ADB funds flood management project
YEARS of scoping work on how to manage flooding in flood-prone Nadi town may finally translate into physical work as construction work on a Nadi River flood management project is expected to begin as early as next year.
EU says tax blacklisting should be no surprise
FIJI, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu have been added to a European Union blacklist of tax havens. And despite concerns about process raised by all three countries, the EU has told Islands Business that these
Shipping nickel to China
At a time Western security analysts are fretting over Chinese strategic influence in the Pacific, some local businesses are looking at opportunities for trade and investment with China. In the French
PNG breaks away from Pacifical
ONE of the pioneers behind the establishment of a commercial partnership between the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) and the Dutch tuna marketing company Pacifical is suggesting that PNA divorce itself from
NCD impacts insurance payout
BSP Life has stamped its mark as one of the Pacific’s leading life insurance supplier with a record payout of F$58.6 million (USD28.1 million) in insurance through various benefits to its customers last year. It was
Tour operator goes hybrid
Green fleet WITH the growing number of tour operators and tourism logistics companies, every passenger moved makes a difference. And sometimes the business edge comes not only in volume of traffic but by the ability to
$40m biscuit factory
From humble beginnings, FMF Foods expands WHAT started as a flour mill in 1973, which imported premium Australian wheat and milled flour, has now become a household brand across the Pacific, venturing into other
Push to extend Fiji tax-free zones
IN the aftermath of the military coups of 1987, the then interim government created a tax free zone in Kalabu, Nasinu, which helped Nasinu to grow and bridge the development between Nausori to Suva City. Suva-Nausori
City within a city
Entertainment company expands its boundaries THINK cinema in Fiji and instantly, the name ‘Damodar’ comes to mind. For decades, the Damodar Brothers (Films) Limited has been the prime entertainment business in Fiji
The Mad Hatter Hut
IN a cluster of stores and offices along 22 Disraeli Road in Suva, stands a flamboyant little coffee house. It’s not hard to spot given its striking greenish blue exterior, with captivating colorful interior peeping
IGA the new shopping experience
THE New World Group is changing the landscape of retail sales in Fiji having acquired the Master Franchise Status from the Independent Grocers Association (IGA) in the United States of America. This transition has no
Room at the Inn
Church ventures into hotel business BIBLICAL accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ speak of the lack of accommodation in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, forcing Mary and Joseph into a barn. The rest is history. Today
For God or for Caesar
The argument for church in business LIKE any modern organisation, churches need money in order to pay for administration, bills and taxes. There are also the pressing needs of the people in times of natural disasters as
Kava evolution
HIGH along and beneath the ridges above Fiji’s Old Capital from where defiant Fijian warriors once fought the encroaching West, reconciliation is taking place – thanks to a plant that is changing lives.
Koila’s House
Scion of chiefly family turns fashion heads KOILA Ganilau is descended from two of the most powerful households in Fiji – the Ganilaus from Somosomo, Cakaudrove and the Maras of Lakeba, Lau. Both families
Out of the shadows
Fashion emerges as new business IN a span of 10 years, fashion has emerged as a growing new industry in Fiji. This is evidenced in the fact that Fiji Fashion Week (FJFW) celebrates its 10th anniversary this May with a
Entrepreneur defies the odds to survive
SIX years ago, a physically challenged woman in a wheelchair ventured out into the streets to sell her home-made meals and pastries. At the time, she met with disapproval from people she knew. The local authorities
More work, fewer workers
Deadline looms for Northern Mariana Islands ONCE the clock turns 12 midnight on December 31, 2019, a cloud of uncertainty would hang in the air in the Northern Mariana Islands. That is the expiration date of the CNMI
Vanuatu learns from the Italian Alps
I MET a fascinating business woman this week, and she doesn’t much want to be identified, just to let people know of her products. It’s the sort of occupation which has since forever engrossed the natives of
Demand for energy savers
Concern over lack of trained mechanics AS more and more Fijians are switching from conventional vehicles to the more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles, the demand for properly trained mechanics something the Fijian market
Paradise lost
New land laws drive foreign property owners out of Fiji “The plan had been for us to retire, live on Koro [Island] for the rest of our lives and research and film the reefs. Simple. Then two things happened.
The bu boss
How the bu changed one man’s life WHEN the entrepreneurial bug bit Inia Komaicawalevu in 2000, he didn’t realise he was to be more than his own boss. He quit his job of 10 years at the Public Works
Sign of CONFIDENCE
PAPUA New Guinea has been a major investor in the Fijian market in recent years with around $FJD174 million investments. Since 2010, a total 14 investment projects were registered by Papua New Guinea citizens or
