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our members

Australia Poland Business Council Inc.

61 Ijong Street, Braddon
ACT 2612 Australia

The Canberra contact is Mr Eugene Bajkowski.
Tel. +61 2-6249 6128; Fax +61 2-6257 6608
Email: apbci@tpg.com.au apbci@tpg.com.au

The Australia Business Council Inc. (APBC) is a wholly Australian, independent, non-profit, voluntary organisation established in 1991 for the purpose of promoting, expanding and consolidating bilateral and multilateral trade and all aspects of economic, commercial and cultural relations between Australia and Poland, and third countries when this may assist furthering the Council’s basic objectives. APBC Inc. does not receive any funding from any sources other than membership fees and is beholden to no one.

APBC Inc. was established in Canberra in 1991 by five founding members: Mr. Eugene Andrew (Eugeniusz Andrzej) Bajkowski, the late Dr.Geoff (Gerwazy) Adam Binkowski, Mr. Aleksander Marian Gancarz, Dr. Seweryn (Sev) Ozdowski OAM and the late George (Jurek) Selway-Skonieczny. The first and only Patron was the late Sir William Keys OBE.

The Australia Poland Business Council Inc. has been a voluntary association of professional and academic economists, experts, trade practitioners and journalists who believe that a successful promotion of bilateral and multilateral trade necessarily involves an active promoting of friendly and co-operative political and cultural relations and person-to-person, firm-to-firm relations and direct contacts and also requires an adequate knowledge of the culture and history of partner countries.

APBC Inc. promotes trade and friendly and co-operative political and cultural relations and person-to-person, firm-to-firm contacts. APBC Inc members and representatives provide consulting and other trade-related services for a reasonable fee. This includes market research, finding trade partners, representation, participation in trade fairs, exhibitions, seminars, symposia, trade and business missions, conferences and promotion of trade. As a non-profit association, apart from periodic services provided on a cost-recovery basis to certain government institutions, private enterprise associations and educational and cultural institutions, APBC Inc. does not itself trade but may conduct business operations in its own name or as a legal entity. From time to time, certain important services have been provided to both Australian and Polish government institutions gratis in the national interest.

APBC Inc. promotes trade and friendly and co-operative political and cultural relations and person-to-person, firm-to-firm contacts. APBC Inc members and representatives provide consulting and other trade-related services for a reasonable fee. This includes market research, finding trade partners, representation, participation in trade fairs, exhibitions, seminars, symposia, trade and business missions, conferences and promotion of trade. As a non-profit association, apart from periodic services provided on a cost-recovery basis to certain government institutions, private enterprise associations and educational and cultural institutions, APBC Inc. does not itself trade but may conduct business operations in its own name or as a legal entity. From time to time, certain important services have been provided to both Australian and Polish government institutions gratis in the national interest.

To further these objectives, the Council has initiated activities such as preparation of market analyses, business plans, feasibility studies, publications and parliamentary submissions, including newsletters and media statements and other forms of publishing.

Other forms of trade promotion include trade advice, organisation of, and participation in, trade fairs, exhibitions, seminars, symposia, trade and business missions, conferences and promotions of trade. While recognising global aspects of the contemporary trade, the Council fosters relations with Poland and Central Europe in particular, including visits by politicians, parliamentarians and officials considered likely to facilitate communication and access to decision-makers in the respective countries.

Among other activities, the Council members working at their own account have been involved in: exports of services (distance tertiary education, IT, cultural services, audio and video cassettes, translation and interpreting, tourism), market analysis for various commodities (incl. coal, wool, food and agricultural products, timber), trade in light aircraft, machinery and consumer goods (glassware, beverages, timber), beverages, investment, building housing estates in Poland.

