Fiji Development Bank : FDB hosts road show in Navua

15 February 2011

The upcoming Fiji Development Bank Road Show in Navua hopes to create new business opportunities for the people of Serua, Namosi and Beqa Island.

Scheduled for 25 and 26 February, the two-day event will see agroprocessors,

exporters, suppliers of agro-inputs including machinery as well as stakeholders connected to other small and medium enterprises, come together for what one can expect, will be a memorable experience.

The Show will be held at the Vashist Muni Primary School grounds, in Navua.

“Entry to the event is free because we know how important this event is for the economic advancement of the two provinces and we would like to have as many people as possible visit the exhibition and attend the information seminar that we will have running in tandem with the exhibition,” says Deve Toganivalu, chief executive

officer for FDB.

The road show is unique in that not only can visitors enquire and purchase the items on sale, but also negotiate business with the exhibitors, particularly if the exhibitor is a agricultural produce buyer or a seller of agricultural inputs.

The overarching goal of the road show is to spur development in the agricultural sector with the view to reducing reliance on imports as well as encourage entrepreneurship in small medium enterprises as a means of reducing unemployment and improving the standard of living for people in the area.

“Any farmer interested in taking his farm commercial, should use this opportunity to meet personally with the exporters and agroprocessors and work out a deal for farming the produce that they, the exporter or processor, needs,” Mr. Toganivalu said.

The show case is also an opportunity for potential entrepreneurs to speak with exhibitors, attend the presentation seminars and hear about business ventures that they can potentially get into.

“The presence of exporters and other businesses at this event will hopefully be an eye opener as well for any person who has thought about but hasn’t progressed to starting his or her own business,” Mr. Toganivalu said.

“As much as this event is about boosting the agricultural sector, it is also a knowledge fair for anyone interested in starting a business of their own and in this regard, it would be helpful if they also took the time to attend the presentation seminars that we will be

holding.”

The Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCA) will be at hand to do T.I.N. registrations as will the Fiji National Provident Fund and the Unit Trust of Fiji to discuss savings’ plan options.

Other regulators and licensors like the Fiji Maritime and Safety Administration, the ministries of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Navua Rural Local Authority, Ministry of Lands, Reserve Bank of Fiji, Ministry of Agriculture and the Department

of Cooperatives will present at the seminars and take enquiries during the exhibition.

Other exhibitors include Joes Farm, Spices of Fiji, Ben’s Trading, Kaiming Agro-processors, Balthan International, Agro Marketing Authority, Food Processors, Rewa Dairy Limited, Fiji Hardwood Corporation, Southern Forestry, AgChem, Crest Chicken, ASCO Motors, Recycle and Compost (Fiji) Ltd and Ranadi Flowers.

“The Bank is grateful for the support rendered to it by the Serua and Namosi provincial councils as well as the Provincial Administrator Serua in making this event possible,” Mr. Toganivalu said.

The Fiji Development Bank will also take loan enquiries over the two days.

A total of 27 exhibitors will take part in the two-day event.

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