The spin-offs for Fiji

FIJI’ S business and industrial leaders, together with government, have a chance to be in on the ground floor as the economic benefits of the Sydney Olym pics begin to flow, says Australia’s senior trade commissioner for the Pacific Islands Steve Ryan.

The reason for such optimism is based on the forthcoming Fiji/Australia - Aus tralia/Fiji Business Councils’joint confer ence at the Regent of Fiji Resort from June 22 to 24. The title theme for this year’s conference is Let’s Get Fair Dinkum. The business councils have planned the 1994 joint conference in anticipation that the South Pacific will gain tremendous economic benefit not only from the tourism spin-off but from the first hand experience that some of the visitors will gain of the economic poten tial of countries such as Fiji.

A keynote speaker will be a top personality, a person whose successful track record has been seen by all the world, the man behind Sydney’s success ful Qlympic bid, Rod McGeoch.

“McGeoch will be speaking on not only the opportunities for tourism but also the vast linkages the Sydney 2000 Olympics present for trading opportunities, begin ning right now in 1994,” Ryan said. “I believe that any business or commercial undertaking in this country needs to look further than the confines of Fiji if it is to remain viable in the competitive world of

trade. Many of the visitors to the Olympics will be businessmen and indus trialists who will take the opportunity to see the commercial potential of the South Pacific while they are in the region.

Already there are visitors connected to the Olympics arriving in Australia.

Fiji and the South Pacific stand to gain tremendous economic benefit not only from the tourism spin-off but from the first hand experience that some of the visitors will gain.

“It is not too early to establish those links indeed it is vital to get in on the ground floor and establish an early rapport with Australian companies who will be an integral part of what will become, for want of a better name, an Olympic associated industry.”

In an associated measure the councils have secured as a further keynote speaker R V Cole. Cole, a previous financial secretary for the Fiji government, will present a paper entitled, ‘Broadening the

Australian-Fiji Trade Relationship’.

This is seen as being a critical component for the future and is designed to look beyond the current trading relationship between Australia and Fiji and is in recognition that a fresh look needs to be taken.

At the business working level, a number of Australian companies from the Rockhampton area would be exhibit ing throughout the joint conference with a special invitees day on June 25. They include designer groups specialising in crocodile leather products, sapphires and precious stones, architects wno featured designs for the tropics, an auto accessories firm, a nursery/landscaping exhibit highlighting tropical plants, and an educational stand from the University of Central Queensland. Tourism, invest ment and export credit insurance and export finance, the latter by Derek Hill, the secretary-general International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers and an acknowledged authority is this field, are also on the agenda. “We believe we have a conference equal to any that has gone before with a relevance to the times and conditions the Fiji industry and business face right at this moment,”

Ryan said.

“At the same time, we have planned that this is a forward looking conference, preparing delegates for the scenario for the region until the end of the century, that is Olympics 2000.” □