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 ICCC team with the small entrepreneurs presenters

In his extempore remarks, His Excellency Dinesh Bhatia, the Consul General of India in Toronto, credited the ICCC for understanding the emerging dynamics of the Canadian and the Indian economies and the role small businesses are and will be playing in these economies in the future. He said ICCC has pioneered the advocacy and promotion of the small businesses as a sector for the last decade-and-a-half and carved a niche for itself by doing so.

The ICCC’s inaugural SME Expo 2017 is a successful attempt by the new leadership of the Chamber to consolidate its programming and make it more business focussed rather than diaspora focussed. The SME Expo replaced the Winter Gala. The exposition attracted nearly two dozen exhibitors that included small businesses as well as large corporations that are the Chamber’s Partners in Success.

Mr. Dhanjal added that the event is an attempt by the incumbent leadership of the ICCC to infuse the Chamber with business oriented programming. The ICCC-SME Expo2017 was organised in the backdrop of the increasing significance of small businesses to the Canadian economy. As a result, during the last decade-and-a-half, the ICCC has increasingly focused on advocating on behalf of small businesses.

The ICCC President said, in 2016 97.9 percent of entrepreneurial businesses were small businesses that employed 70.5 percent of the total private labour force.  Small businesses contribute 30 percent to the Canadian GDP, account for 25.2 percent of exports and incur 27 percent of R&D expenditure. Keeping in mind that 78.5 percent of Canadian small businesses are service oriented, the ICCC-Expo2017 as well as the panel discussion will focus primarily on services sector.

Chandra Mohan Patowary, Minister for Industries and Commerce of India’s eastern province Assam, declared that his mission is to establish a heart-to-heart dialogue between his province and Canada. “We have all heard of B2B, B2C, I’m here to establish a H2H linkage between my home and your home. H2H means heart to heart,” Patowary said and the gathering of Indo-Canadian entrepreneurs and professionals gathered at the networking reception broke into a spontaneous applause.

The Minister was leading a six-member delegation comprising Minister Keshav Mahanta, Chief Secretary of Assam, Vinod Kumar Pipersenia, other key officials including members of the international desk of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Kanwar Dhanjal, President, Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) welcomed the delegation and informed them that the ICCC would be leading a delegation to India in the New Year and would actively consider putting Assam on the itinerary. He spoke about the ICCC’s plans to organise a series of trade related events starting next month and going well into the next year.

CG Bhatia	ICCC President Kanwar Dhanjal

Consul General of India in Toronto,  Ambassador Dinesh Bhatia, in his remarks said that there were many similarities between Canada and India and that the trade potential between the two countries was tremendous and as yet largely untapped. He said that the leadership of both the countries are committed to improve the trade relations. He pointed out the many meetings at different venues that the Canadian and Indian prime ministers have had and their commitment to improve trade ties.

"We are strengthening the foundation to build Mississauga for the next fifty years," Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said during her keynote 2017 State of the City Address delivered at a business networking event hosted by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) last week.

“I stand before you today to say the state of the City of Mississauga is strong,” Mayor Crombie said. “Our future is bright, proud and promising. We are achieving real results for the entrepreneurs, businesses and people of Canada’s sixth-largest City,” Mayor Crombie added.

In 2024, Mississauga turns 50, Mayor Crombie said, adding that “the work of Council and staff is proof Mississauga’s next 50 years, will not look like our first 50.”

“There’s a buzz about our City. It’s being felt around the country. The headlines speak for themselves. All eyes are on Mississauga. But make no mistake: in Mississauga, we don’t leave success to chance. We plan for it. We see it through.”

“Mississauga is working,” Crombie said.

Mayor Crombie made the following announcements during her keynote address:

• Mayor Crombie will represent Ontario this week at the 2017 Federal-Provincial-Territorial meeting of infrastructure ministers;
• September 2017 Investment Mission to Japan – Mississauga has nearly 100 Japanese companies, more than any other Canadian city;
• UTM scientist and researcher – Dr. Patrick Gunning – will deliver the keynote address during the Mayor’s 2017 Youth Speaker Series event;
• 4th Annual First Look Angel Investor Networking Event planned for Spring 2018;
• City-Wide Small Business Town Hall planned for October 2017;
• 2nd Annual Mayor’s Youth Employment Expo – taking place on November 19th at City Hall;

Mayor Crombie also discussed at length city-building accomplishments and opportunities including:

• Projected nearly $52 million in savings of tax dollars over the past decade;
• For the fourteenth straight year, Mississauga retains its Triple-A credit rating;
• Implementation of an accountable and transparent Stormwater Charge to build modern and reliable infrastructure;
• City of Mississauga’s Five-Year Life Sciences Cluster Strategy;
• Planned opening of BioLab’s new R&D centre – a job-creating investment secured in large part by the Mayor’s 2015 South American Investment Mission;
• The Economic Development Office’s Building Skilled Talent Together Forum – which led to partnerships with the Mayor’s Office to launch two new youth employment programs: one in aerospace the other in information technology (IT);The development of Mississauga’s first-ever 25-year Transportation Master Plan;
• Planned opening of the Renforth Gateway Transitway stop;
• Ongoing progress with Metrolinx to build the Hurontario LRT;
• Ongoing advocacy for Council-approved priorities including the Missing Link all-day, two-way GO Train plan and Making Room for the Middle – Mississauga’s housing affordability plan;
• Tech and the City Hackathon on October 21 at UTM’s Innovation Complex;
• Council and staff are developing a made-in-Mississauga Climate Change Action Plan; this follows Council’s approval to join the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and a vote to designate the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin – as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve;

Mayor Crombie informed the participants that the city surpassed its target for the 2017 Mayor’s City-Wide Food Drive. “Since this current Council was sworn in, we all have so much to be proud of,” Mayor Crombie said. “We’re doing what we said we would do.”

