Establishing trade opportunities will be the focus of a roundtable meeting between delegates of an Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Cairns business and industry leaders, this week.

The meeting, facilitated by Advance Cairns following an approach by Trade Queensland, forms part of a series of engagements for the 42-member delegation from the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) in Bangalore that will include meetings on the Gold Coast and in Ipswich this month.

The delegates and local attendees will exchange information on the current economic climate of their respective regions, as well as discuss plans for collaboration and partnerships between Karnataka and the Cairns region for the future.

Hosted by Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino, the meeting will also be attended by Cairns Chamber of Commerce CEO Sandy White, Cairns Regional Council Councillor Alan Blake, Trade Queensland Export Advisor John Bissell, and a number of Advance Cairns Directors.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said the FKCCI delegates are eager to explore business opportunities in Tropical North Queensland, and this meeting would pave the way for ongoing discussions of trade opportunities and sharing of expertise between Karnataka and Cairns.

The meeting will take place on Friday, April 24 from 10:15am to 11:15am in the board room at Tourism Tropical North Queensland, 51 The Esplanade.

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has contributed to a drop in demand for the services/products in 72% of local businesses, according to a survey released by Advance Cairns this week.

The Business Confidence Survey, conducted in March by the region’s peak economic development agency, was designed to gauge how Tropical North Queensland businesses are faring in these tough economic times, what impact the GFC is having on their operations, what plans they have for the future, and how the Federal Government can assist.

The online survey was distributed to 134 businesses from Port Douglas to Mission Beach. The results provided a snapshot of business confidence levels in the region, and were compiled from a sample of responding submissions to the seven-question survey.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said that while it was only a small sample, the results of the survey reflect a general downturn in business confidence and a shift in operational strategies.

Mr Contarino said one of the most startling results from the survey was with regards to changes in staffing levels. “The survey results indicated a sharp decrease in staffing levels since the start of the year, with 50% of respondents indicating they had retrenched staff in that period,” Mr Contarino said.

“Future proofing their businesses was paramount to respondents, with many indicating they were re-negotiating supply terms, implementing staff training, with some increasing their marketing outputs to ensure their longevity,” he said. “There were a myriad of responses when asked how the Federal Government could act to improve the situation, varying from putting pressure on the State to amend state payroll taxes and spending money on infrastructure rather than cash handouts.”

The results of the survey will be used by the The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in its inquiry into the key challenges facing regional Australia in light of the economic downturn.

To view the results of the survey, click here: TNQ Business Confidence Survey – March 2009