Investment Fiji chief executive officer, Godo Mueller-Teut said the Prime Minister’s Interna­tional Business Awards was the premier event where not only the success of Fijian Businesses but their contribution towards Fiji’s thriving economy will be recog­nised.

The Awards which were launched by the Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Lands and Mineral Re­sources, Faiyaz Koya on Monday at the Grand Pacific Hotel are set to take centre stage on November 3.

Mr Mueller-Teut said: “The Awards provide an opportunity for Fijian businesses to benchmark performance, build capability, in­spire to innovate, showcase service excellence, support job creation and boost employee morale.

“The Awards aspire to encourage local businesses to look beyond their reach, challenge their limi­tation, break conventional barri­ers and punch above their weight through ingenious approaches.

“Any business, whether big or small can contribute towards na­tional growth and become leaders in their respective industries.

“As the Minister mentioned in his key note address, Fiji is on track for a ninth consecutive year of growth, and this success is based on your accomplishments, tenacity and hard work.

“You, our business houses and en­trepreneurs are the innovative zest of commerce today.

“The prosperity of business and society and the whole of the natu­ral environment on which we de­pend for our ultimate survival, are intimately tied together.

“The fearless spirit of our entre­preneurs invigorates monopolies with fresh competition, while their acumen as digital pioneers empow­ers local businesses to adopt global horizons.

“They are the data-literate, social­ly savvy sharers who create new technologies to render old prob­lems defunct.”

He stressed the 2018 Prime Min­ister’s International Business Awards will recognise innova­tive minds in Fiji’s private sector, achievements, tenacity, leadership and aspirations of excellence.

“We have established a dedicated website www.iba.org.fj highlight­ing the award categories, featur­ing an online application form and showcasing the success of previous year’s winners.

“We have also established a dedi­cated Facebook page, as well as a twitter and Instagram account to show updates of sponsors and the application drive, and encourage you all to follow us to social media for regular updates.

The sponsors, he said play an in­tricate part in the awards, which would not exist without the gener­ous contributions and support of the corporate community.

Similar to last year, there are 12 categories consisting of three Gen­eral Awards, eight Special Awards and the Supreme Award that pro­vides due recognition to organisa­tions from a wide range of sectors and industries.

Mr Mueller-Teut highlighted the 12 exciting categories for this year’s Awards below:

Category: Best Small Business

Operating Internationally Award

Small Enterprises account for the vast majority of all private sector firms in Fiji and play a hug role in our thriving economy.

In today’s climate, where user-experience and fast-flowing trends are key mobilisers, small busi­nesses are all the more powerful for their youthful energy and agile stature.

The Small Business of the Year Award recognises the achieve­ments of companies with sales less than $1million.

It celebrates the resilience, forti­tude and the vital role these entities play in building Fiji’s global reputa­tion as an incubator for ideas and business growth.

Sponsor : DHL

We are grateful to DHL for spon­soring the Best Small Business Op­erating Internationally Award.

As the pioneer and leader of the global express industry, DHL oper­ates in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, assisting Fi­jian businesses as they venture into the rapidly growing e-commerce sector and supporting the commu­nity through corporate social re­sponsibility initiatives with local charities and specialised Disaster response teams.

Category: Best Medium Business

Operating Internationally Award

The Award for the Best Medium Business operating internationally celebrates the contribution of mid-market companies.

These firms hone talent that spurs new technologies, industries and jobs.

The winner will have a compelling story to tell and is presented to a company that has maintained con­sistent growth and is able to vali­date how it will continue to build on its success.

Sponsor : MITT

We would like to thank the Minis­try of Industry Trade and Tourism for sponsoring this year’s Best Me­dium Business Operating Interna­tionally Award.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism focuses on the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise sec­tor as the bedrock for industrial, trade and business growth, ensur­ing that the growth is sustainable and inclusive and a catalyst for innovation and development of homegrown niche products and technologies.

Category: Best Large Business

Operating Internationally Award

The Best Large Business Operat­ing internationally recognises

a company with sales exceeding

$5 million.

The winner of this category should have made a significant contribu­tion to the nation, has an engaged workforce and whose growth, com­pelling business strategy, ambition and effective leadership allows the company to continually innovate in order to support future growth.

