[asia-apec 520] Pacific Basin Economic Council

[Gatt Watchdog]

New support for PBEC - Export News (NZ) 20 July 1998

The Pacific Basin Economic Council is negotiating a deal which
could see the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce provide its
secretarial support.

PBEC was one of nine business councils which moved its secretarial
base from the Wellington-based International Business Councils
umbrella organisation to the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce
and Industry last April.  However within three months PBEC
chairman Don Scott moved the secretariat back to Wellington where
it has been unofficially operating from his office at KPMG.

PBEC represents large corporates which provide business
perspectives to government on multilateral trade issues.  Scott
says for this reason it makes sense for the council to be based in
Wellington with close access in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade and the Asia 2000 Foundation.

Former International Business Councils executive officer Anna
Petherick, now director of services at the Wellington Regional
Chamber of Commerce, has already provided support to the council,
attending meetings in Vancouver in November and Santiago in May.

Scott says the council is keen to help New Zealand capitalise on
its position as chair of the APEC forum meetings being held here
next year.  PBEC is in contact with the Minister for Trade
Negotiations [sic - Burdon is former Minister for Trade
Negotiations] who is chairing an APEC Business Advisory Council
(ABAC) open food task force.  It is examining a proposal to
liberalise regional food trade.

Comalco managing director Kerry McDonald is chairing the ABAC
working group on APEC's other early voluntary sector
liberalisation (EVSL) initiatives.  These include fish/fish
products and forest products which were sponsored by New Zealand.
the other New Zealand ABAC representative is Rosanne Meo, chair of
TVNZ.