The Chamber Means Business
2009 In Review
SUMMARY OF CHAMBER ACTIVITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS 2009
The year started by reviewing the action required in the planning and objectives document set by the board for 2009. Some of the main points of the plan were to
· Increase membership to 100 members
· Increase the number of small Samoan businesses as members
· Set the groundwork for the establishment of ASIM
· Continue to push for the removal of the escalator clause from the minimum wage bill
We have increased the membership to 69 with 19 inactive members targeted for renewals and another 20 companies to be approached to join. We have a plan to encourage some of the Asian business communities to join.
The board approved a special rate of $25 for small businesses – 1-3 employees – to join the chamber and this has proved to be popular and encouraged new memberships particularly Samoan owned and operated small businesses
We have not made much progress towards the establishment of an institute of management until recently when the project was taken over by one of our board members. We hope to make significant progress in 2010 leading to the establishment of our own institute.
The board cannot report any real progress with its efforts to assist with the removal of the escalator clause or even obtain a significant deferral. We shall have to wait for the results of the GAO report to congress due out in April 2010.
During the year your board has managed to meet once every month and it has been involved with the following matters:-
1) We joined the USA Chamber of Commerce
2) We opposed the proposed introduction of the labor union influenced card check supported by our congressman and we wrote to him accordingly.
3) We developed and used the slogan “the Chamber means business”
4) We devised and advertised “helpful hints” for the business community and the hints have appeared on TV and in the newspaper on a regular basis
5) We took a strong stand against the proposed introduction of the TWIC and the requirement was eventually canceled
6) We held meetings with the farmer’s cooperative, department of agriculture, ascc land grant and faipule to try and work out a program for some better support for our local farmers to encourage them to grow more fresh fruits and vegetables. The AG dept was most responsive and steps have been taken to provide more assistance to the farmers
7) We were invited to join a committee to support the department of health to make the public and businesses aware of the increasing numbers of cases of dengue fever and the increasing numbers of mosquito breeding places in trash due to poor disposal practices
8) We were invited to join a panel at the pacific fisheries management forum to assist with plans to develop an expanded local fishing and processing industry
9) We continued to upgrade and develop the chamber’s web site into a very professional and informative site. Thanks to our web master John Newton – members should take advantage of promoting and advertising their products on the site which is free of charge
10) We lent our support to doc for the completion of the 1/4rly business survey
11) We were invited to join and be part of the governor’s Population Pressure Commission
12) We assisted the us dept of commerce bureau of economic analysis with input for their study on the state of our economy
13) We worked with and provided input to the GAO to assist with their study of economic conditions since the minimum wage increase to be presented to congress next April
14) We hosted a visiting business delegation from Manukau city auk NZ supported by the NZ high commissioner for Samoa. Several business opportunities and one or two academic ones are being pursued and a sister city arrangement may be developed with Maunkau in due course.
15) We arranged and hosted the 2nd Annual Business Awards Night in August and this was attended by over 120 people from the business community. It was a great success
I am sure that you will agree that all this involvement demonstrates the profile that the chamber has achieved during the past few years. It has highlighted our relevance and effectiveness as an organization to both the private and the public sectors locally and internationally and particularly with the senate and the House of Representatives
Membership meetings
We held 12 monthly general membership meetings for members and the business community during the year. The caliber of presenters was generally high but as usual most of the meetings were poorly attended by members
· The call center
· CEO of ASPA
· Chief customs officer
· USDA Hawaii
· CEO of the SBDC
· Manukau city council and NZ pacific business council
· GAO team from dc
· CEO of the ASCC land grant
· Representative from SBA
· Representatives from FEMA
· CEO of the ASVB
· Team from RCA CA - Tourism Master Plan
Organizations
We continue our engagement with regional and international organizations
· Us Chamber of Commerce
· NZ Pacific Business Council
· AMCHAM NZ
· Asia Pacific Business Council
Government relations
· One of the late president Ronald Reagan’s dictums was that the 9 most terrifying words in the English language are “ I’m from the government and I’m here to help”
· Many of our members think that is still the case here even though the governor acknowledged at the ban that the relationship created through the chamber between the ASG and the private sector is much closer now than in previous times. It is a relationship which he appreciates and one which we should continue to develop.
Regular meetings were held with the governor during the year. Several government departments have been invited to join the chamber.
· We have developed good relationships and regular communications with Washington departments DOI, USDA, GAO, doc and with congressmen and women and their congressional office staff in DC this has helped us maintain a network of useful information.
Media
· Our thanks to the local media for their continuing support of the chamber. 2009 produced almost weekly commentaries and reports on a variety of subjects and issues that we were involved with.
· The overseas media continues to show interest and make regular contact for comments on major items of local interest and major issues that affect the territory
Overseas meetings
· After finally escaping from incarceration at hi airport the president presented a paper as a guest speaker at the DOI annual business opportunities conference in Hawaii in April
· The governor asked the president to accompany his delegation to Washington to present a minimum wage petition to President Obama and to try and achieve a modification of the minimum wage bill.
General
May 01 saw the announcement by COS that they intended to close down their cannery on September 30 putting over 2,000 people out of work. This event took place the day after the territory was struck by a devastating tsunami.
Starkist embarked on a program of scaling down their labor putting a reported 700 people out of work over a number of months. After the announcement by COS the economy started to show signs of weakness and changes in business practices along the lines predicted by the chamber eighteen months ago at a congressional testimony on the impacts of the minimum wage bill. Credit tightened, spending reduced, savings increased as many people wondered what they were going to do to survive after the end of September.
Following the tsunami we have seen a considerable injection of money into our economy. FEMA, the SBA and many federal agencies who arrived to assist with the rebuilding program have been able to employ quite a large number of people on a temporary basis and disperse funds for rebuilding homes and businesses. Hotels have been full, most rental properties have been occupied and car rental companies and distributors have virtually no stock as most of their units are rented out. Some building materials and hardware companies have seen strong sales of their products.
A very helpful boost to the economy. What happens when all the federal agency staff return home early in the new year and our annual tax refund money runs out in the first and second quarter?
As an investment destination we have become very expensive with labor, services and transportation costs likely to continue to rise and inflation sitting at 8 %.
The much vaunted call center establishments and the governor’s plans for the purchase of the assets of COS seem to have stalled. Both these projects would have provided much needed employment opportunities had they proceeded.
New investment is scarce, suggestions for the development of various industry sectors and for the most part government policy reform have yet to be implemented. We have two more plans underway one for tourism and one for our international airport and hopefully they will result in generating some new economic development and employment in due course.
The business community should be prepared. 2010 looks like being the start of some very difficult economic conditions not previously experienced in the territory.
Close
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chamber board members for their support during this past year even though sometimes they have not been in agreement with some of the positions i have adopted and some of the statements that I have made on behalf of the chamber.
I would like to see some business ladies standing for the board for this next year and there are one or two names on the nomination form so please cast your votes accordingly.
May i wish the incoming board and executive a very successful and productive 2010.
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