Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.

Guide to Intellectual Property for SME

http://www.tongachamber.org/tonga_chamber_of_commerce/guide-to-intellectual-property-for-sme.htmlThe International Trade Center has produce a series of briefings on Intellectual Property for Small Medium Enterprises in developing countries. Happy readings!

MYOB Seminars and workshops

Caisen Ltd from Fiji are providing a free information session on MYOB business software. MYOB can help you automate and manage you accounting and payroll systems saving you time and money.

Wednesday 5th November, 10am - 2pm

Tonga National Council of Churches, Vaololoa

Contact Ms Nancy Tonga ph 54 622 or 883 48445

Further training sessions will be held after the seminar to train users in use of the software they may purchase. See attached flyers-

Download ad20newspaper20and20flyer1_2.pdf

Download seminar20invite1_2.pdf

Want to trade with Chinese Clothing and Textiles businesses?

Don’t go all the way to China- go to the Chinese Clothing and Textiles Expo in Melbourne, Australia in November. There will be approximately 120 exhibitors and most of them small to medium sized, so they will cater for small orders too! Products include men’s, women’s, children’s clothing, beach and casual wear, evening dress/bridal dress, manchesters, household fabrics, and fashion accessories www.chinatextiles.com.au

Suppliers of Sea Food and Fruit

The Pacific Island Forum Trade Office in Beijing has an interested Chinese buyer for sea food and fruit. Contact Yolanda if you are interested- yolanda.jiang@pifto.org.cn

NZ Pacific Navigator Newsletter - Oct 2008

Click here for the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commission newsletter for October 2008

Download nz_pacific_navigator_newsletter_october_email_pdf.pdf

New Photo Album- Dr Martin vsit

See the photos from Dr. Martin's visit- Tonga Moving Forward: A Fresh Perspective - http://www.tongachamber.org/photos/dr_david_martin_visit_/

Dr. David Martin Press Release

Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) is pleased to have brought Dr. David E. Martin, world leading thinker on international finance and intellectual property from the USA to Tonga. Dr Martin believes that the Pacific Island Nations are uniquely positioned to integrate their industrial, natural and indigenous assets to form a banking and corporate sector that will weather the current global financial crisis. Download the press release-

Download david_martin_pr.doc

Transforming Tonga: A private sector assessment by ADB

Last week the Asian Development Bank launched Transforming Tonga: A private sector assessment.
TCCI congratulates the ADB on this valuable publication. TCCI was consulted on each section of the publication and supports the seven identified action areas and recommendations. TCCI looks forward to helping to bring business leaders to the table to implement the relevant recommendations from this publication.

To read the full report online go to http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/PSA/TON/default.asp or follow the link for TCCI's summary http://www.tongachamber.org/tonga_chamber_of_commerce/transforming-tonga-a-priv.html

Electricity Prices

Good morning business colleagues

The Chamber is aware of the impact of the high electricity price on all the businesses in Tonga, even before the recent price hike.

With the long term outlook for fuel prices likely to continue upward it is imperative that government set in place measures to minimize the impact on business through increases in all our electricity bills.

We have been working on issues that we feel would lead to a solution/s that will give all electricity consumers the right price; a price that will allow the generator/distributor to have a sustainable business that can provide Tonga with fair, safe, secure, efficient and sustainable supply for our electricity needs.

The Chamber's business cost sub-committee has been instructed to look at the issues and recommend ways how this can best be done. We have in place a new Electricity Commission and a new operator, operating under a new act. The mechanism for regulation and enforcement is new – the Concession Contract.

We accept that fuel increases will be passed on but we want systems in place to ensure that increases are fair i.e. due to fuel increases and so on. Also we want systems, generators, etc in place which are appropriate and efficient. As we understand it the ‘concession contract’ addresses these issues. However, we need to have visibility into these processes and have input.

We will look into these issues and work with government to urgently implement appropriate ways to reduce the cost of fuel e.g. Samoa example where they bypass supplier from Fiji, look at alternative energy sources for electricity eg wind, biomass, etc. We know that government have plans in place in these areas to reduce our electricity cost but we will want to ensure they act quickly and rationally to implement them.

Malo & regards

Paula Taumoepeau

President, Tonga Chamber of Commerce & Industry

TCCI presents Tonga Moving Forward - A Fresh Perspective from Dr. David E. Martin

TCCI is pleased to have secured a visit from Dr. David E. Martin to Tonga from 18 Oct– 24 Oct 2008.

Dr Martin is one of the world’s leading thinkers in intellectual property and has a great passion for the Pacific. He believes in enhancing development and growth through valuing the traditional knowledge and untapped intellectual property in the Pacific.

Career Highlights include:
- Executive Chairman of M·CAM, Inc., the international leader in intellectual property-based financial risk management.
- Batten Fellow at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.
- World-wide spokesperson for global intellectual-property accountability and quality reform.
- Founding member of Japan's Institute for Interface Science and Technology.
- Key note speaker at Opening of European Parliament 2008.
- Board positions include the EU-India, Academy for Augmenting Sustainable Technological Inventions, Innovations, and Traditional Knowledge, the Research Institute for Small and Emerging Business (Washington, D.C.), the Academy for Augmenting Grassroots Technological Innovations (India), the Charlottesville Industrial Development Agency (Virginia) and the Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology.
- Guild Member of the Order of King Christian IV of Denmark.

Dr Martin's visit will open eyes and minds in Tonga to reveal a fresh perspective. Stay tune for details of your opportunity to meet with this exciting and fascinating guest.

http://www.tongachamber.org/tonga_chamber_of_commerce/tonga-moving-forward-a-fr.html