum took place in conjunction with the opening of the new International Turkmenbashi Port, which is expected to connect Asia and Europe for transferring goods and ideas and help activate the so-called Silk Road corridors.

(59) Also attending the forum was the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. During the forum, Mr. Inaishvili presented a special award to President Berdimuhamedov as initiator of the project of Turkmenbashy International Seaport.

I. B20 Argentina Task Force on Trade and Investment and B20 Summit

(60) Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACI), was accepted as member of the B20 Task Force on Trade and Investment and participated in some of its various meetings and teleconferences.

(61) The B20 – chaired by Argentina in 2018 – is a platform that serves as an intermediary group between G20 governments and the international business community. Its primary mission is to deal with the urgent and significant global issues by developing actionable recommendations from global business leaders to the G20 Leaders. These issues are addressed by the various Task Forces set up for this purpose, including the Task Force on Trade and Investment.

(62) As member of the Task Force on Trade and Investment, Mr. Inaishvili attended the B20 Summit held on October 4-5, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Summit gathered some 1,200 business leaders from around the world. The high-level representatives from business presented B20 recommendations and debate on the issues that are shaping economies today and will have substantial impact on their future.

J. 2018 Silkroad Business Summit

(63) President Inaishvili also attended the 2018 Silkroad Business Summit organized by the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIC) held on October 16, 2018 in the city of ZhangJiajie, central China’s Hunan province. During the two-day event, some 400 representatives from 84 countries and regions (from Chinese and foreign governments, international organizations, and chambers of commerce ) explored issues such as maintaining multilateral trade system, building an open world economy, creating a safe international business environment and promoting the development of traditional medicine.

(64) During the Summit, President Inaishvili was presented the SRCIC Outstanding Leadership Award, along with the leaders of two other CACCI Primary Members, namely, Mrs. Magvan Oyunchimeg, CEO of the Mongolian National Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Mr. Said Sharif, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tajikistan. Another officer of a CACCI member chamber – Mrs. Nino Chikovani, President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was presented the 2018 SRCIC Outstanding Contribution Award.

K. 3rd ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival in Singapore

(65) CACCI participated in the 3rd ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival upon the invitation of the Singapore Business Federation and the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council. Held on 13-14 November 2018 at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore, the Carnival was attended by young business leaders from 14 countries, including representatives from the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (CNAIC) and the Third Wednesday Club of Taiwan.

(66) Focusing on the theme “Smart Leaders: Smart Businesses”, the Carnival sought to strengthen ASEAN as a resilient and innovative region and connect ASEAN’s economies and businesses through digital technology. The two-day event deployed the use of artificial intelligence and analytics in a specially organized workshop to help delegates analyse their business performance, recommend improvements to strengthen their management capabilities, and help improve the appeal to financier, all with lesser human intervention.

(67) The Carnival also dwelt on enhancing collaborations for five industries, namely: (a) IT and Technology; (b) Agribusiness and commodities; (c) Construction and real estate development; (d) Supply chain and logistics; and (e) Consumer goods.

L. 80th Anniversary of the Kowloon Chamber of Commerce

(68) Director General Mr. Ernest Lin and Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado represented CACCI at the 80th Anniversary celebration of the Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC) held on December 18, 2018 in Hong Kong. Mr. Lin presented a token gift to KCC to commemorate the occasion.

M. Invitations for CACCI members to attend forums

(M.1) 6th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave

(69) CACCI members were invited by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to attend the 6th Edition of SAARC Business Leaders Conclave (SBLC) held on 16-18th March, 2018 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Focusing on the theme “Unleashing Shared Prosperity Through Economic Integration,” this year’s SLBC was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Nepal as per tradition. The SBLC was also attended by Commerce Ministers of SAARC Member states.

(M.2) IFFA International Forum of Grains, Oil Seeds and Related Products

(70) The Iranian Federation of Food Associations (IFFA) invited CACCI members to attend the “International forum of grains, oil seeds and related products” held on May 7-8, 2018 in Tehran IRIB International Conference Center. Supported by the Iran Agricultural Ministry and Iran/Tehran Chamber of Commerce, the two-day forum focused on market developments. It offered an excellent environment for discussions of trends in agricultural market, supported development of business strategies in a rapidly changing world, and provided great opportunities to contact producers and buyers of grains and oil seeds.

(M.3) International Exhibitions on Beverages, Coffee, Tea and Dairy and Related Industries

(71) The Federation of Iranian Food Industry Associations invited CACCI members to the “9th International Exhibition of Beverages, Coffee, Tea and Related Industries” and the “3rd International Exhibition of Dairy and Related Industries” held on on September 15 – 18, 2018 in Tehran, Iran. The exhibition provided the participants the opportunity to know the latest market trends and identify areas of mutual cooperation opportunities.

(M.4) Regional Australia Asia Chambers Forum

(72) Mr. Brian O’Gallagher, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory, met with CACCI Director-General Mr. Ernest Lin and Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado on August 30, 2018 at the CACCI Secretariat office in Taipei. Mr. O’Gallagher briefed Mr. Lin and Mr. Honrado on the upcoming Regional Australia Asia Chambers Forum scheduled to be held on May 2-3, 2019 in Darwin, Australia. The two sides also exchanged ideas on how CACCI can help promote the Forum to its members, and how the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory can use the CACCI platform – such as the upcoming 32nd CACCI Conference to be held on November 23-24, 2018 in Istanbul – to disseminate information on its activities and drum up participation of CACCI members.

V. Other activities

A. Project proposals for CACCI Foundation funding

(73) CACCI invited its Primary Members and Affiliate Members to submit formal proposals on projects that they wish to be financed by the CACCI Foundation. The CACCI Foundation was established in 2006 to help Primary and Affiliate Members implement projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium enterprises. The ultimate objective is to assist chambers in Asian developing countries region to become sustained contributors to the economic development of the private sector. CACCI called on Primary and Affiliate Members to submit formal proposals on projects – either ongoing or still to be implemented – that encourage entrepreneurship and promote the growth and development of SMEs, thereby helping achieve the objective of the CACCI Foundation.

B. Creation of LinkedIn Page

(74) CACCI created its own LinkedIn account as additional social media platform for disseminating information to both members and non-members alike and for encouraging discussion and dialogue on issues of common concern.

C. Teleconferences with the World Chambers Federation

(75) The CACCI Secretariat participated in two teleconferences with ICC World Chambers Federation – one on October 27 and the other on December 1. The two sides updated each other on their ongoing and upcoming activities, as well as discussed other possible areas of cooperation between the two organizations.

D. Dissemination of ASEAN Investment Report 2017

(76) In addition, the CACCI Secretariat disseminated to all CACCI members copies of the ASEAN Investment Report 2017, which was launched at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held in Manila on November 13, 2017.

E. Publication of the latest newsletters of CACCI Product and Service Councils

(77) CACCI published the latest editions of the newsletters of the following CACCI Product and Service Councils:

(77.a) Asian Tourism Council

(77.b) Asian Council on Food and Agriculture

(77.c) Asian Council on Health and Education

(77.d) CACCI Women Entrepreneurs Council

(77.e) Young Entrepreneurs Group of Asia-Pacific

(77.f) Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment

(77.g) Asian ICT Council

(77.h) Asian Council on Textiles and Garments

(77.i) SME Development Council

(77.j) Asian Council on Contracting and Construction

(77.k) Asian Council on Trade Facilitation

CACCI members invited to 5th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok

Vladivostok – CACCI is pleased to share with its members an invitation to the 5^th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) to be held on September 4-6, 2019 in Vladivostok, Russia.

Organized by the Rosscongress Foundation, the EEF aims to: (a) strengthen ties between the international investment community, Russian business, and federal, regional, and local government bodies; (b) conduct a comprehensive expert assessment of the economic potential of the Russian Far East as well as improve the region’s competitiveness and attractiveness to investors both nationally and internationally; (c) showcase new investment and business opportunities such as advanced special economic zones, Vladivostok Free Port and state support for high-potential investment projects.

The Forum’s agenda includes discussion of key issues in the world economy, regional integration and the development of new industrial and technological sectors, as well as of the global challenges facing Russia and other nations.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCIRF), a Primary Member of CACCI, is EEF Knowledge Partner and is actively involved in the process of creating the architecture of the Forum, preparing the participants list, and organizing the exhibition, panel sessions and roundtables on the key international and regional issues. According to the CCIRF, the Forum business program includes a number of business dialogues with leading partner countries in the Asia-Pacific region and with ASEAN.

Detailed information about EEF 2019 is available at the web-site HERE.

Winners of 4 CACCI competitions

Ankara – During the 32nd CACCI Conference in Istanbul on November 23-24, 2018, CACCI awarded the winners of four different competitions: Local Chamber,  Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur, Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur and 3rd Hydropower and Clean Energy. The winners were:

8th Local Chamber Awards

There were two winners for the 8th  Local Chamber Awards. The Aegean Region Chamber of Industry from Turkey won under the Big Chamber category, and the Union The Primorsky Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Russia was proclaimed the winner under the Small Chamber category. The two chambers were cited for their outstanding achievements in promoting the industrial,  commercial and social well-being of their respective communities and their contribution to the chamber movement.

7th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award

CACCI presented the 7th Asia-Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award to Ms. Nazanin Daneshvar, Founder and CEO of Takhfifan from Iran, who was cited for her entrepreneurial and business leadership, contribution to the social well being of the local community, practice of good business ethics, and support of the chamber movement in the region.  A Special recognition was also given to Mr. Roman Nikolaevich Bobylev, Found/Head of Lozaholding from Russia, who was cited for his achievements despite his physical disability.

2nd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award

Two nominees were declared joint Winners of the 2nd Asia-Pacific Woman Entrepreneur Award, namely: Ms. Sherill R. Quintana, President/CEO of Oryspa Spa Solutions, Inc. from the Philippines, and and Ms. Zeynep Erkunt Armagan, Chairperson of Erkunt Tractor Industries Ltd. from Turkey. Mr. Quintana and Ms. Armagan were both cited for their entrepreneurial and business leadership, contribution to the social well being of the local community, practice of good business ethics, and support of the chamber movement in the region.

3rd Hydropower and Clean Energy Award

The winner of the 3rd Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award was Meghna Group of Industries from Bangladesh. The company was cited for its significant contribution to the sustainable promotion, support and development of clean energy in the Asia Pacific region.

The winners were announced and received their awards from the Immediate Past President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and newly elected CACCI President Mr. Samir Modi

CACCI takes this opportunity to thank all members who participated – in one way or another –  in the 2018 CACCI Awards. CACCI looks forward to  CACCI members’ continued support and cooperation in future Awards Program.

CACCI members invited to St. Petersburg SPIEF’19

Moscow – CACCI is pleased to convey an invitation to all CACCI officers and members to attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF’19) to be held on June 6-8, 2019 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Organized by the Rosscongress Foundation, the SPIEF is an international platform for discussion of the key issues on the global economic agenda. In 2018, the Forum brought togeher over 17,000 participants – business representatives, heads of international organizations, officials, experts, scientists and media from 143 countries.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCIRF), a Primary Member of CACCI, is Knowledge Partner of the Forum.  It is also the main organizer of panel sessions on cooperation within SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and some other issues of economic development.

Detailed information about SPIEF’19 s available at the website HERE.

CACCI members invited to ICC & WCC Competition

Paris – The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in conjunction with the 11^th World Chambers Congress are inviting CACCI members to submit nominations to join the 2019 World Chambers Competition.

The competition is scheduled to take place on June 12-14, 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

If CACCI Chambers are interested to participate, please click HERE for details. Your nomination must be submitted before January 15, 2019.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest Lin
Director-General
Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI)

CACCI joins 3rd ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival

Singapore – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) – represented by Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr. – participated in the 3rd ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Carnival upon the invitation of the Singapore Business Federation and the ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Council. Held on 13-14 November 2018 at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore, the Carnival was attended by young business leaders from 14 countries

Focusing on the theme “Smart Leaders: Smart Businesses”, the Carnival sought to strengthen ASEAN as a resilient and innovative region and connect ASEAN’s economies and businesses through digital technology. The two-day event deployed the use of artificial intelligence and analytics in a specially organized workshop to help delegates analyse their business performance, recommend improvements to strengthen their management capabilities, and help improve the appeal to financier, all with lesser human intervention.

The Carnival also delved on enhancing collaborations for five industries, namely:

(a) IT and Technology

(b) Agribusiness and commodities

(c) Construction and real estate development

(d) Supply chain and logistics

(e) Consumer goods

The Plenary Sessions of the Carnival focused on the following topics:

I. Future of Business in ASEAN – Key discussion topics included: macroeconomic developments in ASEAN; how ASEAN will be impacted by developments in regulatory environment and technology advancements; and opportunities for future business in ASEAN.

II. Regional Partnership with ASEAN – Key discussion topics included: present and future regional cooperation and business opportunities between ASEAN and dialogue partners; developments on the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN’s Roles in maritime and overland routes; future growth opportunities for businesses beyond infrastructure (e.g., digital connectivity, agriculture investments, technology and food security)

III. SMART Innovation – Key discussion topics included: how businesses generate new ideas and technologies to turn them into new business realities, sustained by new business models; and how to learn from successful businessmen and their innovative business models using disruptive technologies.

IV. SMART Financing – Key discussion topics included : what are some of the traditional financing modalities for businesses; what are the new and emerging trends in business financing options; and what potentia;l troles does cryptocurrencies and initial coin offerings have in the new financing landscape.

V. Financing and Fundraising – This session provided insights on how ASEAN small and medium enterprises fare against peers in their respective industries n terms of business performance, the implications on their valuation and funding requirements.

The Carnival featured as Guest of Honour Ms. Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information, and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore.

New CACCI President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer & Budget Commissioners elected

Istanbul – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) is pleased to officially announce the election of Mr. Samir Modi as the new President  of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) for the next two years (2018-2020). Mr. Modi was elected during the 89th CACCI Council Meeting held on November 23, 2018 in conjunction with the 32nd CACCI Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. He replaces Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, who served as President for two consecutive terms from 2014 to 2018.

Mr. Modi is concurrently Executive Director, K. K. Modi Group; Executive Director, Godfrey Phillips India Limited; Director, Indofil Industries Limited; President, 24 Seven Convenience Stores; Managing Director, Colorbar Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. and Managing Director, Modicare Private Limited. He served as CACCI Senior Vice President prior to assuming the Presidency.

In his Acceptance Speech, Mr. Samir Modi said: “As I’ve learned from the various CACCI events and activities that I attended over the past two years – many of which were led by former CACCI Presidents, including my father Mr. K. K. Modi and of course, our Immediate Past President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili – the CACCI presidency is a position that carries with it enormous responsibility and challenges. Keeping the Confederation dynamic and in the forefront of the chamber movement in the region is a daunting task for any leader, given the rapid changes in the world economy and their impact on the region’s markets. However, I am confident of working harmoniously with the new team of officers who, individually, are committed to push our Confederation forward.”

Mr. Samir Modi is the son of Mr. K. K. Modi, former CACCI President for the 2002 to 2006 period.

The other newly-elected CACCI office bearers include the following:

Vice Presidents

Peter McMullin (ACCI)

Sheikh Fazle Fahim (FBCCI)

Pedram Soltani (ICCIMA)

Wyler Wong (Kowloon Chamber)

Teruo Asada (JCCI)

Magvan Oyunchimeg (MNCCI)

Pradeep Kumar Shrestha (FNCCI)

Henry Kao (CIECA)

Rifat Hisarciklioglu (TOBB)

Honorary Treasurer

Ernest Yuen (Kowloon Chamber)

Budget Commission

Steve Hsieh (CIECA)

Obaidur Rahman (FBCCI)

Muhammad Iqbal Thaheem  (FPCCI)

CACCI ardently hope that all 27 national chambers of commerce and industry, 46 member chambers of commerce and industry and more than 300 life time special members will give Mr. Samir Modi and the other newly-elected CACCI Vice-President and officers the same kind of support and cooperation that you have extended to Mr.  Inaishvili and other previous CACCI office-bearers.

Asia Pacific region is strategic for Turkish economy – Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan

Istanbul – Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan expressed pleasure at attending the 32^nd CACCI Conference held on November 23-24, 2018. Sponsored by the Turkey Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), and under the patronage of the Turkish Presidency and in cooperation with the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), the CACCI Conference was honored by the participation of the Minister of Trade Pekcan, who expressed support and encouragement to the conference.

Pekcan pointed out that it is important that young entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and SMEs participated in the CACCI conference this year and said that the world economy cannot be interpreted correctly without understanding developments in the Asia Pacific region.

Minister Pekcan said that Asia’s weight in the global economy is gradually increasing. “While the share of Asia Pacific countries in the global economy was 23.1 percent in 2001, it increased to 29.7 percent in 2017. In the same period, the share of global exports increased from 25.8 percent to 33.7 percent. It clearly shows that the Asia Pacific region has become a new center of gravity for global production and trade.

These developments show that acceleration will continue. Moreover, one thing is certain: a competitive, industrialized, urbanized Asia must become a consumption economy in the near future. For this reason, the Asia Pacific Region will be of strategic importance to the Turkish economy and Turkish exporter in the next decades. We will carry out policies based on this global mega-trend. ” the Trade Minister added.

Pekcan said that “the Ministry specifically has identified China and India as targets and developed new strategies for these countries, and that the action plans are prepared,” the Minister said.

Source: TOBB website https://www.tobb.org.tr/Sayfalar/Detay.php?rid=23991&lst=MansetListesi

“The Pacific is the ocean of the future” – TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu

Istanbul – TOBB President and CACCI Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, in his speech at the 32nd CACCI Conference themed “Asia: Expanding Boundaries” held on November 23-24, 2018 and in the presence of the Minister of Trade, Ruhsar Pekcan, said that “the Mediterranean was the ocean of the old world. The Atlantic is today’s ocean. The Pacific is the ocean of the future. The center of gravity of the world economy is shifting to Far Asia and that we are entering the Pacific century.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu further said that “all kinds of products are produced here, in different quality and scales. With over 3 billion consumers, the largest global market is here. Both, economic growth and the increase in imports of goods and services, are above the world’s average. Therefore, the Asia Pacific region is becoming increasingly important for the global economy. It has a decisive power in the course of the world economy.

TOBB President and CACCI Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out the importance of Istanbul in the world. “Istanbul was the capital of 3 great empires, the only city in the world that is located on 2 continents. Napoleon stressed the strategic importance of this place by saying “If the world was a single country, its capital would be Istanbul.” Hisarcıklıoğlu added that the Istanbul New Airport, which opened last month and which is one of the largest in the world, will bring Istanbul into a transit center.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, who thanked Vice President Fuat Oktay and Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan for their participation and contributions, also used the opportunity to congratulate the immediate past CACCI President Jemal Inaishvili for his work and the election of Samir Modi as the new CACCI President.

The running star: Asia Pacific 

Stating that the Asia Pacific region covers 40 percent of the world’s population, 30 percent of the global trade volume and 23 percent of the world’s economic size, Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that Asia Pacific is pulling global growth. Asia-Pacific countries provide 60% of the growth in the world economy. While the economic growth in the world is 4 percent, it is over 5 percent in this region. So the Asia-Pacific continues to grow faster. In addition, Asia Pacific countries are investing $470 billion internationally annually.

The world’s 3 largest economies, the US, China, Japan are in the Pacific. For the first time in history, trade across the Pacific has crossed the Atlantic, making the 21st century the Pacific Century.

In this period of change in the world, CACCI’s conference in Turkey is of great importance. Turkey exports $ 170 billion a year and exports $ 50 billion and because of its geographical position, it has a large industrial production base.

Currently, Turkey is the 6th largest supplier of the European Union. Turkey also has great potential and wants to develop Asia-Pacific business. Turkey aims to increase the trade and investments between us, to establish new cooperation and partnerships. We want a strong economic integration with the Asia-Pacific region. As TOBB, we accept CACCI members as strategic partners, he said.

An opportunity to get closer

The vision of business in the Asia-Pacific Region with the Turkish business world will ensure a strong and lasting economic integration, expressed Hisarcıklıoğlu. By holding the conference in Turkey, CACCI, an umbrella business organization of the Asia-Pacific Region, allows companies on their own to come together.

So far, there is a desire to establish strong economic relations with Asia, TOBB President said. This conference it an important opportunity, CACCI Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said. Here in Turkey, there are business people in each sector. Let’s talk about trade and investment opportunities he added.

Danger of protectionism

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that one of the biggest economic problems faced today is increasing protectionism and the biggest loss is seen by developing countries. Hisarcıklıoğlu said that G20 countries, which constitute the world’s 20 largest economies, have taken 40 new trade restrictive measures in the first half of 2018, totaling USD 480 billion. It has reached a record level of restrictions and the United States is leading the measures. He added that we must overcome this problem together.

We need to identify commercial barriers between us and work with our governments to remove them. After that, our main agenda should be Trade Facilitation because trade is the greatest source of peace, he concluded.

Source: TOBB website https://www.tobb.org.tr/Sayfalar/Detay.php?rid=23991&lst=MansetListesi

Successful 32nd CACCI Conference concludes in Istanbul

Istanbul – The Asia-Pacific Economic Summit, hosted by TOBB President and CACCI Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, ended after several parallel sessions, bilateral business meetings, Product and Council meetings, particular meeting and cooperation talks.

The last section of the 32nd CACCI (Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Asia Pacific) Conference held the 90th Council Meeting chaired by Samir Modi, who took over from Jemal Inaishvili as new President of CACCI. TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu, who was re-elected as CACCI Vice President, also made evaluations about the conference and pressing issues in the international business environment. The summit ended with a cocktail and gala dinner featuring colorful events.

