Tech use in business

Little ocean warriors

Champions of sustainability, Nanuku Resort celebrated World Ocean Day by introducing students of the Pacific Harbour Multicultural School to their on-site coral and mangrove planting initiatives in the hopes of encouraging the next generation of ocean warriors and environmental activists. Fourteen year 7 and 8 students from the school, accompanied by their principal, visited the...

Training highlights need for SMEs to keep proper records

A local company that was established to provide advisory services, trainings and easily accessible funding options for small and micro traders has noticed the need to upgrade traders’ knowledge of preparing proper financial records and business reports. Business Assistance Fiji general manager Ramesh Chand shared they noticed the need to conduct training on proper record...

Top policy priority

ANZ International Economist Dr Kishti Sen predicts that the solution to Fiji’s debt issues lies in the empowerment of the private sector. ANZ Research believes that the reduction of red-tape and regulation in order to attract business investment should be the top policy priority for the upcoming national budget. “The good news is that Fiji...

The psychology of luxury consumption

IN a world brimming with opulence and exclusivity, the allure of luxury goods and extravagant purchases continues to captivate the human imagination. High-end fashion, luxury brands, exquisite accessories, and lavish vacations embody a realm of excess that entices consumers across Fiji. As a consumer advocacy body, the Consumer Council of Fiji delves into the motivations...

‘Governments try and do the best they can’

“THERE’S always a lot said before a budget, but the fact remains that governments don’t have a magic wand. With limited resources and competing priorities, governments try and do the best they can.” This was a sentiment expressed by Dr Kishti Sen, International Economist, ANZ. Dr Sen said, through ANZ Research, that there was reason...

Access to travel insurance service made easier

Accessing insurance plans as easily as sending a few text messages will soon be a reality thanks to FijiCare Insurance Ltd. At a product launch event for their newest offerings, the Comprehensive Travel Insurance Cover and VuvaleCare, an online platform for bundled microinsurance, FijiCare announced that travellers to Fiji may be able to engage with...

Global recognition

MAUI Palms has been bestowed with the Trip Advisors Peoples Choice Best of the Best Winner this year. Owners of the boutique beachfront resort – Wayne Downs and Christine Badia said the recognition would not have been possible without the continuous support and loyalty of their beloved guests, who inspire the couple to believe in...

Favourite bottled water brand

FIJI Water is resoundingly Americans’ favourite bottled water brand, new data released by international survey and research firm, Morning Consult has announced. Based on net favorability rating, Poland Spring was the number one bottled water brand for consumers in the Northeast, while Ice Mountain tied Fiji Water for first in the Midwest, per Morning Consult...

Council records 119 complaints

The Consumer Council of Fiji (CCoF) has issued an alert for consumers against engaging with an electronics dealer that has amassed 119 complaints so far. While the complaints were against three separate businesses, Quantum Electronics, Computer Hub, and Vision Cyber Tech, are reportedly managed by the same individual. According to the council, the individual in...

Portable ECG devices

PROVIDING Fijians with the option to monitor their heart health from the comfort of their homes, the Spandan portable ECG device is now available in Fiji through Life Safe Investments. The pocket-sized 12-lead ECG machine can reportedly detect over 39 heart diseases and claims a 99.7 per cent accuracy rate to the traditional ECG machines...

Supermarket chain joins the fight against cancer

SHOWING their support in the fight against cancer, Extra Supermarket yesterday handed over a transperineal ultrasound machine to the Urology Clinic at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva. The P25 Diagnostic Color Doppler ultrasound system machine worth $170,000, will help early detection of prostate cancer in a process which is much faster and safer....

Focus on use of social media platforms by MSMEs

MICRO, small and medium enterprises in Fiji need to understand how to improve their presence online via various social media platforms. This was made known to 20 registered small micro and small business owners in an e-commerce training organised by Business Assistance Fiji general manager Ramesh Chand in Nadi yesterday. Mr Chand said social media...

Resort phases out single use plastics

Joining the tourism industry’s environmentally conscious move, Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa is slowly phasing out the use of plastic within the resort property. The sustainability program launched by resort this year aims to remove the use of single use plastic bottles from resort’s guest rooms and public areas. According to the resort, since...

Sustainable tourism

Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa are strengthening their sustainability initiatives to mark World Environment Day celebrations this week. The programs were designed for holidaymakers getting a chance to participate in the preservation of the resort’s environment. According to the hotel, the programs include the Coral Reef Restoration program, on-site herb garden at the Spa...

