March 31, 2010

US aviation lawyer new Air Pacific CEO

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
Wednesday, March 31, 2010


US aviation lawyer Dave Pflieger will replace John Campbell as Air Pacific’s chief executive officer and managing director.

Air Pacific board chairman Nalin Patel made the announcement today saying the 47 year old Pfleiger is a proven business leader and industry executive with broad experience in the US aviation industry.

Patel says Plieger’s experience is building and launching two successful low cost carriers in the US is what Air Pacific needs, especially in this challenging period the airline is going through.

Pflieger is currently a senior vice president of Virgin America and is a qualified commercial airline pilot as well.


March 29, 2010

Fiji Wants Medical and Dental Tourism

29 March  2010

This Country Profile of Fiji has been included so that those intending to travel to the dentist abroad in Fiji for dental treatment abroad, whether dental implants or otherwise, will have full information about the country, its people, its politics, its hospitals and life in general about the country. Seeking a Dentist Abroad, say, for implant treatment and the fitting of Crowns is a major exercise and should not be taken lightly. Choosing the right Dental Surgeon is very important, as well as seeing what dental guarantees are available.

Fiji is not known as a medical or dental tourism destination. However, all this could change if the Fiji Government gets its way.

Mr Patrick Wong, Chairman of Tourism Fiji, believes that medical and dental tourism in Fiji will attract more tourists. Mr Wong is reported as stating”Medical tourism would be a boost developing our tourism industry. It would require a very high standard of medical villages investing in the likes of retirement villages, cosmetic surgery, health institutions, health farms and other specialized medically related establishments. Cosmetic surgery as seen on the television series Make Over will encourage people to come to Fiji for this.”

There is no doubt an opportunity for Fiji to increase its share of cosmetic dentistry abroad, especially from a low base. However, although dental tourism is projected to increase substantially in the next few years, at the end of the day, the fundamentals remain the same. All those seeking the Dentist Abroad wherever must do proper research to make sure that the treatment offered is affordable, of high quality and comes with proper enforceable guarantees.

Geography

Area: 18,376 sq. km (7,056 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capital–Suva (pop. 172, 948), Lautoka (pop. 52,742), Nadi (pop. 42,712).
Terrain: Mountainous or varied.
Climate: Tropical maritime.

People

Nationality: Noun–Fiji Islander; adjective–Fiji or Fijian.*
Population (2007 census): 827,900. Age structure: 35.4% under 14; 3.1% over 65.
Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 0.83%.
Ethnic groups: Indigenous Fijian 57%, Indo-Fijian 37%.
Religion: Christian 52% (Methodist and Roman Catholic), Hindu 33%, Muslim 7%.
Languages: English, Fijian, and Hindi are official languages.
Education: Literacy (2004)–93%.
Health (2004): Life expectancy–overall, 67.8 years, male 66 years; female 70. Infant mortality rate–16/1,000.
Work force: Agriculture–67%.

*The term “Fijian” has exclusively ethnic connotations and should not be used to describe any thing or person not of indigenous Fijian descent.

Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy (overthrown by military coup in December 2006).
Independence (from U.K.): October 10, 1970.
Constitution: July 1997 (abrogated April 2009).
Branches: Executive–president (head of state), prime minister (head of government), cabinet. Legislative–bicameral parliament; upper house is appointed, lower house is elected. Judicial–Court of Appeal, High Court, magistrate courts.
Major political parties: Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL), Fiji Labor Party (FLP), United People’s Party (UPP), National Federation Party (NFP), National Alliance Party (NAP), Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party (NVTLP), Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei (SVT), General Voters Party (GVP), Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua (CAMV).

Economy (all figures in U.S. dollars)

GDP (2009 estimate): $3.498 billion.
GDP per capita (2009 estimate): $3,959.12.
GDP composition by sector: Services 59.7%, industry 30.4%, agriculture 9.9%.
Industry: Types–tourism, sugar, garments.
Trade (2008): Exports–$557.15 million; sugar, garments, gold, fish, mineral water. Major markets–Australia, U.S., U.K., Japan, New Zealand. Imports–$2.04 billion; mineral products, machinery and transport equipment. Major sources–Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, U.S. ($55.02 million).
Government external debt (2008 provisional): $269.8 million.