Source: TOBB website https://www.tobb.org.tr/Sayfalar/Detay.php?rid=24000&lst=MansetListesi

Five new CACCI Lifetime Special Members: Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Mongolia

Taipei – Since the 88th CACCI Council Meeting held on September 18, 2017 in Sydney Australia, the CACCI Council has received five applications for Lifetime Special Membership.

The newest Lifetime Special Members include one from Saudi Arabia, two from Bangladesh and two from Mongolia, as following:

(1) Mr. Yassin Saeed Al Suroor – Mr. Yassin Saeed Al Suroor is the President and CEO of the Arab Economic and Business Group (Aa’Mal Group), which is based in Saudi Arabia with global offices. A’amal Group was founded by a group of high caliber businessmen with an extensive experience in oil, gas, civil engineering and construction (privatization) industry region wide.

(2) Mrs. S. Ayesha Akhtar Jahan – Mrs. Ayesha Akhtar Jahan is Managing Director of Pandora Associates from Bangladesh. Established in 1999, Pandora Associates Ltd. is a company that aims to develop capacity of textile & garment sector & their human resources. Its Marketing & Technical support, Information Technology & Quality Assurance department supports the customers to grow and achieve professional excellence.

(3) Shan Sabil (BD) Ltd. from Bangladesh – With Md. Gias Uddin Bhuiyan as its Managing Director, Shan Sabil (BD) Ltd. is engaged in indenting, imports, and exports and is a supplier of garments accessories. It has offices in the country’s capital city of Dhaka and in Chittagong.

Mr. Md. Gias Uddin Bhuiyan visited CACCI Secretariat early in May 2018

(4) Mongol Basalt JSC from Mongolia – Founded in 2007, ‘Mongol Basalt’ JSC is the first and only company that produces stone wool insulation materials in Mongolia. It currently produces and sells its own brand of rockwool named Basaltwool that is used for insulation and soundproofing

CACCI President Inaishvili, Senior VP Samir Modi, and VP Oyunchimeg Magvan present Certificate of Membership and CACCI pin to the newly admitted Lifetime Special Member from Mongolia – Mongol Basalt JSC

(5) Bishrelt Group from Mongolia – Bishrelt Group was established as a Bishrelt trade and service company in 1994. Since then, it has expanded its business scope, employing over 1500 employees in its 14 subsidiary companies, and became one of the biggest groups in Mongolia. It business scope includes banking and finance, production, and trade and services.

CACCI President Inaishvili, Senior VP Samir Modi, and VP Oyunchimeg Magvan present Certificate of Membership and CACCI pin to the newly admitted Lifetime Special Member from Mongolia – Bishrelt Group

WTO’s Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun – Keynote speaker at CACCI Conference

Photo from WTO website

Istanbul – World Trade Organization’s Deputy Director-General Yi Xiaozhun will be delivering the keynote speech at the 32nd CACCI Conference in Istanbul on November 24, 2018.

Mr. Yi Xiaozhun has been a Deputy Director-General at the World Trade Organization since October 2013. Yi Xiaozhun has extensive experience in world trade and economics, both as a senior government official and subsequently as China’s ambassador to the WTO. He represented China as a key negotiator in China’s WTO accession process, making an important contribution to the negotiations.

Prior to becoming China’s ambassador to the WTO in 2011, Mr Yi was Assistant Minister and subsequently China’s Vice Minister of Commerce in charge of multilateral and regional trade negotiations and cooperation. Besides his contribution to China’s WTO accession, he played a leading role in negotiating numerous free trade agreements (FTAs), including the China- ASEAN agreement, China’s first FTA. He also worked as a diplomat at the Chinese Embassy in the United States for more than four years from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.

Mr Yi obtained a Master’s degree in economics from Nankai University in China in 1999.

Asia Expanding Boundaries

The 32nd CACCI Conference will identify measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to address the challenges being faced by the global economy and take full advantage of the current opportunities, enabling them to grow and expand beyond the domestic borders.

Speakers at the Conference will discuss how chambers and businessmen in the region can work closely together in defining a new role for the Asian business community in achieving a sustainable economic growth, grasping opportunities outside the usual geographical and technological boundaries, and managing shared risks and problems amid a rapidly changing world market.

Visit the Conference website at https://cacci2018.org/

Wellington, Lao, Primorsky, Darwin & Turkey present business opportunities

Istanbul – As part of the program for the upcoming 32nd CACCI Conference on November 23-24, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey, we are once again organizing a special session entitled “Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI”. Scheduled on the afternoon of November 23, this session will feature special country presentations by representatives from selected CACCI member-countries.

The country presentations are intended to provide the Conference delegates the opportunity to obtain more information about the economic and business conditions and the trade and investment opportunities in the various CACCI member countries, as well as to learn more about the CACCI Primary Members and their activities. These country presentations have become an integral part of our annual Conferences in order to provide all CACCI Primary Members the opportunity to promote their respective countries.

For the “Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI”  this year, we have invited the following chambers to make their respective country presentations:

• Wellington Chamber of Commerce (New Zealand)
• Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Laos)
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Primorsky Region (Vladivostok, Russia)
• Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory (Darwin, Australia)
• Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (Turkey)

We therefore hope you will join our Istanbul Conference, and discover business opportunities in the above-mentioned presenting countries.

For more details about the speakers’ lineup, meetings and to register, please visit the…

CONFERENCE WEBSITE

You can also see the latest lineup program in this CACCI website at…

THE PROGRAM

CACCI Officers visit “Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2018” International Trade Fair

Ulaanbaatar – A CACCI Presidential delegation of more than 30 members from Bangladesh, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines and Taiwan participated in the formal Opening Ceremony of the “Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2018”. CACCI President Jemal Inaishvili used the opportunity to thank MNCCI leadership for the invitation to Mongolia, as well as to visit many exhibitors.

The Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) organizes annually, in collaboration with the Mayor Administration of Ulaanbaatar City, this important international trade fair named “Ulaanbaatar Partnership” which attracts more than 100 international exhibitors. The purpose of the trade fair is to present commodity products and services of domestic and foreign enterprises promoting their businesses between and among interested parties.

Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2018 featured a CACCI booth in which some members of the CACCI visiting delegation from India – mainly women entrepreneurs – displayed their products and catalogues, along with CACCI promotional materials.

CACCI visits Gobi Cashmere Factory

Ulaanbaatar – As part of its mandate to promote trade and business growth, a CACCI delegation led by President Jemal Inaishvili, Vice President Samir Modi, and other international delegates visited Gobi Corp., which is one of the five largest vertically integrated producers of cashmere in the world.

Established in 1981, the company holds 60% of the domestic market of cashmere, and exports to over 30 countries globally. Its current production capacity processes 20% of Mongolia’s annual cashmere output, a country that supplies more than 30% of the global raw cashmere output. The company’s factory store is the largest cashmere store in Mongolia occupying an area of 1,150 sqm.

MNCCI hosts Gala dinner for CACCI Officers

Ulaanbaatar – On September 7, 2018, MNCCI organized and hosted a Gala Dinner for the CACCI delegates and Mongolian women entrepreneurs who participated in the Ulaanbaatar Partnership 2018 and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day.

The Dinner also served as an occasion for MNCCI to cite the previous years’ recipients of the CACCI Golden Award presented annually to the Best Company of the Year Mongolia.

The evening affair also saw CACCI President Mr. Inaishsvili formally presenting the Certificate of Membership and the CACCI pin to the newly admitted Lifetime Special Members from Mongolia, namely: Mongol Basalt JSC and Bishrel Group.

CIECA Chairman Henry Kao hosts CACCI leaders

Lunch hosted by CIECA at the Sheraton Grand Hotel

Taipei – On September 3, 2018, Henry Kao, Chairman of CIECA (Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association) arranged a lunch at the Sheraton Grand Hotel for the CACCI leaders visiting Taipei. Among the participants, there were two representatives from a Taiwanese logistics company who discussed possible business collaboration with CACCI President Jemal Inaishvili, as well as a representative from a leading cosmetics and beauty product company in Taiwan, who explored possible areas of business cooperation with CACCI Vice President Samir Modi.

Tour of the National Concert Hall and the National  Theater Hall

After lunch, Mr. Inaishvili and Mr. Modi visited the National Concert Hall and the National Theater Hall located within the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Complex. They were accompanied by CIECA Chairman Henry Kao, who is also a member of the Board of the group managing the two Halls, on a guided tour around the two theaters.

Dinner Hosted by CIECA Chairman Henry Kao

The day ended with a dinner hosted by CIECA Chairman Mr. Henry Kao at the World Trade Center Club. The invited guests included officers of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs led by Director General Ms. Jen-Ni Yang, who underscored the current efforts of Taiwan to further strengthen the country’s trade relations with other Asian countries, especially India; the representative of Anko Food Processing Machines to whom Mr. Modi expressed his interest to buy some of his machines for the commissary he is setting up for this convenience store operations; and other officers of CIECA and CACCI.

Taiwan will do everything possible to participate in 2nd round of CPTPP negotiation: President Tsai

President Tsai also said Taiwan will continue to uphold regional economic integration

Taipei (Taiwan News) – President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Tuesday that Taiwan will continue efforts to promote regional economic integration and to participate in the trans-pacific agreement that was inked earlier this year by 11 countries.

The president met with the delegation of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), the largest trade and industry association in the Asia-Pacific region, including its president Jemal Inaishvili and vice president Samir Modi, on Tuesday at the Presidential Office.

Speaking of recent trade disputes and protectionist measures implemented in certain countries, which have brought about much uncertainty to the global market, including Asia, the president said Taiwan will continue to uphold a liberal trade policy and promote regional economic integration through taking part in bilateral or multilateral trade agreements.

“We will continue our efforts to participate in regional economic integration and initiatives, like the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), and doing everything possible to participate in the second round of negotiation,” added President Tsai.

Tabbing the CACCI as a very important non-governmental partner, the president said the government looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the organization and hopes it can also help with the implementation of her administration’s New Southbound Policy in partner countries across South and Southeast Asia.

The president also encouraged the CACCI to continue fostering the growth and development of enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly those that operate in smaller scales or are run by women and young people.

The CACCI, founded in 1966, describes itself as a regional organization of business enterprises which covers 27 economies in Asia and the Western Pacific. The CACCI delegation is in Taiwan until Sept. 5, before heading to Mongolia for a business conference.  On Monday, the delegation visited I-Mei’s factory in Taoyuan and was received by the company’s chairman Henry Kao (高志尚).

News report and photos courtesy of Taiwan News. View the original report at https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3522096

Photo courtesy of the Office of the President of the Republic of China

Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory Deputy CEO visits CACCI Secretariat

Taipei – Mr. Brian O’Gallagher, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory, met with CACCI Director-General Mr. Ernest Lin and Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado on August 30, 2018 at the CACCI Secretariat office in Taipei.

Mr. O’Gallagher briefed Mr. Lin and Mr. Honrado on the upcoming Regional Australia Asia Chambers Forum scheduled to be held on May 2-3, 2019 in Darwin, Australia. The two sides also exchanged ideas on how CACCI can help promote the Forum to its members, and how the Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory can use the CACCI platform – such as the upcoming 32nd CACCI Conference to be held on November 23-24, 2018 n Istanbul – to disseminate information on its activities and drum up participation of CACCI members.

Mr. O’Gallagher was in Taipei to attend the 32nd Joint Conference of the ROC-Australia and Australia-Taiwan Business Councils held on August 31, 2018 at the Formosa Regent Hotel in Taipei and hosted by the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA), CACCI Primary Member from Taiwan.

Key CACCI Officers call on ROC President

Taipei – CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and CACCI Senior Vice President Mr. Samir Modi made courtesy calls on Her Excellency President Tsai Ing-Wen of the Republic of China (ROC) September 4, 2018.

CACCI President Jemal Inaishvili shakes hand with ROC President Tsai.

During their meeting, Mr. Inaishvili and Mr. Modi, re-introduced CACCI and its activities to President Tsai, highlighting the important role played by Taiwan in the establishment and activities of the Confederation, including the hosting of its Permanent Secretariat in Taipei since 1981, the holding of several of its annual Conferences and Summit Meetings in the island, and the strong support it has received from the Taiwanese government and leading Taiwanese businessmen over the years. They also reiterated their appreciation to President Tsai for gracing the Opening Ceremony of the 30th CACCI Conference and 50th Anniversary celebration held in Taipei in 2016.

CACCI Senior VP Samir Modi and CACCI President Jemal Inaishvili listen to ROC President Tsai as she talks about the role of CACCI in promoting economic cooperation in the region.

The two CACCI officers also informed President Tsai of their scheduled visit to Mongolia on September 6-8 where they were to meet with the President and Prime Minister of the country, as well as to attend Ulaanbaatar Partnership, the largest trade exhibition of Mongolia.

They likewise informed the ROC leader about the upcoming 32nd CACCI Conference on November 23-24, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey in which several businessmen and experts from Taiwan have been invited as speakers in the various Conference sessions.

For her part, President Tsai underscored the important role played by CACCI in promoting economic cooperation among countries in the region and between Taiwan and other CACCI member countries. She also recognized the critical role of CACCI, given the geographical scope of its membership, in the implementation of her administration’s Southbound Policy.

All photos courtesy of the ROC President’s office. View more photos and video here: https://www.president.gov.tw/News/23645

Members’ Suggestions Requested for CACCI 2018-2020 Work Program

Istanbul – CACCI members are requested to submit their suggestions on activities that CACCI should undertake in the next two years (2018-2020). These activities should benefit all members, further promote the growth and development of the Confederation, and help CACCI attain its primary objectives.

All suggestions received from members will be integrated into the draft Work Program to be considered and finalized during the 90th CACCI Council Meeting to be held on the afternoon of November 24, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Members’ suggestions can be emailed to cacci@cacci.biz.

Study on Metro Rail System in Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu – The Investment Board of Nepal (BNI) is calling for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for a “Detailed Feasibility Study of Metro Rail System in Kathmandu Valley (Dhulikhel-Nagdhunga)”.The details can be found in following link: https://ibn.gov.np/kathmandu-valley-metro-project-bank

The IBN is a high-level government body chaired by the Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal and functions as a central fast-track government agency to facilitate economic development in Nepal by creating an investment-friendly environment, mobilizing and managing domestic as well as foreign investments.

It also serves as a one window facility for domestic and foreign investors pursuing large scale projects with fixed capital of more than USD 100 million. It selects proposals for investment, facilitates investment, coordinate between various ministries, and monitors the progress of approved projects.

ICC Invites CACCI Members to IP Week @ SG

Singapore – Members of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) are being invited by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to the 7th edition of IP Week @ SG that will take place on 4-5 September in Singapore in partnership with the ICC.

Themed “Ideas to Assets – Connecting markets through IP”, IP Week @ SG 2018 features theworld’s foremost IP thought leaders, legal experts and innovative companies, to share insights on IP commercialisation and winning strategies for business growth. The event expects over 3,000 attendees from more than 40 countries and will bring together the innovation community to celebrate, network and collaborate. The whole program is available online.

Several events will also be organised around IP Week @ SG, including the IP Market Place, a free platform to connect with exhibitors, IP experts and fellow participants over coffee and consult IP experts on IP commercialisation, protection, valuation and government support.

Among the activities of the IP Market place, Connections @ IP Market Place, a business-meets-service provider platform at IP Week at SG 2018, will offer complimentary consultation sessions with IP experts. If you want to attend this event and secure slots with experts of your choice, you may contact Ms. Daphne Yong-d’herve at dye@iccwbo.org.

Singapore at night

Investment Board Nepal calls for EoI for Feasibility Studies on three projects

Kathmandu – The Invesment Board Nepal (IBN) is Calling for Expression of Interest for Feasibility Studies of the following three projects: (a) Glass Industry; (b) Shey-Phoksundo Luxury Resort; and (c) Ski Resort in Manang.

More details of these projects and other opportunities visit: http://ibn.gov.np.

The IBN is a high-level government body chaired by the Rt. Hon’ble Prime Minister of Nepal and functions as a central fast-track government agency to facilitate economic development in Nepal by creating an investment-friendly environment, mobilizing and managing domestic as well as foreign investments.

It also serves as a one window facility for domestic and foreign investors pursuing large scale projects with fixed capital of more than USD 100 million. It selects proposals for investment, facilitates investment, coordinate between various ministries, and monitors the progress of approved projects.

CACCI soliciting project proposals for CACCI Foundation support

Taipei – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) is inviting its Primary Members and Affiliate Members to submit formal proposals on projects that they wish to be financed by the CACCI Foundation.

The CACCI Foundation was established in 2006 to help Primary and Affiliate Members implement projects aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium enterprises. The ultimate objective is to assist chambers in Asian developing countries region to become sustained contributors to the economic development of the private sector.

CACCI therefore calls on its Primary and Affiliate Members to submit formal proposals on projects – either ongoing or still to be implemented – that encourage entrepreneurship and promote the growth and development of SMEs, thereby helping achieve the objective of the CACCI Foundation.

For additional information, please contact the CACCI Secretariat at cacci@cacci.biz

TOBB issues 32nd CACCI Conference Brochure

Istanbul – The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) has issued the brochure of the 32nd CACCI Conference scheduled to take place on November 23-24, 2018 at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul, Turkey. It contains relevant information about this year’s gathering aimed at further raising CACCI members’ interest to join the Conference.

Hosted by the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the umbrella organization of the business community of Turkey representing 1.5 million member companies, our Istanbul Conference will be organized under the patronage of H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey.

The Conference theme is “Asia: Expanding Boundaries” and is designed to provide another valuable platform for CACCI members and invited experts to exchange views on measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to address the challenges faced by businesses in the current market environment, as well as to take full advantage of the opportunities offered not just by markets in the Asia-Pacific region but by countries in other parts of the world.

Speakers from government, the private sector, and the academe will share their valuable perspectives on the following Session topics: (a) The Changing Role of Chambers in Promoting Business; (b) Innovation and Digitization: Implications for Business; (c) Regional Integration and Connectivity for Sustainable Development; and (d) A New World Economic Order: What It Means for Asia.

CACCI Lifetime Special Member Visits Singapore Business Federation

Singapore – Mr. Salauddin Yousuf, Director of Lub-rref Bangladesh Limited and Lifetime Special Member of CACCI (right), visited the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) on June 13, 2018 and met with SBF officers Mr. Alan Tan, Director, South Asia and Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Global Business Division, and Mr. Mark Yeo, Assistant Manager, Middle East, Africa & South Asia, Global Business Division (left). During his visit, Mr. Yousuf informed Mr. Tan and Mr. Teo about the recent and upcoming activities of CACCI.

Latest FICCI Financial Insights Focuses on MSME Lending

New Dehli – The Financial Sector team of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has issued the latest edition of its quarterly ounlication – Financial Insights. The issue focuses on “The Evolving Contours of MSME Lending in India”, which presents insightful write-ups contributed by industry leaders and experts in this domain.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are a major engine of growth and employment generation in the country. However, with over 50 million MSMEs in the country we have only 4.5 million unique borrowers from the formal industry. Traditionally public sector banks have been the lenders for formal credit to MSMEs. Private sector banks and NBFCs have been steadily increasing the share in MSMEs financing. However, lately non-traditional (or alternate) lenders have also entered the MSME lending space. These non-traditional lenders are using data and digital processes to transform the lending space. They work with new-economy partners, use non-traditional data sources and have developed new credit rating algorithms enabling smoother straight-through digital processes for loan approvals.

The policy interventions such as demonetization and introduction of GST have led to massive formalization of the businesses of MSMEs. This is generating enormous financial information database of MSMEs’ businesses and finances. It is expected that this big data base will be
useful for improving financing of MSMEs’ capital requirement, including working capital. Further, the proposed on boarding of public sector banks and corporates on Trade Electronic Receivable Discounting System (TReDS) platform and linkage with GSTN would also be beneficial for MSME financing.

This issue of Financial Foresights has attempted to outline reforms for strengthening the MSME lending structure leading to growth of the MSME credit.

Interested parties may download the publication from the following link: http://ficci.in/SPdocument/22981/Financial_Foresight_May1.pdf

CACCI Vice President Rifat Hisarciklioglu Re-Elected TOBB President

Ankara – Mr. Rifat Hisarciklioglu was recently re-elected President of The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).

Mr. Hisarciklioglu, who is concurrently Vice President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), became TOBB President for the next four years, after having been re-elected unanimously during the 74th General Assembly held at TOBB Economics and Technology University. Elected TOBB President for the first time on June 16th, 2001, Mr. Hisarciklioglu will perform this task for the fifth time.

In his congratulatory letter to the newly re-elected TOBB President, CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili said: “Given your long and extensive business experience, your exemplary achievements in various fields, your wide network of friends and associates in the business communities not only in the Asia-Pacific region but globally as well, and your strong and unwavering commitment to the chamber movement, you are certainly in the best position to once again lead TOBB towards its goal of promoting the interest of its members and fostering the growth and development of your country’s economy. I am sure you will continue to build on your past accomplishments at the helm of TOBB and bring the organization to an even higher level of influence.”

Russian Chamber invites CACCI member to “International Business Days” in Khabrovsk, Russia

Khabrovsk – The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCIRF) is inviting CACCI members to attend the “International Business Days” to be held on June 10 – 12, 2018 in Khabarovsk City, Russia.

