04/09/07

Welcome to the CEPSE and EDBM as new WAIPA Members!

We are pleased to announce that “La Congolaise d’Etudes, de Prospections et des Sondages Socio-Economiques” (CEPSE) and the Economic Development Board of Madagascar (EDBM) have become new members of WAIPA. The Association has currently 220 members coming from 154 countries.

Please see: www.waipa.org

WAIPA Round Table at the 11th China International Fair on Investment & Trade (CIFIT), 8 – 11 September 2007, Xiamen, China

WAIPA and the Ministry of Commerce of P.R. of China (MOFCOM) will jointly sponsor a Roundtable Conference for International Investment Promotion Agencies during the 11th China International Fair on Investment & Trade (CIFIT), which is to be held between September 8 and 11 in Xiamen, southeast China. The theme of the Roundtable Conference will focus on Promoting Investments from the Service Industries – Opportunities and Challenges. Meanwhile, an exhibition area especially for WAIPA members will be set up in the CIFIT exhibition hall.
The annual CIFIT is sponsored by MOFCOM and co-sponsored by UNCTAD, UNIDO, IFC and WAIPA. With its themes of Promoting Inward and Outward Investment, CIFIT is the biggest, most important and most influential event featuring in internationalized investment promotion held in China.

In order to support WAIPA members to participate in CIFIT and to strengthen WAIPA’s influence in the international investment promotion activities, MOFCOM will provide 25 free booths especially for the IPAs from developing countries; 75 half-price booths (900 USD/3mX3m) will be offered for other WAIPA members and their respective domestic enterprises. By participating CIFIT, WAIPA members will have the opportunity to establish communication channels with domestic and foreign government officials, principals of the IPAs and representatives from business associations and enterprises, so as to further expand their investment promotion business.

For further information please contact: Mr. Duan Chengwen, Tel:  +86 10 8522 6534, Email: duanchengwen@fdi.gov.cn  or Mrs. Karine Campanelli, at: karine.campanelli@waipa.org, Tel.: +41 22 797 26 64

The WAIPA Study Tour Programme 2007 in Japan, 11-20 September 2007

WAIPA’s popular study tour programme aims at enabling young professional staff of WAIPA member agencies to visit and learn from experienced IPAs worldwide. The study tours are scheduled for a period of up to two weeks and cover the whole range of IPA activities through hands-on experience and on-the-job training.
Study tours are geared towards young professionals from WAIPA member agencies; the programme is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in investment promotion and investor targeting from successful IPAs. The training is free of charge for WAIPA members, the travel and accommodation costs for agencies from Small Pacific Islands and LDCs from Asia are borne by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Applicants must hold a university degree in Business, Economics, Law or a related field, and have a minimum of two years of work experience in investment promotion. Candidates must be fluent in English. After completing the study tour, the trainees are requested to submit a written evaluation report to the WAIPA Secretariat. Upon successful conclusion of their training, the participants receive a certificate of completion.

In 2007, investment promotion professionals from IPAs will be trained by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in the period from 11 to 20 September 2007.

Economic Development in the 21st Century: New Leadership, New Models, IEDC 2007 Annual Conference, 16-19 September 2007, Phoenix, AZ

Join economic developers from all over the world at IEDC’s 2007 Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona! With more than 2,000 attendees from around the globe, it will truly be a multinational event, offering you an opportunity to exchange information, experience and best practices with economic development practitioners worldwide.
This year’s conference theme New Leadership, New Models stresses the need for communities of all types to adjust their economic models and leadership to meet the challenges posed by globalization and technology. The Annual Conference is shaping up to be our best ever and we are looking forward to your participation.
Your voyage starts on September 16-19, 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona, where you’ll learn new strategies, discuss hot topics in economic development, and make those important connections to help you along the way.
IEDC is expecting delegations from all over the globe: Europe, Russia, Canada, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, etc.
For further information please contact: Ms. Bauerfeind, email: abauerfeind@iedconline.org, Tel.:+1 202 942 94 81.

WAIPA Regional Workshop on “New/Alternative Marketing Methods”, 27-28 September 2007, Madrid, Spain

This workshop on New/Alternative Marketing Methods which will be held on 27-28 September 2007 in Madrid, Spain will kindly be hosted by PromoMadrid. It will provide investment promotion agencies with an opportunity to strengthen their capabilities in attracting investors. The workshop will include a number of training topics. The programme will be available soon on www.waipa.org .
A recognition diploma will be provided to all participants.

