Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

IQALUIT
Concerns raised at a recent roundtable of Inuit business owners from across Nunavut will be heard this month at a Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) board meeting.

Cambridge Bay's Arctic Closet is one of more than 30 Inuit small businesses that participated in a recent roundtable hosted by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Manager Vicki Aitaok is pictured here at the 2012 Kitikmeot Trade Show. - Thandiwe Vela/NNSL photo

The Inuit land claims organization held the Inuit Small Business Roundtable in Iqaluit in June, to discuss aspects of the territory's economy, including the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI) policy, which is currently undergoing a comprehensive review.

"I think it's important to get everybody talking," said Vicki Aitaok, whose business Arctic Closet was represented at the meeting by her husband, Jorgan. "I think it was certainly valuable, we were pleased to participate for sure."

More than 30 Inuit business owners gathered for the roundtable, according to NTI, and expressed "serious concerns and frustrations about the GN's implementation of the NNI Policy as well as the inadequacy of some of the provisions of the policy itself," a news release stated.

"NTI organized this conference to give Inuit business owners, who have first-hand knowledge about the government's contracting policy and practice, the opportunity to voice their concerns and recommend improvements," stated acting CEO Arthur Yuan. "The GN's current contracting policy and practice need serious improvements, and NTI remains committed to work with the GN to find solutions to fix the issues."

Struck under Article 24 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the NNI policy is meant to give Nunavut and Inuit-owned businesses advantages when bidding on government contracts.

Nunavut business owners have raised concerns over the rules being used to benefit bidders only partially Inuit-owned over wholly Inuit-owned businesses; and to benefit large companies in the South with minimal connections in the territory's communities.

The territorial government launched a comprehensive review of the policy earlier this year, to be done in collaboration with NTI.

NTI has also committed to review its internal procedures after delegates at the recent roundtable conference questioned its roles and practices related to providing assistance to Inuit firms in the GN's contracting process.

The NTI Board of Directors will be briefed on the conference at the Board meeting scheduled to take place in Pangnirtung, Aug. 28 to 30, spokesperson Kerry McCluskey stated in an e-mail to News/North.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.