Rebuilding economies after disaster

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC)

ICC – WCF member, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) has decided to step in and provide their help to those in need, following the devastating passage of Hurricane Joaquin through the region.

In addition to the loss of homes and personal belongings, BCCEC is determined to quickly assist the rebuilding of small businesses on the islands. The needs are immediate, mid-term and long term. One of the immediate concerns is providing fuel for the numerous private aircraft pilots who are running relief, delivery and evacuation services to the various islands.

BCCEC extends a message to the ICC family to show its solidarity and and compassion to people and businesses who are trying to restore their communities in the Bahamas, and has established a special account for any donations:

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation
A/C#05625-2885465
RBC Royal Bank

For further details or should you wish to aid in any other way, please contact:

Edison L. Sumner – Chief Executive Officer
Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and
Employers Confederation
#2 Collins Avenue and Shirley Street
P.O. Box N-665 – Nassau, The Bahamas
+1 242 322-2145 (T) – +1 242 322-4649 (F)
ESumner@TheBahamasChamber.com

Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)
In August 2011, monsoon rains ravaged several regions of Pakistan leaving millions of people without food or water for days. It is estimated that about 1.5 million people lost their homes and are displaced without shelter, food and safe drinking water, and 446 persons lost their lives, while around 756 are injured. More than 2.1 million acres of crops (cotton, rice, sugarcane and vegetables) were destroyed by the flooding.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry was the first Chamber of Pakistan to start relief operations in Sindh, mainly in the Dadu and Jamshoro districts. Currently, KCCI is supporting around 5,000 families (40,000 persons) by providing them with one month’s supply of food, emergency shelter (tents), water and sanitation and health services.

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI)
In August 2010, the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) decided to sponsor a village comprising at least 100 houses in Northern Areas for the rehabilitation of flood victims, whose houses were washed away by devastating flash floods.

The decision was made after a visit of an ICCI delegation to flood hit areas of Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa. The construction of 100 Kacha houses was to be carried out by ICCI with donations from its members.

They also appealed to all businessmen from the area to contribute donations generously to ICCI so that it could start the construction of houses for displaced people as early as possible, and said that once the survival issue is resolved, the funds should be used for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas destroyed.

ASSOCHAM
In 2010, ASSOCHAM approached ICCI to inform them that Indian industry and the business fraternity was keen to help Pakistan aid its flood victims. ASSOCHAM reported that a large number of corporate houses in India expressed their desire to provide assistance to Pakistani flood victims.

Five million dollars in aid funding for the relief of flood victims was received. ICCI recognized the desire expressed by the Indian business community to help Pakistan through these tough times as a very positive sign that businessmen and people of both countries care for each other and prefer improved relations.

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCIII) donated P20 million (Philippine Pesos) to the government’s relief efforts for victims of back-to-back typhoons of September 2011.

The donation was handed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development when the group paid a courtesy call on President Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

FFCCCII was led by its president Tan Ching.

More than 270 people have been confirmed killed by the quake and several aftershocks, while thousands are homeless.

Turkish American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast US

Several Atlanta-based Turkish business and cultural groups are organizing a relief fund for victims of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the eastern part of that country on 23 October.

Atlanta’s Istanbul Center and Turkish American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast US accepted donations to the Istanbul Center Turkey Earthquake Relief Fund for relief and reconstruction: www.istanbulcenter.org.

The Atlanta chapter of the American Turkish Friendship Council also collected funds to repair a school and dormitory in the eastern city of Van, Turkey, which is in the region most badly affected by the quake.

Source click here

The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey initiated an aid campaign geared towards providing monetary aid, assistance in kind, zero-interest credit support and urgent necessities.

2.5 million TL (approx. 1.05 million Euro ) have been collected through the donations of TOBB and Turkish business comunity viaTurkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.

The total amount donated by TOBB is 1 million TL (approx 422 .000 Euro). Apart from this, in order to respond rapidly to the basic needs of the victims, aid convoys were organized by TOBB.

Source click here

Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce

On Saturday September 4, 2010 Canterbury, New Zealand suffered a magnitude 7.1 earthquake at a depth of 10km, centred 40km west of the city of Christchurch. Fortunately and unbelievably there was no loss of life, in part because of the timing of the earthquake (4:35am) and also as a result of the comprehensive building regulations in New Zealand.