IISD-CAG Forum for Developing Country Investment Negotiators, 1-2 October 2007, Singapore

This Forum is being convened by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD Canada) and the Centre on Asia and Globalization (CAG), Lee Kwan Yew Centre for Public Policy, National University of Singapore. The event will allow negotiators from developing countries to come together to discuss common issues and concerns in investment negotiation. It aims to be low key and non-political, to make it a strong working session and networking opportunity for the negotiators themselves. A steering committee of developing country negotiators has guided the design of the Forum, which the organizers aim to establish as an annual event.

Speakers at the event include Justice Florentino Feliciano (Philippines, formerly WTO Appellate Body), Professor M. Sornarajah (National University of Singapore), H.E. Makhddom Khan (former Attorney General, Pakistan), Mr. Stanimir Alexandrov (Sidley Austin LLP) and Debapriya Battacharya (Executive Director, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh). Topics to be addressed include the meaning and nature of commitments on fair and equitable treatment; indirect expropriation, regulation and “police powers” exceptions; the role of choice of forum and umbrella clauses in arbitration; strategic defenses in arbitration; and elements of investment liberalization. Generous support from the Governments of the Netherlands and Denmark allow for full financial support for a limited number of participants.

For further information please contact Mr. Aaron Cosbey directly at telephone number +1 (250) 362-2275, or by e-mail at acosbey@iisd.ca.

WAIPA-UNCTAD Workshop on “Strategic Investor Targeting”, 3-5 October 2007, Mauritius

WAIPA and UNCTAD, in cooperation with OCO Consulting, will organize, from 3 to 5 October 2007, a Regional Workshop for Africa on Strategic Investor Targeting.  The workshop will be held in Port Louis, Mauritius and will kindly by hosted by Invest Mauritius. Subjects which will be covered include FDI regional and global trends, investor targeting, aftercare as well as exercises on facing the investor, case studies and interventions by regional experts.

Deadline for registration is 14 September 2007. Limited funding is available for participants from Least Development Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Development States (SIDS) in Africa.

For further information, please contact Ms. Guerra directly at telephone number +41 22 917 56 51 or e-mail address: Natalia.Guerra@unctad.org or Mrs. Karine Campanelli at telephone number +41 22 797 26 64 or email address: karine.campanelli@waipa.org

iPAD Central Africa, 9-12 October 2007, Kinshasa, DRC

The third edition iPAD Central Africa takes place from the 9-12 October 2007 at the Grand Hotel, Kinshasa in the DRC. This year, the event offers a two day infrastructure exhibition, an open conference and Executive Insider Briefings (an exclusive round-table forum) as well as a site-visit to the Inga hydropower project with SNEL, the host power utility.
Organised by Spintelligent Pty (Ltd) (South Africa) and sponsored by SNEL (DRC), Celtel (DRC), De Beers (DRC), the Development Bank of South Africa (South Africa) and ITS Telecomplus (DRC), iPAD Central Africa is the only business-to-business forum for investors looking for opportunities in the power, mining and infrastructure sectors in the DRC.

The office of the President will open the iPAD Central Africa conference on Tuesday, 9 October 2007 and the exhibition opens the same day. Local and international companies will showcase their products, services and technologies for the power, mining and infrastructure sectors.
A round-table forum offering delegates the opportunity to meet with Government, public and private sector decision-makers in the DRC and the region to discuss economic issues and find solutions to infrastructure challenges.

For more information, visit : www.ipad-africa.com/central
To register, contact Rue Limekhaya: rue@spintelligent.com  or telephone: +27 21 700 35 00 or fax : +27 21 700 35 01

The 12th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair, 18-21 October 2007, Macao of the People’s Republic of China

The 12th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) organized by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and co-organized by eleven local, Hong-Kong and Mainland China commercial and trade promotion institutes will be held from 18 to 21 October 2007 at the Venetian Macao Convention and Exhibition Centre.  Last year, 47 countries and regions with over 148 delegations participating in more than 500 business matching sessions congregated in Macao. The main theme of this year’s MIF is Showcasing Macao’s New Dynamics, Advancing Opportunities of the Trade and Economic Co-operation Platform. Following Macao’s return to Mainland China, strong regional and global co-operation has been developed, in line with the launching of high ranking and large scale economic events, Macao is constantly strengthening its connections with trade promotion institutes on Mainland China, Portuguese speaking countries, the European Union, Asia and other countries around the world. In this year’s MIF, an International Trade and Investment Promotion pavilion will be established specially designed for renowned international Associations.
For more details, please contact Mr. Sam Lei, Senior Management of Promotional Activities Department of IPIM, at: samlei@ipim.gov.mo or at the following telephone number: +853-7989105 or fax: +853-28590309

