Kathmandu,May 4: The Confederation of Asia-pacific Chambers of Commerce & Industry (CACCI), an organisation of the region’s leading businessmen, is converning its 60th Council Meeting on 18-19 May 2000 in Kathmandu. The meeting will be hosted by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), an umbrella organisation of Nepalese private sectir.

The CACCI Council, which is the organiasatio’s governing body, is expected to discuss internal policy matters and review the status of its various projects and programmes. In addition, the Council will also take up trade and investment issues which are deemed of great concern to the region’s business sector,. Discussion at this year’s meeting in Kathmandu is expected to focus on the challenges faced by many developing economies in the region in making the necessary policy adjustments required by their participation in the globalisation and libralisation process.

At the end do the meeting, CACCI is expected to issue a statement proposing capacity-building measures that will allow the region’s developing countries to meet the challenges of globalisation and take advantage of the opportunities. It offers, as well as safety-net measures that will enable them to overcome the negative effects of libralisation and globalisation on their economies. CACCI hopes to submit the statement to the APEC forum end to the respective governments of CACCI member countries. This is part of its efforts to strenghten its policy advocacy role end in line with its primary objective as the spokesman of business in the region.

Representatives from the natonal chambers of commerce and industry of Nepal Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Papua NewGuinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are expected to attend the meeting.

Established in 1966, CACCI is composed of leading chambers from 22 Asi-Pacific countries and represents the interest about 3 million business enterprises in the region. FNCCI, its member in Nepal,was established in 1965 with the aim of promoting business and industry while pretecting the rights and interests of business and industrial communities in the country. It provides, inter alia, information, advisory,consultative, promotional and representative services to business and government, and organises training, workshops and seminars on a regular basis.