A large number of homes and business properties, however, suffered significant enough damage to render them temporarily or permanently unusable.

The aftershocks continued after the initial disaster, with more than 4,263 aftershocks recorded up to December 27, 2010. The impact of the continued seismic activity was both physical and emotional in the Canterbury community. The economy has been hard hit – particularly the retail sector – with, for example, a 4.9 magnitude quake hitting central Christchurch at 10:30am on Boxing Day, December 26, one of the biggest retail days of the year.

The cost of the structural damage was estimated at NZ$6 billion to NZ$8 billion – and has been widely quoted as being the 5th most costly quake (in dollar terms) in modern history.

Within just a few hours of the September 4th quake, the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce (the Employers’ Chamber) was mobilized to operate as a key reference point for the region’s businesses.

The Employers’ Chamber’s immediate response and ongoing role in the region’s post-earthquake economic recovery has:

• Provided vital, timely support to the wider business community
• Strengthened the relationships of the chamber – and the chamber’s reputation as a key contributor to the business community – with both local and central government and businesses across Canterbury and New Zealand
• Subsequently enhanced the chamber’s ability to engage further with local and central government and other key stakeholders to ensure business interests are protected

The Chamber of Commerce of Lac-Mégantic (Canada) will allocate more than $ 448,000 in order to help businesses affected by the train derailment of July 6, 2013.

These sources come from different donors. The Board of Directors of the organization has established specific criteria. Self-employed and businesses of the affected area must be ceased their activities to the possible extent more than ten days after the disaster and restarting their businesses in the Urban Municipality of Granit until the 6^th of July.

Potential recipients will be directly called out by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce of Lac-Mégantic.

With a magnitude of 9.0, the Great East Japan Earthquake was the most powerful earthquake to have hit Japan since at least the year 1900. Many places in the Tohoku area were damaged by the resulting tsunami．

The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Activities in the Aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

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The Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), in association with local CCIs, is making concerted efforts to help Japan overcome its national crisis.

1. JCCI has checked on damage to companies and local CCIs in devastated areas. Based on the findings of such investigations, JCCI has made policy proposals to the government, such as for grants to secure employment in the wake of the crisis.
2. In order to listen to the diverse views of local people and to gain a clear picture of the damaged areas, the JCCI chairman has made a total of sixteen visits to five damaged areas.
3. JCCI supports restoration efforts of suffering SMEs to secure employment through the nationwide network of CCIs. Examples include the following.
   1. Dispatch of JCCI staff members to local CCIs in damaged areas
   2. Solicitation of donations to be used in reconstruction projects for companies and local CCIs in devastated areas (2.8 billion yen has been collected by JCCI.)
   3. Launch of a web-based resource for recovery from the disaster to provide information on financial matters, employment, and electricity supply, and issuance of “certificates of environmental radioactivity level” trade documents: http://www.jcci.or.jp/region/tohokukantodaisinsai/(in Japanese)
   4. Support for the organization of product exhibitions and sales drives
   5. Sales support for local products from the Tohoku area.
4. JCCI has started the “Unused Machinery and Equipment Matching Support System” to support the reconstruction of businesses with machinery or equipment swept away or damaged in the earthquake or tsunami. The project receives unused machinery and equipment free of charge from businesses nationwide and provides it to businesses impacted by the earthquake or tsunami in accordance with their needs.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the US Chamber of Commerce and their Center for Corporate Citizenship (CCC) took immediate action to provide aid to hurricane victims.

CCC has partnered with Aidmatrix to develop a product donation system available through the web sites of both organizations.

This resource matched the requests for supplies received from local and state chambers in the Gulf Coast with donations from businesses around the country.

CCC and IBM partnered to develop a job posting site for those whose jobs were lost because of Katrina. 10,000 Katrina-related jobless claims were filed in the first week following the disaster, and that number swelled into the hundreds of thousands.

CCC, with the US Department of Education, posted information on how to help displaced students continue their education.

It assisted the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry in establishing a small business relief fund to help Gulf Coast small enterprises remain solvent.