Activities undertaken by the Council since its formation have included:

  • Sponsoring and hosting in 1991 the first major buyer trade mission from Poland after regime change in mid-1989.
  • Briefing parliamentary delegations from Poland Negotiating foreign loans for Poland.
  • Hosting and co-hosting visits to Australia by leading Polish political personalities and economists.
  • Co-hosting several trade missions from Poland organised by the Polish Chamber of Commerce KIG (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza).
  • Publication of articles and news items in printed and electronic news media in Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom and other countries on Australian-Polish economic, business and political relations.
  • Participation in cultural and artistic functions in Australia and Poland.
  • Briefing, at the request of the Polish diplomatic and commercial representatives of visiting Polish ministers, deputy ministers and other Government and business representatives.
  • Liaison with DFAT, AUSTRADE, other Commonwealth Departments and State and Territorial authorities and instrumentalities, Australian and Polish private sector organisations and media, Embassy of the Republic of Poland (including Ambassadors and Commercial Counsellors).
  • Liaison with Australian Polish Community organizations.
  • Participation in organisation of, and representing Australian interests, at annual World Polonian Economic Conferences (APBC Inc. representative(s) presented messages from prominent Australian politicians, including President of the Senate and several State Premiers).
  • Promotion of the Australian education in Poland.
  • Production of publications in English and Polish languages for the purpose of promoting Australian-Polish economic and business relations.
  • Arranging for prominent speakers on Poland and Australian-Polish relations at the National Press Club-NBA Luncheon Addresses in Canberra.
  • Briefings and presentations for visiting Polish businessmen (Swiatowa Gospodarcza Konferencja Polonii) organised by the Polonia Foundation (of Warsaw) with input from Poland’s President, leading members of the Polish Government, regional administrations and many prominent Polish businessmen. These annual conferences bring together prominent expatriate Polish businessmen from 35 to 55 nations from all continents and provide a major forum for presentation of opportunities offered by Australia.

APBC Inc. co-operates with:

  • Various agencies of the Australian Commonwealth Government
  • Australian State Government(s) instrumentalities
  • ACT Government agencies
  • Federal, State and Terrritorial politicians
  • Australian business
  • Australian trade and industry associations
  • Major private and government research institutions and universities
  • Banks and financial institutions
  • Trade unions
  • Respective trade missions and diplomatic representations to Australia and Poland
  • LOT Polish Airlines and LOT-AIRTOURS
  • KIG (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza) and selected regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Poland, including Cracow and Lodz Chambers of Industry and Commerce, LOT Polish Airlines.
  • Polonia Foundation (of Warsaw).
  • The National Press Club Inc.(Canberra)
  • Federal Council of the Australian and New Zealand Polish Communities (Rada Naczelna Polonii Australijskiej i Nowozelandzkiej).
  • Council of Polish Organisations in the ACT (ROP)
  • The Australian-Polish Cultural Foundation (APCF – a member organisation)
  • SBS Radio
  • Multi Publishers (publishers of "Express Wieczorny" weekly Australia-NZ edition).
  • Tygodnik Polski (Polish Weekly) newspaper.
  • The Australian Institute of Polish Affairs
  • Australian private sector organisations and associations
  • DFAT and Austrade

The following Office Bearers were elected at the last Annual General Meeting:

  • Federal President Mr. Józef Drewniak
  • Vice-President (Victoria) Mr. Wieslaw Parajs.
  • Vice-President (Small Business) and General Representative for Europe and Poland Jolanta Tomira Wolski OAM JP
  • Vice-President (ACT) Aleksander Marian Gancarz
  • Hon. Federal Executive Secretary Mr. Eugene Andrew Bajkowski
  • Hon. Federal Treasurer and Public Officer Dr. Adam Malarz

The following positions were confirmed:

  • Resident Representatives in Poland: Ms Lucyna Jaroszewska, Ms. Magdalena Elżbieta Twarowska
  • Resident Political/Economic/Media Advisers in Poland: Dr. Antoni Pierzchala, Mr. Jan Żdżarski (print media and automotive industry), Mr. Wiesław Mrówczyński (African affairs, motor vehicles TV and radio)
  • Resident Representative in Brazil and Latin America: Ms. Elizabeth Anne Agafonoff (residing in Salvador, Bahia)

The following APBC Inc. members have been honoured by Australian and Polish awards (for activities related and unrelated to APBC Inc.):

Jozef Drewniak - Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and Commander's Cross of the Order of St. Stanislaw; Jolanta Tomira Wolski (Wolska) - OAM, Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland; Dr. Seweryn (Sev) Ozdowski - OAM, Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland; Eugene Bajkowski - Commander's Cross of the Order Polonia Restituta and Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland; the late Dr. Geoff Gerwazy Binkowski - Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland; Wieslaw Parajs - Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.