For Immediate Release: April 15, 2008
DBEDT News Release 08-08

HONOLULU—The Hawai‘i Office of International Affairs, Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT), the U.S. Commercial Service and Lyon Associates will co-sponsor a seminar on Monday, April 28 on doing business with the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

"This is an opportunity for Hawai‘i firms to learn first-hand about consulting and procurement opportunities at the Asian Development Bank," said DBEDT Director Theodore E. Liu. "For many Hawai‘i firms, this will be an excellent opportunity to expand their business through international contracts."

ADB officials traveling to Honolulu include Yinguo Huang, principal procurement specialist; Ignatius Santoso, director, Central Operations Services; Don Purka, investment specialist, Private Sector Operations Department.

In addition to the ADB officials, the director of the U.S. Commercial Service's Manila-based Liaison Office for ADB, Kenneth Reidbord, will also speak on U.S. government support and services for U.S. firms.

Established in 1966, the Asian Development Bank is owned and financed by its 67 member countries, of which 48 are from the region. ADB's projects are in primarily in agriculture, transport, infrastructure, social development, and in the areas of finance and governance. It contributes low interest loans, guarantees, grants, private sector investments, and knowledge and advice to help build infrastructure and improve essential services such as health and education to boost quality of life, particularly for the nearly 1.9 billion people in the region still living on $2 or less a day.

Hawai‘i firms are eligible to bid on all ADB-funded procurement and consulting opportunities.

In the year ending September 2007, U.S. firms won $520 million worth of consulting services and equipment supply contracts ranking first in overall procurement among these donor countries. Since the bank's founding in 1966, the U.S. has won over $5.5 billion worth of procurement from ADB. Hawai‘i firms interested in applying with the ADB need to be thoroughly familiar with the bank's procurement guidelines.

In addition to the seminar, ADB and U.S. Commercial Service officials will be on hand to meet individually with Hawai‘i companies on April 29.

The pre-arranged one-on-one appointments must be scheduled in advance through DBEDT.

For more information, contact: Milton Kwock, mkwock@dbedt.hawaii.gov, phone: (808)587-2757.

For more information, contact:
Dave Young, DBEDT
Phone: (808) 587-1212
Email: dyoung@dbedt.hawaii.gov