The tsunami tragedy that struck South Asia, Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean basin in December 2004 elicited a great show of solidarity worldwide.

ICC Assist

Reconstruction was the next essential step in the recovery process. Among those hit hardest by the disaster were the many small and medium-sized enterprises in the region’s fishing, tourism, industrial and service sectors. They were critical to the economic base of their countries and getting those industries back on track was vital to the economic well-being of their individual communities.

With the tragedy affecting several of our member countries, within a few days of the cataclysm, ICC Asia received reports from our different member countries in the region of immediate contributions from both companies and chambers from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Pakistan and Taiwan.

In the first few days, ICC Bangladesh harnessed its local business community and donated funds and medicine to the tsunami affected region of Sri Lanka. Contributions were made by: Transcom Group, Square Group, New Age Group, Duncan Brothers, KAFCO, IFIC Bank, Exim Bank, Janata Bank, State Bank of India, Eastland Insurance, Sunflower Life Insurance, The Merchants, National Housing, Airlink Group, BASF, Dr M Jahir and Associates, Huq and Company, Nestle, UAE Bangladesh, Investment Corporation, and Aventis Pharmaceuticals.

ICC Syria President, Mr A.R. Attar, President of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Organization, rapidly sent a charter plane filled with blankets, medicines, canned and baby food to India. Spanish publishing company, Vicens Vives, a member of ICC Spain, provided school bags, working closely with Spanish aid relief efforts. Fundraising events were rapidly organized by many organizations. Australia’s Council for International Trade and Commerce (CITSA), in conjunction with AmCham held a business luncheon with prominent guest speaker Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia. ICC WCF partner, Junior Chamber International (JCI) established “Operation Hope”, where funds were invested in special projects to rebuild schools, and provide books and other education-related materials.

Following the tsunami, a variety of projects with chambers across the region helped rebuild various communities. These included:

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• Indonesia

German Indonesian Chamber of Industry & Commerce (EKONID), Jakarta

In January 2005, the Chamber established “INDOGERM-direct” (German Indonesian Disaster Relief Committee) as a response to the tsunami in Indonesia (Aceh Province and Nias Island). Its secretariat is located in the German Indonesian Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Jakarta, with a project office in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province.

INDOGERM collected donations from the German and Indonesian business community amounting to approximately 6.5 million euros. INDOGERM is involved in various different sectors and has to date completed many of its initially planned projects. Its largest project, costing 3.65 million euros, was the rehabilitation of three vocational training schools (“SMKs 1, 2 & 3”) in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. This project was done in close cooperation with the German governmental development agencies GTZ and KfW, and registered with the Indonesian governmental BRR Reconstruction Body for Aceh/Nias.

Other ongoing project sectors designed to get the community up and running again have been: education, fishery, health care, childcare and community development.

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• Austrian Chamber of Economy in Indonesia

Austrian Chamber’s reconstruction efforts focused upon the communities in Aceh and Nias. Funds for reconstruction efforts were mostly contributed by private individuals via organisations such as “Neighbour in Need” and several NGOs (eg. Caritas, SOS Kinderdorf, Hilfswerk Austria, Red Cross etc.), by private enterprises, the government and the Austrian Chamber of Economy. Reconstruction projects included:

• Setting up of brick and tile production
• Organization of a textile workshop to produce school uniforms and to employ women in Meulaboh
• Microcredit programme providing start-up capital and ambulant shops for small scale traders in traditional markets
• Construction of permanent houses in several villages in Aceh and Nias (more than 1,200 houses already completed)
• Construction of Meuraxa Hospital in Banda Aceh
• Two SOS Children’s Villages in Banda Aceh and Meulaboh
• Orphanage in Banda Aceh
• Construction of five social centres, including a kindergarten and primary school and a community health centre in Aceh
• Reconstruction and enlargement of a home for handicapped children in Aceh, including vocational training
• Reconstruction of a rehabilitation centre for disabled People in Nias

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• Thailand

The Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce first called for the collection of clothes and necessities as well as blood donation and cash from its members for emergency needs as survivors reached Bangkok. The Chamber donated 20,000 baht to the Thai Red Cross together with another Canadian community organization in January 2005. The chamber also encouraged and promoted its companies to have their seminars and annual meetings in the south of Thailand, especially Phuket, in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce. The Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand organized ice hockey and golf tournaments in order to raise money for the Population and Development Association for its Post Tsunami Development Project.

