FPCBP Bulletin - Edition 1 for Web.indd
Transcription
FPCBP Bulletin - Edition 1 for Web.indd
Speech from FPCBP President, Leo Pereira October 14 Business Forum featuring Finance Minister Greg Sorbara Leo Pereira, Presidente da FPCBP. Greg Sorbara na comunidade luso-canadiana Uma análise ao Orçamento em sessão da Federação No dia 14 de Outubro, a Federação de Empresários e Profissionais LusoCanadianos (FPCBP) levou a efeito uma sessão de esclarecimento com o objectivo de clarificar alguns pontos do último Orçamento Geral para a Província do Ontário. Depois de John Paul Macedo, VicePresidente, ter feito a abertura da sessão, Leonardo Pereira, presidente da FPCBP deu as boas-vindas àquele membro do Governo do Ontário, reconhecendo que a presença do ministro “indica que a comunidade portuguesa é uma parte vital do crescimento económico da GTA e do Canadá em geral”, já que a comunidade contribui, decisivamente, e de diversas maneiras, para a grande realidade do Ontário. Photo courtesy of O Milenio. As president of the FPCBP it is my pleasure to welcome all of you here this afternoon. Let me tell you that it is not every day that the Minister of Finance comes out to address the members of the Federation and the Luso-Canadian Community, so welcome indeed Honourable Greg Sorbara. Your presence here today clearly indicates that the Portuguese community is a vital part of the economic growth of the GTA, and of Canada at large. Ontario’s economy is thriving and without a doubt the Portuguese community has contributed in many ways to this great reality. No longer are we just employees. We are now proud job creators and employers of thousands of people. (continuação na página 2) FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 Por isso, “Honorable Greg Sorbara, welcome to the Portuguese Community.” Ermídio Alves, Tesoureiro da Federação, fez a apresentação de Greg Sorbara, que começaria por dizer da sua satisfação em estar nesta zona, que bem conhece. Disse ter falado, designadamente, com Peter Fonseca, agora deputado provincial, com quem abordou o trabalho da Federação e o programa de Bolsas de Estudo “que honra a própria comunidade”. Para ele, “é óptimo voltar a esta grande cidade e ver a grande transformação operada nos últimos anos”. Lembrou que a sua mãe teve, por ali, um pequeno comércio, numa altura em que “toda esta parte era compreendida pela comunidade italo-canadiana”. Membros da Federação, entre os quais muitos empresários, advogados, Greg Sorbara, Ministro de Finanças do Ontário. Photo courtesy of O Milenio. industriais, comerciantes e público em geral, tiveram oportunidade de fazer perguntas ao ministro. O “Business Forum-Lunch” haveria de ter um “aperitivo” de esclarecimento. O Governo está a anunciar – ouviu-se – querer transformar o sistema de saúde para o tornar mais ligado ao doente, orientado para o doente e com resultados melhores. Referiu, assim, alguns dos investimentos no serviço de saúde, com objectivos muito claros como seja o de reduzir as listas de espera nos cuidados com o cancro, providenciar 36.000 mais procedimentos cardíacos, outras 9.000 operações de oftalmologia, 2.340 mais transplantes e mais de meio milhão de tratamentos por diálise. Um mundo de coisas que importa sublinhar e ter em conta. Até porque se pretende – como disse o ministro – aumentar 150 novas equipas de saú(continuação na página 2) 1 (continuação da página 1) de para a família, providenciar cuidados assistenciais ao domicílio para mais 95.700 residentes no Ontário e abrir mais 3.760 camas de cuidados a longo pneumonia. Claro que, para financiar todos estes investimentos na Saúde, o Governo está a propor o chamado Ontario Health Premium, baseado no rendimento de cada pessoa e com todos os cêntimos a serem canalizados para a É evidente que Greg Sorbara falou ainda sobre vários outros temas, mas aqui mencionamos apenas os principais. Article courtesy of Sol Português (continuação da página 1) Through our partnerships and liaisons with other businesses and professionals we have been, for some time now, creating growth, business opportunities and positive changes to our community and consequently to this province. The Federation is proud to be a vital and dynamic community organization. Business Forum Luncheon featuring Finance Minister Greg Sorbara prazo. Isto para além de se acrescentar, já este ano, novos programas grátis de imunização para as crianças em doenças como a varicela, meningite e saude. Lembra que as pessoas com os mais baixos rendimentos na escala não pagam nada. As restantes vão pagar entre 300 e 900 dólares por ano. The Federation intends and is working hard to fulfill its mission statement “to promote business activity, foster professionalism, develop