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5Th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum & Trade Expo Welkam lo Vanuatu Photo by Alcina Charlie 5th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum & Trade Expo Holiday Inn Resort, Port Vila, Vanuatu 28th February, 2017 Invest in Vanuatu... Vanuatu is growing and is inviting you to invest! Here’s why... • Political and social stability. • Growing infrastructural development. • Strong offshore financial center. • Ideally situated providing market access to Australia, NZ and the entire Pacific region. • A strong and reliable workforce. • Bilingual (English/French) speakers. • Reasonable labor rates. • Submarine fiber optic cable enhancing ICT services in Vanuatu. • Multi-cultural society. The Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, VIPA, is the only agency established to facilitate foreign direct investment into Vanuatu. We are your gateway to investing in the land of opportunities! Talk to us today! Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority PMB 9011 Laguna Building Port Vila T: 24441/24096 w: www.investvanuatu.org.vu Invest in Vanuatu... 5th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum Tuesday 28 February 2017, 8:30am – 5:30pm Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu, Port Vila, Vanuatu. MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY. 1800 CARNIVAL AUSTRALIA Opening Cocktails & 1930 BANK SOUTH PACIFIC Opening dinner, The Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu. TUESDAY 28 FEBRUARY. 0745 ANZ BANKING GROUP Registration Desk Open & HOLDING REDLICH breakfast on arrival 0830 PACIFIC AIR EXPRESS PLENARY SESSION ONE 0830 WELCOME TO DELEGATES: Mr Gary Clifford, President, Australia Pacific Islands Business Council. 0845 KEYNOTE ADDRESSES: Vanuatu: The Hon Joe Natuman, Deputy Prime Minister. Vanuatu is growing and is inviting you to invest! Here’s why... Australia: Ms Jenny Da Rin, High Commissioner to Vanuatu. 0935 THE VANUATU ECONOMY: • Political and social stability. Mr Simeon Athy, Governor, Reserve Bank of Vanuatu. 1000 BUILDING INVESTMENT IN VANUATU: • Growing infrastructural development. Mr Lionel Kaluat, Chairman, Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority. • Strong offshore financial center. 1025 INVESTMENT CASE STUDIES: • Ideally situated providing market access to Australia, NZ and the Tourism: Mr Richard Barnes, Director, The Point Marina. entire Pacific region. Agriculture: Ms Cornelia Wyllie, Chief Executive Officer, Vanuatu Direct Ltd. • A strong and reliable workforce. 11:15 LUNCHEON REFRESHMENTS • Bilingual (English/French) speakers. 1215 AUSTRALIAN TRADE COMMISSION PLENARY SESSION TWO 1215 TAKING VANUATU’S TOURISM INDUSTRY TO THE NEXT LEVEL: • Reasonable labor rates. Ms Milissa Day, Senior Operations Officer, FCS IDA, International Finance Corporation • Submarine fiber optic cable enhancing ICT services in Vanuatu. Mr Jeremy Goodman, Director Supply Chain, Carnival Australia Mr Dixon Seeto, President, Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association. • Multi-cultural society. 1325 LAND REFORM: THE KEY TO INVESTMENT IN VANUATU: The Hon Ralph Regenvanu MP, Vanuatu Minister for Lands, Geology and Mines, Energy and Water Resources. Mr John Mulally, Principal, John Mulally and Associates. 1415 PANEL SESSION: MANAGING BANKING, FINANCE AND TAX ISSUES: Mr Martin St Hilaire, AJC Accounting; Govenor Simeon Athy, Reserve Bank of Vanuatu; Mr Stuart Beren, Bank South Pacific; Mr James Hudson, Bred Bank; Mr Geoff Toone, National Bank of Vanuatu; Mr Rufus Pinto, ANZ Banking Group. Ms Gayle Stapleton, Stapleton Pacific (Facilitator) 1515 BRED BANK AFTERNOON REFRESHMENTS 1615 ORIGIN ENERGY PLENARY SESSION THREE 1615 PACER PLUS: Dr Edwini Kessie, Chief Trade Advisor. 1640 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK – FUTURE WORK PROGRAM IN VANUATU: The Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, VIPA, is the only agency established Ms Nancy Wells, Senior Country Coordination Officer, Extended Mission-Vanuatu, Asian Development Bank. to facilitate foreign direct investment into Vanuatu. 1705 AUSTRALIAN DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE WORKING TO SUPPORT BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: Ms Susan Ryle, Deputy High Commissioner and Development Counsellor, Australian High We are your gateway to investing in the land of opportunities! Commission, Port Vila. 17:30 END OF PLENARY SESSIONS. Talk to us today! 17:35 CLOSING DRINKS. Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority 18:35 END CLOSING DRINKS PMB 9011 Laguna Building 19:00 CLOSING DINNER, HOSTED BY VANUATU MINISTER OF FINANCE, THE HON. GAETAN PIKIOUNE Port Vila T: 24441/24096 w: www.investvanuatu.org.vu 5th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum 2017 3 Handbook Contents Advertisers Program P 3 Major Sponsor VIPA Inside Front Cover List of advertisers P 4 Silver Sponsor Origin Energy Page 4 List of exhibitors P 4 Platinum Sponsor ANZ Page 5 Speaker Profiles - Keynote P 6 Gold Sponsor Bred Bank Page 7 Speaker Profiles - Economy P 6 Gold Sponsor Holding Redlich Page 8 Speaker Profiles - Investment P 7 Platinum Sponsor BSP Page 11 Delegates List P 8-9 Silver Sponsor Austrade Page 13 Speaker Profiles - Investment, Tourism P 10 Silver Sponsor Pacific Air Express Page 14 Speaker Profiles - Land reform, Finance P 12 Platinum Sponsor Carnival Australia Inside Back