Tourism stakeholders share knowledge on keeping children and communities safe

NZ asparagus grower ordered to pay Fijian workers close to NZ$50k

A New Zealand asparagus grower who paid Fijian workers less than minimum wage, no holiday pay and made unlawful deductions for airfares and accommodation will have to repay them close to NZ$50,000. The New Zealand Herald reported that following an audit, the Employment Relations Authority ordered Christopher Gray of Motukarara Asparagus in Canterbury to repay...

FMF Foods Ltd records increased group revenue; net profit ups 82 per cent

Publicly-listed manufacturing chain FMF Foods Limited has posted a group revenue of $204.9million for the 2019-2020 financial year. This represents a growth of 8 per cent when compared to the previous financial year when it recorded $190.2million in group revenue. The group’s 2020 annual report released by the South Pacific Stock Exchange also noted the...

Focus on mushroom cultivation

More than 50 farmers attended a Mushroom Production workshop which was focused on improving income, food and nutrition as well as livelihoods of farmers. According to a statement from the Fiji Crop and Livestock Council (FCLC) CEO Jiu Daunivalu, the workshop was to understand the basics of cultivating mushrooms for most of those who attended....

Property voted in the top 25 romantic hotels in the world

Award winning Tokoriki Island Resort was the first resort established on Tokoriki Island and has been privately owned and operated by the Turnbull family for the past 25 years. An independent boutique adults only resort, Tokoriki Island Resort has 140 dedicated team members who ensure the level of service and facilities are maintained to a...

Tourism Fiji CEO announces departure

Tourism Fiji CEO Matt Stoeckel has announced his departure from the organisation. He has been with Tourism Fiji for four and a half years. Mr Stoeckel announced today that he is leaving the organisation for personal reasons when his contract concludes at the end of the year. “Fiji is an amazing destination in every sense,...

Fiji Airways appoints Discover the World as general sales agent

Fiji’s national airline Fiji Airways has appointed Discover the World as its general sales agent to develop sales channels across seven markets in Asia – South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Fiji Airways managing director and CEO Andre Viljoen said the appointment of Discover the World would allow the airline to...

EFL and IFC to deliver largest solar project in the Pacific

Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have come to an agreement to deliver the largest solar project of its kind in the Pacific to date. According to statement issued by the IFC, the landmark agreement has been hailed a transformative step that will take the island nation closer to its goal...

FSC mills produces 119,520 tonnes of sugar; bulk loading to commence this month

The three Fiji Sugar Corporation mills have crushed 1,334,570 tonnes of cane and made 119,520 tonnes of sugar as at Monday this week. The FSC stated that it took 11.2 tonnes of cane to make one tonne of sugar. “Cane purity has been adversely affected by weather, high extraneous matter in billet cane and continuing...

Fiji Airways seek expression of interest for repatriation flights

Fiji Airways is seeking expressions of interest for Nadi-Los Angeles and Los Angeles–Nadi repatriation flights in late November or early December. The airline stated the flight would allow citizens and approved persons to return home. “Flight details can only be confirmed if there is adequate demand for these services,” the airline stated. “The expression of...

Boost for young team

A non-government organisation – Healing, Counselling and Development Ministry, Fiji – has come onboard as the sponsor of a local rugby sevens team which also includes a business development program for the team members in the long run. Members of the Infinity Nabouwalu Selection Rugby sevens team yesterday received a timely boost from the NGO...

Leadership skills for federation members

Forty-three participants attended the one-day Leadership Coaching Program organised by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) in Suva yesterday. Following the workshop, participants now have an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and create a positive aura at their workplace while influencing constructive changes to enhance productivity. Program coach Kitiana Chute said it was...

Change in ownership – NZ company becomes major shareholders

A New Zealand company has become a major shareholder for the ownership of Sheraton Resort and Spa on Tokoriki Island in the Mamanuca Group. A subsidiary of Commercial Projects (CP) Group, Pandey Investments Fiji PTE Ltd, has taken over majority of shares in the island resort after negotiations with local company Meghji Group of Companies...

Investing in the resilience of rural women in the wake of COVID-19

It was an exciting day for women market vendors trading at Vunisea Market on Kadavu as they joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Day of Rural Women for the first time last Thursday (October 15, 2020). With the theme ‘Building rural women’s resilience in the wake of COVID 19’, it strongly resonated...

Whitton appointed new chairman for Cure Kids board

Rosie Holidays managing director Tony Whitton has been appointed the new chairman of Cure Kids Fiji. Mr Whitton succeeds former Cure Kids New Zealand chair Roy Austin who served as chairman of the charitable organisation for more than 14 years. Cure Kids Fiji CEO Frances Benge welcomed Mr Whitton into his new role. “I am...

Consistency is vital

In order for a food processing plant to do well, there has to be consistency in the supply of raw material to the factory, according to the Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. While handing over a truck to Food Processors (Fiji) Ltd last week on Friday, he said some produce which were being sold by the roadsides...

Sisters open beauty spa

Sisters Priya Kumari and Pritika Kumari aged 28 and 25, respectively, opened a new beauty spa at the weekend called ‘P & P Touch of Beauty Spa’. The spa offers a wide variety of services including manicure, pedicure, hair cut, massage, among other services as well. Minister for Youth Parveen Kumar said the sisters should...

High in demand

Kaiming Agro Processing Ltd has seen an increase in the demand for ginger since the pandemic started however it has been experiencing a shortage of supply for three years. According to the managing director Calvin Qiu, the company has about 36 different kinds of ginger products as well as a few turmeric products exporting to...

$10.5m international remittances in October

International money transfer into the M-Paisa platform has seen a growth from $2 million pre-COVID-19 to $10.5m in October which was an increase 425 per cent, according to the Vodafone CEO Ronald Prasad. While speaking at the third multi-disciplinary conference yesterday, he said through the Vodafone M-PAiSA solution, thousands of Fijian families now receive international...

$2.5 million investment

Mobil Oil’s (Fiji) $2.5 million investment in a premium fuel tank has been termed timely by the Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Faiyaz Koya. The fuel company yesterday unveiled, what it describes as its largest petrol tank, at its Suva terminal. Mr Koya said despite many challenges, including Cyclone Harold and COVID-19, Mobil...

‘Risks will exist’

While we engage in economic recovery, we should know that there would always be risks and cases could come into the country, says Ministry of Health’s acting permanent secretary Dr James Fong. Dr Fong said the risks existed because Fiji was a COVID-19 contained country sitting around a huge pandemic. “As long as the virus...

Virtual signing of the USA-Fiji TIFA

The landmark United States of America – Fiji Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed virtually today by the Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport, Faiyaz Koya, and the United States Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer. Apart from being the first trade and investment Agreement signed between the United States (US) and Fiji, the...

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