Fiji’s Minister for Economy says there will no civil service pay cuts. Speaking from Singapore during an online budget consultation, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the government’s wage bill is $1.1 billion (US$500 million) and the sector employs some 30,000 people.
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Fiji’s Minister for Trade, Commerce and Tourism, Faiyaz Koya says the newly launched Pasifika Heartbeat app is “a great example of how Fijians are exploring opportunities to make information services available to Fijians.”
“The health and medical services has become a leading sector where technology is playing a very important role – with the use of telemedicine and other app services. In fact, the pandemic has sped the digital transformation of healthcare. It has also boosted innovation in how patients can receive and consume health care services,” Koya said.
The Pasifika Heartbeat app is a digital repository of health-related information, including the geo-location of public and private health clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals.
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Investment Fiji has launched its new Fiji Trade Expo Series, with the first expo focused on marketing Fiji’s premium products to New Zealand, Fiji’s third largest export destination for merchandise trade. Other expos in the series will target Australia, USA, India, Europe, China, Japan, Indonesia and UAE. Fiji’s top exports to New Zealand are dalo, medicaments, garments, kava and fresh vegetables. New Zealand is also Fiji’s 3rd largest source of foreign direct investment in terms of both number and value of projects.
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Research undertaken by the World Bank Group concludes removing non-tariff trade barriers could help countries maximise gains for women-owned businesses in the Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. Targeted policies – aimed, for example, at promoting paperless and automated custom systems – could help maximise the benefits of trade for women, who currently face greater challenges than men, the World Bank says.
About 1,500 cross-border trading firms took part in the survey, which showed that women-led firms experience greater obstacles. Fewer women are represented in trade associations and they are consulted less regularly when it comes to matters related to border processes. Women are also dependent on more flexibility in doing business due to more family obligations.
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The Acting Permanent Secretary for Local Government, Shaheen Ali says approximately $30 million has been given as concessional loans to 5,438 micro, small and medium enterprises as part of government’s COVID-19 relief efforts. These loans have been extended mainly in the agriculture, wholesale and retail, food and hospitality, transportation, manufacturing and other service driven sectors.
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A number of Fijian businesses continue to sign under the Fijian Grown logo. One of the latest is farm and floriculture outfit, Golden Cowrie Complex.
