We’d all hoped to be able to return to a full AGM gathering this year. Unfortunately, that hasn’t quite proven possible although despite the recent increased cases and restrictions there has been a growing sense of optimism over the last few months with news of vaccination programs and businesses for the most part shifting to a mindset of moving forwards rather than remaining in limbo.
Having been a Board Member since 2018 I took on the Chairman role in December 2020 with the intent to build on the strong foundations that have led us to have what is widely acknowledged as the most active Chamber in Indonesia.
With several new Board Members having also been appointed at last year’s delayed AGM in October I’m delighted to say we have one of the most diverse Boards I’ve seen with a strong gender and UK-Indonesia balance, it’s a very good representation of the partnership the UK is striving for with Indonesia.
Worth noting we also remain the only international Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia to have a Professional Woman’s Group which is celebrating 10 years of establishment this year. Hearing from Sony the Chair of that group shortly and congratulations to Ibu Dian Andyasuri for her recent 2021 Business Woman of the Year award!
The Board and myself set out 5 core objectives and areas of focus to be measured against over the course of 2021;
1) A member’s first approach – evaluating and evolving our membership proposition.
2) The effective utilization of the full Board.
3) Further deepening of our partnerships with the British Embassy, Kadin and the Indonesia Government.
4) Enhancing our advocacy proposition.
5) Wider promotion of the BritCham brand.
Not enough time to go through each in detail in this forum however I would like to offer a glimpse of a few of initiatives implemented to enable further impact in each of those;
- The Climate Change, HC & Education Smart Cities and PWG Focus Groups launched in 2020 are gaining more significant Member participation. You’ll be hearing from the respective chairs of three – Ainsley Mann (CC), Dr Paul Aitken and Sony shortly on progress made YTD.
- Advocacy is an area the Chamber has done a lot of work in over the years but to further enhance our proposition an Advocacy Committee was launched led by Pak Dendy Borman. In a further development, We are pleased to announce a new partnership with Kiyoran Partners a public affairs and strategic consulting member firm to work closely with the Committee and the Board to identify, represent and gain real traction on key issues on behalf of the Members. This partnership will also run plenary update sessions for members to remain informed and to ask questions about specific issues and the wider business environment. The first of these will be on July 14.
- Activating a Consultative Board. Initially comprising of Ainsley Mann, David Burke and Harun Reksodiputro to provide targeted advisory services, expertise and their extensive networks behind Climate Change, Media & Marketing Communications and Advocacy respectively. The intention being to bring in others from either government or business where we feel a real impact can be gained
Over the last 6 months I’ve invariably been asked questions around three main topics; Vaccination programs, Omnibus Law and post-Brexit impact.
On Vaccination programs the Board made a decision very early to position the Chamber to be as proactive and supportive as possible to the Indonesia government, as well as doing our best to provide consistent communication and updates to our members in a very fluid situation. Specific thanks to Ibu Dian, Pak Donny and Pak Arif for their continued interaction with government stakeholders enabling us to provide information more quickly and get direction from the key decision makers. We have also offered to provide logistical and financial support to aid vaccination rollout events across Indonesia – more news to come shortly.
The Omnibus Law has for the most part been welcomed by the business sector. It is a wide- ranging piece of legislation and proof will only be seen in the execution. There will be some bumps in the road but it’s impact in helping to improve the perception of doing business in Indonesia is certainly a positive step as Indonesia competes for foreign investment in the post-pandemic recovery. Kadin is an influential voice on business legislation and we plan joint events by way of updates and scrutiny of the implementation of this Law. The first event will be in September.
The Chamber continues to play an active role in the Joint Trade Agreement between Indonesia and the UK with industry focus groups being set up to connect relevant representatives from the British private sector with their respective counterparts in both Kadin and DIT. Eleven sectors have been mutually agreed for focus and we have been identified those most relevant to our membership for bilateral private sector engagement. We will keep Members updated on opportunities to participate and on tangible progress as it happens.
Putting our members first is at the core of our objective and BritCham must continue to adapt to have genuine impact. I am reminded of the fact that BritCham members do more business with other members than any other Chamber and that nearly 50% of members are provided with opportunities to meet new market entrants. I want to keep you all fully engaged. With that in mind, I would like very much to hear from Members as to how we can better support as we navigate ourselves and our business through these unique times to be positioned to gain maximum advantage when the post-pandemic recovery period fully arrives.
I am constantly reminded of the tremendous role the Executive Office team plays in sustaining and building on relationships with our members. Succession in certain areas is very important, something we pay a lot of attention to. So, is consistency. And, as this Chamber has gone through several key phases of development over the years, none is more important than the finance function. Many of you may only know Lia by renewal and sponsorship invoices. July 11 will mark her 10th anniversary as Head of Finance. Each Treasurer has commended her reliability and the great support she has afforded them. Lia, on behalf of this current Board and wider membership, I sincerely thank you for your loyalty and commitment. Please stick around!
Thanks also to Chris Wren and all members of the team for their continued dedication, passion, determination and innovation.
On a final note, I would like to thank all our Members, Sponsors, Partners, Executive Officers and Board Members. I’ve given up making predictions on when we’ll be in a position to host events in a more normal fashion but I’m strangely optimistic we will be able to do in a suitably controlled format before the end of the year…!
To access BritCham’s AGM Handbook 2021, click HERE
