|
|
 |
|
COMMONWEALTH BUSINESS COUNCIL |
|
 |
|
The Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) provides
leadership in increasing international trade and investment flows, creating new
business opportunities, promoting good governance and corporate social
responsibility, reducing the digital divide and integrating developing countries
into the global market. In fulfilling its mission, CBC strives to provide a
bridge between the private sector and governments, between emerging markets and
developed markets and between small businesses and international private sector.
CBC’s goal is to achieve economic empowerment for shared global prosperity
through the enhancement of private sector contribution to social and economic
development.
Today we also address the following four challenges, working in partnership with
Commonwealth governments and the private sector.
Changing perceptions
Many Commonwealth countries offer good investment opportunities but
suffer from popular misconceptions, uneven media coverage and failure to promote
their economic strengths to important external audiences.
The CBC is well placed to work with governments and investors to bring focus to
their sound fundamentals and the investment opportunities that these countries
represent.
Globalisation
With the growth of the global economy, national and regional boundaries
are losing their relevance. Countries must increasingly take a more global view
of opportunities for growth.
The CBC, as a microcosm of the wider international economic community, can help
countries cope, drawing on its close relationships with business and
governments, and its mission to share knowledge and experience.
Technology and skills
The application of new technology is a key ingredient of economic
success - more important in the long term than mere money. But technological
advancement can happen only if information access systems are available to those
with vision and enterprise to seek out and develop opportunities. Commonwealth
co-operation through the exchange of skills and knowledge can help overcome that
divide.
For example, the CBC plans to deliver programmes for skills development and
capacity building in partnership with training institutions such as Cambridge
University, Aston University and City & Guilds International.
The Commonwealth Factor
The Commonwealth legacy has equipped member countries with affinities
in language, legal systems, and administrative procedures and political outlook
- the "Commonwealth Factor". This goes a long way towards ensuring that members
are prepared to function individually or as a group in the fast-moving global
context.
Governments and the private sector have demonstrated that this relatively
homogenous trading group is also capable of drawing investment from
non-Commonwealth states including the United States, Japan and the countries of
Europe.
Our main objective is to help developing countries and their private sector
attain a standard that enables them to play a proper role in globalisation. If
we contribute to this process even to a small degree, we will have achieved our
purpose.
|
|
|
 |
|
SAARC SUMMIT 2008 |
|
 |
BIZ DOWNLOAD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Africa Business Forum 2010
|
|
The Africa Business Forum 2010 will be held in London on 21st -22nd June prior to the 36th G8 Summit in Canada. It will be chaired by Pascal Dozie, Chairman of Diamond Bank Advisory Board and the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC).
|
|
|
|
Event Type:
CBC Events
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country:United Kingdom
|
Date:
21-June-2010
|
22-June-2010
|
|
|
|
Contact Persion:
Sean Leno
|
|
Contact No:
|
|
E-mail:
sean.leno@cbcglobal.org
|
|
 |
|
|
Invest in Nigeria Forum
|
|
The Invest in Nigeria Forum coincides with the 50th year of Nigerian Nationhood. Over the last 10 years Nigeria has witnessed sustained economic and democratic development; however the nation still faces significant challenges including bridging the infrastructure gap, revitalise agriculture and manufacturing, and rebalancing the dependence on oil.
This International Investor Forum will focus on how the private sector can partner with government in support of the national objective of becoming a top 20 global economy and in the delivery of Millennium Development Goals for the benefit of all Nigerians.
|
|
|
|
Event Type:
CBC Events
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country:Nigeria
|
Date:
31-May-2010
|
01-June-2010
|
|
|
|
Contact Persion:
Sean Leno
|
|
Contact No:
|
|
E-mail:
sean.leno@cbcglobal.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rwanda Investment Forum - Kigali, Rwanda
|
|
The Rwanda Investment Forum to be held in Kigali on 10-11 May 2010, will be the first large scale investor event organised in the country since Rwanda became the 54th Member of the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad last November. The Forum will be organised by the Commonwealth Business Council in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board and with the collaboration of the International Private Sector.
|
|
|
|
Event Type:
CBC Events
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country:Other
|
Date:
10-May-2010
|
11-May-2010
|
|
|
|
Contact Persion:
Sean Leno
|
|
Contact No:
|
|
E-mail:
sean.leno@cbcglobal.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
CBC Members Lunch with HE Paul Kagame
|
|
CBC is delighted to host a Members Lunch with HE Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, on the 10th of March 2010 at the Institute of Directors in London.