GEOGRAPHY

Fiji is comprised of a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific lying about 4,450 km. (2,775 mi.) southwest of Honolulu and 1,770 km. (1,100 mi.) north of New Zealand. Its 322 islands vary dramatically in size. The largest islands are Viti Levu, about the size of the “Big Island” of Hawaii, and where the capital and 70% of the population are located, and Vanua Levu. Just over 100 of the smaller islands are inhabited. The larger islands contain mountains as high as 1,200 meters (4,000 ft.) rising abruptly from the shore.

Heavy rains–up to 304 cm. (120 in.) annually–fall on the windward (southeastern) sides of the islands, covering these sections with dense tropical forest. Lowlands on the western portions of each of the main islands are sheltered by the mountains and have a well-marked dry season favorable to crops such as sugarcane.

PEOPLE

Most of Fiji’s population lives on Viti Levu’s coasts, either in Suva or in smaller urban centers. The interior of Viti Levu is sparsely populated due to its rough terrain.

Indigenous Fijians are a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian, resulting from the original migrations to the South Pacific many centuries ago. The Indo-Fijian population grew rapidly from the 60,000 indentured laborers brought from India between 1879 and 1916 to work in the sugarcane fields. Thousands more Indians migrated voluntarily in the 1920s and 1930s and formed the core of Fiji’s business class. Native Fijians live throughout the country, while Indo-Fijians reside primarily near the urban centers and in the cane-producing areas of the two main islands. Nearly all of indigenous Fijians are Christian; more than three-quarters are Methodist. Approximately 80% of Indo-Fijians are Hindu, 15% are Muslim, and around 6% are Christian.

Some Indo-Fijians have been displaced by the expiration of land leases in cane-producing areas and have moved into urban centers in pursuit of jobs. Similarly, a number of indigenous Fijians have moved into urban areas, especially Suva, in search of a better life. Meanwhile, the Indo-Fijian population has declined due to emigration and a declining birth rate. Indo-Fijians currently constitute 37% of the total population, although they were the largest ethnic group from the 1940s until the late 1980s. Indo-Fijians continue to dominate the professions and commerce, while ethnic Fijians dominate government and the military.

HISTORY

Melanesian and Polynesian peoples settled the Fijian islands some 3,500 years ago. European traders and missionaries arrived in the first half of the 19th century, and the resulting disruption led to increasingly serious wars among the native Fijian confederacies. One Ratu (chief), Cakobau, gained limited control over the western islands by the 1850s, but the continuing unrest led him and a convention of chiefs to cede Fiji unconditionally to the British in 1874.

The pattern of colonialism in Fiji during the following century was similar to that in many other British possessions: the pacification of the countryside, the spread of plantation agriculture, and the introduction of Indian indentured labor. Many traditional institutions, including the system of communal land ownership, were maintained.

Fiji soldiers fought alongside the Allies in the Second World War, gaining a fine reputation in the tough Solomon Islands campaign. The United States and other Allied countries maintained military installations in Fiji during the war, but Fiji itself never came under attack.

In April 1970, a constitutional conference in London agreed that Fiji should become a fully sovereign and independent nation within the Commonwealth. Fiji became independent on October 10, 1970. Post-independence politics came to be dominated by the Alliance Party of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. The Indian-led opposition won a majority of House seats in 1977, but failed to form a government out of concern that indigenous Fijians would not accept Indo-Fijian leadership. In April 1987, a coalition led by Dr. Timoci Bavadra, an ethnic Fijian supported by the Indo-Fijian community, won the general election and formed Fiji’s first majority Indian government, with Dr. Bavadra serving as Prime Minister. Less than a month later, Dr. Bavadra was forcibly removed from power during a military coup led by Lt. Col. Sitiveni Rabuka on May 14, 1987.

