More than 200 delegates from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and various parts of Fiji gathered at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva for the 28th Joint Business Forum of the Fiji-Australia Business Council (FABC) and the Australia-Fiji Business Council (AFBC), held from Thursday to Saturday last week. This event marked the highest attendance in the history of the FABC and AFBC forums.
The forum brought together government representatives, development professionals, business leaders, industry experts, economists, and academics, creating a robust network of influential participants. Three Fijian ministers spoke at the event: Lenora Salusalu Qereqeretabua, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs; Pio Tikoduadua, Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration; and Manoa Kamikamica, Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, who opened the forum and remained engaged throughout.
FABC president, Vera Chute, expressed satisfaction with the overwhelming delegate turnout, emphasizing the strong ties between Australia and Fiji. She pointed out that the participation reflected the shared challenges and opportunities the two nations face.
Senator Tim Ayres addressed the attendees remotely, while Australia’s Acting High Commissioner, Clair McNamara, conveyed similar sentiments regarding the strong partnership and the shared economic responsibilities in the Pacific region. McNamara highlighted the recently renewed Vuvale Partnership, aligning with the forum’s theme of “New Challenges, New Solutions,” and reported on new financial agreements aimed at supporting various partnership priorities.
The forum featured expert presentations that sparked significant discussions, including Fiji’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), marking Fiji as the only Pacific member of an agreement covering 40 percent of the world’s GDP and a third of global trade. Investment Fiji projected that the value of current infrastructure projects in Fiji would amount to $F6 billion through 2030, while Austrade provided data on 104 infrastructure packages worth $F1.7 billion from six government agencies.
Other important topics included Fiji’s Immigration Reform efforts aimed at attracting investors, the entry of major players like Starlink and Google with a $F200 million Data Hub, and the expanding Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, along with a focus on renewable energy and climate initiatives. In tourism, it was noted that July 2024 is anticipated to be a record month for visitor arrivals, and the Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu is progressing well, receiving funding from the World Bank.
AFBC President Allison Haworth West concluded the forum by emphasizing the importance of personal connections in business and highlighted the strengthened ties established over the event. She extended an invitation to all attendees to Australia for the next forum scheduled for 2025, encouraging continued collaboration.
The FABC and AFBC expressed gratitude to their sponsors and partners, including Westpac, Fiji Airways, and Vodafone, as well as media partners The Fiji Times and FBC.