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MESSAGE FROM THE CANADIAN EMBASSY
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WHO'S WHO AT THE EMBASSY
When you visit or call the Canadian Embassy in Ecuador (2232-114, 2506-162),
you will have the pleasure of being greeted by our bilingual Receptionist,
Raquel Bahamonde [email protected].Raquel
can provide general information on Embassy services, answer your questions,
and/or direct you to the person who can best serve you. If your enquiry is
trade related, Mark Richardson, our recently-arrived Trade Program Manager
(mailto:[email protected], cel. 099-786-401), and Ricardo
Valdez, our veteran Commercial Officer
[email protected], cel. 098-149-534, can assist in your
language of choice. If you represent a Canadian company and need market
prospecting services, visit information, key contacts, a face-to-face briefing,
local company information or troubleshooting, Mark and Ricardo will be pleased
to provide you with the assistance you require. For Ecuadorian clients, Mark
and Ricardo can help match their needs with the appropriate sources of Canadian
products and services. Visit https://www.dfaitmaeci.gc.ca/ecuador/trade-en.asp to find out more about how the Commercial
Section can assist you. If your enquiry is consular related, Consul Lisa Almond
[email protected], cel. 099-825-345 or Consular Officer
Maria Lorena Pasquel [email protected]
can answer your questions in English, French or Spanish. They provide the
following services: assistance to Canadians in distress; passport issuance (in
about 5 working days); processing of citizenship documentation; legal/notarial
services such as executing affidavits, statutory declarations, certifying
copies; registration of Canadians who plan to be in Ecuador for more than 3
months; and provision of information on Canadian pensions plans, customs,
elections, and tax issues. The Embassy also publishes a travel report on
Ecuador, as well as other publications providing tips on living abroad,
travelling alone, etc. For more information on Consular Services or to register
with us, please visit https://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/ecuador/assistance-en.asp
For immigration matters, our Immigration Assistant
[email protected] there to help, and is responsible for
accepting immigrant and non-immigrant applications, taking the appropriate
fees, and responding to enquiries. Once received, the applications are sent to
Bogot� where the decision on whether or not to grant the visa is made.
Information on requirements and fees is available at the Embassy during its
hours of operation. Please note it takes between 8 and 10 working days to
process a request for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV). Visit
https://www.cic.gc.ca for more information. Veronica Fierro
[email protected], cel. 098-119-308 is Ambassador Otch
von Finckenstein's Executive Assistant and the person to contact if you would
like to request a meeting with the Ambassador. Veronica coordinates the
Ambassador's agenda and social engagements, and is always ready to assist in
whatever way she can. Ambassador von Finckenstein
[email protected], cel. 099-808-823 - a veteran
Trade Commissioner with 26 years in the Canadian foreign service and 6
assignments under his belt - is always happy to hear from any Canadian whether
resident or visiting, or from any Chamber member with a project of Canadian
interest. He welcomes you to visit the Embassy and our website
https://www.quito.gc.ca to find out more about how his team can serve
you.
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SERVICES
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Other than the Trade Mission to Canada in October and the Trade Fair in Quito
in November, what else is new?
- This Newsletter for one!
- FULL SIZE Member Certificates are now available and will be distributed over
the next few weeks. Layout and color are distinctive. Display proudly in your
office or reception area.
- We have a revised Brochure available in the Chamber offices and at Chamber
events. This brochure will be distributed to the Canadian Embassy in Quito as
well as to the Ecuador Embassy and Consulates in Canada.
- We have added a Member Services Table to our Luncheons. You are welcome to
bring your corporate literature for distribution and provide a representative
to explain your services.
On the social side we have our Thanksgiving Dinner featuring imported Atlantic
lobster on October 11. The next major event will be a golf clinic followed by 9
holes of golf and dinner on November 14.
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MESSAGE FROM 1st VICE PRESIDENT
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DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MEMBERSHIP EFFORTS
I would like to re-iterate what I said during our last luncheon of September
18./03: � I feel proud to be an active member of Ecuadorian Canadian Chamber of
Commerce� .
