Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama last night praised the $85million transformation of the Pearl Resort in Pacific Harbour, Deuba.

Opening the new development, he said: “Any investment on this scale is significantly boosting the number of jobs our people need to care for themselves and their families, as well as contributing to the overall wellbeing of the national economy.

“And I’m especially pleased that this is happening here at Pacific Harbour – an area that is only now starting to fulfill the promise that many have believed possible for it since the 1970s.

“All this is happening at the best possible time for the Pearl and its investors to ride the wave of optimism sweeping Fijian tourism and the Fijian economy generally.

“As I said yesterday, we believe the 5.3 per cent annual growth, that the Fijian economy enjoyed last year, is just the start. So the confidence that you have placed in Fiji with this investment is certain to reap you considerable rewards in the years to come.”

He welcomed Papua New Guinea’s ministers and members of Parliament, Provincial Governors, PNG’s envoy to Fiji and Mineral Resources Development Company officials, landowners and shareholders from Western Province and Southern Highlands in PNG.

Mr Bainimarama said: “Your presence here today symbolises the growing strength of the people-to-people relationship between our nations – as well as our business ties – and I hope you enjoy your Fijian experience,” he said.

“The Pearl Resort is one of two major investments by Papua New Guinea in our tourism industry – the other, of course, being the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva. And in both instances, investors from PNG had the foresight to realise that these properties had huge potential and possessed the financial resources to unlock that potential. To MRDC and the landowners who benefit from its investments, I especially want to say how much my Government appreciates your confidence in Fiji. Tenkyu tumas.

“We are certainly worthy of that confidence and the evidence for that is all around us. Tourism in Fiji has grown by 9.5 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year. And we are seeing a clear upswing in capital investment in the tourism sector, which as you all know is Fiji’s biggest revenue earner and an important source of income for the Fijian people through the employment it generates.”

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