The 1st Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum
The 1st Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum will be held in Brisbane on Friday 10 July 2009.
The Forum is being arranged by the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council. The Council is a non-profit association
of Australian businesses with interests, usually through investment or trading, in the Pacific islands markets other
than Papua New Guinea and Fiji for which there are separate bilateral business councils.
The Australia Pacific Islands Business Council has inaugurated the Australia Solomon Islands Business Forum, following
the visit by Australia Pacific Islands Business Council representatives to Honiara in February, with the aim of
supporting the growth of business in the Solomon Islands by increasing the existing business linkages between Australia
and Solomon Islands.
“Australia and Solomon Islands have a long history of trade and investment together, but over the last few years the
relationship has perhaps not been as strong as it was previously”, said Frank Yourn, the Executive Director of the
Council.
“We believe business has an important role to play in the development of the Solomon Islands economy, and we are keen to
find ways to support sustainable economic growth through creating opportunities for Australian and Solomon Islands
business to work together”, Mr Yourn said.
The Forum will be a whole day program with presentations on the economic and business climate in Solomon Islands with
expert speakers from government and private business.
It is the experience of the Council that participants place a very high value on the business opportunities which flow
from the networking opportunities which are available at Forums such as this, as well as from the information provided
by speakers.
The Forum follows the luncheon arranged by the Council in June 2008 which was attended by Prime Minister Sikua, and has
been expanded into the successful one day format used for other Business Forums arranged by the Council.
The Council’s plan is that if the Australian Solomon Islands Business Forum is successful it would be held annually.
The Council appreciates the support for the Forum given by the Solomon Islands Government, Solomon Islands Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Solomon Islands.
The Forum is open to anyone who wishes to attend and who registers in advance in accordance with the registration
procedure.
More information about the Forum, including program and registration information, can be downloaded from the Councils
website, www.apibc.org.au, or by contacting the Executive Director of the Council, Frank Yourn, by telephone on +61 7 3348 5142 or by e-mail at
yourn@apibc.org.au.
ENDS