The Fiji Australia Business Council (FABC) is a very active and well-connected body. With membership in excess of 120 of Fiji’s leading CEO’s, MD’s, GM’s and key decision makers, the Council has a defacto leadership responsibility in business that it takes seriously.
The Annual Business Forum event organized by the Council is a “must” on everybody’s calendar as it is attended by a large number of business and government leaders from Fiji and Australia.
We can also help to arrange introductions for members doing business in Australia for the first time. We are in close contact with the Australian government and Austrade representatives here in Fiji and also consult regularly with both the Australian and Fiji governments’ Trade ministries. For example, the FABC has been proud to have lobbied for the extension and changes to SPARTECA-TCF that has assisted the Textile, Clothing and Footwear businesses with extended benefits that has resulted in further bilateral growth.
In July 2008 FABC signed a historic partnership agreement with the UN through its UNAIDS agency, to work in partnership to ensure an appropriate private sector response to HIV in Fiji workplaces. With generous funding of $30,400 from the Government of Australia, the FABC has now announced its BAHA Fiji initiative – establishing a Business Coalition Against HIV and Aids (BAHA Fiji). BAHA Fiji will enable the private sector to play a positive and constructive role in preventing and reducing the impact of HIV on business and private sector employees in Fiji through awareness, workplace policy development, and training resource development.
FABC is a proud sponsor of the Leadership Fiji program and through this sponsorship engages with emerging leaders. One graduate is hosted each year at our major forum and we facilitate dialogue between the Australian high Commission and the Leadership Fiji class each year to encourage and foster bilateral relationships.
FABC has a long history of supporting the Fiji Indigenous Business Council and hosted its President at the 2007 Forum.
FABC recognises exporting excellence to Australia through its sponsorship of the Fiji Exporter of the Year to Australia award (since its inception). This important Fiji Government award program is an example of FABC’s support of the work of Investment Fiji.
FABC holds social functions from time to time for networking purposes and also for the sharing of information, with high profile local and visiting guest speakers addressing relevant business, trade and investment topics.
FABC also liaises where necessary or preferable with the Governments of the day in Australia and Fiji on issues of concerns to its members. In 2008 FABC sent a senior delegation to Canberra to ensure the private sector voice was heard prior to the Forum Foreign Minister’s meeting in Auckland, where Fiji was the key agenda item.
If you have business dealings that span the Fiji-Australia bilateral relationship, if your operations are influenced by trading or investment issues between Australia and Fiji, or if most of your products, services, or customers come from one of these countries then you will benefit from membership of the FABC.