Minam elected as first vice chairman of ADFIAP

Fiji Development Bank’s chief executive officer Saud Minam has been elected as one of the three vice chairman of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP). The decision was made during the 46th Annual Meeting of ADFIAP held in Kazakhstan, from May 15 to 17. “The appointment of these three...

Service expansion

Asco Motors expects to have its new financial services division operational by early 2024. According to Asco Motors chief executive officer Ronald Kumar, the local Toyota dealership’s recently announced service expansion should be ready for customers by the first quarter of next year. Having a captive finance business would allow customers to procure financing for...

Support for young girls’ and women’s education

A team from Westpac has visited more than a hundred schools and universities across Fiji to promote the Westpac Women and Girls Education Grant program. The popular grant program is still open for applications for 2023 with a total of 30 grants being offered this year to help women and girls continue their studies or...

$3.3b money transfers

Digital financial services are increasingly being used across Fiji’s financial system, particularly in the market for digital payments. This is stated in the Financial Inclusion Annual Report for 2022 released by the Reserve Bank of Fiji. From January to December 2022, a total of $3.3 billion was transferred over 5.7 million transactions through internet banking,...

Peer-to-peer learning | Shaping a future focused on collaborative education

The inaugural Peer-to-Peer Learning Programme focusing on climate finance and resilience concluded with great success and a positive outcome, leaving participants inspired and motivated to continue their efforts in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. The program brought together around twenty representatives from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon...

Mobile money users

More women are registered as mobile money users than men in the country, reveals data in the Financial Inclusion Annual Report for 2022 released by the Reserve Bank of Fiji. The report states 84 per cent of Fijians had a bank account out of which 89.7 were males and 78.1 were females. According to the...

Platform to connect with the Fijian diaspora

A talanoa session that included deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Fiji’s diaspora in Aldershot, United Kingdom, served as a platform for him to connect with and update them on the achievement and plans of the Fiji Government. A statement from the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs, and Communications said a traditional welcome was accorded...

Overnight experience on popular floating property

Fiji’s newest tourist attraction, Seventh Heaven, has officially opened its exclusive overnight experience, the first of its kind for the world, located in the heart of the Mamanuca Group. A year after successfully attracting hundreds of international visitors to its $4 million floating property, guests now have an exclusive chance to spend a night, gaze...

Plea for a change | Bus company pleads for increase in school bus fare

A Nadi bus company owner is pleading for a change in the school bus fare system. In his National Budget submissions, Westbus (Nadi) Ltd managing director Ajay Kumar said Government should consider increasing bus fares. “In Fiji, the bus industry is privately owned and operated,” Mr Kumar said. “Overseas, the bus industry is operated by...

Technical mission focuses on two key areas

Fiji and Australia share a strong and enduring bilateral relationship underpinned by the Fiji Australia Vuvale partnership. The strength of this relationship was evident during a recent visit from the Australian Taxation office (ATO) to Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS). ATO director of international relations, capacity building and transparency Gabbrielle Jackson and assistant director...

Bank’s assistance gives a significant boost to school

Nuku District School has received a significant boost to its facilities thanks to a community project by Bank South Pacific (BSP). The project, conducted by BSP’s Nausori branch, involved the construction of roofing over the walkway areas from the classrooms to the washrooms and school canteen, repairs and maintenance of the washrooms and upgrade of...

Regional stakeholder consultation

The Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) will host a Regional Stakeholder Consultation at the Tokatoka Resort in Nadi next week from June 13-16. As the regional body mandated to promote and develop tourism in the Pacific, SPTO in partnership with the New Zealand Government will host a series of Regional Stakeholder Consultations to advance regional collaboration....

New strategic plan for Fiji’s tax administrator

The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has unveiled its new strategic plan outlining the Service’s strategic priorities and roadmap for the 2023 to 2025 period. FRCS chief executive officer Mark Dixon said the new plan was designed to provide clear direction to all clients, customers and partners, and to highlight the service’s future actions...

An evening of history for council members

The Fiji New Zealand Business Council (FNZBC) hosted its members to a networking event last week to commemorate both Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna day and Girmit day. The cocktail event was held on June 2 at the Fiji Museum in Suva, allowing attendees the opportunity to absorb the historic knowledge held within the museum’s walls....

Vehicle dealer goes cashless

Fiji’s leading vehicle dealer Asco Motors has gone cashless in its effort to tap into the more-advanced mode of payments in a modern economy. Its chief executive Ronald Kumar says customers are adapting well to the system since the company started implementing the cashless payment system last week. “If you look at more advanced economies,...

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