Tibetan Business Watch
Tuesday, 6 December 2006, 04:41 p.m.
Participants at the TCC’s first annual board meeting |
Dharamshala: “Tibetan businessmen and business houses should not only be responsible for the economic welfare of the Tibetans but for the political rights and cultural survival of the Tibetan people,” said Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, the Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration. Kalon Tripa was speaking at the first annual general meeting of the Welfare Society Tibetan Chamber of Commerce held in Dharamsala on 23 November.
Kalon Tripa also said that Tibetan businesses could contribute to a stable Tibetan civil society by ensuring that proceeds of Tibetan business activities circulate within the exile community, by expanding the base of Tibetan employment capacities that could help induct the growing number of educated Tibetan youths within the Tibetan workforce and spreading prosperity within the community. Kalon Tripa suggested that the motto of Tibetan businesses should be buy Tibetan, sell Tibetan.
Kalon Tripa and Speaker with the chairman and vice-chairman of the TCC and board members |
Kalon Tripa expressed his happiness that Tibetan businessmen in Tibet have woken up to the fact that they owe political and civic responsibilities to the Tibetan people as a whole.
Kalon Tripa said, in the inevitable trend of liberalization, privatization and globalization, Tibetan businesses should conduct their operations aimed at not chasing after only profit but to see that their activities do not harm the environment. Kalon Tripa was also of the opinion that Tibetans in exile can initiate a great deal of political activities based on the collective financial and economic strength of the Tibetan community as a whole. He said, “This is something we should work for.” He gave the examples of the Jews, and minorities in India who have worked for the betterment of their respective communities based on their common financial and economic health.
Kalon Tripa expressed his happiness at the existence of the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce. “When we first started, we were a little doubtful. This is not because we doubted the ability, talent and hard work of the Tibetan businessmen but because we wondered whether circumstances, beyond our control, would allow us to function.”
Kalon Tripa said that the emergence of the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce (TCC) has resulted in the renewal of confidence in the ability of Tibetan businessmen.
Kalon Tripa said that about 80% of Tibetans in India, Nepal and Bhutan depend, one way or the other, on businesses for their livelihood and upkeep. He said the fact that the Tibetans have not faced any major difficulty in conducting their businesses is because of the grace of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the respect accorded to him in these countries. Kalon Tripa said that for this reason the Tibetan businesses must think and conduct their businesses according to the law of the land.
Planning for self-reliance of the exile commmunity |
Kalon Tripa encouraged the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce to become self-reliant. He said because the TCC is a brand new initiative the Central Tibetan Administration could financially help it in the initial few years. Otherwise, the TCC should be independent and self-reliant. Kalon Tripa considered this “very important.” He said he believed in the maxim which says that government is best which governs the least. He also believed that it was good for the health of the Tibetan community in exile if the Central Tibetan Administration has minimal influence on the life of Tibetan civil society.
Mr. Dorje Wangdu Dewatsang, the chairman of the TCC, in his address said, “On 7 October 2005, this organization was formally registered as Welfare Society Tibetan Chamber of Commerce.” He said, “We have come a long way in identifying our strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities with the help of seminars and business training.”
He identified four goals of the TCC. They are to set up a tragedy corpus fund for businesses, which are struck by unforeseen tragedies and natural calamities, to establish a mentor group for Tibetan businesses to provide guidance for Tibetan entrepreneurs and sponsor Tibetan students for business courses, start a quarterly business magazine and organise seminar and business training courses for the Tibetan community.
The TCC released its directory containing information on Tibetan businesses the world over, which, according to the chairman, would help promote Tibetan products and serve as an important resource for potential buyers and sellers. The chairman said that TCC would plan to participate in international trade fairs to promote Tibetan products.
The vice-chairman of TCC, Mr. Tseten Norbu, said, “Because the TCC was initiated by the Finance Department of the Central Tibetan Administration, we have decided to hold our first annual governing meeting in Dharamsala, the seat of CTA.
He said in the past Tibetan businesses were small scale and family-run. There was no concept of doing business on a multinational scale. He also cautioned that today the aim of doing any business should not only be to make a profit. “Today, the aim should also be that by doing business we benefit society as a whole and to ensure that our business activities do not harm the environment.”