Uma Venkatram –
The Sixth Annual Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture held at The Pullman Hotel Auckland on Monday, July 25, 2016 was attended by dignitaries, businesspersons, politicians, economists, bankers, lawyers, accountants, media personnel and people from other walks of life in New Zealand.
The programme started with cocktails and networking followed by a three-course Black Tie Dinner.
The highlight of the event was the Lecture which touched upon the governance and regulatory practices in the finance and banking industry and the role played and measures taken by the country’s Central Bank to steer and control the economy in the right direction.
Regulatory framework
The main speaker of the evening was Graeme Wheeler, Governor of Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) who outlined the regulatory framework and policy oversight of the Bank’s operations.
He then elaborated on the principles of sound governance which underpin the regulatory reforms the Bank implements from time to time.
Earlier, Jacob Mannothra, Managing Director of Indian Newslink welcomed the guests and spoke about the growing significance of the Annual Lecture Series in the country’s business calendar and the relevance of this year’s Topic, which he hoped will cover the challenges faced by the New Zealand economy in the global context.
In his speech, former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand, on whose name the prestigious lecture series has been institutionalised, traced the growth of the annual event over the years and how important it is for the Reserve Bank to play a pivotal role in keeping the financial system safe in a changing world.
Some Reflections
Rounding up the event was Rod Oram, Business Journalist. He reflected upon the alternate tenets of policing and strategic policy formulation – the dual adaptation and inventive roles exercised by RBNZ.
He likened the Reserve Bank to the sheep dog in the farming sector and how the bank continues to perform its job, non-deterred by unsought criticisms and media remarks. He also spoke about the unique characteristics of the Auckland quandary posed by immigration and housing supply constraints.
With Maori, Pacific and Pakeha roots, the situation is now compounded with its complexity of ethnic diversity, absence of competition, scarce intellectual ideas and a lack of viable resources to challenge ourselves and arrive at effective and sound solutions to tackle the various problems facing the regional economy, he said.
Professor Sekhar Bandyopadhyay of Victoria University, Wellington was the Master of Ceremonies.
BNZ was the Title Sponsor of this Lecture with Barfoot & Thompson, Relianz Travel and Radio Tarana as other sponsors.
Uma Venkatram is a professionally qualified Chartered Accountant and a Member of the Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CA ANZ). Reports and analyses are among her passions.
