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CONSTITUTION OF SUVA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
1. The name of the chamber shall be the SUVA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
2. OBJECTS
THE OBJECTS OF THE CHAMBER SHALL BE: -
I. To promote and protect commerce and industry throughout the district of Suva in particular and in Fiji generally;
II. To promote and to protect the mutual interest of all its members or groups of members on matters that affects commerce and industry.
III. To promote, encourage and provide for joint consultation between members or groups of members on matters of mutual interest or difficulty;
IV. To act as a consultative and an advisory body on all body on all matters relating to commerce and industry;
V. To promote amicable and cordial relations between one group of members and another group of members and between employers and employees;
VI. To assist and advise upon request of any member and as appropriate in any matter connected with industrial relations between that member and his employees in respect of terms and conditions of employment or service;
VII. To assist and advise upon request of any member and as appropriate in respect of collective bargaining, conciliation, arbitration, commissions, boards of inquiry or wages councils, etc. established under any commercial or industrial legislation or ;having a commercial or industrial purpose;
VIII. To collect from members or other sources such statistical or other data and information as may be deemed to be necessary or desirable or have relevance to commerce and industry;
IX. The redress and removal of grievances in connection with commerce and industry;
X. The settlement by arbitration of disputes or differences which may arise upon commercial and industrial questions;
XI. To develop the general public interest in commerce and industry and its promotion through free enterprise and the development of entreprenual skills by disseminating information on all matters pertaining to the chamber’s activities, and by publishing or circulating such notices, newsletters, papers, circulars and publications as may be deemed necessary for this purpose;
XII. To keep members informed and to monitor over on the operation of existing laws and practices, the activities of Government and Government Committees at both local and central level including statutory bodies and all commercial and industrial matters and to take such actions as may be necessary or expedient with regard thereto;
XIII. To co-operate with any organisation of commerce and industry, local international or otherwise whose main objects are similar to those of this chamber or become a member or associate thereof;
XIV. To acquire property by way of purchase, take on lease, or license or hire or otherwise acquire movable or immovable property of any kind in furtherance of the objects of the Chamber and to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of any movable or immovable property on such terms as may be considered expedient;
XV. To construct buildings maintain and alter any houses, buildings, or works necessary or convenient for the purpose of the Chamber;
XVI. To procure contributions by taking such steps by personal or written appeals, public meetings, or otherwise as may from time to time be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the Chamber, in the shape of donations, annual subscriptions, or any other means deemed necessary;
XVII. To print and publish any news papers; periodicals; books or leaflets that the Chamber may think desirable for the promotion of its objects;
XVIII. To borrow and raise funds in such manner as the Chamber may think fit;
XIX. To invest any funds of the Chamber in such manner as may from time to time be determined;
XX. To assist charities by subscribing to any local or other charities, and to grant donations for any public purpose;
XXI. To establish and support, and to aid in the establishment and support of any other Chamber’s formed for all or any of the objects of the Chamber;
XXII. To do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the objects of the Chamber or any one of them AND every sub-clause in this object clause shall be construed as a substantial clause and not limited and restricted by reference to or inference from any other sub-clause or by the name of this Chamber and none of such sub-clause or object or the objects therein specified or powers thereby construed shall be deemed subsidiary or ancillary to the objects or owners mentioned in any other sub-clause, but the Chamber shall have full power to exercise all or any of the powers and to achieve or endeavor to achieve all or any of the objects conferred by and provided in any one or more of the said sub-clause.
3. MEMBERSHIP
I. Any person, partnership, society, corporate body or a statutory body or any other organisation engaged or interested in commerce, trade or engaged in a manufacturing or processing industry in Suva and surrounding area shall be eligible as a candidate for membership and after election in the manner hereinafter prescribed shall upon payment of the requisite subscription become a member of this Chamber;
II. Each firm, society, association, corporate or statutory body shall be regarded as one corporate person and shall be entitled upon approval of its membership to nominate one delegate to represent it;
III. Each candidate for membership shall sign an application for election and an agreement to be bound if elected by ;the rules of the Chamber. Every such application shall be sent to the Secretary and shall be considered at the first meeting the committee after delivery of such application when the majority of members of the Committee then present may admit the candidate as members. Such admission, with payment of annual subscription shall constitute membership;
IV. The annual subscription shall be such sum as the Committee may decide from time to time. The annual subscription shall cover the period from 1st day January to the 31st day of December each year and shall be payable in advance on the first day of January each year;
V. If a Member’s subscription shall be in arrears for a period of three months he shall cease to be a member of the Chamber and shall not be entitled to receive any benefit and shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Chamber;
VI. Any member who has ceased to be a member due to nonpayment of the annual subscription shall be reelected to the membership upon payment of all the subscription in arrears.
4. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
The committee shall be empowered to elect Honorary Members. No Honorary Member shall have any voting power. Such Honorary Membership shall be confirmed annually.
5. LIFE MEMBERS
The committee may by a three-fourth majority recommend to the Annual General Meeting for election to Life Membership any member who has given long and valuable service to the Chamber;
A Life Member shall be ex-officio member of the Committee additional to a number of Committee members otherwise provided for under the Rules and shall not have voting powers at any meeting of the Chamber and shall not be eligible for any office and shall not be liable for any subscription;
There shall not be more than three [3] Life Members of the Chamber at any given time.
6. THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
I. The Management Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting each year and shall consist of : -
· President
· Two [2] Vice Presidents
· Immediate Past President
· Eight [8] Committee Members
II. Each member of the Management Committee shall have one vote except the President who shall have a deliberate as well as a casting vote;
III. The Management Committee shall have power to appoint a Member of the Management Committee to replace any member who may cease to be a member of the Council by reason of death or resignation or who may be absent overseas for a prolonged period without leave or who has absented himself without leave of the Management Committee for three consecutive meetings but each case the period of appointment may not extend beyond the date of the next general meeting;
IV. Six members shall constitute a quorum at council meetings.
7. MANAGEMENT
I. The affairs of the Chamber shall be managed by the Management Committee who may do and execute all acts necessary in the pursuance of the aims of the Chamber and the promotion of its objects and who may exercise all such powers of the Chamber, including its capacity to contract, as are not required to be exercised by the Chamber in General Meeting, subject, nevertheless, to any section of this constitution or other rules of the Chamber, to the provisions of any ordinance, and to such provisions and rules being inconsistent with the aforesaid constitution or ordinance, as may be prescribed by the Chamber in General Meeting, but no rule made by the chamber in General Meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Management Committee which would have been valid if that rule had been made;
II. The committees may appoint “Ad hoc” Committees of such size and composition as it may deem necessary for such specific purpose as it may determine. Persons appointed members of such “Ad hoc” Committees need not necessary to be members of the Management Committee. In appointing such “Ad hoc” Committee the Management Committee shall decide whether such Committee shall have power to implement its own decisions or whether it must report its recommendation to the Management Committee for ratification prior to implementations. The Management Committee may dissolve an “Ad hoc” Committee at any time;
III. The Management Committee may meet as often as required to exercise its functions but in any event shall meet at least on six occasions during the year.
8. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
I. PRESIDENT
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Chamber and Management Committee and perform such other duties as are incidental to his Office and the direction of the Management Committee.
A Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence or disability.
II. SECRETARY
The Secretary shall be responsible for all the records of the Chamber and shall cause minutes of all meeting to be duly recorded and kept.
The Secretary shall be responsible for all the: -
§ membership records of the Chamber;
§ resolutions, reports and any proceedings in which the Chamber is involved;
§ correspondence and other communication made by the Chamber;
§ funds of the Chamber; he/she shall Bank all money as soon as practicable after receipt thereof in such bank as the Management Committee may from time to time direct;
§ proper books of account and shall maintain same showing correctly the financial affairs of the Chamber and all the particulars usually shown in the books of a like nature;
§ expenditures to be approved or ratified at Management Committee meeting;
§ other things as directed by the Management Committee.
9. ANNUAL GENERAL OR GENERAL MEETINGS
The Annual General Meeting of the Chamber shall be held in the month of March or as soon thereafter as may be convenient.
The Annual General Meeting shall: -
I. Receive the report of the President;
II. Receive Statement of Accounts;
III. Elect Members as a President, two Vice Presidents and eight members of council for the ensuing year;
IV. Elect an Auditor;
V. Consider and if necessary take action with reference to any business or motion of which the majority of those present may determine to entertain.
VI. The Secretary shall give at least 14 days notice in writing of the time and place of such meeting;
VII. Retiring Office Bearers shall be eligible for re-election.
A GENERAL
General Meeting of the Chamber may be held at regular intervals or by direction of the President at the request of three members. The Secretary shall give al least three days notice in writing of the time and place of such meeting.
B SPECIAL
Special Meeting of the Chamber may be convened by the President, Secretary for three members. The Secretary shall give at least three days notice in writing of the time, place and purpose of the meeting.
C COUNCIL
The Council shall hold meeting monthly or as often as it may be desired. The Secretary shall give at least five days notice of the time and place of such meetings.
D HONORARY OR EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Honorary or Ex Officio Members may attend and take part at General Special or Council Meetings of the Chamber but shall not be entitled to vote or hold Office.
E QUORUM
Ten [10] Members shall constitute a Quorum at General or Special Meeting of the Chamber;
F The Nomination, which shall be in writing and signed by the member and his/her proposer shall be lodged with the Secretary at least three days before the Annual General Meeting at which the election is to take place.
G Balloting lists shall be prepared [if necessary] containing the names of the candidates in alphabetical order, and each present at the Annual General Meeting shall be entitled to vote for any number of such candidates not exceeding the number of vacancies.
H Should, at the commencement of such meeting, there be an insufficient number of candidates nominated, nominations may be taken from the floor.
I Fourteen [14] days notice shall be given by the Secretary of the Annual General Meeting.
J The Annual General Meeting may dispense with the strict observance of these rules if it is the wish of three-quarters of the members present.
10. AMENDMENTS TO THIS CONSTITUTION
No new provision shall be made or any of the provisions herein contained or hereafter to be made shall be amended, altered, or rescinded, unless with the consent of a two-thirds majority of the voting power of the members present at Annual or Special General Meeting of the Chamber.
The Secretary shall give notice in writing to all members of any proposed new provisions or amendments, alterations, or remissions of the provisions at least 7 days before the date of the Annual General Meeting or of the Special General Meeting called for that purpose.
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