Fiji must attract investment that creates jobs and skills: Kamikamica

Fiji should not just chase more foreign investment — it should focus on attracting investment that creates jobs, develops local skills and keeps more value in the country.

That was the message from Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica to Fiji’s business community at the Fiji-Australia Business Council’s Joint Business Forum dinner in Suva on Thursday night.

Mr Kamikamica said the focus should shift from simply bringing more investment into Fiji to securing better-quality investment.

“Investment that builds local capability, transfers knowledge, strengthens supply chains and adds value locally over the long term,” said the Minister for Industries, Commerce, Business Development and Public Enterprises.

He pointed to tourism as an example of the strength of the Fiji-Australia relationship.

Fiji welcomed a record 986,367 visitors in 2025, with 452,422 coming from Australia — nearly 46 per cent of all arrivals.

Mr Kamikamica said the International Monetary Fund estimates Fiji’s economy will grow by 2.4 per cent this year and 2.7 per cent in 2027.

However, he warned that energy prices and global tensions remained risks to the economy.

Fiji’s standard corporate tax rate is now 25 per cent, while companies listed on the South Pacific Stock Exchange pay 15 per cent.

Mr Kamikamica said incentives alone would not make Fiji competitive without reducing the cost of doing business and improving government services.

Fiji-Australia Business Council president Himesh Chandra also used the dinner to mark the council’s 40th anniversary, tracing its beginnings to former Westpac manager James Huey in 1986.

Mr Chandra said this year’s forum attracted a record 200 delegates and 171 registered members, making it one of Fiji’s largest business gatherings.

The forum continues at the Grand Pacific Hotel through to Saturday.