The joint Fiji Australia and Australia Business Council Forum at the Grand Pacific Hotel has been rated a resounding success by its presidents who said the objectives were fulfilled.

Australia Fiji Business Council president, Greg Pawson said with the two counterpart Foreign Affairs Minister’s moving speeches being positive, there was more reason to do business than ever before.

“I’ve been the president for the Australia Fiji Business Forum and I’d have to say that this has been the most successful forum that we had,” Mr Pawson said.

“The forum today is just tremendous and reinforces the fact that this is a significant milestone for the bilateral relations for Australia and Fiji.

“It is certainly for the private sector that are on our business councils.

“I think they can be very excited of the opportunities that this renewed relationship will present going forward.”

Fiji Australia Business Council president  Viliame Leqa said: “The ball is in our court now and the opportunities are.

“The environment’s been set for Fiji to move forward and develop the imbalanced areas.”

Mr Leqa brushed aside the trade imbalances between the two nations with Australia having the upper hand.

“When we look at the tourism sector which involves the services area the imbalance is actually smaller,” Mr Leqa highlighted.

“This is because of the numbers that are equated relates to manufacturing and not including the services area

“When you throw in the 350,000 numbers … it does narrow that gap and that must be understood so that people have the right perception of the trade gap that we have.

“We’ve achieved everything that we have wanted to achieve in this forum.

“We’ve really connected the talks that the two countries have from the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and the two Foreign Affairs Ministers (Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and Julie Bishop) was where we had wanted to connect and work our way down to the private sector and whatever other sectors.”

Both presidents agreed the next forum is yet to be decided.

But its venue will be strategically picked to ensure that the forum again meets its objectives and is beneficial to both counterparts.

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