After a period of deadlocked negotiations, Rabuka staged a second coup on September 25, 1987. The military government revoked the 1970 constitution and declared Fiji a republic on October 10. This action, coupled with protests by the Government of India, led to Fiji’s expulsion from the Commonwealth of Nations and official non-recognition of the Rabuka regime from foreign governments, including Australia and New Zealand. On December 6, 1987, Rabuka resigned as head of state and Governor General Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau was appointed the first President of the Fijian Republic. Mara was reappointed interim Prime Minister, and Rabuka became Minister of Home Affairs.

The new government drafted a new constitution, effective July 1990. Under its terms, majorities were reserved for ethnic Fijians in both houses of the legislature. Previously, in 1989, the government had released statistical information showing that for the first time since 1946, ethnic Fijians were a majority of the population. More than 12,000 Indo-Fijians and other minorities had left the country in the 2 years following the 1987 coups. After resigning from the military, Rabuka became prime minister in 1993 after elections under the new constitution.

Tensions simmered in 1995-96 over the renewal of land leases and political maneuvering surrounding the mandated 5-year review of the 1990 constitution. A Constitutional Review Commission recommended a new constitution that expanded the size of the legislature, lowered the proportion of seats reserved by ethnic group, gave to the unelected Council of Chiefs authority to appoint the president and vice president, and opened the position of prime minister to all races. Ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians were allocated communal seats proportional to their numbers in the population at the time. Twenty-five seats were “open” to all. Prime Minister Rabuka and President Mara supported the proposal, while the nationalist indigenous Fijian parties opposed it. The constitution amendment act was unanimously approved by parliamentarians in July 1997. The new constitution mandated the formation of a multi-party cabinet (each party with 10% of members of Parliament was entitled to nominate a cabinet minister). Fiji was readmitted to the Commonwealth.

The first legislative elections held under the new constitution took place in May 1999. Rabuka’s coalition was defeated by the Fiji Labor Party (FLP), which formed a coalition, led by Mahendra Chaudhry, with two small Fijian parties. Chaudhry became Fiji’s first Indo-Fijian prime minister. One year later, in May 2000, Chaudhry and most other members of Parliament were taken hostage in the House of Representatives by gunmen led by ethnic Fijian nationalist George Speight. The standoff dragged on for 8 weeks–during which time Chaudhry was removed from office by then-president Mara due to his inability to govern while a hostage. The Republic of Fiji military forces abrogated the constitution, convinced President Mara to resign, and brokered a negotiated end to the situation. Speight was later arrested when he violated the settlement’s terms. In February 2002, Speight was convicted of treason and is currently serving a life sentence.

In July 2000, former banker Laisenia Qarase was named interim Prime Minister and head of the interim civilian administration by the military and Great Council of Chiefs. The Vice President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, was named President. The Court of Appeal in March 2001 reaffirmed the validity of the constitution and ordered the President to recall the elected Parliament. However, the President dissolved the Parliament elected in 2000 and appointed Qarase head of a caretaker government to take Fiji to general elections that were held in August. Qarase’s newly formed Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL) party won the elections but did not invite into the cabinet representatives of the FLP as required by the constitution. In May 2006, the SDL was re-elected to a majority in the Parliament. Qarase continued as Prime Minister and formed a multi-party cabinet, which included nine members of the FLP.

In the lead-up to the May 2006 election and beginning again in September, tensions grew between Commander of the Fiji Military Forces Commodore Frank Bainimarama and the Qarase government. Bainimarama demanded the Qarase government not pursue certain legislation and policies. On December 5, 2006 Bainimarama removed elected Prime Minister Qarase from his position and dissolved Parliament in a military coup d’état. Qarase was exiled to an outer island. On January 4, 2007, Bainimarama reinstated President Iloilo, who stated the military was justified in its behavior and promised them amnesty. The following day Iloilo appointed Bainimarama interim Prime Minister. Over the following weeks Bainimarama formed an “interim government” that included, among others, former Prime Minister Chaudhry and former Republic of Fiji Military Forces heads Epeli Ganilau and Epeli Nailatikau. On January 15, 2007, President Iloilo decreed amnesty to Bainimarama, the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), and all those involved in the coup from December 5, 2006 to January 5, 2007, and he claimed to ratify all the actions of Bainimarama and the RFMF.

