ACCA News	Australian Business News	Armenian Business News	Calendar- Community

VISIT ARMENIA WITH THE CHAMBER IN SEPTEMBER 2006!

Travel Cafe Sydney is currently preparing a package for Chamber members who are interested in visiting Armenia to learn more about the business opportunities the country can offer. This trip is currently scheduled for September 2006, and a minimum of ten persons are needed. The highlight of this tour will be attendance at the Armenian Economic Forum (18-19 September), which is being held by the Ministry of Trade and Economic Decelopment. For those interested in learning more about the event, the Travel Cafe are holding an information night on Wednesday 29th March starting at 7.00pm. Please RVSP to Harmick Hacobian on 0418 646 246 by 20th March.

YOU SHOULD BY NOW HAVE RECEIVED YOUR PRIORITY INFORMATION PACK FOR ADVERTISING IN THE 2006 ARMENIAN PLATINUM BUSINESS DIRECTORY...

Australian Business News

Red Tape Taskforce Review
Source: www.business.nsw.gov.au



The NSW Government’s Small Business Regulation Review Taskforce has begun its red tape offensive.

The Taskforce, which met for the first time on February 14, will carry out a rolling program of reviews of a range of industries starting with the vehicle retailing and services sector. It includes representatives of some of the State’s top industry groups, including ABL/State Chamber and the Australian Industry Group.

The Taskforce will make recommendations on simplifying the many regulations effecting businesses such as auto electricians, smash repairers and car washes. It will come up with suggestions to make compliance much simpler for small firm operators.

The charter of the Taskforce is to produce savings for business. It will look at regulatory controls which are holding businesses back, particularly firms in the start-up or expansion phase.The Taskforce will also consider opportunities for Government agencies and businesses to use technology that can reduce all types of administrative burden.

The aim is to make world’s best practice the norm for businesses in NSW.“Well-designed and targeted regulations allow governments to deliver social, environmental and economic goals, but regulation should only be used where it is needed,” Minister for Small Business David Campbell said.

NSW Economic and Financial Statement
Source: www.business.nsw.gov.au



On the 23rd February this year, Premier Morris Iemma outlined the Government's new focus on engaging with business to encourage investment, job creation and economic growth in New South Wales.

"The NSW Government is committed to a strong partnership with business to drive job growth, investment and prosperity," Mr Iemma said.

"The key to a thriving economy is a robust business environment and I am unashamedly going to chase down new jobs and investment for NSW."

The Premier announced a $90 million payroll tax incentive for start-up businesses, and businesses that relocate or expand in areas of NSW with higher than average unemployment rates.

Other initiatives outlined by the Premier include:

• Major reforms to streamline the State's planning system, ensuring the economy remains competitive, including cutting red tape for major developments
• Establishment of the Premier's Business Roundtable to advise the Premier on issues facing business and industry
• A $10 million Science Fund to help NSW research institutions attract Commonwealth funding for research and development programs
• Appointment of Harvard Professor Jonathan West to advise the Government on economic development strategies that address emerging international economic trends
• A new international fellowship program to enable five talented young people from NSW to attend international universities and training institutions.

Mr Iemma said the Department of State and Regional Development had been highly successful in attracting to business to NSW and would be expanded to improve service delivery and efficiency. He also announced a $13 million budget increase for the Department.

The expanded Department would now include functions associated with tourism investment, science and medical research, attraction of film investment, and overseas projects.

"I want to build on this success and will be giving the Department of State and Regional Development more resources to do so," Mr Iemma said.

Click here to download the NSW Economic and Financial Statement. [pdf 1.5Mb]

SMALL business owners who place too much faith in employees place themselves at risk of staff theft but now it is harder than ever to keep tabs on them.

New South Wales is the first state to make hidden monitoring of staff via camera, email and tracking devices a criminal offence.
For small business owners, that means major consequences if they are caught spying on employees without clearly letting them know that they are being watched.

According to Matthew Hourn, partner with law firm Clinch Neville Long, last year's legislative changes mean small business owners can now be held personally responsible for spying rather than being able to hide behind the company.

