Fiji is currently developing a Services and Manufacturing Zone in Lautoka - PM

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji is currently developing a Services and Manufacturing Zone in Lautoka which will bring together modern, robust infrastructure and premier connectivity, along with plug and play facilities, making it a prime target for investment in the production of high‑quality finished goods and components.

Bainimarama revealed this while speaking at the Australia Fiji Business Council meeting in Sydney.

He says by partnering with Fiji in this project in Lautoka, Australian businesses can take advantage of their position as the hub of the Pacific, with the best networks of transportation by air and by sea, and join Fiji as we are poised to become part of the supply chain of manufacturers in Asia and Australia.

Bainimarama says Fiji is also offering duty concessions, investment allowances and some of the lowest business and personal taxes in the region.

A total of 336 Australian projects were registered in Fiji between 2010 and 2016, worth around $1.4 billion.

Bainimarama says it’s estimated these projects have created nearly 1,500 jobs across the Fijian economy in tourism, agriculture, forestry, construction, mining and quarrying.

He says the government is also investing in better roads, bridges and jetties, more efficient ports and airports and world‑class telecommunication infrastructure to spur connections within Fiji and boost our engagement with the region and the rest of the world.

Bainimarama says the government is also funding critical work throughout the country to widen access to essential services, water, electricity, health services and education.

The Prime Minister says the government is building a Fiji where jobs go to those with the right qualifications, not those with the right ethnic background, the right family name or the right connections.

He says when our students complete their education and enter working life, they can have every confidence that hard work will bring them success.

Bainimarama also says that they are currently carrying out a programme of reform throughout the Fijian Civil Service to engrain merit‑based recruitment and advancement, and to instill a culture that is more client‑focused.

Bainimarama will also attend the Fiji Day celebrations in Sydney.