The coup was widely condemned by regional partners, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the European Union. In April 2007, the interim government suspended the Great Council of Chiefs after the council declined to appoint the interim government’s choice as vice president. In October 2007, the interim government launched a People’s Charter initiative, ostensibly to remove communal or ethnic voting and improve governance arrangements. There has been little visible progress toward elections. In October 2008, the High Court ruled that President Iloilo’s January 2007 appointment of Bainimarama as Prime Minister, the granting of amnesty to coup perpetrators, and rule by decree, was not unconstitutional. However, on April 9, 2009, the Court of Appeal ruled that that the 2006 coup had been illegal. The following day President Iloilo abrogated the constitution, and removed all officials appointed under the constitution including all judges and the Governor of the Central Bank. He then reappointed Bainimarama as Prime Minister under his “New Order” and imposed a “Public Emergency Regulation” that allowed press censorship.

GOVERNMENT

The 1997 constitution provided for a ceremonial president selected by the Great Council of Chiefs and an elected prime minister and parliament. However, in 2006 the armed forces commander, Commodore Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama, overthrew the elected government in a bloodless coup d’etat. In January 2007 the interim military government was replaced by a nominally civilian interim government (the “interim government”) headed by Bainimarama as prime minister. After the Court of Appeal declared the December 2006 coup and the interim government appointed in January 2007 unlawful, the 1997 constitution was abrogated and a state of emergency imposed on April 10, 2009. Bainimarama and his government established rule by decree after the abrogation. The constitutional Bill of Rights has not been revived, and despite the revival of the Fiji Human Rights Commission (FHRC) by decree, the FHRC is prohibited from investigating the abrogation of the constitution and the actions of the de facto government and security forces. Bainimarama and his Military Council control the security forces.

After the abrogation of the constitution by President Iloilo on April 10, 2009, he signed decrees re-establishing the judiciary and his own position as President. Iloilo resigned in July 2009 and a new President was appointed by the interim cabinet. By decree, Epeli Nailatikau, former RFMF commander, diplomat, and Speaker of the House of Representatives (2001-2006) was appointed by the interim cabinet. The decree provides that the Chief Justice is to act in place of the President in his absence, and no vice president has been appointed.

Fiji maintains a judiciary consisting of a Court of Appeal, a High Court, and magistrate courts. Since the 2006 coup, a number of High Court and Court of Appeal justices have resigned, claiming interference in judicial affairs. After the abrogation of the constitution on April 10, 2009, all sitting judges and magistrates were terminated and some were reappointed to a new judiciary re-established by decree in May 2009. The Fiji Government has also drawn new judges and magistrates from Sri Lanka. The new judiciary has only four tiers and there is no provision for a Supreme Court, so the Fiji Court of Appeal is the final appeal court for litigants in Fiji.

There are four administrative divisions–central, eastern, northern, and western–each under the charge of a divisional commissioner. Ethnic Fijians have their own administration in which councils preside over a hierarchy of provinces, districts, and villages. The 14 provincial councils deal with all matters affecting ethnic Fijians. There is also a Rotuma Island Council for the island of Rotuma.

Principal Government Officials

Head of State (President)–Epeli Nailatikau
Interim Head of Government (Prime Minister)–Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama
Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs–Inoke Kubuabola
Ambassador to the United States–Winston Thompson
Permanent Representative to the United Nations–Berenado Vunibobo

Fiji maintains an embassy at 2000 M Street NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20036 (tel: 202-337-8320).

POLITICAL CONDITIONS

For 17 years after independence, Fiji was a parliamentary democracy. During that time, political life was dominated by Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara and the Alliance Party, which combined the traditional Fijian chiefly system with leading elements of the European, part-European, and Indian communities. The main parliamentary opposition, the National Federation Party, represented mainly rural Indo-Fijians. Intercommunal relations were managed without serious confrontation. However, when a cabinet with substantial ethnic Indian representation was installed after the April 1987 election, extremist elements played on ethnic Fijian fears of domination by the Indo-Fijian community, resulting in a military coup d’etat.