Launched for the first time, the three-day event will feature the International Expo and the Trade Fair “Choose Region 27” where participants will get a unique chance to get information about trade, economic and investment potential of Khabarovsk region, conduct B2B meetings and have a culinary tour through the specialties of international cuisines.

In addition, companies and producers from Khabarovsk region, as well as government authorities and business representatives from all over Russia and foreign countries, will participate in the event.

For further information and queries, interested parties may wish to contact the Ministry of International and Interregional Cooperation of Khabarovsk region:

Tel: +7 (4212) 40-24-32, 40-24-34
Fax: +7 (4212) 30-57-27
E-mail: mic@adm.khv.ru

CIS-BCCI signs E-Commerce Trade Agreement with 50 Countries

Dhaka – The Commonwealth of Independent States-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CIS-BCCI) has signed e-commerce trade agreement with 50 countries, a press release of the business body said.

The release said CIS-BCCI and the global business platform ‘Qoovee’ had a meeting on the prospect of establishing business relations of Bangladeshi businessmen in CIS countries at CIS-BCCI Chamber in Dhaka on May 9, 2018. An agreement was signed after the meeting.

Qoovee.com is a global online business platform where the wholesale products or service suppliers and buyers meet to trade. It is one of the top 10 B2B platforms in the CIS region that has more than 15,00,000 visitors per month.

It was decided at the meeting that CIS-BCCI will be co-organiser of global online expo organised by Qoovee which will be held from 2 April to 9 July 2019.

The meeting also decided that Qoovee online platform will be used by CIS-BCCI members involving buyers and suppliers and Qoovee will act as a guarantee regarding assurance of buyer’s-seller’s payment. It also decided that CIS-BCCI will be Qoovee’s valid representative in Bangladesh.

The cooperation agreement was signed by CIS-BCCI president Habib Ullah Dawn and Qoovee founding president Turat Bulembayev.

Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce holds Canada Showcase 2018

Dhaka – The Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce recently organized the Canada Showcase 2018 at the International Conference Center in Dhaka. It was attended by many Canadian companies which are operating in Bangladesh and also by some Bangladesh companies doing business with Canada.

The chief guest of the event was the Commerce Minister of Bangladesh Mr Tofael Ahmed and main guest was high commissioner of Bangladesh Mr Benoit.

The Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce acts as a catalyst to make Bangladesh as Asia’s leading destination for sourcing and investment for Canada.

CACCI Lifetime Special Member joins Bangladesh Delegation to the Commonwealth Summit 2018

London – Mr. Salauddin Yousuf (leftmost), Director of Lub-rref (Bangladesh) Limited – a Lifetime Special Member of CACCI – was part of the delegation from Bangladesh that attended  this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings and Commonwealth Summit held on April 16-20, 2018 in London and Windsor, United Kingdom.

Mr. Yousuf joined his country’s delegation headed by Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina (3rd from right), along with over 5,000 other participants from parliament, government, business and civil society. The theme of the Summit was “Towards our Common Future”, which is linked to the theme for Commonwealth Day 2018.

CACCI delegation visits Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone

Vientiane – A CACCI delegation led by CACCI Senior Vice President Mr. Samir Modi and CACCI Vice President Mr. Pradeep Kumar Shrestha on April 25 visited the Vientiane Saysettha Development Zone, located in a suburban district 17 kilometers northeast of Vientiane.

During the visit, the delegation learned that the Zone covers an area of 11 square kilometers and is designed to be a model of industrial zones in the country. They were further informed that the Zone was jointly developed by China’s Yunnan Provincial Overseas Investment Co., Ltd. and the Vientiane Municipal Government, that it had attracted nearly 40 companies in 2017 from around Asia, and that is expected to have more than 200 companies in operation upon its completion in 2030.

CACCI members visit Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone

Phnom Penh – Members of the CACCI delegation that joined the Presidential visit to Cambodia visited the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone on April 20, 2018, which is located within the proximity of the country’s capital city. Led by CACCI Vice President Mr. Peter McMullin and CACCI Vice President Mr. Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, the visitors were met by Mr. James Chang, Marketing Manager.

Mr. Chang briefed the delegation on the activities and operations of the PPSEZ. The visitors learned that the PPSEZ: (a) is one out of eleven operating SEZs (from a total of thirty-four approved SEZs) in Cambodia; (b) retains the highest number of zone investors among all approved SEZs in Cambodia; (c) is one of the largest in Cambodia with a land size of approximately 357.32 hectares; (d) has more than 80 international companies from 15 different nations invested in the zone.

Following his presentation, Mr. Chang accompanied the delegation on a tour and ocular inspection of the PPEZ, and pointed out the various companies established in the zone and the nature of their operations.

VCCI hosts International Contract of Sale & Short Term Trade Finance Workshop in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh – The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) hosted a workshop on International Contract of Sale and Short Term Trade Finance in Ho Chi Minh City on April 19-20, 2018.

Organized in cooperation with the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), the two-day workshop was conducted by Mr. Pavel Andrl, an international trade finance specialist and senior tutor with the electronic Business School Intermational. The seminar was on ICC Rules and Practices with special focus on current developments in international trade and finance world.

CACCI holds International Contract of Sale & Short Term Trade Finance Workshop in Hanoi

Hanoi – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) organized, in cooperation with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), a two-day workshop on International Contract of Sale and Short Term Trade Finance in Hanoi on April 17-18, 2018.

The workshop was conducted by Mr. Pavel Andrl, an international trade finance specialist and senior tutor with the electronic Business School Intermational. The seminar was on ICC Rules and Practices with special focus on current developments in international trade and finance world.

CIECA Organizes the 2018 ICC-CIECA Business Forum in Taipei

Taipei – The Chinese International Economic Association (CIECA), CACCI Primary Member in Taiwan, organized the ICC-CIECA Business Forum on April 16, 2018 in Taipei, that featured Mr. Philip Kucharski, Chief Operating Officer of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as Keynote Speaker.

Mr. Kucharski made a presentation on the ICC – its mission and its activities aimed at expanding international trade, representing business, and promoting peace and prosperity. He informed the 30 participants who joined the Forum that the ICC was founded in 1919 by a handful of entrepreneurs who wanted to form an organization “that would represent business everywhere and bring economic prosperity around the world” . Today, the 13 ICC commissions comprising experts from the private sector cover specialized fields of immediate concern to international business. Subjects range from banking techniques to taxation, from competition law to intellectual property rights, telecommunications and information technology, from transport, environment and energy to international investment and trade policy.

Mr. Kucharski identified areas where ICC would like to work more closely with the ICC national committees and other chambers of commerce in the Asian region – particularly those in Taiwan – to help achieve its objectives.

Mr. Walter H. C. Chang, Vice Chairman of CIECA and ICC Taipei, gave the Welcome Remarks, while Ms. Mei-Hua Wang, Vice Minister of Economic Affairs, delivered the Special Remarks.

CACCI Vice President Amb. Feng Chi-Tai Meets with ICC Chief Operating Officer Philip Kucharski

Taipei – Amb. Feng Chi-Tai, Vice President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), received Mr. Philip Kucharski, Chief Operating Officer of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), during the latter’s visit to Taipei on April 16-17.

Amb. Feng and Mr.Kucharski exchanged views on the current conditions in the global economy, the growing protectionism among some of the major economies, the challenges and opportunities they offer, how these would impact on the Asian business community.

They also explored possible areas of cooperation between CACCI and ICC that would be beneficial to their respective members, and bring the two organizations closer together in pursuing their common objective of promoting the interests of the business community.

Mr. Kucharski was accompanied by Mrs. Ju-Song Lee, Executive Director of ICC Asia, while Amb. Feng was joined by CACCI Director-General Mr. Ernest Lin, Deputy Directors-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr, and Mr. Mig Moreno.

CACCI Vice President Mrs. Magvan Oyunchimeg serves as panelist at the Belt and Road Trade and Investment Forum in Beijing

Beijing – CACCI President Mrs. Magvan Oyunchimeg, CEO of Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI), was invited as a Panelist at the “Belt and Road Trade and Investment Forum” held on April 12, 2018 in Beijing.

The two-day Forum was Organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), and the ICC World Chambers Federation (ICC WCF), and supported by the Silk Road Business Council.

Mrs. Oyunchimeg was a Panelist in the session on “Prospects for B&R Industrial Investment.” The session discussed a number of issues including plans for B&R industrial investment, financing for B&R projects, construction of connectivity, and innovation of investment models, among others.

Focusing on the theme “Unleashing Potential for Shared Future,” the Forum aimed to introduce and disseminate the Belt and Road concept, strengthen the dialogue between government and business, enhance connectivity between China and foreign countries, and build consensus of cooperation.

CACCI members join visit to Alibaba Group Headquarters in Beijing

Beijing – Members of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), including CACCI Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr., joined officers and members of the ICC World Chambers Federation (ICC-WCF) during the visit to the headquarters of the Alibaba Group in Beijing, China on April 12, 2018.The visit was made following the April 11 meeting of the ICC-WCF General Council, of which CACCI is a permanent member.

Key representatives of the Alibaba Group received the  visiting delegation during the dinner hosted by the Group at its Beijing office. The visitors listened to a presentation on the ongoing and future activities of the Alibaba Group in China as well as in other major countries around the world.

CACCI invited to support Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW)

Singapore – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) has been invited to be a supporting organization of the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) to be held on October 29 – November 2, 2018 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

SIEW is an annual platform for energy professionals, policymakers and commentators to discuss and share best practices and solutions within the global energy space. SIEW aims to facilitate the exchange of ideas and discussions on pertinent energy-related issues, while simultaneously meeting the strategic objectives of Singapore’s commitment to becoming a global leader among energy companies converging on the event, as well as to provide a platform to showcase innovative products and solutions in the energy marketplace.

Singapore skyline at night

CACCI Conference in Istanbul themed “Asia: Expanding Boundaries”

Istanbul – The 32nd CACCI Conference scheduled to take place on November 23-24, 2018 at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul, Turkey will carry the theme “Asia: Expanding Boundaries”.

To be hosted by Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the two-day event aims to provide another valuable platform for CACCI members and invited experts to exchange views on measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to take full advantage of the opportunities offered not just by markets in the Asia-Pacific region but by countries in other parts of the world as well.

With this year’s gathering expected to bring together over 400 business leaders from at least 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, CACCI and TOBB hope that discussions will not only be of commercial interest to the participants, but will also be useful to the Confederation in its efforts to help shape policies that affect the Asia-Pacific region’s development. As follows we present the tentative program as of August 3, 2018.

REGISTER HERE

The 32nd CACCI Conference

November 23-24, 2018, Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul, Turkey

23 November 2018 – Friday

08:00am – 17:00am  Registration

09:00am – 12:00pm  Final Selection of Winners
(1) The 7rd Asia – Pacific Young Entrepreneur Award (Venue: Yikdiz C)
(2) The 8th Local Chamber Awards (Venue: Kaftan room)

09:00am – 12:15pm  Parallel Breakout Sessions
These parallel breakout sessions focusing on three sectors each will feature sectoral roundtable discussions and concurrent sessions that will gather government and private sector leaders for dialogue and panel discussion and information sharing on important sectoral issues, as well as to explore possible areas of cooperation among CACCI members within the same sector.

09:00am – 10:00am  Group One

a. CACCI Women Entrepreneurs Council (Venue: Mabeyn Room)
Session Chairman: Mrs. Mukta Nandini Jain, Former President, FICCI Ladies Organization; Chairperson, CWEC

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mrs. Selima Ahmad, President, Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(2) Ms. Pacita Juan, Immediate Past Chairperson, ASEAN Women  Entrepreneurs Network and Immediate Past Chairperson, Women’s Business Council Philippines
(3) Ms. Blesila Lantayona, Assistant Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines
(4) Mine Ayhan, CEO, Generali Insurance (tbc)

b. Asian ICT Council (Venue: Yildiz AB)
Session Chairman: Dr. G. J. Huang, Fellow, Information Industry Institute;    Chairman, Asian ICT Council

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mr. Martin Frick, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Temenos
(2) Mr. James Chiao, Chairman and CEO, Smart City Consulting Co.
(3) Fevzi Güngör, Vice Chairman, The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB E-Commerce Council (tbc)

c. Asian Council on Health and Education (Venue: Enderun Ballroom)
Session Chairmen: Dr. Arash Anissian, Chairman, Asian Council on Health and Education; Researcher, Opthalmic Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti Medical University

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mrs. Priti Chakraborty, Chairman, Universal Medical College & Hospital Ltd., Director, FBCCI
(2) Banu Küçükel, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board, Güven Hospital Inc. (tbc)

10:00am – 11:00am  Group Two

a. Young Entrepreneurs Group Asia-Pacific (Venue: Mabeyn Room)
Session Chairman: Mr. Mangesh Lal Shrestha, Member of the Advisory and Leadership Group and Former President, Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs Forum

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mr. Rommel Sim Gerodias, President & CEO, Sauber Professionals
(2) Mr. Roman Nikolaevic Bobylev, Founder and Head, Lozaholding  (To be confirmed)
(3) Mr. Md. Muntakim Ashraf, Vice President, Federation of Bangladesh CCIs
(4) Civan Sözkesen, President, Denizli Young Entrepreneurs Council (tbc)

b. Asian Council on Tourism (Venue: Yildiz AB)
Session Chairman: Mr. Anura Lokuhetty, Chairman, Asian Council on Tourism and Chairman, Red Apple Travels and Holidays Lanka Pvt. Ltd.

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mr Thanongsinh Kanlagan, Executive Vice President, Lao  National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(2) Mr. Chandi Raj Dhakal, Vice President (Nepal Chapter),  SAARC CCI
(3) Mr. Stuart Kenny, Senior Vice President, Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory
(4) Mr. Surenbaatar Nergui, Director, Business Development Division, New Juulchin World Tours Corp.
(5) Ms. Marloes Knippenberg, CEO Kerten Hospitality
(6) Osman Ayık, President of Tourism Sector Council of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey(TOBB) (tbc)

c. Asian Council on Trade Facilitation (Venue: Enderun Ballroom)
Session Chairman: Mr. R. B. Rauniar, Chairman, Asian Council on Trade Facilitation and Managing Director, Interstate Multi-Modal Transport Pvt. Ltd.

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mr. Bryan Clark, Director, Trade and International Affairs, Australian CCI
(2) Mr. Kok Keong Chong, Assistant CEO, Crimson Logic; and  CEO, Global eTrade Services)
(3) Aslı Gözütok, Manager of  TIR and ATA Carnets Department of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) (tbc)
(4) Dr. Esfandyar Omidbakshs, Director General for Multilateral Trade Relations Dept., Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture
(5) Mr. A. K. M. Shaheed Reza, Director, Federation of Bangladesh CCIs
(6) Mr. Manesh Singhal, Deputy Secretary General, International Affairs Division, Federation of Indian CCIs

11:00am – 11:15am  Coffee Break (Conference Center Foyer Area)

11:15am – 12:15pm  Group Three

a. SME Development Council (Venue: Mabeyn Room)
Session Chairman: Mr. George Abraham, Chairman SME Development Council and Chairman/Managing Director of GA Group

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mr. Chandula Abeywickrema, Chairman, Lanka Impact Investing Network, and Chairman, CSR Lanka
(2) Mrs. Dhara Wijayatilake, CEO, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce
(3) Cahit Ceren, Manager of SME Research and Consultancy Center of  the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) (tbc)
(4) Mr. Amzad Hussain, Director, Federation of Bangladesh CCIs
(5) Mr. Boldkhet Sereeter, Founder and Chairman, Naran Group

b. Asian Council on Food and Agriculture (Venue: Yildiz AB)
Session Chairman: Mr. Henry Kao, Chairman, I-Mei Foods Co. Ltd.; Member of APEC Business Advisory Council; Chairman of CIECA

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Dr. Kuo-Ching Lin , Director, Food & Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region
(2) Dr. Ali Shariati, Board Member, Confederation of Iranian Food Industry Associations
(4) Mr. Abdus Salam, President, Bangladesh Organic Products Manufacturers Association
(5) Necdet Buzbaş, Chairman of the Board, Turkısh Food&Beverage Industry Employers Assocıatıon (TÜGİŞ)(tbc)

c. Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment (Venue: Enderun Ballroom)
Session Chairman: Mr. Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, Executive Chairman, Hydro Solutions Pvt. Ltd., and Chairman, Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Mr. Syed Mazhar Ali Nasir, Senior Vice President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(2) Mr. Taif Bin Yousuf, Executive Director, Meghna Group of Industries (Tbc)
(3) Bengisu Özenç, Program Director, The Economic Policy Research Policy Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) (tbc)

12:15pm – 01:15pm  Lunch (Venue: Conference Center Foyer Area)

01:30pm – 04:00pm  Final Selection of Winner for the 2nd Asia-Pacific Women Entrepreneur Award (Venue: Yildiz C)

02:00pm – 03:00pm  Policy Advocacy Working Group Meeting (Venue: Enderun Ballroom)
This session will review and finalize a paper focusing on a policy or policies of current interest to CACCI members and to the region’s business community as a whole, and for submission – along with their recommendations – to regional or multilateral organizations and to relevant government authorities for consideration and possible input into their policy-making endeavours.

Meeting Chairman: Mr. Bryan Clark, Director, Trade and International Affairs, Australian CCI

03:00pm – 05:00pm  Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI (Mabeyn Ballroom)
This session will feature the following: (a) country presentations by selected member chambers on current economic conditions in their    respective countries and opportunities for trade and investments, or  on special programs, projects, products or services that have benefited their members or the community they serve and may be adapted by chambers from other countries; and (b) invited CEOs of companies or successful entrepreneurs from various CACCI member countries who will share their success  stories; the challenges they faced and how they overcame them; and/or their innovative business models.

Session Chairman: Mrs. Magvan Oyunchimeg, CEO, Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Vice President, CACCI.

(1) Wellington Chamber of Commerce – Presenter: Mr. John Milford, Chief Executive
(2) Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Presenter: Mr Thanongsinh Kanlagna, Executive Vice President
(3) Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory – Presenter: Mr. Brian O’Gallagher, Deputy Chief Executive Officer
(4) Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Primorsky Region – Presenter: To be advised
(5) Representative of the Presidential Investment Office (tbc)

02:30pm – 04:00pm  Advisory Board Meeting  (Open  only to Advisory Board members) (Venue: Kaftan Room)

04:00pm – 05:00pm  Budget Commission Meeting (Open  only to Budget Commission members) (Venue: Kaftan Room)

05:00pm – 05:15pm  Coffee Break (Conference Center Foyer Area)

05:15pm – 06:45pm  89th CACCI Council Meeting (Venue: Enderun Ballroom)

07:15pm – 09:30pm  Welcome Reception/Dinner (Venue: Sait Halim Pasha Mansion)

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The 32nd CACCI Conference (Ciragan Ballroom)
“Asia: Expanding boundaries”

24 November 2018 – Saturday

The Conference will identify measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to address the challenges being faced by the global economy and take full advantage of the current opportunities offered not just by markets in the Asia-Pacific region but by countries in other parts of the world as well,  thereby enabling them to grow and expand beyond the domestic borders and into the global market.

Invited speakers will discuss how chambers and businessmen in the region can work closely together in defining a new role for the Asian business community in achieving a sustainable economic development, grasping common opportunities outside the usual geographical and technological boundaries, and managing shared risks and problems amid a rapidly changing world market, while playing a substantial, constructive and catalytic role in global economic growth.

10:00am – 11:00am  Opening Ceremony

(1) Welcome Statement: Mr. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, President, The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB)
(2) Welcome Remarks: Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI)
(3) Special Address: High-Level Government Official of Turkey
(4) Keynote Speaker: Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, Deputy Director-General, World Trade  Organization
(5) Presentation of Plaques of Appreciation to the High-Level  Government Official and to the Keynote Speaker/s

11:00am – 11:15am   Coffee Break (Venue: Conference Center Foyer Area)

11:15am – 12:15pm  Plenary Session 1: The Changing Role of Chambers in Promoting Business (Ciragan Ballroom)
This session will feature speakers who will share their views on how SMEs can be assisted by chambers in their internationalization efforts and in becoming a part of Global Value Chains (GVCs). Within the scope of authentication issue and providing data, chambers have a critical role to expedite the process. They can cooperate on cross border regulatory policy needs and; therefore, facilitate cross border trade.

Session Chairman: Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, Managing Director, Panchakanya Group and Vice President, CACCI

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Dr. Martin Wansleben – Chief Executive of DIHK
(2) George Abraham –  Managing Director, The GA Group Pte. Ltd.
(3) Arnaldo Abruzzini – Chief Executive Officer, Eurochambres
(4) Philip Kucharski, Former Chief Operating Officer of the International Chamber of Commerce
(5) Li Zhonghang, Vice President and Secretary General, Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce

12:15pm – 01:15pm  Plenary Session 2: Innovation and Digitalization: Implications for Business (Ciragan Ballroom)
This session will examine how new technological revolution has directly transformed our lives and trade mechanisms. It should be realized that distributed ledger technologies have forced Asian developing countries to move from cross border trade to fin-tech solutions. According to GVCs formation, service sector value added in manufacture industries should also be considered with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Session Chairman: Samir Modi, Senior Vice President, CACCI and Executive Director, K. K. Modi Group

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Ozan Acar – Head of Sectors and Entrepreneurship Department of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
(2) James Chiao – Chairman and CEO, Smart City Consulting Co.
(3) Mitsutoshi Oriyama – Director for Trade in Service, Multilateral Trade System Department, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
(Topic: The new possibility of digital economy for economic development and looming digital protectionism)
(4) Ma. Alegria Sibal-Limjoco – President, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry

01:15pm – 02:30pm  Lunch (Exhibition Hall or Ciragan Ballroom)

03:00pm – 04:00pm  Plenary Session 3: Regional Integration and Connectivity for Sustainable Development (Ciragan Ballroom)
Invited speakers will elaborate on their perspectives as to why traditional shipping connectivity is not enough for Asian integration/transformation. Among others, they will explain how the One Belt, One Road Initiative is expected to bring in new transportation corridors and regulatory harmonization needs, why the latter is important for diversification of the Asian economies, and how at that point chambers could have a role to play to increase connectivity between Asian countries and the world.

