Transcript Document

Turning BOCCIM
into an APEX Body
1.
Findings of experts’ mission
2.
Recommendations for APEX body
3.
Process
4.
Milestones
Current situation of BOCCIM:
 ADVOCACY
>
BUSINESS SUPPORT
 Hybrid membership structure 
problematic
 Companies might pay twice: to BOCCIM + to
sector association
 Some Council members do not represent sector
but individual company
 Very young team
Positive feedback on BOCCIM from stakeholder
interviews:
1. Lobbying

Good liaison with government

Good in lobbying

“We are stronger if we can lobby together with
BOCCIM”
2. Membership advantages

Rebates on BOCCIM services

“First-hand knowledge because I sit in Council”
Points of concern re. BOCCIM from stakeholder
interviews:
1. Communication

Irregular information

No feedback on government meetings
Difficult to get hold of BOCCIM management and
lobbyists
2. Lobbying

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“BOCCIM is not needed to push agenda of our
members; we have direct access”

“Only added value is HLCC”
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Limited influence on government decisions

Not enough advocacy; absent on important
issues (BOTA, work permits)

No structured collaboration with associations; no
consultation prior to meetings

“BOCCIM does not ask what our priorities are”
Points of concern re. BOCCIM from stakeholder
interviews:
3. Organisation

Too political: Council is springboard to politics

Doing too much  losing focus; not enough
staffed for that

Catering mostly for large companies

Tarnished reputation because of fight between
former president and CEO
4. Miscellaneous

Rebate in affinity programmes is not high
enough
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Duplications when pursuing trade missions

BOCCIM should not organize Golf day
Situation of associations:

Few bigger ones, many small ones

Often no secretariat

Not always member of BOCCIM

Problems of membership payments

Mostly focused on lobbying, few services
Time for creating APEX body is convenient:
 Budgetary restrictions for government
 focus on creating business-friendly
climate
 Need for more regional integration
 To preempt a deluge of “representative”
business organisations
 Positive stakeholder meeting on 8/5
 Embedded in PSDP
 Good support from CDE

Use momentum of APEX body to change
name of BOCCIM

Create new mission statement: shorter + in
line with role of APEX body

Bring constitution in line with role as APEX
body, giving more weight to associations
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Governance
◦ Council members should come from
associations
◦ Regions must be represented in Council
No rush in creating regional Chambers of
Commerce, but need for nationwide presence
New membership structure
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Membership
 Ultimate objective: only associations as
members
 Companies are member through their association
 Transitional period with hybrid membership

Strongest associations represent all their members

Review membership fees

Companies with weaker associations remain direct
BOCCIM members

Build capacities of associations

Keep transitional period as short as possible
¬
Strategic priorities
 Collaborative advocacy  BOCCIM as
employers organisation
 Narrow collaboration with associations
 Capacity building of associations 
BOCCIM as umbrella organisation
 Business support services  BOCCIM as
Chamber of Commerce
 Promotion of value chain development
¬
Strategic priorities
 Collaborative advocacy
 Structured consultation and collaboration
with associations
 Before, during, after
 Regular communication
 Newsletter
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Strategic priorities
 Capacity building of associations
 Support services
 Back-office for stronger associations
 Secretariat for weaker associations
 Training
 Thematic: governance, strategic,
ICT,...
 Peer-to-peer
¬
Strategic priorities
 Business support services
Entrepreneurship
International trade
Use of ICT
Business and market intelligence
Vocational and business training
Promotion of value chain
development/clusters
 Mediation and arbitration
 Management of infrastructures
 Affinity programmes
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Strategic priorities
 Business support services
 Learning from other Chambers of
Commerce
 Public-private partnerships
 Single window for companies
 Certificates of origin
 Vocational training
¬
Financial structure: diversification + growing
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Membership fees
Structural partnerships
Service revenues
Commercial revenues
Government contracts (programmes,
PPPs,…)
¬
Bring internal organisation in line with strategic
priorities
Experts:
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Organisational:
 Wouter Van Gulck, Federation of Belgian Chambers of
Commerce
 Georges Fischer, Paris Chamber of Commerce
 Assisting BOCCIM with designing the APEX body
structure and strategy
Legal: Abdool Rahim Khan
 Assisting BOCCIM with drafting the new constitution
Financial: Jonnah Pongaponga
 Assisting BOCCIM with designing the new membership
fee structure
1/4/2014: 1st stakeholder meeting
◦ Presentation of APEX body concept
◦ Stakeholder consultation
8/5/2014: 2nd stakeholder meeting
◦ Presentation of experts’ findings on current
situation
◦ Presentation of recommendations for APEX
body
◦ Presentation of road map and priority actions
◦ Discussion with stakeholders
25/6/2014: BOCCIM Council meeting
Two prerequisites for successful implementation:
1. Growing financial basis
◦ Public-private partnerships: BOTA, certificates
of origin,...
◦ Corporate partnerships & affinity programmes
2. Implementation of 2 or 3 business support
services
 Collaboration with foreign Chambers of
Commerce
THANK YOU!!!