South African International Trade and Investment Conference and Exhibition in Durban, 29-31 October 2007

World Free Zone Convention, week of the 4th of November 2007, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia

For the first time the World Free Zone Convention will be held in Asia – during the week beginning the 4th November 2007 – at the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel.  The overall theme is “The growth of Free Zones around the globe - lessons from the dynamism of the Far East”.

Malaysia is well placed to offer some keys to the future of Zones as they move from labour-intensive and commodity-intensive industrialisation to knowledge-intensive activities.
Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the United Nationals Millenium Project, praised Malaysia’s success in the recent World Investment Prospects Special Edition.  “A look at one of the world’s most successful investment promotion agencies, the Malaysia Industrial Development Agency (MIDA), gives us some idea of the basic challenges.  Corporate tax holidays, government grants of land and duty-free imports are all standard tools to attract the initial inflows of FDI.  One of the most successful strategies has been to declare a special economic zone (SEZ) or export processing zone, in which the investors will face simple, clear and highly favourable tax and administrative treatment, and in which the basic necessary levels of infrastructure will be guaranteed.”

The Seventh Convention includes an optional Training Course and several optional Workshops on
Investors attraction methods and developing a one-stop shop, latest thinking and techniques, how zones should organize and operate a compliance programme incorporating the concepts of SAFE, C-TPAT, and other international best practices, developing business relationships with countries in Asia, how zones can benefit from the move to global supply chains, benchmarking zones master class. Key speakers at the two day international conference on the 6th and 7th November will come from international institutions, corporates and their location advisers, zone and port/airport authorities from around the world.  More than 120 countries now have zone programmes with varying degrees of success.   The Chairman of Port Klang Authority Mr. Datuk Chor Chee Heung will welcome them all in this special year to celebrate 50 years of Malyasian nationhood and to further the aims and objectives of Free Zones around the world. 

See the Convention website www.freezones.org for more information or to register.

Press enquiries: Sue Wake, Convention Director, Tel: +44 20 7839 1334, Fax: +44 870 131 9578   Email: sue@icninfo.com

The Fourth North African Power Industry Convention (NAPIC), 10-12 December 2007, Algiers, Algeria

North African countries are displaying a high level of cooperation in the power sector, the most credible of which is the electricity grid interconnection, which should link each country's power system to other countries in the region, from Morocco to Egypt. Interconnection projects will result in the creation of a regional market, which will link the regional grid to Europe.  Increasingly, privatisation and foreign capital are being seen as necessary steps toward financing these projects, leading to an increasingly deregulated sector.

The fourth North African Power Industry Convention (NAPIC) will take place from 10-12 December 2007 in Algiers, Algeria.  This year’s high-level conference and exhibition takes the themes of Restructuring, Regulation and Regional Integration. Highlights of NAPIC 2007 include a pre-conference workshop hosted by Cbi Ltd on North African Energy Finance and Policy.  The workshop contains four modules that will explore trends in the projects undertaken in energy infrastructure projects in North Africa; North African utility’s attitude to project development and risk; financial options and risk mitigation. A two-day conference offers delegates strategic presentations from the region’s decision makers, utility heads, consultants and vendors.  Sessions focus on legal and institutional frameworks for electric interconnections; the Maghrebian market of electricity and its integration in the EU; generation, transmission and distribution of gas and electricity as well as a special focus on metering technology and AMR.

NAPIC 2007 has the patronage of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, Algeria and Sonelgaz is the host utility.  STEG (Tunisia) and ONE (Morocco) are participating utilities.  NAPIC 2007 partners include: Observatoire Méditerranéenne de l’Energie (OME), Agence Nationale de Développement des Industries (ANDI – Investment promotion agency), Agence Algérien d’Information (AAI), Chambre de Commerce Française-Algérienne and Brussels Export Council.

For detailed information and updates please visit www.esi-africa.com/events, or contact Patricia Kazaka: patricia@spintelligent.com, telephone: +27 21 7003500 or fax: +27 21 700 3501

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