Session Chairman: Mr. Peter McMullin, Vice President, CACCI and Board Member, ICC Australia

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Suraj Vaidya – Former President, FNCCI and President, Vaidya Organization of Industries and Trading Houses (VOITH)
(2) Manjeet Kripalani – Executive Director, Gateway House, Indian Council on Global Relations
(3) Ruwan Edirisinghe – SAARC CCI President and Chairman/Managing Director of RN Group of Companies

04:00pm – 05:00pm  Plenary Session 4: A New World Economic Order: What It Means for Asia  (Ciragan Ballroom)
This session will feature panelists who, in light of the rising protectionism among major economies which is seen to threaten the developing world, will examine and share their views on how to define new aspects of the new world economic order, and how opportunities and threats of this new era of populist backlash should be identified and addressed.

Session Chairman: Güven Sak – Managing and Area Studies Program Director of the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV).

Speakers/Panelists:
(1) Claude Smadja – Founder and President of Smadja & Smadja Strategic Advisory Inc.
(2) Bozkurt Aran – Director, Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), Former Turkish Ambassador to the WTO
(3) Bryan Clark – Director, Trade and International Affairs, Australian CCI
(4) Tetsuhide Mikamo – Advisor, Marubeni Research Institute
(5) Dr. Pedram Soltani, First Vice President of Iran Chamber of Commerce,    Industries, Mines & Agriculture

05:00pm – 05:15pm  Coffee Break (Conference Center Foyer Area)

05:15pm – 06:30pm  90th CACCI Council Meeting  (Venue: Enderun Ballroom)

06:30pm Cocktail

08:00pm  Gala Dinner (Venue: Ciragan Ballroom)

(1) Formal Turnover Ceremony for Incoming CACCI President
(2) Announcement of CACCI Awards Winners
(3) Video Presentation by 2019 CACCI Conference Host

November 25, 2018, Sunday Optional Post-Conference Tour

Optional Post-Conference Tour/Departure of delegates

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CACCI calls for members’ inputs to the 2018-2020 CACCI Work Program

Istanbul – One of the main agendas of the upcoming 32nd CACCI Conference scheduled to take place on November 23-24, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey is the formulation of a draft Framework for the 2018-2020 CACCI Work Program to be implemented by the new CACCI officers to be elected during the Istanbul Conference.

In this connection, CACCI is requesting all current CACCI officers and members for their suggestions on activities CACCI should undertake in the next two years. As much as possible, these activities should benefit all members, further promote the growth and development of the Confederation, and help CACCI attain its primary objectives.

Suggestions may be sent to the Secretairat throughcacci@cacci.biz, preferably before September 15, 2018. All responses will be integrated into the draft Work Program to be considered and finalized during the 90th CACCI Council Meeting to be held on the afternoon of November 24, 2018.

CACCI invites nominations for Hydropower & Clean Energy Excellence Award

Taipei – CACCI invitation Chambers to submit nominations for the 3rd CACCI Asia-Pacific Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award. We are attaching reference documents for the Award nomination and selection mechanics.

Initiated by the CACCI Asian Council on Water, Energy and Environment (ACWEE) which is under the chairmanship of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the Asia-Pacific Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award is presented by CACCI in recognition of the person or institution that has contributed significantly to the sustainable promotion, support and development of hydropower and clean energy in the Asia Pacific region.

The nominees could be individuals (entrepreneurs, subject specialists/experts, researchers, academicians, advocates/activists, independent power producers, inventors, media personnel, bankers, authors) or institutions (private organization, public corporation/agency, financial institution, research institution, civil society organization or media agency) in the energy industry. This award is an encouragement to recognize their efforts and to honor them for encouraging further endeavors.

The winner of the 3rd Asia-Pacific Hydropower and Clean Energy Excellence Award will be announced during the Gala Dinner of the 32nd CACCI Conference to be held on November 24, 2018 in Istanbul.

CACCI members invited to Ulaanbaatar Trade Fair

Ulaanbaatar – Ulaanbaatar Partnertship, Annual International Trade Fair is the largest trade fair in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with the great variety of exhibits and the most onsite deals. An annual 5-day session from Sep 7 to 10 Ulaanbaatar, Trade Fair of UBP is co-organized in collaboration with the Mayor Administration of Ulaanbaatar city and MNCCI.

The purpose of the trade fair is to present commodity products and services of domestic and foreign enterprise promoting its business between interested parties.

The Ulaanbaatar Partnership – 2017, International Trade Fair was held at Misheel Expo Center, from September 7 to 10, 2017, with over 110 standard booths at the exhibition area of 2750 square metre exhibited 100 enterprises’ products of Food, Textile, Light Industry, Arts and other industries. Overseas exhibitors from many countries such as Republic of Poland, Russian Federation, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Taiwan 12,000 visitors and customers. The exhibition was focusing on international standards of import brands and demonstrated innovative solutions of technology.

During the Ulaanbaatar Partnership Trade Fair we organize various business meetings like B2B, consultation etc. Meanwhile, UBP facilitates their business talks concerning transactions, investment and various kinds of cooperation. We are kindly inviting visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.

Exhibit profile

Light Industry: Leather, Cashmere, Camel and Yak wool, Felt, Gift, Jewelry& Accessories, Pharmaceutical& Medical equipment, Health care product, Beauty product, Household goods& Appliance, Book, Building materials, Printing, Publishing and all commodity product

Food& Beverage: Bakery, Milk& Dairy product, Meat product, Fresh vegetable& fruit, Natural honey, all types of beverage, Confectionary, Imported food

Services: Banking, Insurance, Funds, TPO, NGO’s, Publishers, Broadcasting, Press, Advertising, Software, E-commerce, Online sale etc…

Date: September 07-10, 2018 /Friday-Monday/

Venue: Misheel Expo center, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Organizer: Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Co-Organizer: Office of the Capital city Governor

Standard Booth: 1620 USD per 9 sq.m spaces (included VAT 10%) (TBC)

Corner Booth: 1800 USD per 9 sq.m spaces (included VAT 10%) (TBC)

CACCI Secretariat attends seminar on Indonesian Economy, Tourism and Labor

Taipei – At the invitation of Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei (IETO), CACCI Secretariat executives joined the “Indonesian Economic, Tourism And Labor Seminar” held on March 23, 2018 at the Taipei World Trade Center.

Consisting of the Seminar in the morning session and Business Matching in the afternoon, the one-day event aimed to give participants an opportunity to maintain contact directly with potential partner from Indonesia and provide more comprehensive information regarding business opportunities and related policies in Indonesia.

Following the Opening Remarks by Mr. Robert J Bintaryo, Representative of IETO, Mr. Y. C. Tsai, Negotiator from Taiwan’s Office of Trade Negotiations, delivered a Keynote Speech on Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy” where he highlighted the rapid increase in the trade and investment ties between the two sides. The Seminar also featured two Panel Discussions which focused on Indonesia’s foreign trade and labor policies, as well as investment experience sharing, respectively.

The Seminar was part of the “Indonesia Week 2018” held in Taipei starting on March 22, 2018. The four-day event was the largest held in Taipei in recent years with the participation of more than 80 Indonesian companies visiting Taipei to seek business opportunities.

CACCI and VCCI to co-organize workshops on International Trade and Short-Term Trade Finance

UNCTAD issues latest Investment Policy Monitor

Geneva – Tne United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the latest issue of its Investment Policy Monitor. In the Report, UNCTAD notes that twenty two countries took 32 investment policy measures in the review period (November 2017 – February 2018). The share of investment restrictions and regulations increased to 29 percent.

Compared to the annual figures in recent years, this records the highest ratio since 2010. Newly adopted restrictive investment policies include a tightening of investment screening procedures, measures to protect national security and the disapproval of some foreign takeovers. Other restrictions relate to local content requirements and preferences for local suppliers in public procurement procedures.

At the same time, some countries improved entry conditions for foreign investment. Among the most noteworthy measures are liberalization steps in a couple of industries, the simplification of administrative procedures and new privatization. The reporting period also saw a significant corporate tax reform in one country.

Regarding international investment treaties, the Monitor finds that two bilateral investment treaties and six treaties with investment provisions were signed, bringing the total number of international investment agreements (IIAs) to over 3320.

In line with UNCTAD’s Roadmap for IIA Reform, all new IIAs contain several reform features, giving particular attention to the preservation of the right to regulate by clarifying key protection standards and refining investor-State dispute provisions. Countries are also starting to move towards the second phase of IIA reform, modernizing the existing stock of old-generation treaties.

Several negotiations for mega-regional agreements continue. Depending on how future mega-regional treaties will interact with overlapping pre-existing ones, this can help modernize today’s stock of old-generation treaties. Multilateral discussions tackled the reform of investment dispute settlement and number of countries are working towards structural discussions in the WTO, aimed at developing a multilateral framework on investment facilitation.

FICCI issues latest edition of Financial Foresights

New Delhi – The Financial Sector team of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry has released the latest edition of FICCI’s quarterly publication – Financial Foresights. The issue focuses on ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code’ and presents insightful write-ups contributed by industry leaders and experts in this domain.

The passage of the Code is a landmark step forward from the earlier regime when there was no organised resolution process and different stakeholders approached different forums to resolve the issue. Now there is a unified law with the help of which this problem can be addressed in a systemic and in a time bound manner. Although the law is still in its nascent stage, one can say that the Code is a game changer and a paradigm shift in the laws relating to Insolvency. The pro-activity in implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code sends a clear message that resolving NPA issue is a priority for the Government.

While the Code will have several positive impacts in the years to come, it is also essential that shortcomings are corrected so that there are no impediments to its implementation. This kind of a facilitative regime will not only improve business sentiment, but will improve the ease of doing business in the country.

This issue of Financial Foresights has attempted to outline reforms for strengthening the bankruptcy framework leading to a successful implementation of the Code.

Interested parties may download the publication from the following link: http://ficci.in/SPdocument/22962/Financial_Foresight_Final_Feb2018.pdf

6th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave in Kathmandu, March 16-18

Kathmandu – The SAARC Business Leaders’ Conclave 2018 was held in Kathmandu on March 16-18, 2018 with an objective to promote investment, innovation and entrepreneurship in the region by unleashing shared prosperity through economic integration.

The event drew business leaders of the SAARC member nations, high-level leaders and government officials, among other stakeholders, to identify the challenges facing the businesses in the region and the mitigating measures.

Inaugurating the three-day event, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that South Asian countries have been facing common challenges in terms of development and that it is, thus, a high time for all the governments of the region to work together and mitigate developmental, business and economic challenges.

“South Asia is blessed with resources. However, many of resources in the region have remained untapped,” PM Oli said, adding that Nepal is keen to work together with all the governments of South Asia to make optimum use of available resources and make the region the most prosperous one.

Suraj Vaidya, president of SAARC Chamber of Commerce (SAARC-CCI) – the organiser of the event – said the business conclave primarily intends to unleash the untapped potential that South Asia has.

Informing that though almost 21% of the world’s population reside in South Asia and more than half of the population in the region are active working population, Vaidya stressed on the need for collaborative efforts between the governments and private sector in the region to work for economic integration and prosperity.

ICC Invites CACCI Members to the 3rd SDG Business Forum

New York – CACCI members are invited to attend the 3rd SDG Business Forum Led by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York on July 17, 2018.The Forum is being held during the Ministerial segment of the UN’s High-Level Political Forum, the annual review of implementation of the Sustainable development Goals (SDG).

Considered one of the key private sector events in the UN calendar, the Business Forum provides a unique multi-stakeholder platform to support business action and partnerships to achieve UN SDGs – fostering public-private dialogues, catalyzing new partnerships and alliances, and exploring innovative business solutions to accelerate sustainable development.

CACCI Members Invited to the International Business and Human Rights Conference in Paris

Paris – The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is encouraging members to participate in the next International Business and Human Rights Conference, organised by the IOE, MEDEF and Sodexo, taking place on 18th April 2018 in Paris.

This business-only conference is aimed at representatives of companies, business and employers’ federations, corporate law firms and industry associations. It will provide participants with a safe space to share experiences, learn about new trends and developments, network, and help shape the business and human rights agenda.

This conference will discuss pressing and practical issues, including:(a) How to carry out effective human rights due diligence; (b) How companies can best identify and address problems in supply chains; (c) Successful approaches to stakeholder engagement; (d) Access to remedy: examples of an NCP case and a company operational-level grievance mechanism; (e) Companies’ contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals; and (f) Government policy-making on business and human rights.

Interested parties may register before Friday 6 April by writing to humanrights@ioe-emp.com.

There is no fee to attend the conference. However, participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses.

32nd CACCI Conference to be held on November 23-24 in Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel in Istanbul

Istanbul – As decided by the CACCI Planning Committee during its meeting on February 5 in Istanbul, the 32nd CACCI Conference will be held on November 23-24, 2018 at the Ciragan Palace Kempinski.

To be hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the two-day event aims to provide another valuable platform for CACCI members and invited experts to exchange views on measures that the business sector and governments in the region can undertake to take full advantage of the opportunities offered not just by markets in the Asia-Pacific region but by countries in other parts of the world as well.

With this year’s gathering expected to bring together over 400 business leaders from at least 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, CACCI and TOBB hope that discussions will not only be of commercial interest to the participants, but will also be useful to the Confederation in its efforts to help shape policies that affect the Asia-Pacific region’s development.

CACCI and TOBB Jointly Hold a Successful CACCI Planning Committee Meeting

Istanbul – A highly productive and successful Planning Committee Meeting was recently held jointly by the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) on February 5, 2018 at the TOBB Headquarters in Istanbul.

Chaired by CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili and co-chaired by TOBB President Mr. Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the meeting was attended by 31 representatives of 9 CACCI Primary Members from 9 countries, as well as representatives from TEPAV, the think-tank of TOBB.

Discussions focused mainly on preparations for the 32^nd CACCI Conference to be held in November 2018 in Istanbul, as well as on the recent and upcoming activities of CACCI in the year ahead.

Some 15 representatives from the Turkish media were also present at the Opening of the meeting. They asked questions addressed to the CACCI and TOBB Presidents, as well as to other CACCI officers including CACCI Senior Vice president Mr. Samir Modi from India.

This is the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Hotel where the November 23-24, 2018 CACCI Conference will be held.

IFFA to hold International forum of grains, oilseeds and related products

Tehran – The Iranian Federation of Food Associations (IFFA), with the support of Iran Agricultural Ministry and Iran/Tehran Chamber of Commerce, will hold “International forum of grains, oilseeds and related products” on May 7-8, 2018 in Tehran IRIB International Conference Center.

The two-day forum focuses on the market developments. It offers an excellent environment for discussions of trends in agricultural market, supports development of business strategies in a rapidly changing world, and provides great opportunities to contact producers and buyers of grains and oilseeds.

The target participants include agricultural holdings, suppliers of raw materials, heads of private sector, traders of grains and oilseeds, representatives of governing bodies and authorities, financial institutions, potential creditors of projects, heads of domestic and foreign enterprises and suppliers of equipment and technologies, international and national experts and others. More than 700 representatives are expected to participate in the event.

For more information, refer to the following link: http://en.ifif.ir/Post/687

CACCI Invited to ASEAN-BAC’s 11th Joint Consulting Meeting with ASEAN+1 Business Councils and Associations

Singapore – The Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) attended, as an Observer, the 11th Joint Consulting Meeting of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) with ASEAN +1 Business Councils and Associations held on January 17, 2018.

Held at the Supply Chain City, a 6.5-hectare logistics facility located in Jurong West, Singapore, the meeting was attended by ASEAN-BAC members, Joint Business Council Members, and representatives of the ASEAN + 1 Business Councils and Associations. It was the second time CACCI was invited as an Observer to a Joint Consulting Meeting regularly organized by the ASEAN BAC with ASEAN Business Councils and Associations from various Dialogue Partners of ASEAN. CACCI attended the 9th Joint Consultation Meeting held in January 2017 in Manila.

Representing CACCI at both meetings was Deputy Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr. The ASEAN BAC was formed following decision of the ASEAN Leaders at the 7th ASEAN Summit and launched in April 2003, with the mandate to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN’s efforts towards economic integration.

CEO-Preneurship Summit Scheduled On 20 February 2018 in Istanbul

Istanbul – On February 20, 2018, the CEO-Preneurship Summit of the WBAF World Congress 2018 will host the CEOs of more than 100 corporates from 80 countries.

For the first time ever, the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) will be hosting more than 1,000 delegates from all over the world at its annual gathering. WBAF World Congress 2018, the biggest annual gathering of the world’s early-stage equity and investment markets, will have five important summits running concurrently on 18 – 20 February 2018 at the Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul.

This year’s forum will focus on the theme ‘Unlocking the Potential for Innovation: Angel Investors Partnering with Family Offices and Wealth Management Institutions from Start-up to Scale-up to Exit to Boost More Innovation’’.

The discussions will explore how family offices and wealth management institutions can foster open innovation and deliver more business value through partnerships with angel investors, start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs.

• The WBAF Annual Conference 2018 (for angel investors.)
• The Take Invest Summit 2018 (for start-ups and scale-ups.)
• The FinTech Summit 2018 (for finance executives.)
• The Impact Investment Summit 2018 (for impact investors.)
• The CEO-Preneurship Summit 2018 (for CEOs of global companies valued at $100+ million.)

For more information on WBAF 2018, please visit www.wbaf2018.istanbul.

The WBAF is committed to collaborate globally to empower the economic development of the world by fostering innovative financial instruments for SMEs, innovators and startups.

Alegria Sibal-Limjoco Takes the Reins of PCCI

Manila – Mrs. Alegria Sibal-Limjoco has been elected President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) effective January 1, 2018. Mrs. Sibal-Limjoco is only the second woman to hold the position.

Coming from a life of helping small retail stores branch into franchises, Mrs. Sibal-Limjoco said she would focus her two-year term as PCCI president on helping out the small players in the business community.She also said she wanted to continue the work done by her predecessors, the most recent being Mr. George Barcelon.

But on top of the chamber’s past projects, the new PCCI President wants to focus on MSME development, and even help K-12 students find better internship opportunities with PCCI member-companies.

Mrs. Sibal-Limjoco, who was a member of the PCCI board of directors for years, is taking the helm of the organization at a time when the business landscape in the Philippines is expected to change dramatically. All of these changes — from new taxes to more foreign companies jostling with small Filipino firms — await her in the year ahead and she is expected to be more than ready to meet the challenges.

Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council holds 14th Annual General Meeting

Colombo – The 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council (SLRBC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce was held recently, electing Priyantha Hapuarachchi as President for 2017/2018 who is the Chief Financial Officer at South Asia Textile Industries Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. Buddhapriya Ramanayake, Director, Mos Lanka Investments (Pvt) Ltd and Buddhika Liyanage, Director, Avian Technology (Pvt) Ltd were elected as Vice Presidents.

His Excellency Yuri Materiy, the Ambassador of Russia to Sri Lanka, graced the meeting as a Chief Guest while the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russian Federation H. E. Dr. Saman Weerasinghe was the Guest of Honor at the AGM.

Nine other Companies were selected to serve in the Executive Committee of the Council. Access International Projects (Pvt) Ltd, Freight Links International Pvt Ltd, Galle Face Hotel Management Company, HVA Lanka Exports Pvt Ltd, Imperial Teas (Pvt) Ltd, Maharaja Organisation projects (pvt) Ltd, Nature’s Beauty Creations Limited, Regency Teas (Pvt) Ltd and Rhino Roofing Products Limited are the companies selected.

ASEAN Investment Report 2017 Launched

Manila – ASEAN Investment Report 2017 was launched at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held in Manila on November 13, 2017.

The Report was prepared under a technical cooperation agreement between the ASEAN Secretariat and the UNCTAD Division on Investment and Enterprise. Copies of the Report have been forwarded to all CACCI members.

The 2017 Report can be downloaded HERE. Other past editions covering different topics, may be accessed at UNCTAD’s or ASEAN Secretariat’s websites (www.unctad.org or www.asean.org)

CACCI Delegation Meets with Nepal’s Commerce Secretary

Kathmandu – CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili, along with 30 members of his delegation from six CACCI member-countries, met with Commerce Secretary Chandra Kumar Ghimire of Republic of Nepal on November 21, 2017 during the CACCI Presidential visit.

The visitors shared information and exchanged views with Secretary Ghimire on trade and investment opportunities in Nepal, industry sectors that would be of interest to foreign investors particularly those from Asian countries, and other matters of common interest.

CACCI Delegation Visits Bhaktapur CCI

Bhaktapur – A 20-member delegation consisting of businessmen from six CACCI member countries visited the Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) on November 23 as part of the program of the three-day CACCI Presidential visit to Nepal.

The CACCI visitors led by President Jemal Inaishvili met with the officers and members of BCCI and exchanged views on possible areas of cooperation between the two organizations. The meeting was followed by a tour of the ancient temples in Bhaktapur and lunch hosted by BCCI within the complex.