networking opportunities, enhance political visibility, encourage academic excellence and, as the representative voice, advocate the prominence of our members within and outside the Portuguese Canadian Business and Professional Community.” Honourable Greg Sorbara, welcome to the Portuguese Community. FPCBP Board honours Finance Minster Greg Sorbara with a commemorative plaque. John Paul Macedo, FPCBP Vice President I was born in Galegos Sta. Maria, Barcelos, Portugal. Emigrated to Canada at the age of five and became a Canadian citizen in 1998. I attended high school at St. Michael’s College and West Toronto Secondary and College at George Brown College. I have been in banking for over fifteen years and a Branch Manager for six years. I am currently a Branch Manager for Scotiabank at the Dundas and Brock Branch in 2 Toronto. During my banking career, I have become certified to sell Mutual Funds, certified as a Branch Compliance Officer and received the certificate of Achievement for Financial Counselling. In addition, I achieved the designation of a Specialist Trust Institute and Personal Financial Planning. I have a wonderful wife, Aida and I am a proud father of daughters Danielle and Julianna. I believe in a balanced life with a dedication to family, career and community. FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 Women, visible minorities, new Canadians expected to drive next generation of SMEs RBC Economics Report Says Makeup of New Business Owners will Transform Attitudes and Economy Canada is heading towards an era of unparalleled diversity that will transform the face of this country’s small to medi- Ermidio Alves, FPCBP Treasurer Ermidio Alves is the immediate past president of the Federation. 2004 completes his 30th year as a volunteer to both professional and community organizations. Ermidio is a Real Estate Investment Broker in Canada and the U.S. and has managed his own company since March of 1977. He approaches his 50th Birthday with optimism and continues to encourage others to get involved. “A true volunteer expects nothing for his efforts, but always ends up with more than when he started.” - EA FPCBP Mission Statement To promote business activity, foster professionalism, develop networking opportunities, enhance political visibility, encourage academic excellence and, as the representative voice, advocate the prominence of our members within and outside the Portuguese Canadian Business and Professional community. FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 um-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to an RBC Financial Group study. The report concludes that the generation of entrepreneurs that will emerge over the next 10 to 20 years will represent the biggest shift in the makeup of Canada’s business community since the beginning of the 20th century. The new group reflects changes in immigration patterns and social attitudes and is comprised of higher educated owners, more women and visible minorities, including new Canadians. This will contrast sharply with the majority of today’s SME owners, who are between 40 and 64 years of age, male, Caucasian and high school educated. As the current group of SME owners ages over the next decade, they will focus more on succession planning and exit strategies. However, it’s not likely the majority of today’s business owners will hand over the reins of their business to family members. The reality is that only 30 per cent of Canadian family-owned businesses are passed on to a second generation, and only 10 per cent to a third. “The door is open for a different group of entrepreneurs who will start different kinds of businesses that will have a profound impact on how we conduct business,” said Derek Holt, RBC Financial Group’s assistant chief economist. “As such, diversity is emerging as a key competitive advantage in the economy, giving us the benefit of better understanding other cultures, including our trading partners.” The report notes today’s SMEs are concentrated in skilled trades and traditional industries. According to the report, today’s business owners will soon be succeeded by younger entrepreneurs with university or postgraduate degrees who will produce a shift towards knowl- edge based sectors and professional services. Women will play increasingly important roles in the start-up and growth of SMEs in upcoming years. Currently about 40 per cent of small businesses in Canada are at least 50 per cent owned by women, and almost half of these are majority owned by females. “Since female labour force participation rates began to take off in the 1960s and 1970s, an entire generation of women have parlayed immense business experience into successful ventures,” said Holt. “In