Investment Fiji and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) have collaborated on a peer-to-peer learning initiative to better understand investment realities and opportunities between Fiji and Australia.

As the Investment Promotion Agency for the Fiji Government, Investment Fiji seeks to enhance trade and investment prospects, while Austrade is the Australian Government’s international trade promotion and investment attraction agency.

Kamal Chetty, Chief Executive Officer of Investment Fiji, expressed his enthusiasm for the program. The first peer-to-peer learning opportunity provided invaluable exposure for the team and fostered a deeper understanding of investment promotion and trade facilitation between the two countries.

Chetty highlighted the transformative nature of such opportunities, enabling staff to propose new strategies and enhance service delivery by leveraging insights gained from international organisations like Austrade.

"These eye-opening engagements help empower our team and contributes to us better understanding international markets," Mr Chetty added.

Sumeet Singh, Investment Facilitation Advisor, was one of two Investment Fiji staff  who travel to Australia recently to participate in the first peer-to-peer learning exercise supported by the Australian Government through its Market Development Facility.

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Singh praised the training for creating a productive environment where participants could share best practices and develop professional networks. He also emphasised its contribution to the growth and development of Investment Fiji's personnel, enabling them to promote trade and investment in Fiji effectively.

"Understanding the intricacies of preparing Investor Value Propositions and conducting effective investor outreach was a significant achievement for me," said Singh. "It has empowered me to attract potential investors and drive investment activities in our region more effectively."

Buoyed by the positive feedback and learnings from the participants, Investment Fiji is continuing the initiative through online peer-to-peer training.

Mr Chetty said two staff were currently undertaking this program online.

"There are abundant opportunities for organisations like ours to participate in these training programs, as they enable our staff to better understand global business demands and standards. This, in turn, positions us to capture high-yielding investment and trade prospects for our country," he said.

Australia is one of Fiji's most significant trade and investment partners, with two-way good sand services trade totalling AUD812 million (2021). Two-way investment between Australia and Fiji was valued at AUD1.414 billion (2021).

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