This began what many now refer to as the “coup cycle.” The most recent coup took place in December 2006, but has its roots in the previous 2000 coup and mutiny. Military commander Commodore Bainimarama helped resolve the 2000 crisis by imposing martial law. Bainimarama appointed an interim government led by interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. Subsequently, Qarase was elected in 2001 and 2006, but pursued some policies favoring the indigenous Fijian community.

One of the main issues of contention is land tenure. Indigenous Fijian communities very closely identify themselves with their land. In 1909 the land ownership pattern was frozen by the British and further sales prohibited. Today, 87% of the land is held by indigenous Fijians, under the collective ownership of the traditional Fijian clans (mataqali). That land cannot be sold and is held in trust by the Native Land Trust Board on behalf of the landowning units. Indo-Fijians produce more than 75% of the sugar crop but, in most cases, must lease the land they work from its ethnic Fijian owners instead of being able to buy it outright.

In 2005 and 2006, tensions rose between Bainimarama and Qarase over legislation proposed by the Qarase government concerning land ownership, traditional non-public ownership of the foreshore, and a reconciliation bill that opened the possibility to grant immunity to some coup participants from 2000. Bainimarama began to make demands and threats, and engaged in shows of military force to intimidate the Qarase government into backing away from the controversial policies. When the Qarase government did not accede to all military demands, on December 5, 2006, Bainimarama assumed the powers of the presidency, dismissed Parliament, and declared a temporary military government.

Commodore Bainimarama was appointed interim Prime Minister in 2007; his interim government has pursued what he terms a “clean-up campaign” to root out what he considers to be large-scale corruption in Fiji. A number of civil servants, including the Chief Justice, were summarily suspended or dismissed due to unidentified corruption concerns. Many individuals who spoke out against the coup were taken to military camps where they were questioned and sometimes abused.

ECONOMY

Fiji is one of the more developed of the Pacific island economies, although it remains a developing country with a large subsistence agriculture sector. For many years sugar and textile exports drove Fiji’s economy. However, neither industry is competing effectively in globalized markets. Fiji’s sugar industry suffers from quality concerns, poor administration, and the phasing out of a preferential price agreement with the European Union. Since 2006, sugar price reductions totaled 36%. The European Union has promised a large amount of financial aid to assist the ailing sugar industry, but, post-coup, has clarified that the aid will only be forthcoming if Fiji cleans up its human rights situation and moves quickly to democracy.

In 2005, the textile industry in Fiji markedly declined following the end of the quota system under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) and the full integration of textiles into World Trade Organization (WTO) General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs. The income from garments plummeted by 47% in 2005 with the end of the ATC quotas. Garments now account for approximately 10.2% of Fiji’s exports and sugar approximately 25.2%. Other important export crops include coconuts and ginger, although production levels of both are declining. Fiji has extensive mahogany timber reserves, which are being exploited. Fishing is an important export and local food source. Gold is also an important, albeit troubled, export industry for Fiji.

The most important manufacturing activities are the processing of sugar and fish. Since 2000 the export of still mineral water, mainly to the United States, has expanded rapidly. By the end of 2008, water exports totaled around U.S. $62.4 million, an increase of 11% over 2007.

Negative economic growth is expected in 2009 with the Reserve Bank of Fiji estimating a conservative contraction of 0.3%. The economic decline is largely a result of the global economic conditions and flash floods in early 2009 that caused extensive damage to infrastructure and agriculture. A modest recovery of 1.8% is expected in 2010.
In recent years, growth in Fiji has been largely driven by a strong tourism industry. Tourism expanded rapidly since the early 1980s and is the leading economic activity in the islands. Tourist arrivals are recovering following a setback in 2007 after the 2006 coup and flooding in 2009. About 40% of Fiji’s visitors come from Australia, with large contingents also coming from New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. In 2008, more than 65,000, or around 11.2%, of the tourists were American, a number that had steadily increased since the start of regularly scheduled nonstop air service from Los Angeles. In 2008, Fiji’s gross earnings from tourism were about $505.85 million, an amount double the revenue from its two largest goods exports (sugar and garments). Gross earnings from tourism continue to be Fiji’s major source of foreign currency.

