Better business program runs for first time in Vava'u [1]
Friday, April 18, 2008 - 22:10. Updated on Thursday, June 12, 2014 - 10:04.
In Neiafu this week eight Tongan business people and community organisers, completed a three-day training program that will help them run better organizations.
The Better Business Governance (BBG) program, is designed for first-time directors of organisations - whether they are private, public, or not-for-profit community-based bodies, said Barbara Tu'ipulotu, Project Officer, Development Cooperation Australian High Commission, Nuku'alofa, who coordinated the course in-country.
Run by Australian Business Volunteers (ABV), the program covers the basic legal, accounting and regulatory principles governing directors, as well as the requirements of relevant national companies' acts.
While this is the first BBG course to be run in Vava'u by ABV, held from April 15-17 at the Governor's Office, it has been run on many other occasions in Nuku'alofa, Barbara said.
Enthusiasm
Experienced presenters Dr Lyndy Scott and Graham Markey were impressed with the dynamics of the Vava'u group.
"We are working with a high-calibre group of business people on this course. They have shown great enthusiasm and commitment to getting the most they can out of the course and learning from each other," said Lyndy.
During the program, Samui Vaipulu, a Vava'u based lawyer, explained the legal responsibilities and duties of directors in Tonga. 'Inoke Vala from the Ministry of Public Enterprises addressed the course on recent changes in regulations, including the need for directors of public enterprises to attend approved courses such as the one conducted by ABV.
BBG is supported by AusAID (the Australian Government Aid Program). The BBG program is interactive, using local case studies to teach principles of good governance, and how Boards work. The key duties of a director are identified and participants are shown how to conduct a quick financial "health check" of their organisations.
"The course was very useful to me because it brought out the finer points of directors' duties, and reinforced a number of important principles," said participant Sipekai Luani.
After the completion of the course, some participants were able to work with a course presenter on a one-to-one basis, tackling specific governance or financial measures they want to implement in their organizations.