Sponsor HFC

The Award for the Best Large Business Operating Internation­ally is proudly sponsored by HFC Bank, and we would like to extend our appreciation to HFC – Fiji’s local bank who are committed to understanding the needs of its clientele and offer innovative and competitive products and services to effectively assist a vibrant and ever evolving nation.

Special Category Awards

Re-exporter of the Year Awards

The Re- Exporter of the Year Award provides due recognition to those businesses who have excelled in re-exporting and at the same time contribute to ensuring that Fiji is, and remains the true hub of the Pacific.

The winner will demonstrate the expansion across existing or new markets and through the introduc­tion of creative and innovative operational processes and value adding, show robustness in manag­ing and developing international growth.

Sponsor : Swire Shipping

We are grateful to Swire Shipping for sponsoring the Re- Exporter of the Year Award.

Swire Shipping provides shipping links between over 130 ports across the Pacific, Australia, New Zea­land, Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East – recognising that the shipping industry relies on the growth of the export sector to underpin continued develop­ment in Fiji and the larger Central Pacific region.

Category: Excellence in

E-Commerce Award

The Excellence I E-Commerce Award will recognise a company that has demonstrated successful e-commerce approaches by using digital media to market products and services internationally.

Creative websites, web stores, e-sales channels and Social media platforms allow Fijian companies to promote products and services globally in a real-time and cost ef­fective manner.

Companies that have embraced innovative e-commerce channels often have a significant point of difference over their competitors when it comes to accessing inter­national markets.

Sponsor : Vodafone

We would like to thank Vodafone for continuing to be the Excellence in E- Commerce Award sponsor this year.

As pioneers of E-Commerce in the telecommunications industry in Fiji, Vodafone are committed to improving connectivity for all Fijians and continue to invest in their Network and help bridge the digital divide, through technolo­gies such as M-Paisa, Internet of Things and Applications, NFC, tap and go or mobile money.

Excellence in Service Award

The Excellence in Service Award will recognize a business that con­stantly strives to exceed customer expectations, industry leading standards of service and innova­tion around customer service.

This Award is open to outstand­ing customer champions – business that operate customer centric, or­ganizations where the customer is truly the king.

The winner will be able to dem­onstrate measurable commercial achievements that are recognised by critical success and qualified through sustained customer satis­faction.

Sponsor: BlueScope Fiji

The Excellence in Service Award is proudly sponsored by BlueScope Fiji.

BlueScope believe in a strong cul­ture of customer service following their mantra that “Our Customers Are Our Partners – Our Bond”, and with great customer service Blue­Scope strive to build enduring cus­tomer loyalty.

Category: Excellence in Innovation Award

The Excellence in Innovation Award will shine a light on the most innovative business in the country recognising leading prod­ucts and services that provide in­novative solutions for new and ex­isting market needs.

Whether the innovation is a new market, product, service or a cul­ture of improvement, this Award recognises the company that suc­cessfully applies innovation, cel­ebrating the ideas that have the greatest impact on an organisation or industry.

Sponsor: MITT and Fijian Made

We would like to extend our sin­cere appreciation to The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the Fijian Made Campaign for sponsoring the Excellence in Inno­vation Award.

The Fijian Made Campaign pro­motes and raises the profile of Fi­jian made products and produce, both domestically and interna­tionally through a national brand­ing strategy and is a catalyst for innovation and development of homegrown niche products and technologies that have improved their sector and disrupted the sta­tus quo.

Category: Primary Industry

Business Excellence Award

Fiji’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors have contributed significantly towards the growth of the Fijian economy.

Fiji’s vast agricultural potential, virgin soils, forests and large ex­clusive economic zone presents endless opportunities for local businesses in particular in the ar­eas of value addition.

The Primary Industry Business Excellence Award aims to show­case innovation and adaptability across a number of primary in­dustry sectors, recognising organi­sations with compelling stories, sound business models and ambi­tious growth plans.

Sponsor : Reserve Bank of Fiji

We would like to thank the Re­serve Bank of Fiji for sponsoring the 2018 Primary Industry Busi­ness Excellence Award.