I am convinced that Ecuador is an important place to do business and offers
many special opportunities for foreign investors. This is why your Chamber is
working hard in increasing its membership and giving to its Members new
services: trade shows, luncheons with distinguished speakers, social events,
opening of new branches as the one in Guayaquil, and organizing its first
business mission to Canada. We are strengthening opportunities for Ecuadorian
and Canadian entrepreneurs in areas like tourism, agriculture, forestry,
mining, fishing and aquaculture.
We as members should keep supporting , locally and internationally, every
effort towards growing and invite investors to see in Ecuador the following
positive factors: A: The dollarization exchange system that avoid
exchange-rate risk .
B: The freedom to the entry and departure of capitals.
C: The free trading of goods and services. D: The Ecuadorian
guarantee for non- discriminatory treatment of foreign organizations awarding
those that provide relevant services to the country.
E: The diversity of our natural and geographic resources that have
gained worldwide recognition for their excellence and quality.
If our Members and prospective Members are interested in the support that we,
as a bi-national chamber, are offering, please do not hesitate to contact with
us to satisfy our mutual objectives of working together.
Please recommend to us your friends and business associates. With a strong
structure Ecu-Can will extend its branches to Cuenca in order to be a real
national chamber in Ecuador.
Best Regards,
Diego Mosquera
VP and Chairman of the Membership Committee
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LA CAMARA DE COMERCIO ECUATORIANO - CANADIENSE EN GUAYAQUIL
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En esta oportunidad tengo el agrado de dirigirme a la Comunidad Ecuatoriano �
Canadiense de Negocios, para dar a conocer el nuevo proyecto de servir
eficientemente a todas las necesidades de esta comunidad en la ciudad de
Guayaquil.
Guayaquil como Puerto Principal del Ecuador con su actividad Econ�mica,
Industrial y Comercial son el eje de producci�n en nuestro pa�s. Esto se ha
reflejado tambi�n en un inter�s en la Comunidad Ecuatoriano � Canadiense en
tener su C�mara para que lo represente.
La C�mara de Comercio Ecuatoriana � Canadiense, en Guayaquil esta siendo
constituida como una persona jur�dica de derecho privado, sin fines de lucro,
cuyo prop�sito es impulsar nuevos caminos para el desarrollo de las distintas
actividades productivas de ambos pa�ses.
Gracias al apoyo de la Embajada de Canad�, el Consulado de Guayaquil y un
selecto grupo de profesionales y empresarios, quienes voluntariamente est�n
aportando con sus conocimientos, tiempo y esfuerzo para que esta C�mara tenga
vida institucional.
El fin de esta nueva C�mara es el de facilitar, fortalecer y fomentar las
relaciones Comerciales, Econ�micas, Medio Ambientales, Tur�sticas, Sociales y
Culturales mediante la participaci�n activa de la membres�a de los sectores
empresariales de Ecuador y Canad�.
Para este prop�sito nos permitimos presentar a ustedes el siguiente Directorio:
Presidente Honorario. Otch Von Finckestein. Embajador de Canad�.
Presidente de la C�mara. Ing. Gustavo Costa Von Buchwald
Vicepresidente Ing. John Megson
Secretario Honorario Sr. Ricardo Valdez
Asesor Jur�dico Abog. Vicente Dur�n Cornet
Secretaria Ejecutiva Solange De Luca
Directores Principales:
Peter Bohman, Basil Haylock, Antonio Montane, Samuel Reyes, Isidro Icaza Ponce,
Pilar Mayo Vilaseca, Pa� l Palacios Alfredo Jurado, Francisco Ferreti, Antonio
Kozhaya, C�sar Meza.
Para lograr la obtenci�n de un mejor futuro de ambos pa�ses e ir cumpliendo
nuestras metas como C�mara, estamos �ntimamente comprometidos en l crecimiento
y desarrollo de Nuestra C�mara de Comercio Ecuatoriano � Canadiense de
Guayaquil.