Speaker Profiles - PACER Plus P 13 Speaker Profiles - ADB, Aus High Comm P 14 Exhibitors COMPANY NAME Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority Philip AYONG Vanuatu Chamber Of Commerce & Industry Mark SALELOUI Solar Pumping Solutions Kim HARDING Ramada Resort Port Vila Denis MASSE R.c. Manubhai & Co Ltd Suresh CHAND Oils Of Paradise Vanuatu Rona GARAE Iririki Island Resort & Spa Jayne KINGHORN First National Real Estate Anne DONCHOS Cover Photo Credit : Island welcome, Lumete Guesthouse, south west bay, Malekula. Photographer: Alcina Charlie (Vanuatu Photo Library) Australia Pacific Technical College Nick CROSLING Actions Fasteners Pty Ltd Raymond HOLLIS 4 5th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum 2017 CONNECTING BUSINESSES ACROSS ASIA AND BEYOND IT’S IN OUR DNA Open up a world of opportunities in Asia Pacif ic’s key trading markets. Our on-the-ground presence provides regional insights and local expertise, vital to accessing and navigating local markets. So if you’re looking for a banking partner with a long history of delivering for its clients across the region, connect with us. anz.com/vanuatu ANZ Bank (Vanuatu) Limited. Welcome to Delegates Mr Gary Clifford is President, Australia lands, PNG, Vanuatu, Nauru and other pacific islands with Pacific Islands Business Council. Gary is Australia since 1993, and presently uses two Boeing 737- the founder and managing director of Pa- 300 freighter aircraft for this work. Gary went to the Solo- cific Air Express, the south pacific re- mons in 1984 as a young pilot, and has over 7000 hours gion’s first international cargo airline. logged flying in Solomon Islands and connecting interna- Pacific Air Express has provided sched- tional routes. These days his time is spent managing the uled and charter freighter services linking the Solomon Is- airline and developing new air freight routes in the region. Keynote Addresses The Hon Joe Natuman MP is a ni-Vanuatu general election. He has been continuously re-elected since, politician, member of the Vanua’aku Pati, has held various Ministerial portfolios over this time. and is currently Deputy Prime Minister. He is a graduate of the University of the Ms Jenny Da Rin is a senior career officer South Pacific, and was also an exchange with the Department of Foreign Affairs student at the University of Papua New and Trade (DFAT) and was most recently Guinea. In the 1980s, he worked in the highest ranks of the Assistant Secretary, Pacific Bilateral & civil service, culminating with the position of First Secretary New Zealand Branch. She also served as to the Prime Minister’s Office from 1987 to 1991, at the time Senior Adviser to the Minister for De- of Prime Minister Walter Lini. He then worked as assistant fence (2010) and Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs registrar at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, (2009-10). Ms Da Rin holds a Master of Laws from the Aus- until 1995. He entered national politics when he was elected tralian National University and is a fellow of the Australian MP for Tanna, representing the Vanua’aku Pati, in the 1995 Institute of Company Directors. The Vanuatu Economy Mr. Simeon Malachi Athy commenced Office in mid-2008 and held that position until his success- his tenure as Governor of Reserve Bank ful appointment to the position of Governor of the RBV. Mr of Vanuatu on 15th November, 2013. Gov- Athy served in several capacities in the public sector, in- ernor Athy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in cluding among others, Chairman of the Millennium Steering Economics from the University of Papua Committee that oversaw the construction of two major na- New Guinea (1991) and held various positions within the tional roads in Vanuatu in late 2000; Having served both in RBV from 1991 to 2003, including the position of Director the RBV and in the public sector over the last twenty two the Research and Statistics Department. He joined the Gov- (22) years, his wide expansive range of experience serves ernment of Vanuatu public service as Director General to him well in his current role as Governor and Chairman of the the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management. He was Reserve Bank and its Board of Directors. duly transferred in the same position to the Prime Minister’s 6 5th Australia Vanuatu Business Forum 2017 Supporting Investment in Vanuatu Mr Lionel Kaluat became Chairman of three common ones being “Permanent Residence Program the VIPA BOD in 2004. Mr. Kaluat is the (PR), the capital Investment and Immigration Program (CIIP) Commissioner of Labour. Prior to becom- and the “Vanuatu Ecomonical Recovery Program” (VERP). ing chair of the VIPA BOD, Mr. Kaluat as- Mr Kaluat has been and remains VIPA’s focal point when sumes chairmanship responsibilities in a dealing with customary land issues on Efate. He was or- number of committees in both public and dained as Chief of his clan “ Naflak Nmaal” in 1989 in his private sector, and, as chairman of the VIPA BOD, Mr. Kaluat community and is still an active member the Eurakot Coun- represents VIPA in several national committees, including cil of Chief of Pango Village where he comes from on South as chairman of the country’s Tripartite Labour Advisory Efate. His popularity amongst and respect from the commu- Council In his capacity as chairman of the VIPA BOD, Mr.
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