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PACIFIC BUSINESS CENTRE POISED FOR BUSINESS GROWTH |
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By
Ruci Farrel |
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Business Pasifika now has a corporate savvy institution they can call
home with the new Pacific Business Centre in Otahuhu — a two storey
marvel that’s well appointed to raise Pasifika business on par with
mainstream New Zealand.
In its wisdom, the Pacific Business Trust has shed some of its assets,
namely the South Markets with the Cyber Café, to make way for the one
stop shop that will house a cluster of professional services catering
to a Pacific clientele.
Prime Minister Helen Clark, in opening the centre in June, lauded the
many pathways that the trust has taken in its 20 year journey and
acknowledged the important role it has in growing Pasifika business in
New Zealand.
“We know, at this time, that the proportion of Pasifika people in NZ
involved in business, either self employed or employing others is
relatively small. The challenge that the trust has set itself to grow
that from 6 % up to around to 15% of Pasifika peoples by 2015 is a goal
government embraces because we know that the success of Pasifika
peoples in Aotearoa is the success of NZ,” the Prime Minister said.
“What we want to see is all our communities in NZ out there actively
employed, engaged, participating, taking up their fair share of the
business opportunities that are around. It is very important to back
the trust with these ambitious roles.”
On this neck of the journey, the trust is headed by chief executive Jim
Mather and a core administration staff and is supported by a seven
member board of trustees which is government appointed and chaired by
Pauline
Winter.
For Mr Mather the trust’s strategy has been to deliver credible, accessible and
effective leadership to the Pacific business communities throughout all of NZ.
“To sucessfully achieve this goal we recognized that we needed to strengthen our
ties with other communities and also build partnerships with other organizations
that also had objectives very similar to our own.
“It was our goal to create a distinctive Pacific facility that will be
home to a cluster of professional service organizations providing
support for our business people |
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Entrance to the newly refurbished Pacific Islands Business
Development Trust premises at Otahuhu. |
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Rt. Hon Helen Clarke with members of the Pacific Islands
Business Development Trust (PIBDT). |
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Opening of the newly refurbished Pacific Islands Business
Development Trust premises at Otahuhu. |
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and our community.
“We have realised this goal and now work toward the Pacific Business Trust
Centre becoming the commercial, educational and spiritual home for our business
community,” Mr Mather said.
What started as an employment initiative in 1985 as the Pacific Island
Employment Development Scheme by NZ’s first Minister for Pacific Affairs Richard
Prebble is now a carefully administered organization intent on reaching the
regions and building strong partnerships with business organizations and
agencies.
Board chair Pauline Winter said they have been almost totally consumed in
positioning the trust for a robust and secure future with the expansion of
services outside of south Auckland to west Auckland, Wellington and the South
Island.
“Also through our new relationship with NZ Trade and Industry New Zealand we
have begun to reach new regions as well,” Ms Winter said.
“Jim and his team are now firmly charged with delivering quality services to all
those wanting to establish businesses. We have a key role of influencing,
shaping, creating, and supporting the economic development of NZ through a
unique Pacific perspective.”
“If we are successful, and we will be, we will enable many Pacific people in
this country to add and contribute positively to the economy with goods and
services made and developed here in NZ,” Ms Winter said.
“One of the important tasks that the board has set itself is to research the
Pacific economy — what is it, what does it look like, what is it worth, where is
it.
“Are the goods and services of the current Pacific businesses to be domestic
economy or are they exported offshore?”
Whilst acknowledging a recent Equal Employment Opportunities report that
indicates Pacific unemployment rate is 8.2 per cent and that our average weekly
income is 69% of the average weekly wage, Ms Winter reassures that things will
improve.
Prime Minister Clark made particular mention of the business possibilities for
Pasifika peoples in the arts, music and cultural sector of NZ. “We are seeing so
much Pacific talent in our music. So many of those upcoming hip hop and R&B
artists are really driving these forms of music on to the world stages with
something that’s uniquely NZ and we’re very appreciative of that.
“Also in the fashion and design area we are seeing the colours of the Pacific
and the ideas and concepts of the Pacific really influencing our design and
starting to come through in very innovative businesses,” the PM said.
The Pacific Business Trust has endured more than its fair share of turbulence
and flat seas but each time it resurfaces with a fresh mandate to steer the
Pasifika vaka forward. In hindsight the trust has accomplished more than it set
out to do 20 years ago when the priority was finding employment.
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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