Thank you for joining us today.
TOURISM
Since we re-opened in December 2021, we have received a daily average of 1,200 visitors. In December alone, we welcomed about 36,000 visitors from Travel Partner Countries. Most of these tourists were either from Australia or the United States.
In January 2022, our visitor numbers remain strong. We continue to receive on average 1,200 visitors per day and we expect this to continue until the end of month. In fact, we are estimating that by the end of January, Fiji will receive another 35,000 visitors.
Traditionally, February is our lowest month in the tourism season. So, for the next month, our forecast remains conservative. Early indications from the airline forward bookings, show that:
- in February, we expect up to 15,000 visitors;
- in March, we expect up to 20,000 visitors; and
- in April, we expect up to 30,000 visitors
We know how this virus works and we know that the only way to sustain the industry is to ensure health remains paramount. The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce continues to monitor our Travel Partner Countries – and where necessary – escalating risk mitigation measures.
The tourism industry has worked hard to ensure industry wide compliance. To date, we have over 1,700 (1,741) businesses that are Care Fiji Certified.
We’ve set the stage for resumption of travel. We have well established partnerships. We have developed, put to test, and rolled out health and safety protocols and will continue to enhance our capabilities – including testing. So ladies and gentlemen – we are keeping this recovery sustainable. So to sum it up, Fiji is open and more people are working. Thanks to our carefully-crafted protocols, we can stay open and we can keep our people in jobs they love.
MSME Support
A strong recovery means stronger government revenues, which we will continue to invest in our people’s talents and ingenuity. Grant funding programmes, such as National Export Strategy, Young Entrepreneurs Scheme, Northern Development Programme and Integrated Human Resources Programme, all of which have far and wide reaching impacts, will be expedited. A total of up to $1.4 million is expected to be released.
This is in addition to other MSME related programmes such as COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Facility Interest Subsidy (Credit Guarantee) announced in 2021-2022 National Budget.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
According to the Reserve Bank of Fiji, in 2022, total exports are projected to grow by 16 percent. This is driven by increased exports of mineral water, sawn timber and gold products, as well as the food and live animals category.
This rebound in exports also stems from continued growth in trading partner economies, higher global commodity prices (for both gold and sugar) and the continued global reopening.
Furthermore, investment spending has increased, new loans for investment activities increased by 3.1 percent in the year to November 2021.
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
Despite some lingering uncertainty around COVID-19 pandemic, investor confidence in the building and construction sector has remained resilient. We have sustained that confidence through facilitating and fast tracking building, rezoning and subdivision applications.
In 2021, 751 Building applications and 48 major building developments worth $608 million were approved. We also had approved 339 Rezoning applications, while 833 approvals were granted for Subdivision applications.
We will continue to support the Building and Construction sector, whilst ensuring that all development comply with the respective policies and standards.
TRANSPORT
The Government Shipping Services provides a critical link between the main islands and maritime islands, especially during natural disasters. Many parts of Fiji faced flooding due to Tropical Cyclone Cody and at the moment there are certain parts of the group that are affected due to the volcanic eruption in Tonga.
The Government Shipping Services is in a state of readiness to assist the National Disaster Management Office in reaching out to maritime islands.
COVID SAFE PROTOCOLS FOR BUSINESS OPERATIONS
We have introduced policies in our collective efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. We introduced new penalties while emphasising the need to get back to the basics of COVID safety.
Through our COVID Safe Ambassadors, we have monitored more than 5,300 businesses around Fiji. Of this number, 41% in the Central Division, 42% in the Western Division and 17% in the Northern.
We found a concerning lack of adherence to many COVID-safe measures. Some businesses were not regularly checking vaccination status, others were not providing proper sanitation, enforcing distancing or checking for the careFIJI app.
That is why, on 10 January 2022, we announced new measures for gatherings and strengthened our enforcement of measures we know can work to suppress COVID transmission. Since the announcement of the recent Public Health measures, we have noted a considerable improvement in compliance from businesses. We expect that to continue.
So the news is good concerning our recovery into 2022. This progress wasn’t gifted to us or by any means guaranteed, we planned for it and we worked to deliver it.
We urge all Fijians to continue to support our Tourism Sector in whatever capacity you can. Whether that is by masking up and promoting COVID safe behaviour, or keeping our streets and oceans clean by our actions. Or even supporting small businesses that form part of the supply chain of our Industry – from the Bu sellers at Denarau junction to handicraft sellers in markets.
We are open for happiness, and we will stay open by working together to make this year one of the strongest ever for our economy.