Fiji runs a persistently large trade deficit, $1.21 billion (F$2.1 billion) for 2008, although tourism revenues yield a services surplus. Australia accounts for between 25% and 35% of Fiji’s foods trade, with New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan varying year-by-year between 5% and 20% each. Since the 1960s, Fiji has had a high rate of emigration, particularly of Indo-Fijians in search of better economic opportunities. This has been particularly true of persons with education and skills. The economic and political uncertainties following the coups have added to the outward flow by persons of all ethnic groups. Indigenous Fijians also have begun to emigrate in large numbers, often to seek employment as home health care workers. Remittances from overseas workers, often undocumented, are second only to tourism as a source of foreign exchange earnings.

Inflation is expected to rise to 9.5% owing to the 20% devaluation of the Fiji dollar in April 2009.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Fiji has traditionally had close relations with its major trading partners Australia and New Zealand. Currently, a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have placed targeted sanctions on the illegal interim government. Fiji has pursued closer relations with a number of Asian countries, including the People’s Republic of China and India.

Since independence, Fiji has been a leader in the South Pacific region. Fiji hosts the secretariat of the 16-nation Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), as well as a number of other prestigious regional organizations. However, in May 2009, the PIF suspended Fiji’s membership for failing to declare elections before the deadline set by the organization. In 2002, Fiji hosted the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Summit with more than 80 countries represented. During the ACP Summit, the Nadi Declaration was adopted regarding economic cooperation with the European Union. In July 2003, Fiji hosted the South Pacific Games, a prestigious event that went far beyond athletics and symbolized the country’s return to normalcy. In September 2005, Fiji hosted the 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference. Fiji became the 127th member of the United Nations on October 13, 1970, and participates actively in the organization. Fiji’s contributions to UN peacekeeping are unique for a nation of its size. It maintains about 600 soldiers and police overseas in UN peacekeeping missions, primarily in Iraq and with MFO Sinai in the Middle East. Fiji also has a number of private citizens working in Iraq and Kuwait, mostly in security services and over 1,500 citizens serving in the British Army.

March 22, 2010

Backing for Levuka, Lomaiviti

FIJI SUN - 22 March 2010

Tourism Fiji chief executive officer Josefa Tuamoto has pledged his organisation’s support to efforts to increase awareness of the Levuka-Lomaiviti region’s rich tourism potential to an international audience.

Mr Tuamoto’s offer of support follows his meeting last week with the Levuka-Lomaiviti Tourist Association at Mary’s Holiday Lodge in Levuka.

Following the meeting Mr Tuamoto said the national tourist office would provide funding to help the region create and instigate a rolling series of dedicated events designed to showcase the region in the lead up to “Visit Fiji 2012’.

He said the national tourist office would help the local tourism association with the production of a dedicated Lomaiviti brochure complete with map, information and proposed itineraries for visitors.

Additional support will include creation of an online presence via Tourism Fiji’s website and Facebook.

Mr Tuamoto said his visit to Levuka was one of several he would be making to parts of the archipelago in coming months.

These visits, he said, were part of a strategy intended to see Tourism Fiji work more closely with all regional tourism bodies in order to help spread the benefits of tourism across an even wider section of the Fijian community in the lead up to ‘Visit Fiji 2012’' and beyond.

March 21, 2010

Growing Our Own


Strategic Framework

for Change Coordinating Office

Fiji Sun - 21 March 2010

Historically, Fiji's economy has been heavily reliant on the Agricultural sector. Agriculture including subsistence farming continues to play an integral part in the overall development of the economy as it provides foreign exchange earnings, food security, income and basic infrastructure for rural communities.

However, due to structural changes in other sectors of the economy, the agricultural sector's contribution to growth has fluctuated marginally, from 10.9 per cent in 2001 to 11.6 per cent per cent in 2007 and is slightly down to 10.5 per cent in 2008. Productivity in this sector has been constrained by many factors such as land tenure, inadequate infrastructure, poor husbandry and farming practices, high production and transportation costs and inability to access to key markets. Furthermore, frequent occurrences of natural disasters continue to affect overall sector performance.