Hacemos una cordial invitaci�n a todos los empresarios de la comunidad
Ecuatoriano � Canadiense que deseen darse una oportunidad y ser parte de este
gran esfuerzo.
Sinceramente,
Ing. Gustavo Costa von Buchwald.
Presidente C�mara de Comercio Ecuatoriano � Canadiense
Guayaquil.
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SECURITY REPORT
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MANAGING PROJECT RISK � ECUADOR
The purpose of this article is to assist Canadian investors with some frank
advice on how to manage the realistic hazards associated with working in
Ecuador.
Risks - General
When operating within a different culture, minor issues can quickly become
major operational and liability risks. Accordingly, managing the local paradigm
of � corrupt business practices� , expatriate personnel orientation and basic
emergency planning (such as medical and missing persons response) are
foundational issues; not afterthoughts. They must be pro-actively addressed in
a coherent fashion from the beginning.
As in any Latin location, opportunistic street crime is a considerable
nuisance. Correct transportation, proper employee street-wising and reasonable
physical security measures are necessary.
Not least, it should be considered that the leading cause of project disruption
and security hazards in the field are the result of poor community relations.
Pro-active CR must be a leading component of any project management plan and it
must be integrated (and this is the key) with almost all other project
functions to remain effective.
Risks � Regional
Due to its geography, lines of communication, internal corruption and �
dollarized� economy, Ecuador is an ideal logistical support base for the
various guerrilla and criminal networks operating within the Region �
principally into and out of Colombia and Peru. The movement of contraband,
weapons and supplies and the laundering of money are several key examples.
The � spreading of the conflict� from Colombia (for example) is not a direct
threat at this time. It is indirect. The resources and money generated by the �
logistics support concept� is resulting in an organized criminal network within
Ecuador that is extensive, largely silent and well financed. For a variety of
reasons (among them resources) Ecuador is not confronting these issues
directly.
As the sophistication and resources of these professional criminal groups
increases, so too will their � capacity� to affect the Establishment and
business - directly or indirectly. Predicting their intentions at a � tactical�
level is a full-time pre-occupation for many professional intelligence groups.
Ensure you have access to such analysis and that someone is assigned the role
of advising you of any clear and present threats to your project specifically;
as might emerge over time.
Risks - Information
The leading threat to any business today is the intercept and theft of
proprietary plans and competitive information. This is achieved easily through
inside information, hardcopy document theft, the hacking of computers and the
blind-copy intercept of sensitive un-encrypted e-mail communications.
Associated with this is the fact that the most dangerous financial and physical
security threats have as their genesis a target which is exposed and easily
penetrated � to gather the information necessary to plan.
It is not enough to order your IT people to throw up some firewalls. An
information management system is necessary that integrates permissions on
information, handling procedures (physical and electronic), use of encryption,
hard copy document storage, use and preparation of laptops and document filing
and tracking.
Your Strategy
A piecemeal and hap-hazard approach does not work. Regardless of the size of
your project, the key is to integrate all of these issues into a coherent and
mutually reenforcing strategy. It does not take a lot of thought really to
appreciate (for example) that your physical security measures, your information
security system and your financial controls are all inextricably linked.
Every business is different and so threat and hazard dynamics will vary. Start
with a good assessment of the various threat scenarios that could seriously
affect your project and try not to become overly-focussed on just the direct
physical threats. Based on this threat spectrum, determine the linkages and
then seek professional advice to confirm threat specifics and to simplify and
integrate your protective posture.
Because your project and the threats associated with it are seldom static,
revise your program regularly.
The Results
Within your business management plan, a protection strategy will emerge.
Implement it�s protocols early and then regularly revise them and train your
key people. The results will be a safe environment for everyone involved, few
surprises and the efficiency that comes from always working on hazard
prevention and avoidance.
David G. Hirter B.A. CD
Protection Solutions International
Quito Office: 593.22.441.312
Calgary Head Office: 403.770.6020
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PUBLICACIONES DE NEWSLETTERS
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