The Event is by invitation only please contact Nicole Nwasike for further information.
|
|
|
|
Event Type:
CBC Events
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country:United Kingdom
|
Date:
10-March-2010
|
10-March-2010
|
|
|
|
Contact Persion:
Nicole Nwasike
|
|
Contact No:
|
|
E-mail:
Nicole.Nwasike@cbcglobal.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tax Complication
|
Feb 21, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's revenue office will stop refundingvalue added taxes (VAT) to 1725 firms on the grounds that they have notsubmitted documents on time, a media report said
The Sunday Times newspaper quoted the director general of SriLanka's Inland Revenue Department as saying that his office will"discontinue" the files of 1725 firms.
These were firms that failed to "furnish monthly or quarterlyreturns" and those that have not made claims for refunds "over aconsiderable period."
Export firms who are 'zero rated' under a value added tax regime isusually entitled to a refund, made up of 'input taxes' paid tosuppliers.
In Sri Lanka the value added tax system has been undermined by a systemof multiple tax rates where even a firm where output tax could be lowerthan the rates paid on some inputs.
By dropping firms which are entitled to refunds, the government could increase its revenue collection.
The newspaper quoted a Sri Lanka's Exporters' Associationofficial as saying that delays in VAT refunds were disrupting thecashflow management of firms.
|
|
Country:
Sri Lanka
|
|
|
Publishdate: 2/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
|
|
|
NewsSource:
Lanka Business Online
|
|
|
|
|
Malawi: Revenue lost in smuggled tobacco
|
Malawi is annually losing tens of thousands of financialresources through uncollected revenue due to rampant tobacco smuggling.Tobacco is Malawi's largest foreign exchange earner, accounting forabout 75% of that country's total annual earnings.
Reports from Malawi have indicated that investigations by the MalawiPolice Service have revealed that Malawi loses millions of dollars inexport and tax revenue through smuggled tobacco to neighbouringcountries with more than 15% of the leaf on the Zambian market comingfrom Malawi and eventually being imported back into Malawi as Zambianor Mozambican tobacco.
|
|
Country:
Malawi
|
|
|
Publishdate: 2/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
|
|
|
NewsSource:
Sanday Chongo Kabange AfricaNews reporter in Lusaka, Zambia
|
|
|
|
|
Google Maps get to Ghana, others
|
Detailed maps of West African nation Ghana are now accessibleon Google Maps. Users can search up to date online maps, businesses andlocations through any web browser or via Google Maps for mobile on dataenable handsets. The search engine giant said its service is nowavailable in 32 African countries including Kenya and South Africa.
|
|
Country:
Ghana
|
|
|
Publishdate: 2/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
|
|
|
NewsSource:
AfricaNews
|
|
|
|
|
Zimbabwe given back IMF voting rights after seven years
|
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed torestore Zimbabwe's voting rights after a seven-year suspension forunpaid debts.
But the fund said the country was stillineligible for loans until it had paid off more of the $1.3bn (?841m)it owes to creditors.
In the meantime, Zimbabwe can take part in IMF decision-making.
|
|
Country:
Zimbabwe
|
|
|
Publishdate: 2/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
|
|
|
NewsSource:
BBC
|
|
|
|
|
Aussie dollar higher at noon, bonds weaker
|
THE Australian dollar was higher atnoon as reports of a proposal to support the Greek Government liftedinvestor demand for high-yielding assets such as commodity-drivencurrencies and equities.
At midday, the Australian dollar was trading at $US0.9011/16, up 1.25 per cent from Friday's close of $US0.8900/05.
Since 7:00am, the local unit has traded between $US0.8961 and $US0.9019.
Concernsabout Greece defaulting on its sovereign debt has troubled financialmarkets over the past month and its possible flow through to othereurozone nations.
German newspaper Der Spiegel reported members of the eurozone were working on a proposal of between 20 and 25 billion euros to support Greece.
|
|
Country:
Australia
|
|
|
Publishdate: 2/22/2010 12:00:00 AM
|
|
|
NewsSource:
News Limited
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|