In this issue: CELEBRATING EXPORT WINNERS - EMA

Boats, beer and buildings: Fiji economy recovering
Business confidence in Fiji is a lot
more positive than during the thick
of the global financial crisis last year,
says Michael Greenslade, Pacific Trade
Commissioner at New Zealand Trade
and Enterprise.
He’s full of news about new
developments and business
opportunities. He points out New
Zealand and Fiji have never had
trade sanctions against each other,
and despite political upheaval in
Fiji, business relations have always
flourished.
“The reality is trade has never been
an issue,” Greenslade said.
The region is New Zealand’s sixth
biggest export market.
Greenslade was previously Trade
Commissioner for Fiji based in Suva
for five years. In April he visited there
with the recently appointed new
Trade Commissioner for Fiji, Peter
Lund.
Among Fiji’s 333 islands, Denerau
Island is the scene of much new
business activity. Port Denerau
company owned by the Skeggs family
from Dunedin is at the heart of large
improvements: Major dredging to
allow super yachts to berth (two were
in port at the time of Greenslade’s
visit); and the re-establishment of
the iconic Auckland to Suva Yacht
Race under the new name of
Auckland- Fiji Denerau Yacht Race
2010. The company is also planning
to build a yacht club on Denerau.
Other major developments on
Denerau include the sale of the
last two hotel development sites
ready for development. Another
hotel’s foundations have begun
for building on reclaimed land,
with a new apartment block in the
pipeline.
A local, niche boat builder is
building two large aluminum boats
for New Zealand customers, using
materials from Ullrich Aluminum.
Furthermore, New Zealanders
Jeremy and Jonathan Ullrich have
set up the Fiji Island Brewing
Company in Nadi; their Vonu brand
beer is one of Fiji’s most popular, says
Greenslade.
In Suva a new head office has
been built for Flour Mills of Fiji Ltd.
Similarly Vinod Patel and the Tappoo
group have built a new retail centre.
Carpenters Fiji Group which has
wide business interests, including a
shipping agency, has moved directly
into shipping and is operating four
vessels on the Fiji-New Zealand-
Australia-Papua New Guinea route,
promising competitive cargo rates.
“Everyone is watching closely!”
There’s a movement back to Fiji’s
duty free status of the 1960s and 70s.
Additional licenses were recently
granted for duty free shopping, to
increase tourism.
Greenslade concludes: “After my
absence I noticed a lot of building
as Fijian companies reposition
themselves for the good times.
“There are strong businesses in Fiji
who are very aware of the cycles the
country goes through.”
During the ‘recession’ of 2009
New Zealand’s global exports
declined 7.5% and Australia’s
similarly, but in the Pacific region
where New Zealand’s export
revenues reach $1.2 billion, exports
declined by less than 1%.
“The Pacific is a growing market
even in times of recession because of
tourism, growing wealth and middle
class expectations, and a reliance
on technology and food they don’t
produce themselves.”
EMA Northern provides
secretarial services to the New
Zealand Fiji Business Council
established in 1988 to facilitate and
support trade and investment links
between New Zealand and Fiji.
For more information contact mike.
burgess@ema.co.nz
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