The oil and gas industry has evolved over decades and has assisted in improving the economic outlook for Fiji.

Permanent secretary for the Ministry of Indus­try, Trade and Tourism (MITT), Shaheen Ali made these comments while opening the newly renovated Fiji Gas Showroom in Walu Bay, Suva, last night.

Mr Ali said: “The industry has gone through a number of cycles and changes that have required the industry to continuously adapt and evolve.

“Of course, the current fluctuat­ing environment is a test for all pro­ducers and investors.

“Fiji Gas therefore has shown re­silience by continuing to grow in the face of volatile international prices.

“As we are aware, gas supports a range of economic activities that require heat, such as residential cooking, commercial and industri­al applications including transpor­tation as auto-gas.

Incentives for energy

“It becomes essential to use incen­tives for energy, more efficiently and implement sustainable policies that could lay the groundwork for more diversified and less energy-dependent economies.

“The current norm is the use of diesel generators and smaller solar solutions to provide air condition­ing, which consumes a lot of en­ergy.

“This will no doubt contribute immensely in protecting Fiji’s un­spoilt and pristine environment, which is important, not only for the Fijian tourism industry, but the na­tion at large.”

He said Fiji Gas aims to transition to cleaner forms of energy.

“As our domestic investors (like Fiji Gas) continue to re-invest in the country, it makes us, policy-makers, more confident that we are doing things right.

“This shows that the Fijian Gov­ernment is providing our indus­tries with the enabling environ­ment to do business.”

Mr Ali said LPG was a preferred choice of energy, it is a fossil non-renewable fuel.

Fiji Gas has a major challenge in the years ahead to find innovative ways to embrace renewable energy, as the World and Fiji is moving in that direction.

Online Information Launch

Meanwhile, Mr Ali said before the end of the year, they would be launching an online Information Portal for Building Permits and Starting a Business.

“This is where one will be able to access application processes, agen­cy checklists and harmonised and consolidated application forms”.

Mr Ali said: “MITT is working on enhancing a number of doing busi­ness processes.

“We are currently working on ob­taining building permits and start­ing a business.

“The end goal is to have a fully-au­tomated system where applications and approvals are done online on a single platform.So you can expect a lot more efficiency in our doing business environment.”

Fiji Gas chief executive officer, Hans Reiher said: “Fiji Gas is com­mitted to going green and diversify­ing our core business from simply “the supplier of LPG” to the sup­plier of energy solutions which in­cludes renewables like sola.”

“It’s the little steps to cleaner and renewable sources of energy that will contribute towards achieving the Government’s target of 100 per cent renewables by 2030.”

About Fiji Gas

Fiji Gas has been operating in Fiji since 1956, and has continued to maintain a market share of approx­imately 60 per cent, despite compe­tition from other energy companies and types of fuels.

Fiji Gas has greatly transformed its operations to continue to be a major player.

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