Sugar

Despite recent poor industry performances and the erosion of EU preferential prices, sugar continues to remain an important agri-business in Fiji, contributing approximately 6 per cent of total GDP, 25 per cent of total domestic exports, and employs about 40,500 people.

Export volume has decreased from 217,000 metric tonnes (mt) in 2007 to 208,000 mt in 2008 with the value of $201 million in 2007, and $204 million in 2008. While Fiji has experienced a decline in sugar export volume, the corresponding value has relatively increased due to the preferential prices provided by the European Union.

The phasing out of EU preferential treatment and in particular, lower price per tonne paid to growers, milling efficiency (input of cane per tonne of sugar 8.9 in 2003 to 11.2 in 2008) is forcing many cane farms to diversify into alternative cash crops or exit the industry.

Non-Sugar

The non-sugar agriculture sector is largely dominated by small farms (less than 5 ha), with only 19 per cent being classed as medium-sized or larger. Given the large number of smallholder farms, it is vital that enabling environment is provided to encourage commercialization and diversification.

Government investment in agriculture rose from $20 million in 2007 to $31 million in 2009, aimed at increasing exports and reducing imports through demand driven projects.

Import Substitution Programme (ISP Programme)

Agriculture has the potential to induce growth in the economy and its necessary restructure into a commercially viable, efficient and sustainable industry is a priority. In this regard, the 2010 Budget provides specific provisions towards import substitution and export promotion programmes. Moreover, Government will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the various tax incentives for agriculture, which were introduced in the 2009 Budget.

Food imports have significantly increased over the years, from $355.5 million in 2005 to $520 million in 2008. Government has allocated $3 million in 2010 for agricultural projects aimed at reducing Fiji's growing reliance on imports, particularly rice, livestock products, fruits and vegetables. This is also expected to improve current trade imbalances by saving and likewise bringing in much needed foreign exchange earnings.

Government's objective is to increase production of import substitution commodities by 30 per cent and its progressive targets for 2010 to 201 is to increase major agricultural Import Substitution commodities by 10 per cent. Some of the commodities government is prioritizing include rice, potatoes, fruits & vegetables, dairy, beef and sheep for which lump sums of money and depleted in acquiring from overseas.

In this respect, Government will ensure greater cohesion and effective implementation of import substitution programs to increase self reliance and reduce imports.

A demand driven approach for boosting exports and import substitution has been adopted by the Ministry of Primary Industry. This approach strives to address the following critical areas: intensifying farm commercialization; strengthening agri-business networks; promotion of young farmer training; identifying industries priorities based on market demand assets; securing export market protocols; and boosting support towards medium sized entrepreneurs.

Government's revenue measures are targeted to continue and strengthen policies that promote exports and import substitution. The Ministry of Agriculture is spearheading government's program which is intended to achieving:

n Quick economic recovery

n Food and Income Security

n Poverty Alleviation

n Sustainable management of natural resources

Current status and the Way Forward

The import substitution policy focuses on growing local food to meet local demand and at the same time, to directly replace products that were mostly imported including rice, beef, dairy, poultry and feed grains. Greater emphasis will be placed on product development during 2010 and there will be a drive to create analogues of imported products using locally obtainable raw materials. Greater links will be forged between the Department and Food Processors Ltd (FPL) to increase the appeal of local products.

In view of the deregulation policies, the current trade policy regime is liberal with generally low tariff on food and agriculture products. All licensing and quotas have been removed. As for Fiji's obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO), Fiji made a commitment to set its agricultural tariff at a ceiling of 40 percent (rice and milk powder were bound at 60 percent, to be reduced to 46 percent). For all practical purposes, tariffs have been removed from most imported food items. While this is a challenge for local producers, increasing world food prices have increased returns to farmers driven higher by high-priced imported items.

With the seasonal nature of agricultural farming practice in Fiji, the usual consequence is the lack of consistent production of commodities throughout the year. Overproduction of a commodity in-season is a common occurrence annually leading to wastage as markets reach saturation. Likewise, the other extreme of the lack of certain commodities in the off-season pushes up prices in the local market. These challenges will be addressed through processing and product development activity at FPL, which will be centred upon increasing shelf life and value addition.

