Ensuring that enhanced engagement can identify opportunities to expand trade and investment links - Fiji Australia Business Council President

The Fiji Australia Business Council will ensure that enhanced engagement continues so that they and the Australia Fiji Business Council can identify opportunities to expand trade and investment links, and work with both governments to address economic issues as they arise.

Fiji Australia Business Council, President Vera Chute says with a mission to become enablers of business change, increasing council membership, and further growing the bilateral partnership between Fiji and Australia, members of the FABC voted for their new Executive Committee last week.

The Executive Committee is comprised of well-respected professionals and directors from multiple sectors with President Vera Chute (Value City), Vice President Himen Chandra (Comfort Home Furnishings), Vice President Saud Minam (Fiji Development Bank), Treasurer Mark Halabe (Mark One Apparel), and other Committee members - Rabih Yazbek (ANZ), Shane Smith (Westpac), Lisa Apted (KPMG), Glenis Yee (Munro Leys), Ajay Raniga (Budget Pharmacy and Sunergise International), Bruce Sutton (SouthPac Advisory), Christine Lyons (The Fiji Times), and Tim Joyce (Joyce Aviation Fiji Group).

FABC President, Vera Chute says the Committee will take the lead in organising and facilitating the biennial premiere business event to be held in Fiji, the 28th Fiji Australia and Australia Fiji Business Councils Joint Forum in 2024.

Chute says every year, the sister councils alternately co-host this highly anticipated business event with the last one held at the Intercontinental Sydney Hotel in Australia this August.

She says in 2022, the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa was the venue for the 26th Joint Forum in Fiji organised by FABC which had over 150 delegates from Fiji and Australia.

Chute says the newly-voted Executive Committee will handle all the preparations for the 2024 Joint Business Forum whilst they continue to build their connections and relationships with current partners such as the High Commissioner to Fiji and Australia’s inaugural Special Envoy for the Pacific and Regional Affairs, Ewen McDonald, who was appointed in July.

She says as the Prime Ministers of both countries, Sitiveni Rabuka and Anthony Albanese recently recommitted to a renewed and elevated Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership in October, the announcement of the new FABC Executive Committee is quite timely.

Deepening the economic relationship between Fiji and Australia is Pillar Two of the Vuvale Partnership where FABC and AFBC engagement was specifically highlighted.