Today we’re very pleased to profile BLP partner, the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and we spoke its CEO Arobati Teewe Brechtefeld about recent changes in the way the Chamber operates and the plans for the year ahead.
KCCI Act (2024)
In 2024, the Kiribati Government passed the KCCI Act (2024) and the Chamber is now run in accordance with this Act. Arobati is the Chamber’s first CEO, employed as a requirement under the new Act.
Arobati says the Act reflected a strong desire by government to support the growth and success of the private sector which employs the bulk of the population (20,000) versus the government which employs 5000.
Under the Act, all businesses in Kiribati now have a legal requirement to register with KCCI. Arobati reports, “There are now 1200 businesses registered with KCCI, 74% are these registered businesses are SMEs.”
Prior to the KCCI Act, the Chamber struggled to get smaller businesses to register as a member, as they didn’t understand the benefits to their business of membership.
There are good reasons for this mandate. By uniting all Kiribati businesses under the KCCI umbrella, the Chamber is better able to understand the needs of local enterprises – big and small. This enables effective representation of their interests and allows the Chamber to deliver targeted skills training, business guidance, and financial access, supporting sustainable growth and development.
2026 Plans
“We want businesses to know that the KCCI is not only the big businesses in our country, but all sizes of businesses.” Helping in this communication, the KCCI has formed a Chat Group which goes to all businesses to keep people up to date.
He says, “It is still hard to connect with businesses in the outer islands with the Chamber’s limited resources and only one car. However, with our outreach programme we are steadily getting the message out there now.”
“We are helping people understand how we can support them to grow or get a loan or help with many other areas like policy or legal advice. In one of our outreach visits we recently met with a group of mayors – we had a speaking spot – and there was a lot of interest.”
BLP works with KCCI to connect MSMEs with the quality advice and financial services led by BLP Business Service Manager Akoia Manikai Iabeta who works in a dual role for BLP and KCCI.
Arobati says Business Link Pacific has been very a big contributor to their progress. “We have attracted a lot of SMEs to KCCI through the support available through BLP.”
Important to the success of the business sector is having accessible advisory support for business development support and Arobati says the Chamber is working this year to recruit more business advisors with right skills.
As well as this, 2026 for the Chamber means a focus on skills training. “We’re trying to do a training session each month. In January we conducted training to help businesses how to do online shopping, and we had a good-sized group of people attend.”
Since the change in the operation of the KCCI, Arobati says the KCCI has strengthened their advocacy with Government on behalf of businesses, spending time with Ministers to inform them of issues facing the private sector and blockages to growth. “There are many challenges with policy for our local businesses.”
Looking to the future, the Chamber is also doing a lot of fundraising to help with the construction of a new building for the KCCI. Currently the Chamber operates from a very old ex-government building which is not fit for purpose.
“We are planning to build a better facility which supports training and meetings and provides a space for a credit union to allow more funding for businesses. We will probably rent out some office space also. It’s a big task ahead as we don’t have a lot of labour or equipment, although we have received a donation of building materials.”
“We’re excited about where we’re headed – we’re getting our name out there about the services available to businesses and how we can advocate for them. We’re being seen more. Government is consulting with us much more and seeking information from us. So, we are being acknowledged for our role.”
With a vision for the future, the KCCI is working hard to implement a stronger future for businesses of all sizes and BLP are proud to work with them to build a sustainable future.
To start your journey with BLP, you can self-assess your needs by using the free online tools available to help small- and medium-sized businesses diagnose areas in their businesses that an advisor could improve.
The first step can be the online Business Health Check. You can also check your business’s resilience to respond to crises or climate change challenges on the Business Continuity Planner and the Climate Action Sensor. If you prefer to meet a local BLP representative in person to discuss your business, get in touch with our local partners to arrange a face-to-face Diagnostic.
[Main photo: President of KCCI, Kautoa Tonganibeia with KCCI CEO Arobati Teewe Brechtefeld]