From right to left: Mr. LEE Hong Yen(NFBEU), Mr. LIN Wan Fu(NFBEU), Mr. ETHIRAJ ARUNACHALAM(AIBEA), Mr. TSAI Chiu Far(NFBEU), Mr. LAI Wan Chih(NFBEU), Mr. HANG Shr Shian(NFBEU), Mr. Asoka Dharmasiri(CBEU), Mr. CHEN Ka Fatt(NUBE), Mr. CHIU Chia Pang(NFBEU), Mr. CHEANG Chow Fook(NUBE), and Mrs. SU Yi Chih(NFBEU).

According to resolution adopted at the AROBIFU first Executive Bureau Meeting held in Malaysia on October 26^th to 28^th 2009, a finance planning meeting should be held to further discuss the AROBIFU fund raising issue. At this meeting, some unionists with expertise on union financing (having economic brains) should be invited to Taiwan where the Treasurer bases and brain-storm proper projects that could be proposed to the Executive Bureau Meeting or the Office Bearers for approval and then implementation. 

Referring to the resolution of the same Directive Bureau Meeting, regular labor education programs and necessary cross-border campaigns should be carried. For these crucial purposes and their implementation, AROBIFU finance bases should be steadily developed. It is expected that this finance planning meeting should gather more experiences and creative ideas of cross-border fund raising in concrete and feasible projects so as to strengthen AROBIFU financial structure. 

On March 10^th to 13^th 2010, 4 union financing experts are invited with their prepared reports given in advance to Taiwan for more in person interaction and discussions at the meeting. They are Mr. ETHIRAJ ARUNACHALAM, Treasurer of AIBEA India, Mr. CHEN Ka Fatt, Hon. Gen. Treasurer, NUBE Malaysia, Mr. CHEANG Chow Fook, staff of union finance division, NUBE Malaysia, and Mr. Asoka Dharmasiri, Assistant Secretary of CBEU Sri Lanka. They not only bring precious union financing experiences to share with NFBEU participants but also create new ideas to build up AROBIFU fund.

NFBEU participants are President LAI Wan Chih, who is also AROBIFU Treasurer that chairs the meeting, Vice President LIN Wan Fu, Senior Managing Board Director on Finance LEE Hong Yen, Managing Board Director on International Affairs TSAI Chiu Far, General Secretary HANG Shr Shian, Deputy General Secretary SU Yi Chih and Mr. CHIU Chia Pang, board director of NFBEU member union, the Mega International Commercial Bank Union.

Among all the ideas proposed by participants, a suggested scheme to raise more annual membership fees is supported and approved. Mr. CHEN Ka Fatt, representing NUBE Malaysia that made the proposal addresses that the scheme is to categorized member organizations into different levels of membership fees based on their number of members. If the scheme is approved by Directive Bureau, larger member organizations with more members could contribute more to AROBIFU and accordingly increase the fund. Mr. ETHIRAJ ARUNACHALAM, representing AIBEA suggests a one-time payment of US 1,000 immediately to build up AROBIFU fund to initiate union activities. However Mr. LEE and HANG representing NFBEU note that in consideration of those member organizations with justifiable financial unaffordability and in accordance with the AROBIFU constitution Article 6(f), the final amount of membership fees should be decided by general membership. 

Other than the membership fees scheme, creative cross-boarder fund raising projects are proposed by participants such as travel arrangement, union summer camps for members’ offspring, sales of union sundry stocks, sales of famous domestic products through member organizations, friendly financial service provided through AROBIFU platform, trade union educator services, sponsorship and fund raising programs from international non-profit organizations and etc. Mr. Asoka Dharmasiri, representing CBEU Sri Lanka, points out that any sponsorship from international organizations should be carefully managed to maintain union’s autonomy and independency. He also claims that in their coming general member delegates meeting in June, a proposal is going to be discussed that every member is required to pay extra 5Rs in which 2.5Rs should be directly contributed to AROBIFU.

The discussion at the meeting is fruitful and constructive and all the proposed projects will be referred to Directive Bureau Meeting for discussion in detail.