Washington D.C. (Sundiata Post) — Kusum Kavia, President of Combustion Associates Inc. (CAI) based in Corona, California is one of 23 business executives appointed to the President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA).
The announcement was made by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker September 20, 2016, on the eve of the second U.S. Africa Business Forum (USABF).
The newly appointed members participated in a Meet and Greet with Secretary Pritzker and President Barack Obama at the USABF September 21 in New York. The USABF is a historic gathering of U.S. and African entrepreneurs and heads of state focused on advancing trade and investment between the U.S. and Africa.
The role of PAC-DBIA aligns closely with this mission. Members representing small, medium, and large companies from diverse industries will advise the President, through the Secretary of Commerce, on ways to strengthen commercial engagement between the U.S. and Africa. They will serve a two-year term.
As part of his commitment to deepen engagement between the U.S. and Africa, President Obama signed an Executive Order at the inaugural USABF in 2014 to establish PAC-DBIA. Since then, the council has provided information, analysis, and recommendations on U.S.-Africa trade and investment priorities.
“I am pleased to appoint you to the PAC-DBIA and appreciate your willingness to devote your time and efforts to the work of this council,” Secretary Pritzker wrote to Ms Kavia.
Ms Kavia has extensive experience of executing projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. She leads the business development team and is the entrepreneurial force behind the success of CAI, which is an engineering and manufacturing company, whose exports to Africa account for nearly 70 per cent of its total sales.
“I am honored to be a part of this prestigious advisory council. It gives me an opportunity to share my insights and experience on various aspects of doing business in Africa directly with the policy makers and contribute toward improving trade between our country and the emerging economies of Africa,” said Ms. Kavia. “Africa is going to be a significant player in the global market and overcoming crippling electricity shortage to power growth is one of its most urgent challenges. CAI strives to be a part of the solution to this problem,” Ms. Kavia added.