fact, growth in female-oriented establishments is outpacing overall growth in new business.” Visible minorities, including new Canadians will also significantly contribute to SME growth trends. “Canada is already a nation that owes a great deal to the entrepreneurial zeal of visible minorities born in and out of Canada,” says Holt. “Visible minorities are at least as likely to be interested in becoming entrepreneurs. This is even more so the case amongst the younger population.” The report notes the emerging generation of entrepreneurs will be at the forefront of addressing the many difficult challenges that lay ahead for Canadian businesses. These include the impact of currency appreciation, labour supply constraints, border issues, increased tradability of services, the impact of changing technology, and globalization. However, the diversity and qualifications of this new breed of entrepreneur should have them well positioned to address such challenges. A complete copy of the report is available at: www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/sme04.pdf Article courtesy of The Portuguese Post 3 A healthier future for Ontario On October 14, the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business & Professionals was excited to host a Business Luncheon featuring the Honourable Greg Sorbara, Finance Minister for Ontario. He was pleased to be able to return to the community where he grew up and remembered back to his childhood years when his mother had a business in the area. He commented on the points of the Ontario budget and spoke in detail about the government’s plans to transform the health system to make it more patient-focused, consumer-oriented and results-driven. The government expects investments in the health care system will: Armindo Silva speaks to Finance Minister during question period • provide home care for an additional 95,700 Ontarians; • open 3,760 more long-term care beds; and • add chickenpox, meningitis and pneumonia to the children’s free immunization program this year. To fund the investments in health care, the governments is proposing to introduce the Ontario Health Premium. The premium will be based on income, with every cent dedicated to health care. People at the lowest end of the income scale would not pay anything; and the rest would pay between $300 and $900. Cocktail reception preceding lunch also gave many the opportunity to speak directly with Finance Minister Greg Sorbara. • reduce wait times for cancer care, provide 36,000 more cardiac procedures, another 9,000 cataract surgeries, 2,340 more joint replacements and 529,000 more dialysis treatments; • add 150 new Family Health Teams of doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners; 4 The Honourable Greg Sorbara also took time out of his busy schedule to answer questions from the audience and the feedback we received indicates the community really appreciated this opportunity. We look forward to more events of this nature and are expecting great participation for our Annual Scholarship Dinner with the Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario as the guest of honour. To reserve tickets for this event taking place November 25, please fax or drop off the attached form. FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 Business opportunities The Speech from The Throne Oportunidades de negócio Recently, the Government introduced its priorities in The Speech from The Throne which demonstrated its ongoing commitment to Canadian values. Investimento – Campo de golfe “New venture” procura investidor interessado. Inclui construção de um hotel nos Açores. Fabricante de ceramica Procura representante e distribuidor para o Canadá. Fabricante de calçado Procura representante e distribuidor para o Canadá. Fabricante de sumos Procura representante e distribuidor para o Canadá. Fabricante de nova marca de cerveja Procura representante e distribuidor para o Canadá. Contacte a Federação de Empresários e Profissionais Luso-Canadianos (416) 537-8874. Nota: Informações para FPCBP membros custo mínimo I was pleased to move the motion to adopt the Speech from The Throne and to be the first Member of Parliament to speak on the Government’s agenda. In the Speech from The Throne the Government committed itself to maintain its fiscal discipline by ensuring that our house is in order. Continuing a tradition began in 1997 when Prime Minister Paul Martin was Finance Minister, the Government has again balanced its books. There is also a commitment to invest $1.5 billion for early learning and child care across the country over the next five years to ensure that our children are given a proper start in life. For seniors, there is the newly designed New Horizons