FNCCI Officers and Members Receive CACCI Delegation in Kathmandu

Kathmandu – Officers and members of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) led by FNCCI President Mrs. Bhawani Rana welcomed the 30-member CACCI delegation from six countries led by CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili. The meeting took place at the FNCCI headquarters in Kathmandu.

The two sides discussed matters of interest to the two organizations, including membership in CACCI, areas of possible cooperation such as training programs, trade exhibitions, participation in each other’s Conferences and workshops, and publication exchange, among others.

FNCCI & Kowloon Chamber Sign MOU in Kathmandu

Kathmandu – The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Kowloon Chamber of Commerce (KCC) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining possible areas of cooperation between the two organizations.

Aimed at promoting greater trade and investments between Nepal and Hong Kong, the MOU was signed at the FNCCI headquarters in Kathmandu by the heads of the two organizations during the recent CACCI Presidential Visit to Nepal held on November 20-23, 2017.FNCCI President Mrs. Bhawani Rana and KCC Chairman Mr. John Li signed the MOU on behalf of their respective chambers.

Ceylon Chamber & ITC holds joint workshop on WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement

Colombo – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) in collaboration with International Trade Center (ITC) recently conducted a workshop through a train-the-trainer methodology to create awareness among the private sector on the latest WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The two-day work shop conducted in Colombo early October was aimed at helping businesses, especially the local SME sector, to understand the terms, potential benefits and practical use of each of the technical measures of the new Agreement and to equip them to contribute to the design, implementation and monitoring of the Trade Facilitation potential implementation choices.

The training session was delivered by ITC trained national consultants sourced by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

WTO members concluded negotiations at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference on the landmark Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which entered into force on 22 February 2017 following its ratification by two-thirds of the WTO membership, operationalizing the Agreement on Trade Facilitation is a path to internationalization, which will allow them to access international value chains at lower cost and at greater speeds. Sri Lanka is a signatory and has agreed to undertake many trade facilitation reforms.

Sri Lanka- Singapore Business Council of Ceylon Chamber successfully concludes a business mission to Singapore

Singapore – The Sri Lanka-Singapore Business Council of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce successfully concluded a 26-member business mission to Singapore held on November 8-10, 2017.

The three-day mission was organized in collaboration with the International Enterprise Singapore; the Government Agency driving Singapore’s external economy and promoting the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade, supported by Singapore Business Federation; the Apex Business Chamber in Singapore with over 18,000 members and in association with the Sri Lankan High Commission in Singapore.

The activities included a Seminar attended by some 100 participants from various industry sectors, one-on-one business meetings between the representatives of the Singapore companies and the Sri Lankan delegates, as well as with the opportunity for the Singaporeans to interact with the officials of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and clarify matters relating to potential investments.

The Delegation also participated in a series of meetings at the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI) which provided them an opportunity to network with the senior officials and members.

ICC Asia Conducts Seminar on ATA Carnet System Implementation in Vietnam

Hanoi – Mrs Lee Ju Song, Executive Director, ICC Asia, successfully conducted meetings and seminar on Steps to be taken for the Implementation of the ATA Carnet System in Vietnam. Held on October 31 – November 4, 2017 on Hanoi, the five-day sessions were attended by about 40 Senior Vietnam Customs and VCCI Certification Staff designated to implement the ATA Carnet System in Vietnam.

The interactive Seminar and meetings focused on the steps to be taken by the Vietnamese Government, the Vietnamese Customs, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) for the early implementation of the ATA Carnet System.

Mrs. Lee urged the early implementation of the ATA Carnet System by Vietnam since the System is the International “Passport to World Trade” as it allows the effective and speedy clearance of goods by Customs. It is an indispensable marketing tool to have in helping businesses to successfully develop their export capabilities and enabling them to have successful business trips as well as smooth participation in trade fairs and missions, Mrs. Lee told the participants.

FICCI Invites CACCI Members to its Annual Banking Conference in Mumbai

Bombay – The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Indian Banks Association (IBA) are jointly organising FIBAC – an annual banking conference – on 6th and 7th November, 2017 at Hotel Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai, India with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as its Knowledge Partner. The theme of the conference is ‘Finance in Digital Era: Navigating the knowns and unknowns.”

Mr. N S Vishwanathan, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India has kindly agreed to inaugurate the conference.

Building on the discussions that have taken place over the last few years and in light of the significant changes being seen in India particularly in the realm of the digital economy, this year’s conference would be focusing on the new frontiers for digital banking and other pertinent topics like consolidation, turnaround management, pricing etc.

CACCI Members invited to Match4Industry Event in Kocaeli

Kocaeli – The Kocaeli Chamber of Industry is inviting CACCI members to participate in its Match4Industry event that will take place on 2-3 November 2017 in Kocaeli, Turkey.

Match4Industry is part of “Doing Business Onsite”, a unique concept in matchmaking events that offer meetings held in company premises as well as the main event site. Visits to leading automotive companies will be available as optional programmes, offering the participants a chance to observe Kocaeli’s business environment at first hand. There will be a dedicated area to accommodate face to face meetings between prospective partners. This year’s event is expected to attract 350 exhibitors and some 40,000 visitors.

Interested parties may visit the event website at www.match4industry.com

“Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum” on November 28-29, 2017 in Tbilisi, Georgia

Tbilisi – CACCI would like to convey an invitation from the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia for CACCI members to attend the “Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum” to be held on November 28-29, 2017 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Organized under the patronage of H. E. Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, the two-day event serves as a continuing platform for high-government and business-to-business dialogue and is aimed at promoting regional cooperation.  With focus on the full spectrum of factors which define the regional and global trade, the Forum is expected to host over 1,000 political leaders, diplomats, representatives of international organizations and business.  Attached herewith, for your perusal, is the official invitation.

For more information on the Forum, interested parties are encouraged to visit the official website at: http://www.tbilisibrf.gov.ge/.

Ceylon Chamber Receives Lahore CCI Delegation to Discuss How to Strengthen Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment

Colombo – The Sri Lanka-Pakistan Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce hosted recently a delegation from the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

LCCI is the oldest and largest trade body in Pakistan with strong credentials having a large membership base standing around 20 thousand members. Led by Senior Vice President Mr Amjad Ali Jawa, the LCCI delegation consisted of representatives from the pharmaceuticals, IT and beauty Sectors.

The Sri Lanka-Pakistan Business Council organized a Business Forum during which both sides discussed the relationship the two countries enjoy and the possible opportunities that exist. The Business Forum ended with B2B meetings between members of the two sides.

New Lifetime Special Member from Bangladesh Visits CACCI Secretariat

Taipei – Mr. Md. Gias Uddin Bhuiyan, Managing Director of Shan Sabil (BD) Ltd. from Bangladesh, met with executives of the CACCI Secretariat during his recent visit to Taipei on September 26.

Mr. Bhuiyan, who frequently travels to Taipei because of his various businesses, discussed with the CACCI executives his desire to take a more active part in CACCI activities following his recent admission as new Lifetime Special Member of CACCI.

A member of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), Mr. Bhuiyan also attended the 31st CACCI Conference and 10th World Chambers Congress held on September 18-21, 2017 in Sydney, Australia.

CACCI, KPMG, Vietnam VCCI, India FICCI & Iran ICCIMA jointly presented business opportunities during Sydney Conference

Sydney – On Tuesday September 19 2017, the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce (CACCI) successfully featured the workshop session “Discover Asia Pacific’s business opportunities through CACCI” during the 10th ICC World Chambers Federation Congress in Sydney.

The session chaired by CACCI President Jemail Inaishvili, first presented Vincent Chang, President of the KPMG Deal Advisory in Chinese Taipei, followed by Vu Tien Loc, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The third presenter was Gajendra Badgujar, Senior Director East Asia from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry; and finally Pedram Soltani, First Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.

Given the fact that CACCI membership covers some 27 countries, which according to the Asian Development Bank, will reach a GDP growth of 5.7% in 2017 and 2018, CACCI presenters had a great opportunity to expose their economies to the international audience.

The CACCI workshop shared information about the economic and business conditions in their respective countries, as well as trade and investment opportunities. During the session, CACCI President Jemal Inaisvili also gave a brief history on CACCI, the services and products provided to members and its transnational alliances pursuing business policies to promote economic growth and business opportunities. Members of the audience issued questions related to business opportunities and economic conditions in the different economies presented.

The content of the presentations can be downloaded here:

Vincent Chang, President of the KPMG Deal Advisory, Taipei DOWNLOAD
Vu Tien Loc, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry DOWNLOAD
Gajendra Badgujar, Senior Director East Asia, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry DOWNLOAD
Pedram Soltani, First Vice President of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture. DOWNLOAD

Tajikistan pavilion won first place in Astana Expo 2017

Astana – The Pavilion of the Republic of Tajikistan won first place in the International Specialized exhibition “Astana EXPO-2017” in category “The best disclosure of the theme and content” among joint pavilions on September 9, 2017 in the ENERGY lobby of the EXPO-2017.

The international jury from 9 experts in the field of exhibitions, architecture and the international exhibitions, selected winners among the pavilions of participating countries at EXPO 2017. Awards were awarded in two nominations: exhibition design and disclosure of the theme of the Exhibition. 115 national pavilions and 22 pavilions of the international organizations which have presented modern technological developments in the field of alternative energy sources applied for honorary international rewards. Among the joint pavilions in the category of DESIGN OF EXHIBITION, bronze was awarded to the Plaza of Latin America, silver to the Pacific Plaza and Gold to the Plaza of the Caribbean Community. In the category of REVELATION OF THE EXHIBITION THEME, bronze is awarded to Ukraine, silver to the Republic of Ghana and gold to the Republic of Tajikistan.

Sharif Said, General Commissioner of the Exposition of the Republic of Tajikistan at the International specialized exhibition EXPO-2017 and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Tajikistan said “It is a worthy gift on the day of celebration of the 26th anniversary of the state independence of the Republic of Tajikistan and confirmation of the world recognition of globally significant water initiatives of the The Founder of Peace and National Unity, Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon.”

The Tajikistan delegation thanked the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Organizing Committee for preparation and participation of the Republic of Tajikistan at the International Specialized Exhibition EXPO-2017 in the city of Astana of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Working Group on preparation of the Exposition of the Republic of Tajikistan under the General Commissioner, Directorate of the Exposition of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry organizations, media workers, the diplomatic corps of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan for the help and assistance in the preparation of our Exposition and the work of the Pavilion of the Republic of Tajikistan during the exhibition.

The Pavilion of the Republic of Tajikistan at the international specialized exhibition EXPO-2017 was visited more than 400 thousand people, including official delegates from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Japan, Russia, China, Argentina, France, Italy, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, USA, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Ukraine, Armenia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, etc., as well as representatives of international organizations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Asian Development Bank, United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Silk Road Association, World Club of Commissioners, International Association of Garden Manufacturers, representatives of foreign and domestic media, etc.

Taiwan-Philippines Economic Forum Held in Taipei

Taipei – Representatives of the government and private sector from the Philippines and Taiwan spoke during the Philippine Investment Forum on August 25, 2017 at the Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Philippine speakers talked about the country’s trade and investment policies and identified some areas of opportunities for business partnership and collaboration between Taiwan and the Philippines. The presenters from Taiwan elaborated on the promotion strategies and activities in the ASEAN market of Taiwan External Trade and Development Council (TAITRA) as well as the experience of some Taiwanese companies in investing in the Philippines.

Pakistan International Trade Fair (PITF) in Karachi from 26-29 October 2017

Karachi – The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) is organizing the Pakistan International Trade Fair (PITF) from 26 to 29 October 2017. To be held at the Expo Centre in Karachi, it will be the first ever trade exhibition of its kind in Pakistan.

Organized by the FPCCI, the four-day event is expected to provide great opportunities to the world’s potential companies to showcase their products andconduct B2B and B2C. The exhibition will be inaugurated by very important persons of Pakistan.  Besides, it is also a general trade fair where regional pavilions will also be established besides the international pavilion.

The FPCCI will set up a separate CACCI pavilion in which brands of CACCI member chambers will be accommodated. Attached herewith, for your perusal, are the official invitation, event brochure and exhibit space reservation form. For more information on the Trade Fair, interested parties are  encouraged to visit the event website at: http://www.pitfexpo.com/

Ceylon Chamber supports Public Private Partnership for the Hambantota Port

Colombo – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce appreciates the steps taken to develop the Hambantota Port as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) as it marks an important step towards the goal of positioning Sri Lanka as a full-service maritime hub nation. In addition to the much-needed boost to the country’s foreign reserves, the reported scale and size of the investment is expected to generate meaningful FDI in port-related activities, as well as businesses around the port.

At a meeting held with members of the Ceylon Chamber’s National Agenda Committee on Logistics and Transport and other private sector stakeholders, Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Ports and Shipping, Dr. Parakrama Dissanayake, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and Mr. H. A. Wimalasoorya, Executive Director of the SLPA, briefed attendees on the concession agreement signed for the development of the Hambantota Port. The Minister elaborated on several areas that had been of concern to various stakeholders, including on how the selection of the concessionaire was done, how national interest, prevailing law and security considerations have been addressed, and how the two new companies (Hambantota International Port Group and Hambantota International Port Services) have been structured.

Observing that international rating agencies had been quick to highlight the positive effects of the transaction, industry representatives noted further that the consequent economic benefits arising from a growth in industrial activity, would create more employment opportunities in the region and also provide sizable impetus to propel growth in the maritime related services and logistics sectors around the Port of Hambantota.

‘Important milestone on the journey towards a true maritime hub’

The Chamber now expects the implementation of the Agreement to be effected in a manner that would serve the best interests of our country. Later this month, the Chamber is convening a seminar for its members on the subject of the Hambantota Port development, with key officials. The seminar will provide an opportunity to hear more details and seek clarifications on the obligations assumed under the Agreement and the plans for implementation.

While recognizing the circumstances in which this PPP deal was required to be finalized, the Chamber urges the Government to ensure that the principle of collective responsibility is respected, so as to inspire confidence in the final decision taken. Sri Lanka needs to enhance its reputation as a business destination that has a credible and predictable investment regime. This imperative is challenged when seemingly conflicting sentiments are expressed by responsible Government sources.

The National Agenda Committee on Logistics and Transport comprises of leaders in the private sector and public sector with experience in the maritime, shipping, and logistics sectors. Since last year, the NAC has been continuously lobbying to fast-track the development of the East Container Terminal (ECT) and the development of an e-Hub for trade facilitation, all aimed at boosting Sri Lanka’s position and status as a vibrant hub . This Committee is part of five National Agenda Committees functioning as thought-leadership groups at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, developing insights and advocacy on key strategic economic themes. To know more about the Ceylon Chamber’s National Agenda Committees initiative, visit the ‘Policy and Advocacy’ section of the Chamber website (www.chamber.lk) and to read the Chamber’s recommendations on the ECT, visit the ‘Submissions to Government’ section. To read thought-leadership articles anchored to the NACs, visit ‘The National Agenda’, visit nationalagendacommittees.wordpress.com

23rd Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka – Malaysia Business Council

Colombo – The Sri Lanka – Malaysia Business Council was inaugurated on February 23, 1994 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. The main objective of this Council is to promote joint ventures in trade, tourism and services between Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

The 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Council was held on 19th July 2017 at the Hilton Colombo Residences and the Chief Guest was His Excellency Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Sri Lanka, who is also the Patron of the Sri Lanka – Malaysia Business Council. His Excellency Dato Seri Utama Dr. S. Samy Vellu, Special Envoy with Ministerial Rank to India and South Asia for Infrastructure graced this occasion as the Guest of Honour.

The Office Bearers for year 2017/2018 was unanimously elected as follows:

Mr. Iqram Cuttilan, Director/ Chief Operating Officer – Aitken Spence Shipping Ltd was elected as the President of the Sri Lanka – Malaysia Business Council and Mr. Keerthi Jayasuriya Chairman/ CEO – International Scholar Educational Service Pvt Ltd  and Mr. Amrit CanagaRetna, Vice President – Amana Bank Ltd as the Vice Presidents.

Mr. Aashiq Lafir, Executive Director – Finance – United Motors Lanka PLC will serve as the Immediate Past President of the Council.

The newly elected committee for year 2017/2018 is Amana Takaful PLC, Chemanex PLC, Dialog Axiata PLC, Hemas Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, Ilham Inspiration Sri Lanka, Just in Time Group, Kenanga Investment Corporation Ltd, Macksons Paints Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ranjan Nadesapillai Associates and Sena Gem Trading House (Pvt) Ltd.

The Sri Lanka – Malaysia Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce intends carrying out promoting trade, tourism, services between Sri Lanka and Malaysia in particular to promote exports, encourage establishment of joint ventures, exchange information on trade and investment with the appropriate bodies, conduct joint meetings with Malaysian Business organizations in Sri Lanka and in Malaysia to promote exports and attract investments, facilitate business matchmaking events as means to promote bilateral business and serve as a recognized representative of business sector interests in Sri Lanka in matters concerning business relationships with Malaysia.

Membership is open to Individuals, partnerships, companies, state owned enterprises or other organisations engaged in trade, tourism or services or engaged in joint ventures with Malaysia or interested in entering into or promoting trade, tourism, services or joint ventures with organizations in the partner country shall be eligible for membership of the Council.

2017 World Chambers Competition finalists announced

Paris – Eighteen chambers of commerce from 13 countries move into the final round of the 2017 World Chambers Competition, to be held in Sydney on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 September. The winners will be announced during the Congress Gala dinner on the 21 September.

The World Chambers Competition, organised by the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF), is the only global awards programme of its kind to recognise ground-breaking projects developed by chambers of commerce and industry worldwide. After receiving 53 applications from 27 countries, an international jury, comprising ICC WCF leadership and representatives from chambers of commerce and other recognised global organisations, selected the 2017 finalists.

The Competition allows chambers, both large and small, to showcase best practices. Commenting on this year’s selection, head of the Competition jury and WCF Honorary Chair Rona Yircali said: “It was an extremely difficult task to shortlist our Competition finalists, as this year’s applicants were particularly strong. Based on the variety of projects submitted, we are very proud to see the chamber network continuing, year after year, to champion their respective communities with new and more advanced innovations for the betterment of all.”

Competing across four categories, the finalists will move on to present their unique projects before a live audience of chamber and business leaders, during the bi-annual World Chambers Congress. The Congress is set to take place in Sydney, Australia from 19-21 September.

10th World Chamber Congress App now available

ADB: Rise in exports boost developing Asia’s growth outlook

Manila – Stronger-than-expected export demand has improved growth prospects for Asia’s developing economies, including China, the Asian Development Bank said recently.

The Manila-based ADB upgraded its growth forecast for this year to 5.9 percent from an earlier forecast of 5.7 percent. It expects developing Asia to grow at a 5.8 percent pace in 2018, up from its earlier forecast of 5.7 percent. China’s economy, the world’s second biggest, is forecast to grow at a 6.7 percent pace in 2017 and a 6.4 percent pace in 2018, the report said. The outlook is more optimistic than the bank’s last forecast, made in April, for 6.5 percent and 6.2 percent growth in 2017 and 2018.

“Developing Asia is off to a good start this year with improved exports pushing growth prospects for the rest of 2017,” said ADB’s chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada. “Despite lingering uncertainties surrounding the strength of the global recovery, we feel that the region’s economies are well-placed to face potential shocks to the outlook.”

South Asia will remain the fastest growing sub- region, with regional expansions projected at 7 percent in 2017 and 7.2 percent next year, the report said. Southeast Asia’s growth is expected to remain at 4.8 percent in 2017 and 5 percent in 2018, with slower expansion in oil-dependent Brunei slightly offsetting faster growth in Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore.

B20 Welcomes G20 Leaders’ Declaration as a partial success

Hamburg – The B20 says it welcomes the final G20 Leaders’ Declaration as a partial success, given the difficult negotiating climate. “Naturally, we had hoped for something more substantial with more concrete policy actions”, said Jürgen Heraeus, President of the B20, the official G20 dialogue partner, after the G20 Summit came to a close.

“In view of the difficult negotiating climate, however, the Declaration can be regarded as a success, even if it does little more than secure the status quo in many areas”, Heraeus continued. “It is thanks to the diplomatic skill of the German federal government that the G20 members were able to reach compromises at all”, said the President of the B20.

The B20 welcomes the G20’s commitment to open markets, the willingness of its members to fight protectionism, and their announcement to work together towards a successful WTO ministerial conference in Argentina later this year. However, the language often remains extremely vague, such as ‘all unfair trade practices’, which could open a door to new protectionism. The G20 has also missed the opportunity to agree on a modern trade agenda fit for the 21st century.

In the area of climate and energy, all G20 members, apart from the United States, recommitted to implement the Paris Climate Agreement. The B20 welcomes the fact that the remaining 19 G20 members clearly rejected the desire of the United States to renegotiate the Agreement by calling it ‘irreversible’. The B20 also welcomes the G20 ‘Climate and Energy Action Plan for Growth’.

The G20 recognizes the digital transformation as a driving force for global, innovative, inclusive and sustainable growth that can help reduce inequalities and achieve the objectives of the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. By 2025, all citizens are to be digitally connected.

However, the B20 regrets the fact that the G20 Declaration is falling behind expectations in many key economic issues. “We had hoped for more regarding global standards, IT security, and the potential of artificial intelligence”, Heraeus regrets. An extremely important success of the German G20 Presidency is the new partnership with Africa, the ‘Compact with Africa’. With the reform partnerships, the G20 wants to improve the framework conditions for investments in the African partner countries. The partnerships also aim to promote peace, stability, and security.

