Presence

Neville Reyner has been President of the BCC since July 2008. To better meet the coming economic challenges and to make a difference on the political spectrum, the network director is opting for setting up base in strategic regions around the globe.
Commerce International: What role does the BCC network occupy in the United Kingdom today?Neville Reyner: “A total of 54 Chambers of Commerce are attached to the network. The BCC is not limited to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also represented, forming a unit that covers almost all of the United Kingdom. We demand a high degree of quality in the work of the Chambers. To benefit from the BCC label, they must offer specific features aimed at satisfying and defending businesses optimally.” By what means are you endeavouring to increase your influence on government decisions ?N. M.: “We aspire to be the voice of businesses, and to make ourselves heard, we insist on presenting as credible a face as possible. Increasing our member numbers therefore remains a longstanding objective. We wish to raise the prominence of the United Kingdom overseas, and to exchange our services with thriving interlocutors. In a context of globalisation on the rise, the fact of having an increasingly wide network in many countries is an asset.”
What are the priority political themes for companies?N. M.: “Tax raises significant problems. During the last few months, we have appealed to the government several times, requesting it to go back on its decision to establish a new tax on real estate. In the current economic context, this measure is particularly unwelcome. According to estimations, the global cost for companies of this new tax will come to 1.2 billion euros for the year 2008 and 1.1 billion euros for next year. The government established this tax in April, despite the already fierce reaction of entrepreneurs. Most of our members state that these tax changes have come at the worst possible moment: they speak of a distinct reduction in demand and of unusual hesitations regarding investments.” The United Kingdom is particularly affected by the financial crisis. What can the BCC do to help banks and companies ?N. M.: “According to the information of the European Commission on the economic confidence index, Great Britain is the country where company leaders are the most morose. Chambers of Commerce should create tight links with independent specialists and economists. We would like to put in place frequent dialogues with these experts so that companies can consult them, share their fears and queries and receive advice on specific projects. This type of exchange helps to reassure companies and makes a clearer distinction between real risks and unjustified panic.”
One of the future challenges for the United Kingdom relates to energy dependence. Will the BCC play a role in this domain ?N. M.: “Yes, we must be very active on this issue and on diplomatic tensions that subsist with certain countries such as Russia. The BCC works in favour of constructive international exchanges and dialogues. Whether we’re talking about nuclear power or renewable resources, the future of energy will take place through international relationships. The better and stronger our relationships with overseas countries, the greater our say in future decisions. This is a strategic issue.”
Other organisations support companies in the same way as Chambers of Commerce. Are offers in favour of economic development sufficiently clear ?N. M.: “Between the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), the IOD (Institute of Directors), and the federations of small companies or other associations, it is true that there is no shortage of this type of group. We are attempting to carry out activities so that there is no competition between the services of these organisations and those of ours. We are making efforts in our suggestions and offers so as not to imply differences or preferences in the quality of work of each. It is more a matter of providing complementary skills. For example, we offer services to our member companies which the CBI cannot. Our offer is aimed as much to SMEs as to large companies and takes various forms, just like those of the other organisations.”
Training is often put forward by Chamber networks as a key element. Does it occupy a prime position in the BCC network ?N. M.: “Yes, but the types of training programmes and the way in which they are organised vary greatly from one Chamber to another. There nevertheless exists a common point that can be found everywhere: significant efforts are made in explaining the actual benefits of these training programmes for companies. This is generally a matter of providing information on company follow-up, management, opportunity detection, legislation, the impact of the political context.”
What are your priorities in terms of strategic relationships abroad ?N. M.: “We wish to establish ourselves further in Eastern European countries, today undergoing full economic metamorphosis. Our objective is also to export the knowledge and services of British Chambers outside Europe, notably in the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China). More generally, emerging economies are territories where we count on exercising strong influence.”