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Singapore Business Federation Annual Report 2008 Singapore Business Federation Annual Report 2008LATIN AMERICA & EUROPECEO Business Mission to Latin America (20 – 27 November)“Brazil – The Next Leap” Business Seminar and Networking Session (29 February)This seminar was organised by SBF inconjunction with the first high-level visit ofH.E. Ambassador Celso Amorim, Minister ofExternal Relations of Brazil to Singapore. Hewas accompanied by a business delegationof 16 senior level representatives fromcompanies such as Petrobras, Odebrecht,Banco do Brasil and Cargill, amongst others.In conjunction with Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong’s first ever visit toLatin America, the Singapore BusinessFederation and International EnterpriseSingapore jointly organised a high-levelCEO business mission to Peru, Braziland Chile from 20 – 27 November 2008.Led by Mr. Tony Chew, Chairman, SBFand Mr. Teng Theng Dar, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, SBF and Mr. Chong Lit Cheong,Chief Executive Officer, IE Singapore,the delegation comprised 14 seniorbusinessmen from nine Singaporecompanies, officials from IE Singapore,Singapore Economic Development Boardand SBF.One of the highlights of the programmewas the attendance by the delegation at theAPEC CEO Summit in Lima, Peru from 20 –23 November 2008. The annual Summit isa key platform for senior business peopleto engage political leaders, policymakers,influential academics and other CEOsfrom the Asia Pacific and the Americason issues relating to promoting free andopen trade. While in Lima, the businessdelegation also had the opportunityto have a short discussion with theColumbian Commerce Minister.During the Brazil and Chile legs, thedelegation met with principal businessorganizations such as the Federationof Industries of the State of Sao Paulo(FIESP), APEX Brazil and the SantiagoChamber of Commerce (CCS) to discussbusiness opportunities between thetwo communities. The delegation alsoattended the ENADE, one of the mostsignificant business conferences in Chilegraced by Chilean President, MichelleBachelet, at which Prime Minister LeeHsien Loong delivered a speech.The mission helped participatingcompanies, on their inaugural visit toLatin America, to have a first handexperience of the business environmentand gain an introductory understandingof the business potential in Latin America.It also opened doors for our companies tonetwork and establish direct contacts withpublic and private sector decision makersin the countries visited.Ambassador Amorim and Mr. Lim HngKiang, Minister for Trade & Industry ofSingapore, spoke at the seminar andwitnessed the signing of an MOU betweenSBF and Federation of Industries of theState of Sao Paulo(FIESP). The MOUsignified the commitment by bothorganisations to facilitate exchanges topursue business cooperation and growbusiness links between Brazil and Singapore.Finland-Singapore CEO Dialogue (20 February)This roundtablebusiness dialoguewas organised withthe Confederation ofFinnish Industries EK,in conjunction with theofficial visit of H.E. TarjaHalonen, the Presidentof Finland to Singapore.She was accompaniedby a 16-strongbusiness delegation.The dialogue, graced by Mr. Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Trade and Industry, Singapore,and Mr. Paavo Väyrynen, Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, wasattended by more than 50 top business people from both countries.More than 120 Singapore businessmen from the Oil & Gas, Transport and Logistics,ICT, Banking & Finance, Healthcare, Media, Consumer Staples and Discretionary sectorsattended the seminar. They were briefed on the Brazilian economy and the businessopportunities in sectors such as oil & gas, energy, aviation, infrastructure and logisticsand banking and finance.Business leaders from both sides wereupdated on the latest developments in thetwo economies as well as industries, andshared their knowledge and exchangedideas for potential areas of collaboration.SBF and the Confederation of FinnishIndustries EK inked an MOU to promotedeeper cooperation between bothorganisations and to promote businessexchanges between both countries.Singapore expressed its keenness topartner Finland in tapping the latter’sexpertise in environmental technology inareas such as water and waste treatment,water recycling and clean energy.38 Review of 2008Review of 2008 39