Tokyo (SCCIJ) – The Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCIJ) announced today that it will donate a total of 3 million yen (approximately US$ 27,000) to aid victims of the record rains that hit Western Japan in July. On behalf of the whole membership, the Executive Committee and the staff of the SCCIJ express their deepest sympathies to all those affected by the devastating floods.
Solidarity with hard-hit people
More than 200 people have lost their lives, thousands are without their homes and belongings. The damage to the infrastructure, agriculture, and economy of the disaster-struck region is enormous. With its donation, the SCCIJ would like to show its solidarity with the hard-hit local people and communities.
More specifically, the chamber’s Executive Committee has decided to donate 1 million yen to each of the three main affected prefectures Hiroshima, Okayama and Ehime. The SCCIJ deliberately chose to directly support the local governments to minimize the donation share spent on administrative costs.
Support for speedy recovery
“Floods and landslides are disasters many Swiss unfortunately are also too familiar with,” SCCIJ President Michael Mroczek stated. “Even if our donation is just a drop in the ocean, I truly hope it will support a speedy recovery of the whole area.”
Our donation follows Switzerland’s long-standing humanitarian tradition and also aims to foster the bilateral relationship between Switzerland and Japan which is one of the chamber’s key missions, Mroczek added.
About the SCCIJ
Founded in 1981 and officially approved by the Japanese Ministry of Industry and Trade the following year, the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan supports the interests of Swiss companies doing business in Japan as well as Japanese companies interested in doing business in Switzerland.
Not only does the SCCIJ count among its members some of the biggest Swiss multinationals, but it is also proud of the many small and medium-sized companies, the so-called hidden champions which constitute an important part of our membership. Its membership tally stood at 196 at the end of 2017.
You can download the matching SCCIJ press release from here.