Bertasi, Rowhani, and Carrier addressing the press conference yesterday.
By Salman Siddiqui/Staff Reporter
Qatar’s business community can “maximise its potential” by utilising global information available to it through the International Chamber of Commerce Qatar, Remy Rowhani, ICC Qatar secretary general and director general of Qatar Chamber, said yesterday.
Rowhani said the ICC Qatar was the representative office of the Paris-based ICC, which aims to aid local businessmen.
He was speaking at a press conference yesterday to highlight the achievements of the ICC World Trade Agenda (WTA) and future plans for support to Qatar’s businesses.
ICC Qatar, under the umbrella of Qatar Chamber, together with ICC had launched WTA in 2011 with the aim of stimulating the global economy by helping to move the ‘Doha Round’ of multilateral trade negotiations out of a 13-year stalemate.
After three years, these negotiations ended at the Ninth Ministerial Conference in Bali with a “successful” result. The ‘Doha Victory’ adopted a package of agreements which included deals covering trade facilitation, food security, agriculture and other issues of interest to the developing and least developed countries.
“Bali is not the end of negotiations, it is the first ray of hope…We have sent a message to the global community that there has to be close partnership between the public and private sector in all endeavours of our global economy,” Rowhani said.
He said that if one aspect of the Doha Round came to a successful close, such as trade facilitation, global trade could increase by over $1tn, providing over 21mn jobs globally, 80% of which would be in the least developed and the developing countries.
About the advantages for Qatar, Rowhani said it would provide the business community of the country with an international platform to network and gave an opportunity to lift barriers for businesses.
“One of the major events we had last year was the WTA Summit in Doha in April 2013 that provided a fantastic networking opportunity for Qatar. It opened the door of the Qatari businesses to the international market. Now, with our close co-operation with the 6.5mn global members of the ICC in 130 countries, the businessman in the country should consider himself lucky and be smiling…Yes there are businessmen who have problems, but I always say to them that please come to the chamber and let us work our way out of it. We have access to information globally that can be used to help you and support you,” he said.
Rowhani also revealed that a board of directors for the ICC Qatar under the chairmanship of Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani, chairman of Qatar Chamber and ICC Qatar, had also been formed, which would meet sometime next week to lay out its plans for 2014.
Jean-Guy Carrier, secretary general of the ICC International, told the press conference that members of ICC Qatar also had access to a world-class suite of trainings and services to enhance competitiveness, as well as new networking platforms such as the ICC Annual Gala Dinner and planned policy consultation rounds.
Stefano Bertasi, ICC International executive director for policy and business practises, also addressed the media.
Later yesterday, a gala dinner was held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, along with hundreds of executives, and business and advocacy leaders.
The event was sponsored by the Qatar Development Bank.