ICC Open Markets Index: More effort required to open economies to global trade

Paris – Despite repeated pledges to enable trade as a driver of growth and job creation, G20 economies are failing to demonstrate global leadership on trade openness according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Open Markets Index 2017 (OMI) published on July 7, 2017.

Highlights: (a) G20 countries failing to demonstrate global leadership on trade; (b) Canada the only G20 country in top 20 open markets globally; (c) Singapore, Luxembourg and Hong Kong the world‘s most open markets. The report – commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) – shows that G20 nations rank below the global standard in terms of openness to trade, with only Canada placing among the world‘s top 20 open markets. Singapore, Luxembourg and Hong Kong SAR head the 2017 rankings for the fourth successive edition of the report, far outstripping major economies such as the United States in terms of trade openness.

The Index scores 75 countries on a scale of one to six on four key factors: observed trade openness, trade policy, openness to foreign direct investment and trade-enabling infrastructure. In doing so, the Index also monitors government follow through on longstanding G20 commitments to boost global trade flows.

The latest edition of the Index reveals that 18 of the G20 economies score only average or below average in terms of their overall openness to trade. The two lowest-scoring G20 economies are Brazil and Argentina. ICC Secretary General John Danilovich said: “ICC has steadfastly called on the G20 to maintain a strong stance against protectionism since the global financial crisis. There must be no return to 1930’s style beggar thy neighbor policies – and the private sector must not shy away from driving this point home.”

Other findings: The latest edition of the Index, launched as government leaders gathered in Hamburg in July 7-8 at G20 Summit, reveals that: (a) three economies ranked as “excellent” in terms of overall openness (scoring above 5.0), specifically Hong Kong, Luxembourg and Singapore; (b) the lowest ranking economies were Ethiopia, Venezuela and and Sudan.

ICC is calling on the G20 to commit to a package of reforms to enable trade as a driver of growth jobs and opportunity. The ICC publishes the OMI with the aim of presenting a balanced and reliable measurement of an economy’s openness to trade. ICC hopes that the OMI may serve as a guide for governments in implementing reforms to enable trade as a driver of sustainable growth and job creation

Vietnam CCI Invites CACCI Members to APEC 2017 Start-ups Forum

Hanoi – The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is inviting CACCI members to attend the APEC 2017 Start-ups Forum to be held on September 11-12, 2017 in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.

The two-day Forum will focus on discussing the issues of supporting micro, small and medium- sized enterprises (MSMEs), especially the start-up businesses, such as enabling the MSMEs to innovate, integrate and access the global value chain right at their nascent business stage, accelerating the sustainable and environment-friendly socio-economic growth. The Forum also creates an opportunity for APEC member economies to share experience, ideas and tools to support business start-ups, thereby forming a dynamic and networked APEC start-ups community.

Some 300 delegates from 21 APEC member economies are expected to attend the Forum, including the Global Entrepreneurship Network, investment funds, business incubators, businesses, start-up research institutions and promotion organizations, and transnational corporations. Initiatives and the content of the Forum will be discussed to propose a Joint Statement on promoting start-up and MSMEs to the SME Ministerial Meeting.

ACCI urges Australians to ‘think small’ on day to honour SMEs

Sydney – The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) encouraged Australians to “think small” by supporting their local enterprises in order to celebrate the inaugural international day in honour of small businesses.

June 27 has been declared Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day by the United Nations to raise public awareness of their contribution to sustainable development.  James Pearson, CEO of the Australian Chamber, said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of many communities by providing local jobs and meeting the needs of local customers. “Every day is a great day to support small business… I encourage people to visit their local retailers and tap into local services so they can experience what small businesses have to offer.

“Australia’s 2.1 million small businesses contributed $379 billion to our economy in 2015, representing nearly 36 per cent of total output. More than 4.8 million people work in small businesses in Australia, accounting for nearly 45 per cent of all jobs. “Often the people who start these small businesses have risked everything they have, including their home, to turn their entrepreneurial dream into reality.  “Typically these business men and women work extraordinary hours and take few holidays, and nearly half earn less than the people they employ.

Often these businesses operate on incredibly tight margins, where a few percentage points increase in costs is the difference between running at a profit and at a loss. “While many consumers are voting with their feet in backing small business, we need government policies to match. “It is great to see the Federal Government get behind small business with the first tranche of its business tax cuts and the extension of the instant asset write-off in this year’s Budget.

“We urge the Federal Opposition to commit to maintaining the reduced tax rate for small business so that business operators can make investments in growing their enterprise with confidence about the future. Right now small businesses are hurting from the surge in energy prices, which are making it harder for them to keep the lights on and the doors open. We urge federal and state governments to stop the blame game and deliver stable policy settings that encourage investment in new power supply to help push prices down.”

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Names Mr. Rajendra Theagarajah as Chairman

Colombo – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce appointed Mr. Rajendra Theagarajah as its new Chairman during its 178th AGM held at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo on the 29th June, 2017.

Mr. Theagarajah, a veteran banker, succeeds the outgoing Chairman Mr. Samantha Ranatunga, who led the Chamber during the past two years. He functioned as the Vice Chairman, Deputy Vice Chairman, Board Member and also served as a member of the Chamber Committee for several years.

In the meantime, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the Chamber, while Mr. Vish Govindasamy was appointed as the Deputy Vice Chairperson for the year 2017 and 2018 financial year.

The Chamber also appointed several new members to its nine member ‘Board of Directors’, which consists of Chairman, Vice Chairperman, Deputy Vice Chairman, CEO and five ‘Directors’.

B20 Calls for G20 Unity and Leadership in Shaping Globalization

Hamburg – Business 20 (B20), the official G20 business dialogue with the global business community, calls on the G20 to be united and to shape globalization on the basis of clear and reliable rules. In addition, B20 also speaks out against protectionism and for climate protection.

“The business representatives of the G20 members call on the G20 to be united and show leadership in shaping globalization” said Jürgen Heraeus, Chair of the official business dialogue Business 20 (B20), recently before the G20 Summit in Hamburg on July 7 and 8. Under the leading motto “Shaping an Interconnected World”, the G20 heads of state and government, together with international organizations, will meet to adopt the final communique.

“Global challenges need global solutions. National solo-runs are bound to fail. The G20 is now more important than ever and must overcome the challenges of the last few months,” explained Heraeus. Over the past ten months, the B20 has developed recommendations for the G20 to improve the future viability and sustainability of the global economy. “We stand for open and rules-based markets. At the same time, we must ensure that the benefits from globalization are widespread in our societies. For example, we need to invest more in education and lifelong learning.”

The B20 spoke out strongly against protectionism and for strengthening the multilateral trade system with the WTO at its heart. The B20 supports the Paris Climate Agreement and encourages the G20 members to send a clear signal in Hamburg for climate protection. “Climate protection and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite. In order to push ahead with the necessary innovations, leaving room to ensure competitiveness, a reliable implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement is necessary in order to ensure fair competition,” said Heraeus.

The B20 is the official G20 dialogue with the global business community. The mission of the B20 is to support the G20 through consolidated representation of interests, expertise, and concrete policy proposals. Furthermore, the B20 promotes dialogue among policy-makers, civil society, and business at the international level. B20 Germany has more than 700 members from all sectors and all G20 members, representing the entire G20 business community.

Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2017 to Discuss ‘Walking the Talk’ for Greener Growth

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Colombo – The Importance of Sri Lankan businesses aligning its growth plans with greener practices to help develop a ‘sustainable era,’ will be discussed intensely at the upcoming Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2017. The topic will be discussed at a thematic session titled, ‘Realizing a Greener Growth Path – Walking the Talk’, with the participation of thought leaders and industry practitioners.

The session will kick off with a presentation by Dr. Rae Kwon Chung, Former Principal Advisor on Climate Change, Executive Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations, while, Mr. Ralph Van Doorn, Senior Country Economist for Sri Lanka and the Maldives of The World Bank and Mr. Sunil Sethi, Managing Director Fonterra Brands Lanka, also following him with presentations.

The trio’s delivery would be followed by a panel discussion, which will include Dr. Prasanthi Gunawardana, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Mr. Avanthi Jayathilaka, Director of Global Management Consultants and Mr. Vidura Ralapanawa, General Manager, Environmental Sustainability of MAS Intimates. The session would be moderated by Uchita De Zoysa, an expert on sustainability.

The session will discuss the cost Sri Lanka will have to pay, if a sustainable development path is not adopted, why does Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) matter for businesses, what are the entry points to engage on SDGs at a country level, what kind of partnerships the private sector can enter into engage in driving the SDG agenda and the type of an institutional mechanism that should be put in place, for the private sector to engage on the SDG agenda at a national level.

The two day Sri Lanka Economic Summit organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will take place on the 25th and 26th July, 2017 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo under the title of ‘Execute – Transform – Realize’.

Sunshine Holdings PLC comes in as the Platinum Sponsor of the event, Standard Chartered Bank enters the fray as the Gold Sponsor, Fonterra Brands as the Silver Sponsor and Dialog Axiata as the Telecommunications Partner of the event. Whilst Janashakthi Insurance, Prima Group, and Nestle Lanka join in as the strategic partners.

OMD of OmniCom MediaGroup is the communications partner and Echo Wave comes in as the Digital Events Platform Partner. If you wish to take part in the event, please call on 115588877 or email to events@chamber.lk

Sri Lankan & Italian business leaders held 18th Annual General Meeting in Colombo

Colombo – She Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce held its 18th Annual General Meeting at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on 22nd June, 2017. His Excellency Paolo Andrea Bartorelli, Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka was the Chief Guest at this occasion.

Mr. D. R. P Abeyasinghe, Chief Executive Officer, Hydromec International (Pvt) Ltd was re-elected as the President of the Council. Mr. Abeyasinghe has a Mechanical Engineering background.  The latter part of his career however has been devoted to the marketing and commercial aspects of dealing in Earth Moving and Materials Handling Machinery and Equipment.

Mr. Abeyasinghe in his address highlighted the achievements of the Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council during the year 2016-2017 under his leadership. These included the organization of meetings with Italian Business delegations that visited the country during the period under review, including the Business Delegation that had accompanied the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Hon. Benedetto Della Vedova on his official visit to Sri Lanka. A Breakfast Meeting with Mr. Upul Jayasuriya, Chairman, Board of Investment of Sri Lanka; Annual Members’ Night and the Italian Language Course run for Beginners & Advanced Learners were also highlighted.

His Excellency Paolo Andrea Bartorelli in his comments made at the Annual General Meeting reassured the Council of the continued support of the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka to promote bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Italy.

Seated Left to right:
Anushka Polonowita, Euro Sports Auto Lanka (Pte) Ltd., Vice President, Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council; Sonali Liyanamana, Interglobe Travels (Pvt) Ltd., Vice President, Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council; His Excellency Paolo Andrea Bartorelli, Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka; Rajah Abeyasinghe JP, Hydromec International (Pvt) Ltd., President, Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council; Julianne Boulton, Secretariat, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

Standing Left to right:
Yohan Peries, Walkers Tours Ltd.; Avindra Weerasinghe, Ally Weerasinghe Ltd.; Sharmini Mendis, Spear International (Pvt) Ltd.; Janaka Gunasekera, A Baur & Co. Ltd.; Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny, Hellman Worldwide Logistics (Pvt) Ltd., Immediate Past President, Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council; Harsha de Alwis, DFCC Bank PLC; Indika Chandrasekera, JAT Holdings (Pvt) Ltd.;

Not in the picture:
Rajeev Aloysius, The Autodrome PLC; B.T. Tyrell Roche, Lanka Tiles PLC;

Mrs. Sonali Liyanamana, Chief Executive Officer, Interglobe – Worldlink Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, and Mr. Anushka Polonowita, General Manager, Euro Sports Auto Lanka (Pte) Ltd., Subsidiary of Micro Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. were elected Vice Presidents of the Council.

A Baur & Co. Ltd., Ally Weerasinghe Ltd, DFCC Bank PLC, JAT Holdings (Pvt) Ltd., Lanka Tiles PLC, Spear International (Pvt) Ltd., The Autodrome PLC, Walkers Tours Ltd. were elected from the membership to serve on the Executive Committee of the Council.

Companies engaged in trade, tourism or services with Italy or engaged in joint ventures with Italian organizations or interested in entering into or promoting trade, tourism, services or joint ventures with Italian organizations are eligible for membership of the Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council. Further details regarding membership of the Council could be obtained from the Secretariat of the Sri Lanka – Italy Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, No. 50, Navam Mawatha, Colombo 2. E-mail: info@srilankaitaly.com  or Tel.: 011-5588875, 5588800.

Turkey most active country in promoting investments

Ankara – According to the World Investment Report 2017, prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Turkey has noticeably increased foreign direct investments (FDI) over the last 15 years, attracting USD 12.3 billion in 2016 alone. The FDI inflows reflect the country’s diversified industrial structure, with manufacturing accounting for around half of the total FDI.

The report also highlighted the reforms that have been implemented and the incentives that have been introduced in Turkey in recent years to attract investments, particularly incentives in R&D and those granting citizenship to foreigners under certain eligibility conditions.

According to the report, Turkey cemented its position as the most active country vying for FDI inflows in 2016 as it signed seven international investment agreements in the area of mutual encouragement and protection of investments. Canada, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates followed Turkey with four international investment agreements each.

The report goes on to mention that a total of 37 new international investment agreements were concluded in 2016, of which 30 were bilateral investment treaties and seven were treaties with investment provisions.

PCCI Joins Hands with DA and DTI to Improve Market Access of Small Farmers

Manila – The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), The Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have agreed to promote the increase in livelihood income, lower costs, and create more employment opportunities for small farmers and fishermen by further improving the access of their products and services with domestic and export markets.

PCCI president George T. Barcelon said that the DA-DTI-PCCI collaboration under a memorandum of agreement that was formalized on June 14 would harmonize their market-accessing activities under the DA Agribusiness Support for the Promotion and Investment in Regional Expo (Aspire) project.

Under the Aspire project, DA-DTI-PCCI would harmonize activities such as informing small farmers about the demand, standards and delivery preferences that attract buyers, sharing market knowledge, organizing for trade fairs, attending seminars to learn negotiations skills, and preparing them for business matching and investment forums.

Implementation targets call for each the country’s regions to make at least one marketing agreement for three priority commodities, enrolment of 75 per cent of Aspire farmer participants in the RIPPLES PLUS program of DTI per year, and at least two marketing agreements renewed or expanded.

RIPPLES PLUS (Regional Interactive Platform for Philippine Exporters) is DTI’s initiative for MSMEs and large corporations that provides training and capacity-building, investment, marketing and promotion, support innovation and product development.

According to PCCI president Barcelon, collective action with the small-scale farmers would result in lowering production and transaction costs and in true market prices.

Ex-CACCI President Amb. Yujuico inaugurates PCCI’s First Pitching Session

Manila – Amb. Benedicto Yujuico, Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Immediate Past President of CACCI, delivered the Welcome Remarks at the first-ever Pitching Session co-organized by PCCI along with the Philippines-USA Economic and Business Council (PUBC) and Launchgarage Philippines on May 24, 2017 at the PCCI Office.

During the event, 10 tech startup companies namely Bloom Solutions, Magpie, AltitudeX, GoodMealHunting, Taxumo, Tralulu, Veer, Airmighty, Mober and Acudeen made their pitch presentations on their products and services to possible investors and strategic partners. The startups are composed of various sectors engaged in financial technology, tax, online payments, travel, logistics, food, internet access, drones/analytics/land-mapping and virtual reality.

In his welcome remarks, Amb. Yujuico said that the first-ever pitching session is a milestone as it aims to introduce the Philippine startup ecosystem to the larger segment of the local business community and mainstream businesspersons. It will also generate connections to establish lasting partnerships.

He also gave a brief background of the Philippine tech startup community. He shared that the Philippine tech startup community is fast-growing and is considered to be following the footsteps of its neighboring Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia.

TOBB President Celebrates Cabotage Day

Ankara – TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarciklioglu has issued a celebratory message for the July 1st Maritime and Cabotage Day. Hisarciklioglu emphasized that the right to cabotage is one of the most important parts of Turkey’s independence. “Our country, surrounded by seas, has big goals in the maritime area. We need to take the steps in the maritime sector to grow our economy.”

TOBB President Hisarciklioglu said in his message:

“Maritime and Cabotage Day, celebrated every year on July 1st, is one of the most important days of our Republic’s history.

“It is important to remember that on the anniversary of the Maritime and Cabotage Day, which includes our right to carry passengers and freight between our own ports, we need to keep in mind that maritime developments are of great importance for our economy to grow and reach its 2023 targets.

“According to this legislation, the operation of moving maritime vehicles by machinery, sailing and oars in rivers, lakes, sea of Marmara and straits, gulfs, harbors, coves and similar places in all the land waters, the right to transport goods and passengers was granted to the citizens of the Republic of Turkey.

“Subsequently, many successes were achieved in this field. We are aware that the Turkish maritime sector has a lot to do, even though it has come a long way in both transportation and shipbuilding. We have to work tirelessly towards these goals.

“With these thoughts and feelings, on behalf of the Turkish private sector, I celebrate the 1st of July Maritime and Cabotage Day of our maritime communities and our nation. I extend my deepest respect and affections.”

Saudi Fund for Development looking to provide credit facilities for Lankan importers

Mr. Ziad Alsabbaly,,Marketing Specialist of Saudi Fund for Development and Ms. Lilakshini De Mel, Chamber officer during the briefing event.

Colombo – The Saudi Fund for Development is looking to provide credit facilities for Sri Lankan firms to import raw materials from Saudi Arabia.

Accordingly, Lankan Importers importing fertilizer, plastic raw materials, cables and electrical wires from Saudi Arabia will be eligible to obtain credit, which would be given under the ‘Foreign Buyer Credit Assistance’ by the Saudi Fund for Development.

Recently, a meeting was conducted by the Saudi Fund for Development at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to brief about the credit program.  According to Mr. Ziad Alsabbaly, Marketing Specialist of Saudi Fund for Development, the credit facilities will be given with repayment period running up to a minimum of 2 years, while the maximum repayment period will be 10 years. The repayment period would be decided upon the nature of the imports or the project. The minimum grace period for the credit offers would be six months.

Several local firms, including the Chamber members were present during the meeting. Ms. Lilakshini De Mel, Senior Assistant Secretary General of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce were also present at the occasion.

Some of the participants during the briefing event.

CACCI Former President Yujuico meets KADIN Chairman Rosan Roeslani

Manila – Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico, Immediate Past President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), met with the business delegation of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN Indonesia) led by Chairman Mr. Rosan Roeslani and Mr. Anindya N. Bakrie, CEO, PT Bakrie Global. They met during the Conference of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council held in Manila in April 2017.

The Conference also served as an occasion for KADIN Indonesia and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) – of which Amb. Yujuico is Chairman – to sign a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation and partnership for a dynamic development of trade and investments between the Philippines and Indonesia.

Amb. Yujuico invited Mr. Roeslani and Mr. Bakrie to organize a delegation to Sydney to attend the 31st CACCI Conference on September 18-21, 2017 to be held in conjunction with the 10th World Chambers Congress jointly organized by the ICC World Chambers Federation and the Sydney Business Chamber, with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Partner Organization.

PCCI & Indonesian chamber to facilitate more investments & trade

CACCI Conference and World Chambers Congress in Sydney Offer Networking and Learning Opportunities

Taipei – The upcoming 31st CACCI Conference and the 10th World Chambers Congress to held on September 18 -21, 2017 in Sydney will provide delegates many valuable learning and networking opportunities.

The 31st CACCI Conference will feature sectoral roundtable discussions and concurrent sessions that will gather government and private sector leaders for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues pertaining to SME development, the digital economy, food safety and security, health and education, trade facilitation, and energy and environment, among others.

More than 1,200 delegates from over 110 nations are expected to join the 10th World Chambers Congress. With important delegations from around the world planning their presence – including the 2019 Congress co-organizer, the Brazilian Confederation of Trade and Business Associations – you should not miss your chance to network with your peers.

Former Prime Minister of Finland, Esko Aho, will join the Congress as a Speaker for the Leadership plenary on September 21. From his experience leading Nokia Corporation as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Relations and Responsibility to his celebrated success as the man who led Finland into the European Union, delegates will receive an insight into what it truly means to be a leader.

The closing plenary of the Congress on 21 September will dive in and discuss the future of business within the context of increased digitization, smart manufacturing, the Internet of Things and Information and Communications Technology. Join the exciting discussion as Mr. Robert Wickham, Vice President of Innovation and Digital Transformation at Salesforce, explores the possibilities this change will bring for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

During the special Congress session on “Discover Business Opportunities Through CACCI” on September 19, chamber leaders from CACCI member economies will share information about the economic and business conditions in their respective countries as well as the trade and investment opportunities they offer.

September in Australia kicks off the start of the festival season, with the debut of many exciting events. From food and wine festivals showcasing the very best of their local produce, to floral festivals and half marathons, all held amidst spectacular settings and enjoyable weather, Australia has something for everyone.

Register today, through www.cacci.biz/conference, or through the Congress website at www.worldchamberscongress.org, and don’t miss the opportunity of joining a unique international gathering.

Wellington Chamber’s John Milford visits CACCI Secretariat

Taipei – Mr. John Milford, Chief Executive of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce (WCC), called on key officers of the CACCI Secretariat led by Director-General Amb. Victor C. Y. Tseng during his recent trip to Taipei on the week of June 14.