The tourism market has been essentially ignored by the Department over the years and despite many reports the food service industry continues to be practically insignificant. During 2010, a full round table forum will be conducted, in which commitment will be sought from producers, processors, distributors and the tourism operators to work towards a significant reduction in items to be imported for the sector. The target for the coming year will be to increase the attractiveness of locally produced items by;

n Improving packaging,

n Improved post harvest handling,

n Processing to in-build traits known to attract local buyers, and

n Heed the requirements of the tourist operators.

To address these constraints, the MPI recently launched the Demand and Market Driven Approach (DDA) as a new mechanism to fund and implement the Ministry's programmes. The Northern Development Project (NDP) and the Rural Outer Island (ROI) programme have adopted the DDA. Needless to say all projects sponsored under this programme will be vetted and monitored as described.

Challenges

The major challenge is to overcome traditional attitudes and demonstrate that significant income can be generated from farming. This challenge requires increasing the awareness of modern profitable agriculture techniques, including post-harvest handling and marketing. Related to this is the need to mitigate the lack of awareness in business management techniques as it relates to farming at all levels. These awareness campaigns are very much part of the Ministry of Primary Industry's immediate strategies.

Inadequate infrastructure support, whether by land through access roads, or by sea through shipping services and suitable ports, has been a disincentive to expansion in the more remote areas of the sector. The high costs involved in delivering produce to the market are a huge burden to rural farmers. In the past, Government attempted to address these marketing gaps through initiating collection centres and marketing authorities, but these initiatives were unsustainable and failed. Lets grow our own food which is healthier and cheaper.

March 20, 2010

Fijian hospitality impresses visiting Japanese journos

Fiji Times - Saturday, March 20, 2010

THE hospitality of the people of Fiji have been deemed a striking feature by a group of visiting Japanese journalists.

The group of 11 journalists were brought to Fiji by Tourism Fiji and Continental Airlines to boost arrivals from Asia.

They represented nine media outlets from three cities in Japan - Kansai, Tokyo and Nagoya.

Continental Airlines' Director Corporate Communications Asia-Pacific Koji Nagata was group chaperone.

"We want to grow the number of Japanese travelling to Fiji from 20,000 to 40,000 or more annually," he said.

"These journalists were brought here to see for themselves the natural beauty of Fiji and its people. Collectively they have a readership of approximately four million people.

"They will go back and write about their experiences in their respective media and, hopefully, we will begin to see some positive results."

Mr Nagata said the journalists were first-timers to Fiji and were visibly impressed with the natural scenery and quality of hotel accommodation.

"But they all concurred that it was the hospitality of the people that was the most striking feature of the country," he said.

"Everywhere they went people were smiling, always eager to help and calling out bula, the hospitality of the Fijian people really made a positive impact on them."

Continental flies twice a week from Japan to Fiji via Guam.

March 19, 2010

Tourism Boss Joe Tuamoto Corrects Kiwi Reports

Tourism Fiji chief executive officer Joe Tuamoto is on his way to New Zealand now to address what he says are incorrect media reports about the effects of Cyclone Tomas on Fiji’s tourism industry.

“What needs to be cleared is that only the northern part of Fiji has been severely affected and not the whole of Fiji,” Tuamotu told FijiLive moments before he boarded a flight for New Zealand in the past hour.

“The majority of the country’s tourism plant is concentrated on Viti Levu and in the Mamanuca and Yasawa Islands and the cyclone just managed to brush past these,” he said.

Tuamotu said it was necessary to correct media reports to the contrary in Australia and New Zealand so that the industry does not suffer as a result of assumptions that infrastructure in Fiji had been severely damaged.

He said plants that had been affected made up only five percent of the tourism industry’s inventory.

While confirming that there had been no reports of injuries to tourists Tuamoto said a few hotels and resorts in the north has suffered minimal damage to property.

Tuamotu said he would be speaking to the public and the media in New Zealand about how exactly the cyclone had affected Fiji.