Committee adapts agenda of APEC business meeting

JAKARTA (JP): Preparations for the first Asia-Pacific business meeting, scheduled for Aug. 24-25, are being stepped up with increased vigor now that the conference has received the official endorsement by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Even though the structure and organization of the Asia Pacific Business Network (APB Net) have yet to be decided on at its inaugural meeting in August, most members who will attend the meeting are suggesting that an information network be established.

They see an extensive information network linking all members as crucial for achieving the objectives of the forum to enhance business linkages in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC), for example, strongly suggested that access to information be put on top of priorities of APB Net.

"We suggest that at the first meeting we discuss the standardization of the information to be maintained by APB Net members and how this information will be exchanged," CCC's Senior Vice-President Timothy I. Page told Husein Aminuddin, the chairman of the organizing committee here.

However, he cautioned in a proposal that the APB Net should not duplicate organizations or forums already existing in the region.

Linkage

Page welcomed the great attention being addressed by the organizing committee to the importance of enhancing linkages between large enterprises with medium and small-scale firms.

The inaugural meeting of APB Net is being organized jointly by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Aminuddin, who is also Kadin's vice president in charge of trade and international relations, said the upcoming conference was well-timed as it would be able to contribute valuable inputs to the second APEC informal summit meeting here and in Bogor in the middle of November.

"We are doing our best to make the first meeting, the beginning of an effective business forum for the promotion of business linkages between APEC members," he added.

The organizing committee has suggested that APB Net consist of a two-tier forum. The first tier, in charge of policy development, will group the national chambers and commerce and industrial or business associations. The second will comprise the representatives of companies and will be in charge of promoting individual business contacts.

Aminuddin said the participants in the inaugural meeting of PB Net would be limited to 200 to make it an efficient and effective forum for discussions and promoting individual business contacts.

All APEC members-- the United States, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the six ASEAN countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, the Philippines and Canada, are already committed to taking part in the first business meeting. (vin)