PRIME MINISTER HARPER ADDRESSES INDO-CANADA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Date: July 01, 2006
Posted At: The Indo-Canadian Telegram
By: Melvin Durai

Canadian companies could benefit from the government's plan to complete a foreign investment protection and promotion agreement with India this year. Prime Minister Stephen Harper touted the agreement and his pro-immigrant initiatives at the recent Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) Annual Awards and Gala Night in Toronto. The agreement "should encourage freer trade between our two countries and open up new opportunities for Canadians," Harper said.

Harper, addressing 1,200 ICCC members and guests at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, outlined the creation of a foreign credentials recognition agency to help immigrants get their qualifications properly evaluated.

"Many immigrants are forced to accept jobs below their skill level, despite having the qualifications to help Canada overcome labour shortages in key areas of the economy," Harper said.

"Our government recognizes that this is not only a drag on our economy, it's also a tragic waste of human potential," he added.

To fund the new agency, the government has set aside about $18 million over the next two years. "It's a worthwhile investment," Harper said. "One we hope will pay big dividends, secure our economic future, and make Canada a more attractive place for highly skilled immigrants from countries such as India."

Harper cited two other initiatives to help immigrants: the cutting of the landing fee by half and the allotment of an additional $300 million in the budget for immigrant settlement services.

Just two years ago, the Winnipeg-based Jorgenson Group of Companies considered itself a Canadian company doing business in India, but now, with an ever-growing staff of 200 in Chennai, it's evolved into an Indian company doing business in Canada.

"We're very clear in telling everyone that we're actually an Indian company now, not a Canadian company," said Rupinder Brar, president of JGC, which operates clinics, pharmacies and salons. "The mindset has definitely shifted."

Brar, who attended the gala with six Jorgenson staffers, sees vast opportunities in India. "We find the knowledge base in India is endless," he said. "They have a great work ethic and a great attitude."

While his company has gained a competitive edge through its lower payroll in India, helping it offset a major decline in its online pharmacy business, Brar also sees great potential in the immigrant workforce and hopes a government initiative will help more employers take advantage of their untapped skills.

Brar believes a well-funded agency could make a difference, as long as the business sector gets involved. "It'll definitely have to be a collective effort between the private business sector and the government for this to work," he said.

Bankim Patel, president of Ganesh Investment Limited in Winnipeg, welcomed the moves. "Every little bit helps immigrants," said Patel, who joined the ICCC this year and attended the gala.

Harper praised the Indo-Canadian community for its values, including hard work, strong families and excellence in education, adding that his government plans to uphold those values through measures such as reducing taxes, introducing a child care allowance, and cracking down on crime.

These steps would help all Canadians build a better life for themselves and make Canada "a land of opportunity where everyone - regardless of their ethnicity or religion - can achieve success," he said.

While Canada gains strength from its diversity, it also faces challenges, he said. Alluding to the arrest of 17 alleged terrorists in Ontario, he said that "such people today - as in the past - may make use of the symbols of culture and faith, but they speak for neither. They represent nothing but hatred."

He said the government was proud to have finally established a full public inquiry into the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, which killed 329 people.

"This was the worst terrorist act in our history, and our Government - working with every person of goodwill of every cultural and religious community in this country - will do all that we can to ensure that such acts cannot happen ever again," he said. "And, in so doing, we will preserve and strengthen the diversity that makes us strong.

He concluded his speech by congratulating the ICCC's award winners, saying, "Your hard work, entrepreneurship and determination will no doubt inspire a new generation of Indo-Canadian business men and women to even greater heights of success."

The ICCC, founded in 1977, has hosted an awards and gala night since 1992. The organization's objectives include promoting trade and commerce among Canada, India and other countries, and providing members with a forum for networking, sharing ideas, information and experiences.

Local ICCC members are trying to form a Winnipeg chapter as part of the organization's multi-city model, similar to chapters in Montreal and Ottawa.

"We do need it," Patel said. "A lot of people are afraid of going into business. But if they become members (of ICCC), all their questions will be answered and all their fears will go away."

A local chapter would also give businesspeople an opportunity to learn about doing business in India, said Brar, whose company joined the ICCC in May 2005.

"We've had good experiences in India," he said. "If any Manitoba company wants some advice on doing business in India, we're definitely willing to share our story with them."