1- Business Affairs:
Branches Committee: To activate the Alexandria branch and involve its members in the EJB''s various activities.
To open new branches in potential areas.
External Networking Committee:
The External Networking Committee creates interactive channels with external sectors that have direct relationship with the association and its members'' necessities, which will in turn bring about mutual benefits to both parties. The External Networking Committee is currently activating the signed protocols between the EJB and other business associations in Egypt, such as; the ''Export Gateway Protocol'', the ''American University in Cairo Protocol'' and the ''Academy of Scientific Research and Technology Protocol''.
Fundraising Committee:
To evaluate the financial feasibility of proposed projects as well as to prepare and review budgets and financial plans.
To develop lasting relations with diverse donors in order to source the external granting to support, implement, and develop programs and projects.These projects will serve our members, the business community and other match- making activities designed to introduce funding organizations for our members and their institutions.
Internal Networking Committee:
To coordinate the exchange of benefits between members. To create fruitful opportunities for cooperation.
To open communication channels between members to strengthen member to member relationship, which in turn will strengthen members'' loyalty to the EJB.
Membership Committee:
Attracting new members to join the association and retaining existing members. Reaching a membership base of 600 members during the year 2006.
Public Relations Committee:
The Public Relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other. Its objectives is to build and maintain EJB''s image, internally and externally, through utilizing all media and communication channels to create awareness campaigns on issues of national interest. And to set objectives, plans, budgets, recruitments and to train staff to manage the resources needed to perform the previously mentioned tasks. The Public Relations Committee is currently creating and submitting the action plan.
Training and Development Committee:
Develops an integrated Training & Development Program that meets the members'' needs.
2- Business Enviroment:
Communication & Information Technology Committee: Works on:
• Providing easy access to market information in order to enhance the capacity of companies.
• Developing Communication and information technology exports.
Projects
1.Develop Export Promotion Bodies Guide (EPG):
To Enable ICT companies to have access to information regarding all various bodies or institutions working in the field of export support, with information on their services offered, how to obtain such services, eligibility, cost, timeframe to realize such services,..etc.
The Guide aims at creating a comprehensive information resource for companies to effectively benefit the existing export promotion bodies working to support the development of ICT exports. Due date: January 2006
Develop ICT Company Profile Directory (CPD):
To develop a directory in which ICT companies are categorized within the several ICT branches with a quick summary including main line of business and contacts.The Directory aims to create a source of information for foreign companies who are interested in doing business with Egyptian companies here in Egypt, and for local companies, who are looking for automation and ICT services.
Moreover, to creating a base for identifying Egyptian companies in various ICT fields candidates for export development programs. Due date: May 2006
Consultancy Committee:
Objectives: Seeks to enhance the quality of consulting services offered in the Egyptian Market as well as to increase customer''s awareness and to utilize the effectiveness of consulting services. Besides, it aims to increases the exportability of Egyptian consulting services.
Energy Committee:
Objectives: Works on improving the level and price of energy in Egypt, while aiming to develop the petroleum sector through the development private companies that operate in this sector.
Current Activity:The Energy Committee is currently studying the possibility of establishing an association for the petroleum sector.
Export Promotion Committee: Objectives: Is the container, where other committees pour their importing and exporting problems. It works on solving those problems and puts the suitable export strategies for other committees to provide new opportunities for the junior business people to export.
Finance & Banking Committee:
Works on:
• Expanding the pool of finance-related professionals and builds their capacities.
• Promoting SME’s (Small and Medium Enterprises) access to finance.
• Promoting export financing.
Contributing in mobilizing local financing of poorly–banked strategic industries.
Tier Two:To establish Methodical and consistent credit assessment and industry norms.
To promote a non-cash society.
To promote Leasing Finance and the increased applicability.
To attract Funds from Egyptians abroad.
To promote Egypt as a Regional Financial Center.
To unify Investment Messages to Investors.
To institutionalize the Informal Sector.
Food & Agriculture Committee:
Works on:
• Improving the quality of local supply and increasing the quantity of suppliers.
