Around thirty business representatives from the New Zealand Fiji Business Council (NZFBC) will be in the country as part of the ‘Trade and Recovery’ business mission next week, to enhance NZ’s trade and investment relationship with Fiji.

A four-day event, supported by Investment Fiji, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) and the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFAT) will commence at Tanoa Plaza, Suva from Monday 20th June to Thursday 23rd June 2022.

It will provide a platform to the incoming delegates to hear about the resilience of the Fijian economy, the opportunities available in Fiji, business registration processes as well as B2B meetings.

NZFBC President Chandar Sen said the council has been on a business mission every year since 2015 except for the last two years, which were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said later in the same week they will attend a joint conference with the Fiji New Zealand Business Council (FNZBC), which has been a signature event for the two councils.

"Not being able to hold this event in person was an unwelcome disruption in our events calendar however, we are delighted that this year’s joint conference will be held in-person,” stated Sen.

He shared that the thirty individuals who are part of the mission, are from 22 companies that had registered to attend the event and the joint conference to do business with Fijian companies, buy Fijian goods and services and vice-versa.

"We have members who have an interest across a range of sectors and modes of business. The industries and sectors include manufacturing, boiler services, training and education, technology, logistics, professional services, construction materials, trade facilitation, and environmental management,” said Sen.

"We are optimistic that our members will be able to explore new opportunities to grow our trade and investment links,” he said.

The biggest challenge by far for the members of the council had been the inability to travel and Sen expressed his gratitude to the Fijian Government in making travel to Fiji a seamless process. 

Investment Fiji Chief Executive Officer Kamal Chetty said this event is a highlight for the organization and for Fiji as the mission is returning after a lapse of two years.

"This mission is set to generate a lot of interest for our various sectors in Fiji and potential investors who would want to invest in the country,” mentioned Chetty.

"The opportunity for our local businesses to connect with those who are part of this mission could result in many positive possibilities for Fiji and for its economic prospect too.”

“This event is very significant for us and our stakeholders as we have a lot of common interest areas to collaborate and discuss on and I would like to thank NZTE, NZFBC as well as the FNZBC for their support,” said Chetty.

The delegation will be in Nadi for latter part of the event, and will travel via the Kings Road to get afirst-hand feel for the large tax-free region that exists along the route.

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