Message of CBC President Mr Lee Meng How Onsiong

Dear fellow members,

I am very pleased to be addressing you for the first time in this issue of our Newsletter.

The new Board of officers began its 2-year term in May 2015. While a few of these volunteers are returning for another term, we have a few new people, particularly younger ones joining our ranks. We welcome those new Board members with open arms, as this gives us an opportunity to gain fresh ideas and viewpoints. Together with the experience of the “older” Board members, we have a great team to represent you, our members.

The business of the Chinese Business Chamber is important! Not only do we open opportunities for networking both locally and internationally, but we actively pursue initiatives to create business opportunities and leads, to assist you in the advancement of your businesses and professions. We have in place Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with Chambers of Commerce in several countries including China, Malaysia, Madagascar, Reunion Island and Pakistan.

The Board has been busy since taking office this year. Between the months of August to September we had the pleasure of welcoming delegations to Mauritius from the Hunan Provincial People’s Government, Xiangxi Prefecture and Chenzhou Municipal Council of China. After discussions, the delegates of all three missions expressed their wish to encourage members of their associations and cities to consider Mauritius either as a place in which to invest or as a platform for their African ventures. CBC has acted as an intermediary for a meeting between the Municipality of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill and the Xiangxi Prefecture. The two councils agreed to explore possibilities of mutual assistance and the promotion in trade and tourism with the assistance of CBC. We will keep members posted about any development, which might be of interest to them.

CBC in partnership with the Hua Lien Association held 2 talks for their members; the first one was on the Finance Bill in June 2015 and the second one on Smart Cities in August 2015. Both talks were very well attended by members of both associations as well as members of the South Africa Chamber of Commerce and the Chambre de Commerce d’Industrie de France a Maurice. The next talks we will hold will be on “Succession Planning” and “Engineering as a Career Choice”. The dates will be communicated to you soon.

We also have good news for members whose children are thinking of going to Malaysia for their tertiary education next year. We have signed a partnership agreement with UCSI University in Malaysia who has offered scholarships for children of members. Subject to further negotiations, we wish to make this partnership a rolling one over several years for the benefits of our members’ children. Let me also take the opportunity to brief you of some ongoing initiatives. Looking East from Mauritius, we have had discussions with the national trade promotion agency of Malaysia – Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). They have agreed to keep us informed of their program of trade fairs both in Malaysia and within the region. They have now sent us an invitation to the Quick Win Trade Fair which will be held in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in November 2015 and for which delegates will be provided free accommodation for 3nights/4days on a first come first served basis. I encourage members to avail themselves of such an opportunity and to contact the CBC to confirm their interest. We are also talking to the Honorary Consul of South Korea for the same purpose of getting advance information on trade fairs, which will be held in South Korea.

Looking West from Mauritius, we are negotiating to sign a tri-chamber agreement with the South African Chamber of Commerce and the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de France a Maurice. We will thus extend the networking opportunities for our members and have already participated in some of our mutual activities, such as conferences and talks.

CBC in collaboration with the BOI will form part of a delegation, which will visit Ghana next month. This is an initiative taken by the Minister of Finance following the visit of the President of Ghana earlier this year. This is an opportunity for members to participate in this mission to explore business opportunities in this yet- to be fully tapped market. You are requested to contact CBC to confirm your interest to join the delegation.

We are also in the final stages in the preparation of the printing of our biennial directory. A copy will be made available to all members, sponsors and Chambers of Commerce with whom we collaborate, by the end of the year.

One of our ongoing goals is to improve communication between CBC and our members. We will do this through new channels of communication via social media and the organization of informal get-togethers with the goal of reaching all the members over time.

CBC would not function without its volunteers. I strongly encourage you to learn more about CBC, its history and the services we provide for our members. Remember, communication is best achieved when it goes both ways. Your feedback and involvement in the Chamber’s activities through assisting in the various committees would be most useful with a view to offer you a better service that would meet your expectations.

Thank you for taking the time to visit the CBC Newsletter online. If at any time you feel that you need more information about us, please don’t hesitate to call our office or send us an email. We will be happy to respond. Get informed! Get involved!

Related Posts