for Seniors Program and an increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement. The Government clearly stated that it is committed to the implementation of the Kyoto Accord, a program of Green Procurement and greater investment in wind power technology. Canadians have made clear their belief that we must improve and support our health care system. The Government has delivered by committing $41.2 billion to the provinces over the next ten years. Cities and communities will also benefit by the Government’s commitment to share the federal gas tax, assist in eliminating “infrastructure deficit,” focus on affordable housing and encourage green communities. The Speech from The Throne delivered on the Government’s electoral commitments and put into place the foundations to ensure that we remain a strong and prosperous nation. Article courtesy of Mario Silva Informações a não membros custo obrígatório Pedidos de informação somente por escrito. FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 5 6 FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 Mário Silva acompanha delegação Canadiana a Portugal TORONTO, Novembro 3, 2004 – O Deputado Federal, Mário Silva pela zona de Davenport, faz parte da Delegação Canadiana que acompanha a Portugal, o Ilustre Geoff Regan, Ministro Federal da Pesca e Oceanos. “É com grande prazer que aceitei o convite feito pelo Ministro da Pesca e Oceanos, para o acompanhar a Portugal e fazer parte da Delegação Canadiana.” comentou Mário Silva A Delegação parte no dia 6 de Novembro de 2004 e volta no dia 10 do mesmo mês. O Ministro Canadiano em conjuto com Mário Silva e outros membros da Delegação, vai encontrase com Carlos da Costa Neves, Ministro Português da Agricultura, Pescas e Florestas. Espera-se que os dois Ministros debatem ideias que irão melhorar o critério de evidências requeridas, durante inspecções conduzidas pela Organização das Pescarias do Noroeste do Atlântico (NAFO) Regulamentação da Comissão de Pescas do Atlântico Nordeste (NEAFC) desenvolvendo assim uma cooperação industrial e científica entre os dois países. Como resposta a um acordo mútuo entre o Primeiro Ministro Paul Martin e o Primeiro Ministro Pedro Manuel Santana Lopes, num encontro bilateral no dia 22 de Setembro de 2004, aguarda-se que este encontro proporcione o avanço de uma estratégia unilateral para a conservação da pesca. “Nesta viagem a Portugal o Ministro e sua Delegação vai ter a oportunidade de se envolverem em diálogos directos com Entidades portuguesas sobre assuntos de importância relacionado com a indústria da pesca de ambas as nações.” salientou Mário Silva Tanto o Canadá como Portugal são nações com experiências extensivas na indústria da pesca. Esta missão oferece aos representantes de ambas as nações a oportunidade de se envolverem num diálogo bilateral em relação a este importante sector das suas respectivas economias. 2004 Board of Directors Leo Pereira, President John P. Macedo, Vice-President Fernando Clotildes, Secretary Ermidio F. Alves, Treasurer Antonio Aires Aldina Costa Kelly Da Fonseca Avelino Fonseca Cristina Marques Fernando Rio Past Presidents Frank Alvarez Ermidio Alves Luis Arruda David Costa Fernando Costa Ricardo Castro-Lopo Raimundo Favas Almiro Fonseca Louis Louro, Jr. FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004 Founders José Neves Nellie Pedro Joe Pinto Arnaldo Santos John Santos Armindo Silva Charles Sousa Carlos Teixeira Laura Bulger Fernando Costa Vasco D’Avillez Cesar de Morais Germano Gonçalves Delkar Maia Alberto Pereira Octavio Sampaio John F. Santos Armindo Silva 7 “Annual Scholarship Dinner” para entrega das Bolsas de Estudo será no dia 25 de Novembro de 2004 A Federação de Empresários e Profissionais Luso-Canadianos (FPCBP) tem o enorme prazer de anunciar que o Orador Convidado para o “Annual Scholarship Dinner” será o Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Premier do Ontário. Este evento importante para a entrega das bolsas de estudo será no dia 25 de Novembro no Pearson Convention Center em Brampton. O programa de Bolsas de Estudo 8 tem por objectivo auxiliar os estudantes de descendência portuguesa que frequentem Instituições Educacionais Secundárias Canadianas. No ano 2000, este programa passou a incluir alunos do 12° ano. O sucesso anual desta iniciativa depende inteiramente da generosidade e suporte dos nossos patrocinadores. Para mais informações sobre as bolsas de estudo ou para participar no nosso “Annual Scholarship Dinner” - somen- te por reserva antecipada - chamamos a vossa atenção para o nosso website www.fpcbp.com 722 College Street, Suite 301 Toronto, ON M6G 1C4 Telefone: (416) 537-8874 Fax: (416) 537-9706 Email: fpcbp@bellnet.ca FPCBP Newsletter - Fall 2004