Provided by Mr Twatchai Yongkittikul, Chair, ICC Thailand and Secretary General, The Thai Bankers’ Association

With the support of the Thai Government, the Thai banking community did its part to contribute to the long term rebuilding of business infrastructure to ensure growth and prosperity in the long run without undermining sound banking practices. Packages made available included:

• The easing of short and medium term liquidity and debt servicing problems of the affected businesses. The Bank of Thailand provides soft loans to the banks so that this money could in turn be re-lent to the businesses in question. The loans were arranged so that they provided low interest rates and flexible repayment schedules.
• Business people whose properties were damaged by the tsunami were encouraged to submit reconstruction and rehabilitation plans, with close consultation from their banks. Loans were then granted, on the basis of feasibility, on normal lending criteria, but with more flexible repayment terms.
• A venture capital fund was set up by the Thai Bankers’ Association, in collaboration with the Stock Exchange of Thailand and the Government Savings Bank, to assist in the recapitalization of affected businesses whose capital structures need to be strengthened in order to qualify for low interest loans. The exit criteria for the investors had been worked out mutually in order to satisfy the requirements of all parties concerned.

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• Austrian Chamber of Economy

The Austria Federal Economic Chamber’s reconstruction project in Phuket, launched by its President, Christoph Leitl and by Walter Koren, the Head of the Austrian Foreign Trade Promotion Organization, provided 500,000 euros for the construction of a community centre, a library, a handicraft centre and a medical station. Planning and construction was executed by Austrian non-governmental organization Hilfswerk Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. It will be the first large-scale foreign reconstruction project opened in Thailand after the tsunami disaster, inaugurated in December 2006.

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• Sri Lanka

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, United Kingdom and Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka

Following the tsunami in December 2004, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) decided to invest in a programme to support the economic re-development of tsunami affected areas. After a search for a suitable organization with whom it could build a relationship, GMCC signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka. The project has produced an economic development strategy for the Hambantota District, for the development of tourism in the region and the development of a careers service centre.
This project won the World Chambers Competition award for Best Networking in 2009.

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL)

“Back to Business Project” worked with chambers from across the nation, with the common goal of rehabilitating 10,000 tsunami stricken small and medium enterprises. The project was designed with the target to create more than 50,000 employment opportunities within three years. Since its debut in January 2005, the project has achieved 80% of its objectives in 45% of the time allotted. More than 8,700 businesses have been rehabilitated and more than 35,000 employment opportunities created. Special emphasis has been given to equally distributing assistance along ethnic and gender lines. Approximately 28% of rehabilitated businesses are headed by women. The project not only focussed on grants, but also included technical assistance to support long term growth. Additional counseling and training in management and business planning skills also took place. The FCCISL Back to Business project also won a special award for its ground breaking effect in building small brands. And this project won the World Chambers Competition award for Best Unconventional Project for SMEs in 2007.

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• The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

The “National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Fund” was created in cooperation with the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC). The Chamber’s Fund has instituted micro enterprise financial assistance, providing easy access to seed capital for micro enterprises, thereby enabling them to regain their normal livelihood patterns with as little delay as possible. Approximately 25% of the total funding requirement was given as a grant and the remaining 75% in the form of a loan at an interest rate of 5% per annum. More than 300 micro entrepreneurs have received assistance through the Galle, Matara, Hambantota and Trincomalee District Chambers of Commerce. Similar financial assistance to micro enterprises in the North and East of the nation through the Yalpanam and Batticaloa Chambers was also being explored.