The Reserve Bank of Fiji’s vision is to lead Fiji to economic success by providing proactive and sound advice to government, develop an internationally reputable financial system and conduct monetary poli­cy to foster economic growth.

Category: Young Entrepreneurship Award

This year we are introducing a new Award Category, the Young Entrepreneurship of the Year Award, recognising outstanding achievement by young Fijians.

The award will be presented to a company that best exemplifies the qualities of effective leadership, innovatively applied know-how, demonstrates financial viability and sound potential for growth, and engages in continuous learn­ing or other improvement opportu­nities designed to advance the eco­nomic, social and environmental prospects of the enterprise.

Entrants for this award must be Fijian nationals aged between 18 and 35 at the time of entering their application and we expect their stories will be rich in anecdotes of seized opportunity and dynamic response to the many pitfalls that lie in wait for those who are pas­sionate for progress.

Sponsor: Ministry of Youth & Sports

We would like to thank the Minis­try of Youth and Sports as the lead agency tasked with supporting the development of the full potential of young people in Fiji for sponsor­ing the Young Entrepreneurship Award.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports is committed to delivering services for the growth of young Fijians by encouraging youths to be job crea­tors rather than job seekers.

Category: Socially Responsible Business of the Year

The Socially Responsible Busi­ness of the Year Award will rec­ognize a company that has demon­strated a positive, sustainable and societal impact as part of their re­sponsible business journey.

Social responsibility involves de­veloping businesses with a positive relationship to the society in which they operate and this Award recog­nises a company that can demon­strate a successful commitment to managing their social, environ­mental and financial obligations to further a social purpose that ben­efits the community.

Sponsor: Tropik Wood Industries Limited

The Socially Responsible Busi­ness of the Year Award is proudly sponsored by Tropik Wood Indus­tries, a company deeply committed towards Corporate Social Respon­sibility starting from the involve­ment of landowners; the partner­ship with employees and a focus on sustainability as plantations take 22 years to mature; the long term perspective is part of Tropic Wood Industries DNA geared towards so­cial responsibility.

Category: Excellence in Business Leadership Award

The Excellence in Business Lead­ership Award will recognise an individual who has shaped the business world in Fiji through steadfast leadership, vision, tenac­ity and dedication, who is a true leader and role model for other companies.

This Award will honour and rec­ognise the dynamic, inspiring and visionary men and women who created products and services that create jobs and help the economy grow.

Sponsor: Golden Manufactures Limited

We would like to thank Golden Manufacturers for sponsoring the 2018 Excellence in Business Lead­ership Award.

Golden Manufacturers commit­ment to the local economy, and its workforce and leadership role in in environmental protection and ethi­cal corporate behavior, all guides their continued success and pro­gress.

Category: Supreme Award: Fiji Water

And now, ladies and gentlemen – The Supreme Award – This Award will be presented to a company that has demonstrated significant and sustained international growth along with clear understanding of overseas markets.

The Supreme Award is not di­rectly entered but selected from all applications recognising they have excelled in every part of the Awards criteria.

The winner should have demon­strated commercial success and outlined benefits across multiple facets including job creation, in­novation service excellence and social responsibility.

Sponsor : Fiji Water

We would like to thank Fiji Water for coming on aboard as Supreme Award Sponsor this year.

FIJI Water is one of the country’s leading exporters and it has grown exponentially over the past twenty years and is now enjoyed in over 80 countries across the globe.

FIJI Water is committed to re­sponsible growth, innovation and supporting communities in Fiji.

The Prime Minister’s Interna­tional Business Awards recognises businesses for their tenacity and dedication towards developing the Fijian economy.

“If you have a venture that has adopted creative channels to do business, whose products and ser­vices are distinctive from the rest, who strives for peculiarity and has had meaningful contributions to­wards the development of the com­munity, then the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards is the platform to showcase and share your success – and we look forward to receiving your applications.”

Please visit www.iba.org.fj to lean more about the categories and ap­ply online.

“Your curiosity, your creativity and your passion are the raw ma­terials of tomorrow’s world – and I look forward to celebrating your success on the Awards night on the 3rd of November.”

Investment Fiji

Feedback: maraia.vula@fijisun.com.fj