Unit Trust of Fiji has handed over $704,919 to the Ministry for Economy as dividend for 2016 and 2017.
Unit Trust of Fiji CEO, Shaenaz Voss says this is a record considering the Fund started with only $15,000 in 2001.
She adds that the total dividend paid to unit holders were $5.8 million which provided a total return of 19.39% and it is an increase from 11.03% in 2016.
The net profit after tax and dividend increased by 41% for the 2017 financial year as the fund made a net profit after tax of $824,333 while it was $585,503 in 2016.
Voss says in 2017 their investment portfolio was recorded at $176.6 million which was a growth from $138 million in 2016.
She adds that unit holders increased from 17,309 to 18,694 in 2017 and this is an increase by 8%.
Meanwhile, Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says more Fijians are buying shares in Unit Trust of Fiji.
The fund has been working on getting other countries in the Pacific to invest in the Fund and as a result Samoa and Vanuatu have invested $22 million.
Sayed-Khaiyum says this shows other countries confidence in Unit Trust of Fiji.
He is also urging ordinary Fijians to invest.
Unit Trust is owned by the Fijian Government and reports directly to the Ministry of Economy.
Shiri Gounder and Fazrul Rahman were appointed as new board members of the Fund this year.
