Plans are in place to locally set up manufacturing assembly lines for international companies.

Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum made the comment while addressing the Ba Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said international companies were considering relocating their assembly lines to other countries.

“We have already had a discussion with some of them,” he said.

“We have a good brand and the right climate,” he said.

Diversifying the economy

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said: “For the past 10 years, we have been trying to diversify the economy.”

“One of the major movie companies is coming to Fiji again,” he said.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the company was aware of the quarantine requirements.

“We have given them options,” he said.

“They can choose their hotel as long as they pay for it,” he added.

Aspen Medical

In another development, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said Government had given Aspen Medical until next June to take over the running of Ba Hospital.

He said they were in talks with the Australian Government and Aspen Medical over the issue.

Aspen Medical was the successful bidder for the provision of health services under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement for the Ba and Lautoka hospitals.

Aspen Medical was to work with the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) as major investors, to see the work that was needed to be done at both hospitals.

Under the PPP arrangements, Aspen Medical was selected to develop, finance, upgrade, operate and maintain Lautoka Hospital, Fiji’s second-largest hospital, and the new Ba Sub-divisional hospital.

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