Great opportunities lie ahead
pp. 42-43 · Read in the full issue
Fiji’s Economic Development Board, which is charged with supporting the country’s export effort, sees further success ahead.
The board told PIM it has identified opportunities in gar ments, furniture, fresh pawpaw and mango, seafoods (especial ly crayfish), leather goods, pro cessed timber products, cut tropical flowers, paper pro ducts, processed fruits and vegetables and processed orange, passionfruit and pine apple juices.
The EDB’s Trade Division carries out a continuing trade promotion program to assist both existing and potential ex porters.
This program takes several forms: • Personal discussions with entrepreneurs for advice on overseas markets, access to these markets under various trade agreements, distribution
channels and potential impor ters. • Setting up links between Fiji companies and potential overseas customers. • Seminars for exporters on various overseas markets and their documentation and quarantine requirements. • Trade displays, marketing missions and market research under the various aid schemes available. • Distribution of relevant news and information to the country’s exporters.
The board also maintains links with the manufacturers’ association to help improve ac cess conditions for Fiji in target markets overseas and to administer the Export Promo tion Incentive Scheme.
It also reviews the nation’s export performance in a more informal manner through its contacts with Fiji exporters and
Fiji’s exporters can expect continued success in several areas. The country’s Economic Deve lopment Board describes the export perform ance of the garment industry as “phenomenal” and points to further opportunities.
through follow-up action on overseas trade displays.
Fiji, said a board spokesman, is a relative newcomer to export markets and therefore has to be promoted as a supplier of high quality goods and produce.
For example, the board was instrumental in persuading the government to amend the Fruit Export Marketing Act in order to tighten up on the issue of export licences.
“We also attempt,” said the board spokesman, “to convince exporters of fresh produce to market their products as a group and not undercut each other.
“Substantial success in this
regard has been achieved for exports of fresh ginger to the United States and Canada.”
Fiji’s overseas representatives have a vital role to play in promoting exports and the EDB maintains close contact with them to review market condi tions and other developments.
Fiji’s private sector, govern ment unions and rural sector are all represented on the EDB and, though its role in quality control is mainly advisory, its recommendations tend to carry some weight.
“Our educational role has a major objective of stressing to exporters the importance of maintaining quality standards
when exporting to new mar kets,” said the spokesman.
“This message has been well received as can be seen from the success in the fields of garments, liquor and furniture exports. ”
In promoting exports, it is necessary to cast as wide a net as economically possible.
The board told PIM that trade displays and marketing missions have already been held in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, West ern Samoa, American Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Northern Marianas and FSM.
“While there are no grounds for complacency,” said the
spokesman, “the growth and diversification of non-traditional exports over the past few years does provide some satisfaction.
“The phenomenal growth in the exports of garments to Australia is to be highly com mended, while increasing re ceipts from exports of rum, leather products, timber pro ducts, furniture, fresh produce and stationery products are also noteworthy. ”
Of course, there are prob lems.
Fiji’s currency, production in efficiencies, lack of economies of scale and lack of the right kind of manpower are all still there.
But the problems are being tackled.
Ginger has become a multi million dollar industry within the last five years. In 1984 Fiji’s ginger export brought over $3 million