New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Honourable Damien O’Connor,

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Trade Commissioner, Mr. David Dewar,

Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand, Trade Commissioner, Ms. Glynis Miller,

Auckland Business Chamber, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Simon Bridges,

Fiji New Zealand Business Council President, Ms. Renu Chand,

New Zealand Fiji Business Council President, Mr. Chandar Sen,

Reserve Bank of Fiji, Deputy Governor Mr. Esala Masitabua,

Chair of Investment Fiji, Ms Jenny Seeto,

Fiji Trade Commission Australia and New Zealand, Trade Commissioner Daniel Stow,

Distinguished CEOs, Business representatives and other Invited Guests,

Kia Ora, Bula Vinaka

A very Good Morning to you all. I am pleased to join you all here today and welcome you all here today, to lead Fiji’s first Investment and Trade Mission to New Zealand, and the first of such missions under the new Government.

New Zealand was first because of the strong relations and economic cooperation we share. Kiwis choose Fiji for business for holiday and also buy Fiji made and Fiji grown products.

Last week, I met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon. Nanaia Mahuta to reaffirm the importance of our relations on various shared agendas. The potential opportunities and reaping benefits that Fiji and New Zealand businesses can gain from it. Thus, today is most appropriate in being here to strengthen our trading partnership.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This relationship is encapsulated in our Duavata Partnership, which encompasses a strong commitment to progress our mutual economic interest, build resilience and sustainability and address global challenges like climate change, preservation of our resources and ocean health and particularly, protecting the blue Pacific.

We acknowledge New Zealand’s role in assisting Fiji through timely technical assistance, capacity building, and direct budgetary support in effort to partner with us in our economic development.

Our partnership with New Zealand has many shared goals and achievements. The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of our close partnership and proved our resilience and determination to help each other. This was evident when New Zealand was in need of assistance such as the recent humanitarian response team after the catastrophic Tropical Cyclone Garbiel early this year. New Zealand is an important part of the Pacific family and we are here to our brothers and sisters.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We also share close trade and investment ties. New Zealand continues to register as one Fiji’s largest trading and investment partners. It is pleasing to note that New Zealand investments in Fiji remains to grow. The two main sectors of investments from New Zealand are Tourism and Services.

The two-way trade between Fiji and New Zealand is $813.9 million in 2021. We aim to increase our two-way goods and services, reduce barriers to business, and encourage private sector development.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In order to maintain Fiji as an investment and trade destination of choice, reforms and modernisation of business processes will continue and accelerate under the new Government. Our goal is to create an open, fair and friendly business environment.

This includes a reformed Investment Fiji, continuous improvements to our laws and legislation, and continued improvements to our processes.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Reforms and modernisation of business processes are no longer an option, but have become a norm in the post-pandemic era. For businesses to do what they do best, the Fiji Government must effectively analyze the implementation of business processes which enable a competitive market and diversified economy. Such initiatives to reform ease of doing business are:

1. Modernisation of Investment Fiji’s role and responsibility and become a fully-fledged Investment Promotion Agency aligns to the international best practices and set a clear vision to serve investors, both foreign and domestic;

2. Furthermore, with the review of Investment Act, reserved and restricted activities are more streamlined to attract businesses in sectors that have the utmost potential to grow; and

3. At the helm of business reform, the Ministry made headway to address the regulatory and administrative bottlenecks, through the establishment of the Investment Facilitation Committee. With key stakeholders, including government, investors, businesses involved, it is aimed to collectively address issues in order to make doing business easier in Fiji.

By engaging with the private sector, the Coalition Government can create an enabling environment that encourages investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship, which in turn drives economic growth.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 2023 Fiji Investment and Trade Mission is the first of this year. With the various panel discussions and business to business meetings that are lined up by the organisers, we intend to see over 100 business to business engagement for potential investors and exporters. Essentially, investment promotion leads are crucial. The team is also on standby to assist in any further information required.
Going forward, we still can leverage the potential strength of Fiji and New Zealand’s economic relations.
Our efforts here are to increase the volume of exports and the range of products from Fiji to New Zealand. Additionally, we need to ensure that our engagement and B2B discussions will result in direct investments into Fiji from NZ. For the whole week this will be my Mission and that of my teams.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I urge you to join me in this endeavour and ensure that we deliver tangible benefits by striking partnerships, agreements, ventures and deals. Your commercial interest in Fiji will help create sustainable jobs, spur economic growth and development.

With Fiji’s economy growing strongly and a wealth of incentives and assistance on offer, 2023 is the perfect time for Kiwi businesses to build both value and capability through rock-solid partnerships.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Opportunities exist across a range of sectors – including pharmaceutical production, fish processing, building and construction, cosmetics, textiles, clothing and footwear, as well as high-end furniture and value-add raw materials – astute businesses of all sizes are being offered partnership incentives by Fiji Government.

There are considerable incentives available to qualifying companies, as well as a number of assistance services for investors, such as investment matching, investment project management, trade development and policy recommendation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The week-long event is a platform for businesses from Fiji and New Zealand to interact and learn about both markets, and crucially to make business-to-business connections. We are certainly very pleased to see the turnout from the NZ business communities to meet and engage with their Fiji counterparts. And we look forward to this continued engagement.

I would like to recognise the effort and the hard work of those who have been put in to get this event; Ministry, Investment Fiji, with collaborative partnership from the Fiji Trade Commission (Australia and New Zealand), Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand, New Zealand – Fiji Business Council, Fiji – New Zealand Business Council, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and HFC Bank.
With these words, I hope you will make the most of the opportunity presented during this forum to build the connections and understanding that will help you to grow trade and investment between both markets.
I look forward to hearing directly from you about how we can improve and better support you to invest and trade in Fiji.

Vinaka Vakalevu. Thank you.