Filimone Waqabaca, chief executive officer of the Fiji Development Bank, has been named the new board chairman of Investment Fiji, the government agency charged with promoting investment and exports. The appointment brings a seasoned public servant and finance specialist to the agency as it seeks to strengthen investor confidence and expand economic opportunities for the country.
Waqabaca arrives at Investment Fiji with some 35 years of experience across public service, finance and diplomacy. His career includes senior central banking roles after beginning at the Reserve Bank of Fiji in 1990 as a technical assistant; he rose to become Chief Manager of Economics and later Chief Manager of Financial Systems Development and Compliance. He also served as an economic and policy analyst at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and as an adviser to the executive director in the Southeast Asia office of the International Monetary Fund.
His public service résumé features several high-profile diplomatic and ministerial posts, most notably as Fiji’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan and as High Commissioner to New Zealand. Domestically, Waqabaca has held the role of permanent secretary for Finance and National Planning and has chaired or served on multiple statutory bodies and state-owned enterprise boards, including the Fiji Rugby Union, Airports Terminal Services, the Higher Salaries Commission, the Tax Agents Board, the Budget Aid and Coordinating Committee, the Fiji Electricity Authority, Amalgamated Telecom Holdings and the Pacific Fishing Company.
Investment Fiji welcomed the appointment, saying Waqabaca’s “visionary leadership” would be instrumental in driving Fiji’s economic growth and steering the institution towards new horizons. The agency’s board chair is central to shaping strategic direction, overseeing governance and liaising with government and private-sector stakeholders — responsibilities that Waqabaca’s combined financial and diplomatic background is expected to inform.
Waqabaca’s academic credentials include a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the South Pacific and a Master of Science in International Banking and Financial Studies from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. Observers note that his experience in international finance and multilateral institutions, together with his diplomatic ties in key markets such as Japan and New Zealand, could support Investment Fiji’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment and diversify partnerships.
The appointment marks the latest leadership development affecting Fiji’s economic institutions as the country navigates post-pandemic recovery, regional competition for investment, and efforts to bolster resilience in sectors such as tourism, renewable energy and agribusiness. With Waqabaca holding senior roles in both the Fiji Development Bank and now Investment Fiji’s board, stakeholders will be watching how his dual positions influence coordination between state development finance and investment promotion activities.
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