THERE is a huge potential for Papua New Guinea and Fiji to enhance trade and investment and continue to strengthen bilateral ties and people to people relationship as members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
A recent visit by a Fijian Business and Trade Delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica, to Port Moresby, unveiled significant potential for cooperation in trade and investment between both Melanesia neighbours.
The Fijian business delegation of thirty (30) people mostly government officials and business representatives met with government officials and businesses in Port Moresby during their weeklong visit from 23rd to 27th March, 2025.
One of the Fijian delegate and Director of Paradise Technologies Group, Raghu Chowdhary, said it was a successful mission for the Fijian delegation and they wish to see more of such visit in the future.
He said it had opened up a lot of opportunities and potential for both Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
“At the present moment there’s a trade volume of almost 30-40 million dollars which our Deputy Prime Minister want it to be increased simply because we have seen in the last few days.
“We are here and there’s an immense potential and if we can work together, I am sure in the next few years we can achieve it,” Mr. Chowdhary said.
“When we came here, we did not realize so many things we can import from here to Fiji.
“And because Fiji and PNG come under the MSG (Melanesian Spearhead Group) we have a relationship of free trade agreement and that will help us to supply goods from Fiji to here (PNG) and from here (PNG) to Fiji including agriculture.
“The other thing we found here is that there are Fiji Companies that come here like Vodafone. Vodafone has established itself here and they are doing extremely well at the same time BSP has come to Fiji and established themselves very well and its one of the biggest banks in Fiji now so two-way trade and two-way business is growing and I am sure the family relationships that we have there’s a lot of potential,” Mr. Chowdhary.
“Fiji is a small country with a population of almost 850, 000 but we are doing well. Our resource is basically tourism, we also produce sugar cane, we produce sugar and we also have a lot of fish.
“Our resources are much less than what you have in PNG but we have a lot of production which became the hub of the pacific and that is keeping Fiji moving forward.”
“So, in PNG there are many people who have a lot of potential and I can see if you come to Fiji, we have a lot of land which can be developed and a lot can be done and vice versa.
“Like we have people who make a lot of money in Fiji who can come here but it is not going to happen overnight. When we go back, we speak good about our trip and they say ok we will try and so it only slowly builds up.”
“I think the question is there has to be the leaders who have to take the initiative. If they push, we can follow like our Prime Minister said we must have good relationship with our neighbours and that’s where the beginning so we have re-established the High Commission. “By doing that it only shows confidence and it shows that there is some interest so they said let’s take a delegation to PNG,” he said