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Questions and Answers
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What are business councils?
Why are Finnish Business Councils established abroad?
What are the FBC activities in the UAE?
What kinds of services do Chambers traditionally carry out?
Can chambers influence local business legislation?
How many Business Councils are in the UAE?
What are business councils?
Quite often two, three even four names occur when talking about “kauppakamari”. You may have heard about Business Associations (BA), Business Groups (BG), Business Councils (BC) and Chambers of Commerce (CC). In fact, they all mean generally the same with nuance. National law regulates the work of the National Central Chambers of Commerce. Sometimes the growth or evolution from a small businessmen’s cluster into a larger and more committed business council and finally to a larger chamber of commerce is shown in the name. In Finland word chamber of commerce is in common use. Sometimes the name change is needed due to the local customs or status.
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Why are Finnish Business Councils established abroad?
When a business council acts abroad the status and level of the BC activities varies depending on the level of the Finnish business representation in the foreign country. Participation and memberships are voluntary and organisations non-profit. The active Finnish business people who are in demand for local import-export information and business culture mainly determine the functions. Quite often we find out that the Finnish Embassy and Finland ambassadors’ influence in establishing the very first business groups is vital. Soon these are evolved into business councils and leadership handed over to the local Finnish citizens. This is also the case with the FBC in the UAE. Our fellow counterparts in Japan and Thailand – Hong Kong in process - have already or directly evolved into the status of a Chamber with more back-up capacity and members to act.
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What are the FBC activities in the UAE?
FBC in the UAE focuses into:
Collecting and forwarding information and experience about the UAE local business culture
Publishing the monthly e-Newsletter for all interested for free
Promoting Finnish businesses in the region by publishing FBC Business Directory
Strengthening the regional BC and CC network starting with the Nordic BC:s
Promoting social networking among members and Finnish community in the UAE. This all FBC does in close cooperation in means of e.g. exchange of information with the Embassy and Finland Trade Center Finpro.
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What kinds of services do Chambers traditionally carry out?
Traditionally free legal advice, tax counselling as well as training and handling of export documents have been entitled into chamber’s services. Central Chamber of Commerces (CCC) (Fin: Keskuskauppakamari) grants Medals of Merit and enhances business contacts in numerous ways. The law, like in Finland, usually regulates the work and actions carried out by the CCCs. Usually, the majority of the members are small or medium-sized enterprises, however big corporations and municipalities do participate and support and sponsor their work.
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Can chambers influence local business legislation?
Member companies usually have the opportunity to influence their business environment in the committees of Chambers of Commerce, which introduce and stress the point of view of businesses in the proposals for bills concerning trade and industry, however in the UAE an several other countries we do not hold the status to influence local legislation.
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How many Business Councils are in the UAE?
In Dubai there are some 34 registered Business Councils according to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (8/2007) In Finland there are 19 independent regional Chambers of Commerce with over 16,000 companies or organizations as their members representing all the fields and branches of trade and industry. Central Chamber of Commerce is their national body for co-operation.
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