Although spying now carries criminal charges, however, Mr Hourn says offenders will likely face hefty fines rather than jail sentences. "The aim of the act is to strike a balance between the employee's right to privacy and the employer's right to protect intellectual and commercial property," Mr Hourn says.

Cameras must now be either visible or there must be clear signs alerting staff to a camera's presence. Employers also have to give staff advance notice that surveillance is to be carried out. "Having a policy is not enough," Mr Hourn says.

Business owners now have to be more careful in how they select and manage staff because doing both effectively can all but eliminate staff theft. Shirley Liew, associate director of business advisory and risk management firm Grant Thornton, says screening prospective employees is key. "Small businesses tend to rush the interview process and it is usually done by people not trained in how to do it," Ms Liew says.

Studies show up to 30 per cent of job candidates lie on their CVs so it pays to conduct relevant background checks before hiring anyone. Criminal background screening, reference checks, polygraph tests and psychological tests can all be used to minimise the chance of hiring a dud employee. Employment screening specialist Australian Background claims job applicants lie about skills, qualifications and experience. In a survey of 1000 applicants, it found 1 in 20 had a criminal conviction and lied about it (and 21 per cent of those convictions were for theft and embezzlement).

Ms Liew advises business owners to very clearly articulate their workplace culture and expectations in the interview process. Having a whistle blower program in place is also a smart move. This is a clear reporting procedure for staff to anonymously dob in workmates who are doing the wrong thing.

If theft is exposed, Ms Liew says dealing with it in a consistent and transparent way sends a strong message to all other staff. "It sets the tone at the top," she says. Even trivial frauds such as stationery theft should be treated seriously.

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Armenian Business News

INTERNATIONAL BANKING CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON FOREIGN TRADE FINANCING TO BE HELD ON MARCH 28 TO 30, 2006, IN ARMENIA
Article Posted on 23.02.2006
Source: Arka News Agency

YEREVAN, February 23. An international banking conference focused on foreign trade financing is to be held on March 28 to 30, 2006, in Armenia .

Armeconombank told ARKA News Agency that banks' role and banking instruments for spurring international trade as well as cooperation between banks and exporters will be discussed at the conference.

Issues related to credit risks regulation, the republic's payment balance and international trade development prospects will also be under discussion among other issues. There-year experience of Armeconombank's work on foreign trade spurring program worked out jointly with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will be presented at the conference. Seminars for banks are planned to be held as part of the conference.

The conference is organized by EBRD and Armeconombank. Central Bank of Armenia , representatives of Armenian Union of Manufacturers and Entrepreneurs as well as representatives of Armenian and foreign companies and banks will attend the event.
Deutsche Bank, ABN-Armo bank, Citibank and Interstate Bank are expected to take part in the conference.

Armeconombank was registered on August 26, 1991. More than 75% of the bank's shares belong to key shareholders - EBRD (25% +1 share) and Sil Group, the concern founder.

YEREVAN , February. The specialized international exhibition "INTERPRINT: Polygraphy, Advertisement, Design, Packaging Expo - 2006" will be held in Yerevan on March 2-4. The exhibition aims to attract manufacturers and specialists from around the world, and promote innovative ideas and showcase the work of 28 companies from Armenia , India and Russia including the publishing houses Tigran-Mets, Print-Info and Armglobal.

The exhibition's organizer is LOGOS Expo Center with the support of the RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, Foreign Ministry and the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen.

 

For the first time in Armenia , this week a hotel has received a star rating quality certificate from the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development.

During a summary press conference dealing with the tourism sector on Tuesday, a certificate of Three Stars was issued to Yerevan’s Congress Hotel, something that was called a “history-making moment in the tourism sector of Armenia” by Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Ara Petrosyan.

He added that while every hotel awarded stars to itself in the past, from now on the state will set the rules for the system – awarding from 2 to 5 stars to establishments that apply for grading.

“We have no intention to tear stars off the facades of hotels, but we have launched large-scale and heavy work, and if hotels want to keep their stars, then they must fully correspond to their services,” Petrosyan says.

Although the first stars were awarded this week, in 2004 the Armenian Government made a corresponding decision according to which a quality system for hotel business was introduced.