During their meeting at the CACCI Secretariat office, Amb. Tseng thanked Mr. Milford for the continued strong support of WCC for CACCI and its activities over the years, citing its role in hosting two CACCI gatherings in the past -the 11th CACCI Conference held in November 1986 in Rotorua, and the 53rd CACCI Council Meeting held in April 1996 in Wellington. The WCC also received a CACCI delegation led by then President Mr. K. K. Modi in July 2005.

Mr. Milford and Amb. Tseng discussed other possible areas in which the WCC can contribute to CACCI programs, including membership recruitment, policy advocacy work, information sharing through their respective newsletters, and participation in CACCI annual gatherings – such as the upcoming 31st CACCI Conference in september 2017 in Sydney – by either sending delegates or nominating speakers.

Mr. Milford was on his first trip to Taipei, where he was scheduled to meet – along with other businessmen from New Zealand – with other Taiwanese business groups, including the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association (CIECA), a CACCI Primary Member. Mr. Milford has had extensive experience in the business and retail sector, having been Managing Director of the department store Kirkcaldie & Stains since 2006 before joining WCC.

Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2017 to discuss ways of building its manufacturing competitiveness

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Colombo – The upcoming “Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2017” organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will conduct a dedicated thematic session to discuss, how important it is for the Lankan manufacturing sector to become competitive to attract global markets.

The session titled, ‘Realizing New Competitiveness in Sri Lankan Manufacturing’, will line up some of the finest industry practitioners to share insights on how local manufacturers can transform to become globally competitive.

Invited speakers will discuss the latest global trends in best manufacturing practices, critical bottlenecks faced by local manufacturers that needs immediate tackling and where the process should begin and also local success stories in niches like carbon black and high value apparels.

The all-important session takes place at a time when the Lankan manufacturers are facing severe pressure from rising costs in input materials, labor and energy costs. Moreover the import protection that has crept in over the years, while helping some industries to survive and grow, whilst hurting others due to higher intermediate input costs.

The two day annual summit will take place on the 25th and 26th July 2017 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo under the theme ‘Execute – Transform – Realize’.

B20 Germany Issues Statement on the US Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement

The Chairs of the Climate and Energy Taskforces of the G20 Engagement Groups Business 20, Civil 20, and Think 20 as well as the Engagement Groups Labor 20, Women 20, and Youth 20 – together with the Foundations 20 – said that they deeply regret the decision of the U.S. President to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. That is why they have jointly released a Statement on the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

In the Statement, they said that they consider the decision of the U.S. Government to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement as very short- sighted and irresponsible, as climate change represents one of the largest risks to sustainable development, gender equality, inclusiveness, equitable economic growth, and financial stability.

They asked for a clear signal by the remaining G20 members and urge them to take a lead in the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement. They also stated that they strongly support climate action and cooperation on the state and municipal levels, both in the United States and by other G20 members.

Stressing that the challenge of climate change is global in nature and requires coordinated solutions and international cooperation, they strongly encouraged the United States to remain in the Paris Climate Agreement.

They said that they are hopeful the G20 Summit in Hamburg will send a strong signal against climate change and that they will continue to support the Paris Climate Agreement and climate action by the G20.

B20 Health Initiative published its final policy paper

Berlin – The B20 Health Initiative has published its final policy paper. The paper is the outcome of five months of intense discussions and hard work among almost 100 taskforce members from 24 countries and diverse economic sectors.

Under the leadership of Chair Kemal Malik, Member of the Board of Management at Bayer AG, and Chair Stefan Oschmann, Chairman of the Executive Board & CEO of Merck, the Health Initiative developed five highly relevant recommendations to the G20:

1. Driving Innovation in Healthcare: The G20 members should adopt policies that ensure that the benefits delivered by research and development for more effective diagnostics and therapies are adequately recognized. They should also adopt policies that improve access to healthcare by establishing a pro-innovation ecosystem that prioritizes self-care and empowerment of individuals.

2. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): The G20 members should combat antimicrobial resistance, including multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), by incentivizing R&D of new medicines, advancing preventive measures, and promoting responsible use of antibiotics, as well as supporting capacity building in low- and middle-income countries.

3. Fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): The G20 members should fight NTDs by increasing funding for public health interventions, strengthening cooperation with governments of endemic countries and capacity building, as well as agreeing on more financial support for R&D.

4. Improving Pandemic Preparedness and Response: The G20 members should support ongoing efforts to improve pandemic preparedness and response, including efforts to foster public-private partnerships in a variety of sectors.

5. Advancing Digital Health: The G20 members should endorse the use of Big Data in health by promoting translational data flows as well as protecting individual data. They should also accelerate the provision of a high performance digital health infrastructure by setting clear targets and deploying broadband and mobile connectivity.

The B20 Health Initiative presented its recommendations to the German Health Minister Hermann Gröhe at the B20 Health Conference May 18, in Berlin.

B20 Chair Jürgen Heraeus Outlines the Role the B20 Can Play in Health

Berlin – At the B20 Health Conference held at the Gasometer in Berlin in Mid-May, B20 Chair Jürgen Heraeus welcomed the efforts of the B20 regarding the G20 health track. More than 200 guests from various G20 members and health sectors came together for the first ever B20 health conference to present their recommendations to the G20.

Heraeus stressed the responsibility of businesses to support the G20 with their advice, expertise, and practical experience to improve health around the world. In his introductory remarks, Heraeus emphasized that the world would not be able to reach the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals without substantial investments in health. Even though medical innovations had improved human health tremendously, current health challenges, such as pandemics, spelled enormous costs for the global economy and societies.

The B20 Chair emphasized that the majority of the current health challenges did not know national borders. It follows that cross-country and sectoral cooperation was of the essence if these health challenges were to be tackled effectively. Given the magnitude of the challenges, Heraeus lauded the G20 for placing health on the agenda of this year’s summit with a clear focus on antimicrobial resistance, pandemics, and neglected tropical diseases.

At the same time, Heraeus urged the G20 to establish an environment for innovation and to prioritize the potentials of digital health. He highlighted the need for several policy measures the G20 should consider, including predictable regulatory environments to protect intellectual property, guidelines for the responsible use of antimicrobials, increased funding for research and development to tackle pandemics, and strong digital infrastructures, as well as privacy laws.

Citi and Ceylon CCI empower more rural entrepreneurs

Colombo – The ‘Rural Economic Empowerment Programme initiated by the Citibank in collaboration with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Hatton National Bank in June 2015 assisted over 400 rural entrepreneurs in four rural villages namely; Beralapanathara in Matara District, Dadayamkanda in Ratnapura District, Weheragala in Anuradhapura District and Udappuwa in Puttalam District. The project provided business management training as well as technical training and facilitated financial assistance to the needy entrepreneurs through HNB. The assistance provided through the project helped the rural entrepreneurs, who had not had any formal training on business management before to plan and conduct their businesses in a more organized manner and expand their businesses using the financial assistance extended by HNB.

Satisfied with the success of the first phase of the project, Citi Bank decided to continue its partnership with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Hatton National Bank to uplift the livelihoods of people in rural areas by implementing a second phase of the project targeting a few more remote villages of the country.

The second phase of the Rural Economic Empowerment Project will focus on the same objectives as the first phase with a different geographical coverage. The main objective of the project is to economically empower rural entrepreneurs by supporting them to start and manage sustainable income generation activities/micro enterprises. The specific objectives include;

providing entrepreneurship development and business management training, providing technical know-how on income generation/micro enterprises as well as for improvement of  quality of products and productivity of business operations, improving financial literacy and financial management skills , improving access to finance through facilitating linkages with banks and formal financial institutes and offering business development services (BDS) to manage the business operations profitably and sustainably

As done in the first phase of the project, Citibank will provide overall direction and financial resources, guidance and professional expertise for training and capacity building of prospective entrepreneurs for successful implementation of the second phase. Citibank’s active support for this initiative epitomizes its commitment towards promoting the livelihood development at grassroots level globally through sustainable financial inclusion. Citi Sri Lanka together with Citi Foundation has engaged in many CSR projects since its inception, demonstrating its dedication towards enhancing the economic opportunities for individuals and families of Sri Lanka and this project is a continuation of their CSR efforts to improve the businesses and living conditions of rural entrepreneurs.

The second phase of the project has planned to assist rural entrepreneurs in a few remote villages in Galle and Anuradhapura Districts. The Ceylon Chamber in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Southern Provincial Council and the Galle District Chamber of Commerce identified Maththaka, Niyagama, Poddiwela, Porowagama and Thalgaswala villages with a large number of rural entrepreneurs waiting for both management and financial assistance to improve and expand their businesses. The Chamber and HNB first conducted an awareness session for 81 beneficiaries from above villages and collected baseline data on their current business activities, issues faced by them and assistance required. The project conducted 3 training programs for 61 selected entrepreneurs on introduction to entrepreneurship, generating concrete business ideas and preparation of business plans as per the foundation module of “Way to Improve Your Business” developed by the ILO accredited “Start and Improve Your Business” (SIYB) Program. Mr. Kithsiri Dharmapriya an experienced business management expert accredited as Master Trainer of SIYB as well as IFC “Business Edge” Training Program conducted the training program using a participatory approach. HNB has already disbursed loans to a few beneficiaries, who required urgent assistance and is in the process of evaluating business plans of other trained beneficiaries with the objective of extending loan facilities within the shortest possible time. The project will identify the needs for technical training as well as impediments faced by the project beneficiaries and will facilitate technical training and Business Development Services (BDS) to resolve such issues/impediments.

The second phase activities in Anuradhapura District was commenced in collaboration with the North Central Provincial Council and the Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce. The project conducted the awareness session and baseline data collection of prospective rural entrepreneurs in Nochchiyagama and Nachchaduwa Divisional Secretariat areas with the participation of 55 and 56 beneficiaries respectively. HNB officers, who were present at the awareness sessions found that there were many promising entrepreneurs among the participants and had expressed keen interest to extend financial assistance to all entrepreneurs with viable business ideas. The Chamber has now analyzed the baseline data of above beneficiaries and planned to commence business management training based on “Way to Improve Your Business” module by mid June.

The project will work closely with project partners i.e. the Southern and North Central Provincial Council and the District Chambers of Commerce in Galle and Anuradhapura to identify more needy beneficiaries from the selected villages and surrounding areas to expand the beneficiary base to reach the targeted no of beneficiaries well ahead of the targeted dates.

CACCI Secretariat Meets with SME Development Council Chairman

Singapore – Mr. George Abraham, Chairman of the SME Development Council of CACCI, recently met with CACCI Director-General Mr. Amador Honrado Jr. in Singapore. They discussed preparations for the Roundtable Session to be organized by the SMEDC during the 31st CACCI Conference scheduled to take place on September 18, 2017 in Sydney, as well as Mr. Abraham’s participation in the 10th World Chambers Congress to be hosted by the ICC World Chambers Federation and the Sydney Business Chamber, with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as Partner Organization.

Mr. Abraham and Mr. Honrado also exchanged views on other activities that the SMEDC Chairman proposes to undertake during the year, including the holding of workshops and training programs for the benefit of CACCI members, particularly SMEs, in cooperatioon with CACCI Primary Members.

FICCI publishes Digital Banking report on India

Taipei – CACCI is pleased to share with all CACCI members the April 2017 issue of “Financial Foresights” – a publication of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) – which focuses on the topic “Digital Banking: New Horizons in a Cash-Light India”.

This FICCI reports presents insightful write-ups contributed by industry leaders from the digital banking space and highlights the prospects of Digital banking in India.

FICCI is a member of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), the parent organization of the ABA.

CACCI Invites Nominees for IWEC Awards 2017

Taipei – The International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge Awards (IWEC Awards) 2017, an international award for extraordinary women entrepreneurs, will be presented on the campus headquarters of Microsoft in Redmond, Washington in the United States on November 12-14, 2017. CACCI is inviting its Primary and Affiliate members to submit nominations for this year’s IWEC Awards.

Established in Barcelona in 2007, the IWEC Awards, with the goal of connecting small and mid-size women business owners globally – those who are already in the global marketplace and want to expand, or are ripe to get into the market and learn from other women leaders. Also an important aspect of IWEC awardees is their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility programs in mentoring, board participation, community outreach, sustainability, etc.

The awardees and chamber executives will be invited to participate in the annual conference to receive their award and to network and share best practices.

For more information on the IWEC Awards, interested parties may wish to visit the official website: https://iwecawards.com/ .

Sri Lanka launches Private-Public Partnership Unit for investment

Colombo – Sri Lanka will launch its ‘Private – Public Partnership ( PPP) Unit’, set up through a Cabinet decision at the upcoming ‘Sri Lanka Investment and Business Conclave 2017’, which will take place on the 30th May to 01st June 2017, in Colombo.

The unit is mandated to source investment from both national and international private sector to drive the national economic agenda. This is the best opportunity to launch the unit as the participants at the conclave are the target audience to source investments to Sri Lanka. The new unit is coming under the Ministry of Finance and is supported and guided by the World Bank.

The launch of the PPP unit at the upcoming ‘Sri Lanka Investment and Business Conclave’ will be witnessed by over 200 Investors and Business partners. Among them would be over 100 investors and business partners from more than 20 countries. Organized by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the “Sri Lanka Investment & Business Conclave 2017”, the event aims to attract much needed Foreign Direct Investors to Sri Lanka, Business partners for Exports and also to promote Tourism, in a bid to help propel the nation’s economic growth to greater heights.

The Conclave 2017, focuses on bringing in investments into the areas of Agriculture, Apparel, Education, Export Manufacturing, Export Services, Infrastructure, Knowledge Services, Tourism and Leisure, Power & Energy, Telecommunications and Related Services, Ports Development, Distribution of Petroleum related products such as LPG & LNG and Recycling of Waste.

You can register to take part in the event via www.invest-srilanka.lk and schedule B2B meetings via online or contact the event secretariat via +94115588818, or email to investsrilanka@chamber.lk or info@chamber.lk

ASEAN-BAC Calls for Nominations for the ASEAN Business Awards 2017

 

CACCI Director-General Attends Berlin Meeting of the Global Chamber Platform

Berlin – CACCI Director-General Amb. Victor C. Y. Tseng represented CACCI in the meeting of the Global Chamber Platform (GCP) held on the morning of May 2, 2017 in Berlin. This year’s GCP discussed the many challenges the global economic environment is currently facing as well as the position of the GCP regarding the outcome of the B-20 Summit.

The GCP was launched in 2002 by the Eurochambres (Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry) to develop a coherent framework for Eurochambres and its relations with partner organizations around the world. CACCI joined the GCP in October 2003 during the 11th Annual Congress of Eurochambres, where Mr. K. K. Modi, then CACCI President, was invited as one of the panelists.

The GCP usually holds its annual meeting in conjunction with the Annual Congress of Eurochambres. As GCP member, CACCI has always been invited to attend these annual meetings. For the first time, the GCP was represented at the B-20 Summit from May 2-3 in Berlin as an official networking partner.

CACCI Director General Attends B20 Summit in Berlin

Berlin – CACCI Director-General Amb. Victor C. Y. Tseng represented CACCI at the B20 Summit held on May 2-3, 2017 in Berlin, and had the opportunity to meet with the current B20 Chairman Dr. Jurgen Heraeus.

During the two-day high-level event – which served as the highlight of the B20 process – panelists and some 800 B20 affiliated CEOs and representatives from international organizations and politics met in Berlin to discuss the crucial findings and policy recommendations derived from the B20 process.

The B20 Summit allowed for discussions, high- level networking, and high-level business advocacy. German Chancellor and G20 Chair Angela Merkel received the B20 Summary “Shaping an Interconnected World” containing the B20 policy recommendations on May 3 in an official handover ceremony.

Ratepayers winners from fresh bus tender, says Wellington Chamber

Wellington 05/05/2017 – Wellington Chamber of Commerce congratulates Tranzit Group and Uzabus for being the successful bidders for a large part of the bus services across the region. “Ratepayers, as well as taxpayers, are set to benefit from this tender, which will save millions of dollars and deliver a fleet of new and more environmentally friendly buses,” says Chamber Chief Executive John Milford.

“We’re told the new buses will improve air quality by reducing emissions of harmful pollutants, including by at least 38 per cent in Wellington and 84 per cent in the Hutt Valley, and that’s great news. “I’m also delighted that Masterton-based Tranzit has committed to employing as many of the 380 further drivers it needs as it can from the region’s existing workforce, including from the Metlink system, and that it will build 228 new buses, as many as possible of them at Kiwi Bus Builders at Seaview.

“That’s really keeping it local, and we applaud that attitude. “We will now wait to see how the indicated savings will benefit ratepayers, be it in lower rates or fare discounts.”

“Sri Lanka Investment & Business Conclave 2017” Aims to attract Foreign Direct Investors

Colombo – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will organize the “Sri Lanka Investment & Business Conclave 2017” from 30th May to 1st June 2017 in Colombo to attract much-needed foreign direct investors, trading partners, and tourists to Sri Lanka in a bid to help propel the nation’s economic growth to greater heights.

PCCI to Hold Pakistan International Trade Fair

Karachi – The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) is organizing the Pakistan International Trade Fair (PITF) from 26 to 29 October 2017. To be held at the Expo Centre in Karachi, it will be the first ever trade exhibition of its kind in Pakistan.

The PITF will provide great opportunities to the world’s potential companies to showcase their products and conduct B2B and B2C. It is a general trade fair where regional pavilions will also be established besides the international pavilion.

CACCI members are invited to participate in the exhibition. The FPCCI being the active member chamber of CACCI will se tup separate CACCI pavilion in which brands of CACCI member countries will be accommodated.

Please visit www.pitfexpo.com for more details.

Nepalese FNCCI Elects New Executive Committee Members

Kathmandu – The recently held election of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has named new members of the Executive Committee under the leadership of Mrs. Bhawani Rana for the next three years (2017-2020).

The new team includes Mr. Shekhar Golchha as the Senior Vice President, Mr. Pramod Shrestha, Mr. Umesh Lal Shrestha and Mr. Chandra Prasad Dhakal as the Vice Presidents and Mr. Gyanendra Lal Pradhan as the Treasurer.

CACCI Director-General to Attend B20 Summit in Berlin on May 2-3, 2017

CACCI Director General Victor Tseng

Taipei – Amb. Victor Tseng, CACCI Director General will attend the two-day high-level event which will serve as the highlight of the B20 process. The B20 Summit in Berlin will convene world known panelists and some 800 B20 affiliated CEOs and representatives from international organizations and politics to discuss the crucial findings and policy recommendations derived from the B20 process.

The B20 Summit will allow for discussions, high-level networking, and high-level business advocacy. German Chancellor and G20 Chair Angela Merkel is expected to receive the B20 policy recommendations on May 3 in an official handover ceremony.

Amb. Alfonso T. Yuchengco – Former CACCI President, a business tycoon, a remarkable man

Manila – Ambassador Alfonso T. Yuchengco, a remarkable diplomat and businessman in the Philippines, Emeritus Chairman of the RCBC Banking Group, former Chairman of the Asian Bankers Association (ABA) and former President of the Confederation of the Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) passed away last Saturday night, April 15, 2017 in Manila at the age of 94.

Amb. Yuchengco served as CACCI President from 1994-1995. During his tenure, Amb. Yuchengco encouraged members to discuss GATT Uruguay Round opportunities and policies and evaluate its impact on the trade and business environment. He also led a business delegation to Papua New Guinea and conferred with Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Paias Wingti to further evaluate the market opportunities in the country. Under his leadership, the 49th CACCI Council Meeting of 1994 convened 70 delegates from all over Asia Pacific in Port Moresby.

During his presidency, CACCI also strengthened its relationship and recognition with two United Nations’ bodies: ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) and ESCAP (Economic and Social Council or Asia Pacific). Equally important, during his tenure CACCI and the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) jointly conducted several international seminars, and planned with UNCTAD/GATT (ITC) intra-regional trade and investments studies, among others.

Moreover, Amb. Yuchengco remained a selected member of CACCI Advisory Board, an exclusive group of former CACCI Presidents in charge of planning and charting the strategic future of the CACCI organization.

Ambassador Yuchengco was one of the most successful and respected businessmen in the Philippines. Aside from banking (RCBC), the range of his family-owned businesses includes insurance, oil exploration, construction, logging, agriculture, communications and manufacturing.

Yuchengco’s group of companies includes RCBC, Rizal Leasing and Finance Corp., Malayan Insurance, Bankers Assurance Corp., Sun Life Grepa Financial Inc., Mapua Institute of Technology, Malayan Colleges Laguna Inc., Malayan High School of Science and Pan Pacific Computer Center Inc..

Other related corporations comprise EEI Corp., Honda Cars in Quezon City and Caloocan, Isuzu Manila, Philippine Integrated Advertising Agency Inc., Pan Malayan Express Inc., Grepalife Medical and Diagnostic Center and Manila Memorial Park Cemetery Inc..

His business acumen and international ties made him a prime candidate for the diplomatic corps. During President Corazon Aquino’s administration, he was appointed Philippine Ambassador to China (1986 to 1988.) He also served as Philippine ambassador to Japan (1995 to 1998) during President Fidel Ramos’ tenure. During President Estrada’s term, he was appointed presidential assistant on APEC matters (1998 to 2000.)

When President Macapagal-Arroyo took over in 2001, he was named roving ambassador in charge of Korea, China and Japan, and was later appointed Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a position he held until December 2002. He was likewise appointed as presidential adviser on foreign affairs by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004.