The Market Linkage Programme, under the Sustainable Recovery Micro Enterprise Sector Project, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), provided business development services (BDS) to applicants and recipients of financial assistance. The programme, in association with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, worked with the district chambers in eight tsunami affected districts – Kalutara, Galle, Matara Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, and Jaffna – undertaking the following tasks:

• To conduct proactive outreach activities in the form of one-on-one meetings, public fora, information brochures, etc., focusing on the neediest tsunami affected micro entrepreneurs with specific attention to women micro entrepreneurs
• To assist micro entrepreneurs in developing business plans and proposals
• To assist the beneficiary micro entrepreneurs to identify potential markets for their products/outputs and provide related market and business advisory services
• To organize meetings between retailers and buyers and organize regional and national level trade fairs for promoting the products of affected micro entrepreneurs with specific focus on promoting linkages between micro entrepreneurs and medium- to large-scale enterprises
• To provide capacity building support for regional implementing partners of the project, so that the project could effectively deliver market and business advisory services to wider demography of affected micro entrepreneurs in all affected districts

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• National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka

Through its affiliate, the Federation of Associations of SMEs of Sri Lanka, the NCCSL’s SME “Tsunami” Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project facilitated direct and indirect assistance to build capacities of all SMEs. The NCCSL has established District Associations of SMEs in the Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Kaluytara, Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Matale. Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, Gampaha and Puttalam areas that have been the worst hit by the disaster.

Following immediate relief measures just hours after the disaster, NCCSL commenced assessing the damage caused to the businesses in all the areas through its island-wide NCCSL SME network. This was facilitated through the Communication Centres established at the refugee camps by the MTN Networks (Dialog) in association with the Red Cross Sri Lanka branch.

A Steering Committee, made up with representatives from the chamber and private sector, and representatives from the Ministry of Advanced Technology and National Enterprise Development, have helped guide the development and work programme of the chamber’s SME Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project Unit.

ABOUT P1 million of the amount raised during the BangonSugBohol events in Cebu is being considered for microfinancing in the province, said an official of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Reagan Rex King, chair of CCCI’s disaster risk reduction committee, said during his meeting with officials of the Department of Trade and Industry Bohol that the chamber is looking for Bohol-based microfinance institutions that will serve as conduits of the funds.

Last Wednesday, King led a CCCI contingent that went to the municipality of Tubigon in Bohol to donate five electric sewing machines worth a total of P80,000.

The funds came from the P2.38 million generated by the chamber from various donation drives held after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol on Oct. 15, 2013. Of the figure, over P1 million is allotted for the livelihood programs and the rest were spent for relief goods and operations.

King requested DTI Bohol senior trade and industry development specialist Jerome John Gabinto help them look for microfinance institutions willing to manage the funds.

Two microfinance institutions are targeted to be part of the program.

According to King, the money intended for microfinance will not be mixed in with the institutions’ personal reserves.

“The people here (in Bohol) need working capital,” King said.

The official explained that the chamber is considering to allocate the remaining funds for livelihood to microfinance so that many can benefit from it, rather than continuing the dole-outs.

“This move, I think, can maximize the funds,” King sad.

King said the amount regained from microfinance can further be used for other livelihood projects.

Prioritized for financing are those whose source of livelihood has been wiped out after the earthquake.

Aside from microfinance programs and sewing machines, CCCI also disclosed that it is planning to partner with a non-government organization on providing solar power systemto some beneficiaries in Bohol.

One of the recipients of the sewing machine is Sony’s Handicraft which has been in the business for 14 years with only two high-speed machines.

Maria Teresita Israel, one of the sewers of Sony’s handicraft, said the donated machines can help them increase their production. Their products are distributed both locally and internationally.

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry gave a business response to the deadliest Philippine typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines (November 8, 2013).

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) Foundation has pledged to help build houses and classrooms for communities affected by super typhoon “Yolanda” in Leyte. The memorandum of agreement between the FFCCCII Foundation and the provincial government of Leyte has been signed on January 29. According to the agreement, there will be 500 new houses and five units of barrio schools, equivalent to 10 classrooms. The houses will be constructed in a five-hectare resettlement site in an elevated location in Barangay Barayong, Palo, Leyte. Worth P40 million, the project is expected to benefit 500 families. The relocation site will be named as “Filipino-Chinese Friendship Village.”

The funds were raised in a calamity drive launched by FFCCCII, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines, World News Daily, Filipino-Chinese Amity Club, Overseas Chinese Alumni Association of the Philippines, Filipino-Chinese Shin Lian Association and Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.