“As soon as possible” is rather vague as far as dates go.
The Assembly of First Nations has been fairly clear about its goals. It wants more than 5% of public contracts to be awarded to indigenous businesses and for them to also have fair, transparent and open access to contracts offered by provincial and territorial governments. It also calls for working in partnership with first nations to fulfill our obligations under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In February 2024, the First Nations Financial Management Board, the First Nations Finance Authority, the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers, or CANDO, and the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, AFOA, came together to form the First Nations Procurement Organization, or FNPAO.
What is your relationship with this new organization, created last February, and what is the status of your discussions with it? Do you plan to proceed to this notable transfer with that organization?