Mayor Crombie concluded “It is an honour to serve as your mayor. As we look ahead, there is more to be done. We’ve only just begun. And I’m ready for the hard work that’s ahead of us.”

In his remarks, ICCC President Kanwar Dhanjal informed the Mayor of Mississauga that the ICCC is planning a major program in the next couple of months – the Winter Expo will be a first of its kind event that will showcase the businesses of Canadian small businesses and simultaneously focus on pertinent issues pertaining to small businesses through panel discussions involving specialists and experts.

He said, in the New Year, the ICCC will have its traditional multi-city, multisector trade mission to India that will once again focus on a mix of sunrise and traditional sectors of bilateral trade between Canada and India. “We will also have our annual Canada – India Business symposium in June that will coincide with our Annual Gala.”

Mr. Dhanjal enumerated the Chamber’s new plan. He said the under new leadership is young and is giving a new direction and impetus to the 40-year-old institution. “India is booming with a sustained growth averaging at around 7 percent,” he said.

Canada – India trade is also steadily growing and the two-way merchandise trade has reached $8billion, and will enhance at a faster pace when the CEPA is signed, bilateral investment is also steadily growing and will enhance exponentially when the FIPPA is signed.

ICCC team meets Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s International Trade Minister

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister for International Trade, met with a team of Directors of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) led by President Kanwar Dhanjal. The other members of the team comprised Pramod Goyal, VP - Finance; Abu Becker, Director - Affinity & Business Development; Pranav Patel, Director - Membership; Tauseef Sheikh, Director - Sponsorship; and Pradyuman Jhala, Director - SME. The Minister was accompanied by his team of interlocutors including David Hartman, Director General South Asia Bureau, and MP Ruby Sahota. Together the two teams discussed issues of significance to Canada-India bilateral trade.

The Minister informed the ICCC team that an official Canada government is visiting India next month to continue with the discussions with the Indian authorities on issues of mutual interest. Hon. Champagne insisted that the key to exponential success in bilateral trade in merchandise and services will only come about following the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPPA).

The ICCC delegation emphasized the growing importance of sunrise sectors in bilateral trade and service including education and food processing. Kanwar Dhanjal, President, ICCC, said “Both governments must be cognisant of the growth of these two sectors, and do everything to promote them.” He added that the ICCC would support any initiative taken to promote these two sectors. Thanks to the steady increase in the number of international students from India, and the rise in tourism, the revenue from students and tourists from India is expected to rise substantially.

The ICCC team also spoke about the tremendous potential in the film production and distribution sector. Canada and India signed a co-production treaty in 2014 and the treaty allows film producers to tap into various incentives and tax breaks offered by both governments. Soon after the treaty was signed, a delegation of 14 Canadian producers participated in the 4th Forum of the Canada-India Business Council in Mumbai to promote the Canada-India Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty.

Telefilm Canada and the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) are spearheading the co-production cooperation with support from the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, the Consulate General of Canada in Mumbai and the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA).

The ICCC team also spoke about the imminent decision of the Indian government to allow 100 percent Foreign Direct Investment in the defense sector. India is planning to further liberalize its defense sector by allowing 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in projects. The move is mainly aimed at curtailing the striking slowdown in the defense sector which has failed to attract huge investments in recent years despite the introduction of sweeping reforms in defense investment rules. Pramod Goyal, VP -Finance, said that the opening of the defense sector would give tremendous opportunities to the Canadian defense equipment manufacturers.

The ICCC team also discussed the growing need in the Indian agriculture sector of farming technology and equipment where Canada can deliver Indian needs. Among the other issues that the ICCC team discussed with the International Trade Minister and his team was to build partnership with Director General South Asia Bureau and to work with the Canada’s International Trade department to avail of grants to invite trade delegations from India to visit Canada.

The ICCC team also discussed the Smart Cities project and the Canadian involvement in the project, and the global city development in India. The ICCC team also communicated the forthcoming India Mission 2018 and the business symposium that will be held in December 2017.

The ICCC Directors team also had a meeting with MP Ramesh Sangha, who is also the Chair of Canada – India Parliamentary Friendship Group (CIPFG) and explored areas of mutual co-operation and to further strengthen joint working between the two teams.

Renegotiating NAFTA in the Era of Trump

Keeping the Trade Liberalization In and the Protectionism Out

CATO Working Paper

When the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into force in January 1994, it was a ground breaking achievement. It eliminated nearly all tariffs among three significant trading partners and achieved liberalization on a wide range of other issues (some of which had never before been included in trade agreements). Now the United States, Canada, and Mexico are about to begin a historic renegotiation of NAFTA.

At a recently-held board meeting of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), the board unanimously passed a resolution appointing Pradyuman Jhala and Rakesh Joshi as directors of the ICCC with immediate effect.

Kanwar Dhanjal, President of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the new members of the board. He said, “Both Pradyuman and Rakesh have been active in the community and continue to contribute to the Canadian society in varied ways. Their presence will strengthen the board and give it a sharp focus.”

As per the by laws of the Chamber, the appointment of the nominated directors is for one year and will end in September 2018.