According to that decision, from now on, every hotel or motel, applying to the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development for the number of stars it wants to have, first must adjust its services to meet at least 61 points of the grading order.

Hotels are qualified by a commission of up to nine members representing different spheres, who study in detail each service of a given facility beginning with elements of the exterior and professional skills of the staff, who must speak at least two foreign languages (English is a must).

“Now hotels are getting acquainted (with the rules and procedures) and are trying to adjust their services to the established order, after which they start applying to us for grading,” the deputy minister says. According to Petrosyan, an obligatory requirement will be set to five-star hotels to have an assortment of fresh Armenian fruit, dry fruits and mineral water in the rooms during a certain season, so that tourists will learn about commodities produced in the country.

Authorities hope the grading system will form a healthy competition in the hotel business sector where prices will be set according to the number of stars.

The deputy minister says that the certification of another four hotels in Armenia is currently in progress.

Director of the first star-bearing hotel Dina Pascolini said upon getting the certificate that their hotel has finally got what it aspired for from the outset (the hotel launched its operations in 2002).

“It is an important event for us, and these stars will be attached to our hotel in the near future,” Pascolini says, though they are already shining on the hotel’s official website www.congresshotelyerevan.com. Petrosyan also informed the media that an additional 500 hotel beds were added in Armenia last year due to the five new hotels opened: Yerevan ’s Golden Palace , Regine, Envoy, as well as Tsaghkadzor’s Zvartnots rest home and Kecharis hotel. Currently, another seven hotel complexes are under construction.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, 80 tourist guides were licensed in Armenia in 2005, and Armenia participated in international exhibitions in Milan , Berlin , Tbilisi , Tokyo , London , presenting itself as a favorable and attractive tourist destination on the international market.

“Of course, there are multiple unsolved problems in this sphere today, but if we compare to 1998, then we’ll see that a huge amount of work has been done,” Petrosyan said.

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Government Plans to Spend Thousands of US Dollars on Advertising Armenia is a Tourist Destination
Article Posted on 20.02.2006
Source: www.armeniadiaspora.com

Eight Armenian organizations presented their products in the ' Armenia' pavilion at the Galfood 2006 exhibition which was held in Dubai on February 19-22. Armenian canned goods, juice, cheese, and water were presented at the exhibition.

USAID supported the organization of the “ Armenia ” pavilion at Galfood 2006 exhibition through DAI-ASME.

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Japanese Interested in Armenian Garbage
Article Posted on 23.02.2006
Source: www.a1plus.am

At present Japan is conducting negotiations with Armenia to win the opportunity of using the biomass of the country. If processed in a certain way, it will be possible to obtain an additional source of energy from this waste. Biomass currently forms a large part of Armenia's energy resources. Besides garbage, the energy resources of Armenia include water, wind, and sun energy.

 

Taking into consideration the power of all the resources Armenia has today, the country has the ability to generate 3500 megawatts of electricity. At present Armenia uses only 30% of its possible energy resources.

In order to make greater use of Armenia's resources, the committee on the regulation of public services gave licenses for exploitation of 60 small and medium thermoelectricity stations. Some of these have already been built, whilst others are in the process of construction

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Calendar- Community

March

10th March: Lusine Kosyan CD Launch Party at North Sydney Leagues Club, starting 8.00pm. Entry is $40 and includes light dinner and one CD per family. For tickets call: Lusine on 02 8824 6822 or Roger on 0411 078 767.

11th March: SOLD OUT Armenian Sydney Dance Company Dinner Dance at Manly Pacific Hotel (Novotel) starting at 7.00pm. For enquiries please contact:
Zepur Alexanian 9888 7759 / 0401 671 753
Nora Hekimian 9888 9616 / 0425 330 803
Maral Hovagimian 9888 3973 / 0415 380 772
Shakeh Aghamalian 9975 6040 / 0402 761 209

29th April: Ara Gevorgian and Maestro Henrik Anassian head the largest Armenian Show ever to be staged in Australia with over 100 dancers and performers. Tickets start at $50pp, and the event will be staged at the State Sports Centre, Sydney Olympic Park. For bookings please call: