THE AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR TRADE
TIM FISCHER
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CENTRE STUDY WELCOMED
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Mr Tim Fischer, today
welcomed the announcement by the Hume Province Business Connect Inc. (formerly
the Hume Province REDO) that it had commissioned a feasibility study into
the viability of - locating an International Business Development Centre
in or near the border region.
"I am very pleased about this export initiative which will encourage
border region businesses to become quickly export-ready," Mr Fischer
said.
"If the feasibility study finds a ready market of small and medium
sized businesses wanting to sell their products and services off-shore,
and I believe there are many regional businesses which fall into that category,
then the case for this International Business Centre will be very strong,"
said Mr Fischer.
If assessed as feasible, the Centre would be the first of its kind in Australia.
The Hume Province Business Connect Inc. report that their counterparts in
northern Malaysia have agreed to undertake a like study with the eventual
objective of twinning the two centres with staff exchanges, and instituting
a business pairing process.