Aside from his business endeavours, Amb. Yuchengco remained very much active in various civic, professional and philanthropic organizations. He was the recipient of many distinguished awards, including The Outstanding Filipino Awardee for 2000.

Amb. Yuchengco’s demise is therefore a great loss to CACCI, leaving a void that is difficult to fill.

We would like to invite all CACCI members to join Amb. Yuchengco’s family in prayer for the eternal repose of his soul.

Inaugural Export Awards for Wellington exporters

Wellington – The success of Wellington exporters will be celebrated at the region’s inaugural ExportNZ ASB Wellington Export Awards in June. Entrants must have a minimum of $100,000 in export revenue and be based in the Wellington region, which includes Horowhenua, Manawatu,Tararua, and Wairarapa down to Wellington. Details were announced by Wellington Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive John Milford.

Companies can enter any of four categories – Marsh Innovation in Export Award, MFAT Most Sustainable in Export Award, Wellington Airport Emerging Exporter Award, CentrePort Excellence in Services Export Award. Entrants will be required to describe their company and its achievements in export.

John Milford says the purpose of the awards is to celebrate businesses making it in the export market. “Exporters are the lifeblood of our country and we need to acknowledge their contribution” he said. Entry forms, criteria details, and registration forms are available on the ExportNZ Wellington website. ExportNZ Wellington is overseen by Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

B20 Task Force on Trade and Investment Issues Final Policy Paper & CACCI Secretary General to join discussions

Berlin – The B20 Task Force on Trade and Investment has issued its Final Policy Paper entitled “Creating Benefits for All: Driving Inclusive Growth Through Trade and Investment.” In the paper, the Task Force – of which CACCI President Mr. Jemal Inaishvili is a member – stresses the need to ensure that the benefits of trade and investment are even more inclusive than they are already.

The B20 Task Force is proposing recommendations that include three elements: First, domestic and international policies need to enable everyone to take part in the benefits of globalization. Second, issues that would be especially beneficial for inclusiveness should be prioritized in trade and investment negotiations and policies. The third basis for inclusiveness is that trade and investment are determined by rules that ensure fair competition. Addressing these factors would not only help to raise acceptance of globalization but also boost wealth, employment, innovation, and welfare, the Task Force says.

Currently chaired by Germany, the B20 provides a significant platform for the international business community to participate in global economic governance, international economic and trade regulation. The B20 Summit is scheduled to take place on May 2-3, 2017 in Berlin. CACCI Director General Amb. Victor Tseng will represent CACCI in the Summit and, if necessary, present the concerns and interests of CACCI members.

ADFIAP organizes National SME Development Tour in the Philippines and Malaysia

Manila – The Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) isorganizing the “ADFIAP Familiarization Tour on National SME Development” scheduled on June 19-23, 2017 in Manila, Philippines, and on July 10-14, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The objective of the five-day program is to provide an opportunity for participants to learn best practices of specialized financial institutions in the Philippines and Malaysia whose mandates include entrepreneurship development & extension of loans and other financial facilities/services to SME/MSME sectors.

The registration fee per participant for each program is US$ 1,650, which includes lunch, snacks during the program, course materials, course-related trips, and certificate of attendance. Airfare and hotel expenses are for participants’ account.

Founded in 1976, ADFIAP has currently 131 member-institutions in 45 countries. The permanent Secretariat of ADFIAP is based in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. For more information on ADFIAP and the program, interested parties may wish to visit the official website at:http://www.adfiap.org/ .

World Chambers Competition Deadline Extended

Lankan Business Delegation Visits Moscow, led by Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council

Colombo – A 25 member Sri Lankan business delegation led by Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce together with the Sri Lankan Embassy in the Russian Federation visited Moscow last week.

The business delegation, which was led by President of the Sri Lanka – Russia Business Council, Mr. Isuru Samarasinghe, Managing Director of Unitrades Private Limited was organized in conjunction with the official visit of the Sri Lanka President, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena to the Russian Federation on the invitation of His Excellency Vladimir Putin, which coincided with 60 years of diplomatic ties between Sri Lanka and Russia.

During the visit, the delegation took part in business forum conducted by the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of the Russian Federation and also took part in B2B meetings with the Russian counterparts. During the forum, Mr. Upul Jayasuriya, Chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka, made a presentation on the FDI opportunities in Sri Lanka. During the visit, bilateral relations between the two countries were enriched by strengthening the trade ties, sourcing suitable business partners for trade, investments, joint ventures, technology transfer and services and also assisting in expanding existing business contacts of the participants.

The delegation comprised representatives from Akbar Brothers Private Limited, Basilur Tea Exports Private Limited, , Empire Teas Private Limited, Eswaran Brothers Exports Private Limited, Imperial Teas Private Limited, , Maltras International Private Limited, , Regency teas Private Limited, Stassen Exports Private Limited, Unitrades Private Limited, Andrew the travel Company Private Limited, Concord Exotic Voyages (Lanka) Private Limited, Mos-Lanka Holdings Private Limited, Galle Face Hotel, Mac Holdings Private Limited, Mega Trend Lanka Private Limited, Orofini Gems and Jewellery, Avian Technologies Private Limited, Lanka Tractors Limited, The Capital Maharajah Organization Limited, Built Element Limited, Rhino Roofing Products Limited, Jay Sea Foods Processing Private Limited, Consulting Engineers & Contractors Private Limited and The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

31st CACCI Conference in Sydney, September 18-31, 2017

I. CACCI Conference’s Key Features

1. Invited experts who will speak on timely and relevant issues of current concern to the chambers and their respective business constituencies

2. Sectoral roundtable discussions and concurrent sessions that will gather government and private sector leaders for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues pertaining to women entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship, SME development, infrastructure development, the digital economy, and food safety and security, among others.

3. Country presentations will be made by selected CACCI member chambers on current economic conditions in their respective countries and opportunities for trade and investments

4. Attached herewith is a copy of the one-page flyer for the Sydney event, which contains the latest Tentative Program. Please note that:

4a. September 18 will be devoted mainly to sectoral roundtable discussions and internal meetings organized by CACCI.

4b. For the detailed program of the 10th World Chambers Congress from September 19 to September 21, please visit the official Congress website at www.worldchamberscongress.org.

5. The Congress website also provides information on registration procedure and hotel accommodation, as well as on other activities during the three-day event that may be of interest to CACCI members, such as B2B meetings and trade exhibitions (see attached flyers), and tours, among others. It also contains information on special offers for group registration and early-bird rates.

We encourage you and your Chamber’s delegates to visit the Congress website as early as possible in order to register for the event, make your hotel booking, and sign up for any of the other activities that are scheduled to take place at the Congress. We will continue sending updates to all members. In the meantime, should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to let us know.

II. CACCI’s Tentative Program – September 18, 2917

09:00 – 10:30: Product and Service Council Roundtable

Roundtable 1
Asian Council on Water, Energy & Environment (Room C3.6)
Chairman/Moderator:  Mr. Gyanendra Lal Pradhan, Executive Chairman, Hydro Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Invited Speakers: To be advised

Roundtable 2
Asian Council on Food and Agriculture (Room C3.3)
Chairman/Moderator:  Mr. Kaveh Zargaran, Secretary General, Federation of Iranian Food Industries Association (To be confirmed)

Invited Speakers: To be advised

10:30 – 10:45: Coffee Break – Foyer Area

10:45 – 12:15: Product and Service Council Roundtable

Roundtable 3
Asian Council on Health and Education (Room C3.6)
Chairman/Moderator: To be advised

Invited Speakers: To be advised

Roundtable 4
Asian Council on Trade Facilitation (Room C3.3)
Chairman/Moderator: Mr. R. B. Rauniar, Managing Director, Interstate Multi-Modal Transport Pvt Ltd

Invited Speakers:
Dr. Esfandar Omidbakhsh, Director-General of International and Regional Organization, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture

12:30 – 13:30: Lunch Break (Room C3.5)

13:30 – 14:30: Policy Advocacy Working Group Meeting (Room C3.3)

14:30 – 16:00: Product and Service Council Roundtable

Roundtable 5
Asian ICT Council (Room C3.6)
Chairman/Moderator: Dr. G. J. Huang, Fellow, Information Industry Institute

Invited Speakers: To be advised

Roundtable 6
SME Development Council (Room C3.3) Chairman/Moderator: Mr. George Abraham, Chairman and Managing Director, GA Group Pte. Ltd.

Invited Speakers:
Mr. Edward C. Du, President, Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry

14:00 – 16:00: Advisory Board and Budget Commission Meeting
(Open only to Advisory Board & Budget Commission)
(Room C2.5, CACCI President’s Room)

16:00 – 16:15: Coffee Break – Foyer Area

16:15 – 18:15: 88th CACCI Council Meeting (Room C3.6)

III. ICC WCF 10th World Chambers Congress ‘ Program
September 19-21, 2017

DAY 1: September 19: Business and conflict, Infrastructure, the future of origin. MORE

DAY 2: September 20: Sustainability, global mobility, youth entrepreneurship. MORE

DAY 3: September 21: Leadership, 4th industrial revolution, the World of tomorrow. MORE

MORE information about World Chambers Congress.

MORE information about CACCI.

Spackman appointment a coup for city, says Wellington Chamber

Wellington – Wellington’s reputation as the creative capital of New Zealand will be greatly enhanced by the appointment of Victoria Spackman as the first director of Te Auaha New Zealand Institute of Applied Creativity, says Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive John Milford.

“It’s a real coup for Te Auaha and for Wellington to have Victoria Spackman as the start-up director.

“She brings with her a breadth of experience in and knowledge of theatre, television and film, as well as in business, that would be hard to find anywhere else.

“That’s a great mix, and I know she will build Te Auaha into something really special.

“The joint venture by Whitireia and WelTec to establish an institute for visual and performing arts, design, media and other creative disciplines was an inspired move, and Victoria’s appointment tops it off.

“I’m confident that with her at the helm, Te Auaha will soon become known beyond New Zealand, and further drawcard for the city.”

For more information contact Brent Webling 021 821 383

Wellington business confidence climbs back up, Chamber survey shows

Wellington – Business confidence in the Wellington region’s economy has made a sharp reversal to the drop suffered at the end of 2016, according to the latest Wellington Chamber of Commerce Business Confidence Survey, sponsored by Getsmart.

A net 52 per cent of business respondents now expect the local economy to improve over the next 12 months, a significant improvement on the net positive of just 34 per cent in the December survey. That was itself down from 62 per cent in September.

In the latest survey, just 7 per cent expect the local economy to decline, with 59 per cent expecting it to improve and 33 per cent no change.

But Wellington businesses’ confidence in the national economy has slightly declined, with a net 43 per cent expecting improvement, compared to 48 per cent in the December quarter. Some 53 per cent of respondents expect the national economy to improve, 37 per cent to remain the same, and 10 per cent to decline.

The survey was conducted over a two-week period in March.

In line with the increased optimism in the local economy, a majority of business are indicating a secure outlook for their own business situation. A net 61 per cent say they expect to see an improvement over the next 12 months – compared to 50 per cent in December and 61 per cent in September. Just 8 per cent are pessimistic about the outlook for their own business.

Businesses continue to expect a steady increase in earnings, with a net 57 per cent forecasting an improvement, compared to 53 per cent in December and 55 per cent in September. Of all respondents, 66 per cent expect an improvement while just 9 per cent expect earnings to decline.

The number of businesses forecasting more investment in plant and equipment over the next 12 months has improved to a net 44 per cent from 36 per cent in December. Just 5 per cent are not expecting to invest more, while 49 per cent say they will and 39 per cent say they will spend about the same.

Intentions to hire staff remain positive and are slightly up on December. When asked what changes they expect to staffing numbers over the next three months, a net 33 per cent say they expect to be looking for more staff, slightly up from a net 29 per cent in December.

Finding skilled staff continues to be a challenge for many businesses, with just slight improvement since December. Just 5 per cent say it is now easier to find skilled staff than it was 12 months ago, while 38 per cent say it is harder.  When asked unprompted what barriers are holding back their business, an inability to access or attract skilled staff is again the No 1 issue. This is consistent with the Chamber’s surveys in December, September and June last year.

Earthquakes are cited as the single biggest impediment to growth in the local economy by 35 per cent of respondents. This is followed by infrastructure (21 per cent of respondents) and transport issues (20 per cent), specifically roading and the airport.

Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive John Milford says the turnaround in confidence in the region’s economy comes as no surprise.

“Confidence suffered a big hit in December after the earthquake-flood double-hit in November.

“Those events hit confidence hard, and though most businesses were back on their feet within days, they had an impact. That showed clearly in our special earthquake survey, when more than 62 per cent said they were impacted by damage to premises and stock, staff and freight disruption, and a reduction in business activity.

“Despite all that, we did detect an underlying confidence, with most of our numbers still running higher than national expectations, and that has continued in the latest survey.

“In our report in January we predicted there would be positive movement in the March survey, and we have not been disappointed.

“Though issues raised by the earthquake remain top of mind for many businesses and building owners, it’s back to business for most.

“GDP remains strong, even if it’s come back a little, consumer spending is steady, and there are plenty of jobs available.

“The increase in the number of businesses indicating a secure outlook for their own situation, a steady increase in their earnings, increasing investment in plant and equipment, and positivity around hiring intentions is proof that we are back on track.

“We’re a hardy lot, and it shows.”

Wellington businesses also have more confidence in the national economy than other business surveys show, even though the latest survey shows a slight decline.

“The ANZ survey last month showed confidence in the national economy at just a net 16 per cent, down from 21.7 per cent. In our survey, a net 43 per cent were confident the national economy would improve over the next 12 months.

“Locally, we have come through a tough time in pretty good shape, and I expect the optimism shown in this survey to continue to grow.”

Wellington Chamber applauds rates rise restraint

Wellington – Wellington Council has done well to keep the 2016/17 rates increase to 3.3 per cent, in light of the many pressures put on spending, says Wellington Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive John Milford.

Mayor Justin Lester made the announcement at his State of the City speech to a Chamber of Commerce event today.

“This is a positive outcome, considering we were steering down the barrel of more than a 5 per cent rise, and councillors and officers are to be acknowledged,” Mr Milford said.

“The unbudgeted costs from the earthquake threatened to push it past that mark, but clearly they have been able to find efficiencies from lower priority and reprioritised spending.

“This is something councils should be doing all the time and something the business community has been urging for a long time.

“Businesses have to make those sorts of savings on a daily basis to operate, so it’s pleasing that this council is taking that attitude with ratepayers’ money. Now it needs to continue.

“The council also needs to continue to work on re-prioritisation to ensure rates are spent in the most effective manner possible.

“It’s a separate issue to budget savings but no less important.”

Mr Milford said it was also good to see the council was continuing to work hard on ways to encourage the development of thousands of new houses in the public and private sectors.

“Developing new housing supply is a great way of ensuring housing across the city remains affordable, so the Chamber supports efforts to make best use of what land we have.

“Affordable housing is good for our young people, first home buyers and for helping to attract new people to come here to work and live.

“We don’t want to become an unaffordable city. We won’t grow like that.”

For more information contact Brent Webling 021 821 383

31st CACCI conference to be held in conjunction with 10th World Chambers Congress (WCF) in Sydney

Taipei – We would like to reiterate our invitation for all CACCI officers and members to the 31st CACCI Conference scheduled to take place on September 18-21, 2017 in Sydney, Australia.

This year’s CACCI gathering will be held in conjunction with the 10th World Chambers Congress, which is jointly organized by the ICC World Chambers Federation (ICC WCF) and the Sydney Business Chamber (SBC). As a Strategic Regional Partner of the 10th World Chambers Congress, CACCI is in an important position to connect Congress delegates with business opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The Sydney event will feature:

Invited experts who will speak on timely and relevant issues of current concern to the chambers and their respective business constituencies

• Sectoral roundtable discussions and concurrent sessions that will gather government and private sector leaders for dialogue and panel discussion on important sectoral issues pertaining to  women entrepreneurship, youth entrepreneurship, SME development, infrastructure development, the digital economy, and food safety and security, among others.
• Country presentations will be made by selected CACCI member chambers  on current economic conditions in their respective countries and opportunities for trade and investments.

Attached herewith is a copy of the one-page flyer for the Sydney event, which contains the latest Tentative Program. Please note that:

1. September 18 will be devoted mainly to sectoral roundtable discussions and internal meetings organized by CACCI.
2. For the detailed program of the 10th World Chambers Congress from September 19 to September 21, please visit the official Congress website at www.worldchamberscongress.org.

The Congress website also provides information on registration procedure and hotel accommodation, as well as on other activities during the three-day event that may be of interest to CACCI members, such as B2B meetings and trade exhibitions (see attached flyers), and tours, among others. It also contains information on special offers for group registration and early-bird rates.

We encourage you and your Chamber’s delegates to visit the Congress website as early as possible in order to register for the event, make your hotel booking, and sign up for any of the other activities that are scheduled to take place at the Congress.

Updated information on the 31st CACCI Conference and the 10th World Chambers Congress will be sent to all members in due course. In the meantime, should you have questions at this stage, please do not hesitate to let us know.

We are counting on your valuable participation for the successful outcome of our annual gathering in 2017, and we look forward to seeing you in Sydney.

The 31st CACCI Conference’s tentative program is available here:

31st CACCI Conference – Tentative Program in Sydney

With best regards.

Sincerely yours.

Amb. Victor C. Y. Tseng
Director-General, CACCI

The Ceylon Chamber marks 178 years of service to its nation

Colombo – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka’s premier Business Chamber will complete 178 years of service to the nation on the 25th March, 2017, marking yet another achievement for an organization, which has played one of the most decisive roles in transforming the commercial landscape of Sri Lanka, since its inception in the 19th century.

The Chamber, Sri Lanka’s first and foremost Business Chamber was established in 1839, to foster and protect the growing commerce of Ceylon. The institution has since evolved with the growth of diverse economic sectors and today represents the interests of the entire business community of the country. In 1939 there were twelve Associations affiliated to the Chamber and nineteen members. Today, there are thirty six Associations and 581 direct members. In total the Chamber has an outreach which reaches to over 7000 companies, island wide.

Mr. Samantha Ranatunge, Chairperson of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said that the Chamber has remained a beacon of the private industry of Sri Lanka giving leadership to all sectors of commerce and being guided by the ten principles of the chamber governance which will stand for the development of the industry and the nation at large.

Mrs. Dhara Wijayatilake, CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce commenting on the event remarked that throughout its history The Ceylon Chamber has made a significant contribution to promote economic development of the country and has maintained its position as the foremost voice of private industry. The private sector has diversified and today offers new challenges which are more formidable than those accepted by the founders.  The Chamber prides itself in having adapted to meet those challenges as a responsible voice and in compliance with its core principles in which it continues to place value.

Ceylon Chamber releases note on how government can help SL businesses adjust to trade liberalisation

Colombo – The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) on February 17 released a document containing recommendations on helping Sri Lanka’s industries prepare for trade liberalization. The policy brief titled, ‘Building Resilience, Supporting Growth: Preparing the Domestic Private Sector for Trade Liberalization’, provides insights on how to consider the types of firms, as well as types of impacts, in a wide-ranging liberalization effort, and puts forward 11 specific suggestions on support measures.

Speaking on the release of this document, the Chief Economist of the CCC Anushka Wijesinha noted, “At a meeting last year, the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade met representatives of the private sector and indicated the Government’s plans to embark on an ambitious trade liberalization effort. Chambers were invited to suggest measures that can be put in place to help domestic businesses adjust to meet the challenges and opportunities of this process.

While specific proposals on support measures can only be developed once the specific scope of the liberalization exercise was made clear, the CCC formulated a note containing the overarching framework the government should consider, and submitted initial recommendations on what support measures can be deployed”.

Japan JCCI President Toru Ishida

Tokyo – Mr. Toru Ishida is currently the president of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Mr. Ishida took over the position in December 2015. He served as director and vice president of the Japan Alcohol Trading Co., Ltd. from 2013-2014.

He was the director general of the Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau in 2005 before occupying the same position with the Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau in 2007, both under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Mr. Ishida graduated from the faculty of law at the University of Tokyo.

Motivating young women towards importance of entrepreneurship

New Dehli –  The Indian Economy has been witnessing a drastic change since mid-1991, with new policies of economic liberalization, globalization and privatization initiated by the Indian Government. India has great entrepreneurial potential. At present, women involvement in economic activities is marked by a low work participation rate, excessive concentration in the unorganized sector and employment in less skilled jobs.

Dr. Manju Kalra Prakash

Any strategy aimed at economic development will be lop-sided without involving women who constitute half of the world population. Evidence has unequivocally established that entrepreneurial spirit is not a male prerogative. Women entrepreneurship has gained momentum in the last three decades with the increase in the number of women enterprises and their substantive contribution to economic growth. The industrial performance of Asia – Pacific region propelled by Foreign Direct Investment, technological innovations and manufactured exports has brought a wide range of economic and social opportunities to women entrepreneurs.

This skills crisis is becoming more critical because the Indian economy is shifting. Not only will the traditional skills of reading, writing, and math be needed to thrive in this economy, but also technological savvy and self-direction.

With the pace of innovation, many of the jobs our youth will hold don’t even exist yet. More than ever, we need to educate students to be continual learners.

These multi-pronged challenges will require a host of different solutions that better engage young people in their education, while also building stronger connections between communities, businesses, and schools.

We believe that expanding the availability of youth Entrepreneurship Education resources should be a critical part of this solution.

The women entrepreneurs are the potentially emerging human resource in the 21st century to overcome the economic challenge