• Enabling Egypt to become an innovation-lead culture.
• Improving both, the planting and harvesting process of crops.
Industrial Committee:
Works on:Building trust in the Egyptian product.
Increasing customer protection and satisfaction
Projects:Establishing an Egyptian ''mark'' for Egyptian products.
Legal Affairs Committee:
Objectives: Provides other committees in the association with legal assistance in order to facilitate their work when dealing with the Government. It puts the legal framework for each of the committees through interpreting the laws and the governmental decrees.
Logistics Committee:
Objectives: Works on convincing the government that the sector of logistics is promising and that the government should invest in it so as to promote a comprehensive development of Egypt.
Textile Committee:
Works on:
• Reinforcing skills and talents.
• Resolving drawbacks and tax rebates and other related issues.
• Exerting effort in developing centers that provide technological services and fashionable designs to be fit for competition.
• Providing investments to be fully integrated in textile industries.
Tourism Committee:
Works on:
• Coordinating between the governmental bodies and investors who are interested in investing in new potential tourism areas.
• Encouraging the ownership of foreigners to units in tourism areas through developing new forms of tourism.
• Creating new attraction areas other than the well known places.
• Finding a new concept for cooperation between both, the Tourism and the Environment Ministries.
3- Community Development:
Corporate Social Responsibility:
Committee Description: Corporate social responsibility is a concept with a growing currency around the globe. Many see it as the private sector''s way of integrating the economic, social, and environmental imperatives of their activities. As such, CSR closely resembles the business pursuit of sustainable development and the triple bottom line.
Universities, associations, companies, governments and newspapers from all over the world searched for a scientific definition for corporate social responsibility, not two identical were found.
In today''s world the only prospective is change. Leaders must, therefore anticipate change, drive it, make it acceptable to all stakeholders and turn threats into opportunities through their vision and their action. That''s why the EJB Community Development council chose Corporate Social Responsibility project, to work on putting the Egyptian CSR point of view on the "CSR world map".
Objectives: EJB''s mission in regard to Corporate Social Responsibly is to create awareness and understanding to increase the number of potential companies applying CSR principles in Egypt as well as to promote the social and cultural needs among the Egyptian society.
When putting the Corporate Social Responsibility in to operation, and bringing it to the heart of corporate culture without losing sight of core business objective it will then have a serious impact on the stakeholders; as it will:
1. Enhance exposure and companies brand image.
2. Reduce Taxes.
3. Increase share values and product value.
4. Cooperate with local communities and Government Support.
5. Create new business opportunities with other socially responsible companies.
Current Activity:The Corporate Social Responsibility project is supervised by Ms. Mona El Kolaly; all the project members are working now on acting as a catalyst to facilitate EJB members’ companies and other corporations to fulfill their CSR responsibilities and also to develop projects that positively impact the community.
Corporate Governance: is a system that achieves balance between the interests of corporate managers, shareholders and stakeholders. The aim behind Corporate Governance is to help benefit owners of companies in enhancing growth and securing efficient management, which in turn, will modernize management techniques and overcome barriers to growth.
The concept of Corporate Governance centers on the values of transparency, accountability, responsibility and fairness. While Corporate Governance is usually defined as dealing with the problems that result from the separation of ownership and control in a broader sense, corporate governance controls the distribution of rights and responsibilities of stakeholders and stockholders of an organization and ensures that their rights are protected and enforced.
4- EJB Awareness Campaign:
In an attempt to engage the private sector in active civic participation, EJB aims at increasing the awareness of EJB member companies as well as non-members on best practices of Corporate Governance and how a critical factor it is to success.
Click here to know more about EJB''s Awareness Campaign...
EJB Corporate Governance Task Force
5-National Business Agenda:
It is an Endeavour launched in 2004 that aims at enhancing Egypt''s competitiveness through pinpointing the major obstacles that hindering the economy in different sectors; it suggests the recommended solutions from the members'' perspective. Moreover, it aims at increasing public awareness on the importance of competitiveness and tries to encourage the private sector to participate in the economic growth process.