October 5, 2015
Istanbul, 5 October 2015 – “Mobilizing private investment that supports sustainable economic growth should be a priority for governments around the world”, said BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke at the OECD/G20 Global Forum on International Investment today. “In the global business community, there is a new sense of urgency for governments to refrain from conflicting requirements for investors and adverse measures such as the forced localization of data.”
download (pdf)September 9, 2015
Paris, 9 September 2015 – At the B20 Conference in Ankara (Turkey) on 3-5 September, BIAC Secretary-General Bernhard Welschke and Chair of the BIAC Taxation and Fiscal Policy Committee Will Morris welcomed the B20 recommendation on taxation and BEPS which emphasizes the need to encourage trade and investment flows especially in relation to infrastructure and cross border Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
download (pdf)July 1, 2015
Paris, 1 July 2015 – “China and the OECD need each other now more than ever,” said Joerg Wuttke, Chair of the BIAC China Task Force, commenting on the visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to the OECD Headquarters in Paris. “As Chinese companies ramp-up overseas investment, and as OECD-based companies continue to sow investments in China, a new and enhanced program for China-OECD cooperation should benefit both parties” he added.
download (pdf)June 30, 2015
Paris, 30 June 2015 – “BIAC considers the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) as an essential instrument for companies to navigate markets, to reduce risk, and to follow good practice in responsible business conduct”, said BIAC Secretary General Bernhard Welschke following the launch of a new BIAC publication for business on the MNE Guidelines.
download (pdf)June 15, 2015
Paris/Ankara, 15 June 2015 – “For SMEs to benefit more fully from global value chains, urgent actions are needed to improve the coordination of financial regulations, strengthen access to financing and skills, and maximize the sharing of information through digital platforms,” said Bernhard Welschke, BIAC Secretary-General, commenting today on the release of a BIAC-B20 Turkey special publication.
Faced with the slowest post-crisis global investment recovery since the early 1970s, there is a pressing need to unlock growth, investment and jobs. However, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – which account for the majority of employment and over half of value-added in OECD countries – have struggled to access the financing they require to participate in and across world markets as banks have deleveraged to meet new regulatory requirements.
June 10, 2015
Paris, 10 June 2015 – BIAC continues to support the G20 mandated Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project, and has always sought to provide constructive and detailed input from the international business community across the full spectrum of OECD’s Action Items.
As the project enters its final phase, BIAC is releasing its BEPS Position Paper detailing specific concerns of the business community over the full range of BEPS Actions. The BEPS Position Paper aims to more closely focus the scope of the recommendations, with the aim of achieving a pragmatic, flexible and incremental approach to tax policy development. BIAC believes this will help tackle the important issues of base erosion and profit shifting that have concerned governments and their electorates, while at the same time protecting, and indeed encouraging where possible, the cross-border trade and investment that leads to critically needed growth and jobs.
June 5, 2015
Paris, 4 June 2015 – “Actions are urgently needed to step-up SME financing and enable companies to participate in global value chains”, said Phil O’Reilly, Chairman of BIAC, speaking today at a BIAC-B20 Turkey special event.
Challenges in accessing appropriate financing are often most acute for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and thus, their ability to participate in and across world markets. As banks continue to deleverage to meet new regulatory requirements, SMEs struggle to obtain sufficient finance through bank lending.
download (pdf)June 3, 2015
Paris, 3 June 2015 – “Policymakers must foster widespread confidence if they want to restore investment flows”, said BIAC Chair Phil O’Reilly at the OECD Council Meeting at Ministerial level (MCM) today. “Structural reforms are urgently needed to deliver growth that is stronger, more sustainable and more inclusive in the longer-term”.
BIAC welcomes the focus of this year’s MCM which takes place under the overarching theme of Unlocking investment for Sustainable Growth and Jobs. Business calls upon the OECD to speak up and convince countries of the need to remove the most persistent barriers to markets and put in place pro-investment policies.
download (pdf)May 13, 2015
BIAC Comments on the Release of the OECD Report on “Tackling Harmful Alcohol Use: Economics and Public Health Policy”
Paris, 13 May 2015 – BIAC commends the focus of the OECD on the importance of health for the success and the productivity of our economies. “We need to know more about the effectiveness of policies and innovative solutions that support the health of our people and workforce”, said Bernhard Welschke, BIAC Secretary General.
In this context, the recently launched OECD study on Tackling Harmful Alcohol Use: Economics and Public Health Policy could be seen as a missed opportunity, as the report struggles to offer a comprehensive analysis of the reasons and – most important – the solutions for alcohol-related harm. BIAC members appreciate the challenge to come to conclusions with a limited set of data and projections, but it is important not to jump to narrow conclusions, such as the emphasis on prices, by increasing taxes and setting minimum prices, and greater regulation of advertising as a way to reduce harmful consumption.
download (pdf)March 26, 2015
Business Priorities for Regional Integration in Southeast Asia: Five Steps for Economic Integration
Paris, 25 March 2015 – “Moving towards competitive markets is a prerequisite for investor confidence, job creation, and economic growth”, said BIAC Chairman Phil O’Reilly at the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Forum in Jakarta, commenting on a joint Business Statement by BIAC, the Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC).