December 01, 2020
Indigenous business stepping onto APEC stage
The new chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council is keen to use the position to link Maori with other indigenous businesses around the world.
Rachel Taulelei, who is the chief executive of Māori food and beverage exporter Kono, says there is a unique opportunity for New Zealand business to help shape the economic direction of the Asia Pacific region at a time of crisis and recovery.
ABAC consists of three business leaders from each of the 21 economies in APEC, and it will meet virtually several times during the year to provide advice and recommendations to APEC leaders, ministers and senior officials.
There will also be an online indigenous trade hui next year where First Nations businesses in Canada, Peru, Japan, Aotearoa and elsewhere can link up.
"Indigenous economies are generally speaking developing economies within those that are already developed but what's good for us is good for everyone. In that sense, we're real dial movers so in the New Zealand economy we all know the conversations about the Māori economy. We have great weight and great might and we are moving our capabilities towards our potential at an exponential rate and so what is good for the Māori economy is going to be pretty fantastic for the New Zealand economy in general so that is what I am interested in creating opportunities for," Ms Talulei says.
She says having a strong rules-based trading system is essential for Māori producers.
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