Fiji businesses hope to grow exports at show

Transcript

The Melanesian Spearhead Group is hosting a trade and investment road show in Papua New Guinea to promote business cooperation in the region.

The three-day trade exhibition, which opened yesterday, includes at least five exhibition booths from each Melanesian country.

It will allow exporters to promote their products and secure markets and business contacts.

The Managing Director of Fiji's Deluxe Footwear, Dharmendra Parmar, spoke to Jenny Meyer before heading to the road show, and was optimistic it would boost business.

DHARMENDRA PARMAR: We will be taking all our products, all our Fijian made products and we'll be marketing heavily there. Plus also we have a stall there, yes we do.

JENNY MEYER: And how many people do you employ in Fiji? I guess if you boost your business it will be good for them in terms of job security, will it?

DP: Definitely, definitely. Once we get more contracts and more products to export we will be definitely expanding our business in Fiji.

JM: And do you see any other opportunities that might arise from going to something like this?

DP: Well we're going to something like this, is just an example. Were going to the MSG group this time and having the whole MSG group sitting there. So it will be people like from Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga and all that region as well. And that will be a good one stop shop for us to look at other regions as well.

JM: What other kind of businesses are generally there as well as someone like yourself a footwear company?

DP: Yeah there's footwear, footwear and clothing, together we're going the TFC Council, so that's footwear and clothing. Plus we have the fisheries, we have handicrafts, Fijian grown handicrafts as well. So everything to do with Fijian made we are taking. Also some of the imported footwear will also be there. And other companies like Fiji Water and like confectionary items and there's a lot of things going on for Fiji.

JM: So how much do you imagine that your sales will benefit from this kind of contact throughout the Melanesian region?

DP: Well at the moment well the way we're looking at things like for Fiji we have a population of 800,000 people; and we're looking at about 7 million people at the other end you see. And the market for Papua New Guinea is pretty growing now. And it should put up by another 30 per cent probably.

JM: And do exports make up quite a bit of your business?

DP: Not as yet, we are there but we want to get it to another level now. Our main aim is to get the footwear industry to another level.

JM: And what do you the biggest challenges are in achieving that?

DP: The challenges are that what we're trying to do, the challenges are very hard most of the time like when we look at people and we need to get contracts to be done. So you have to be knowing really whom you want to deal with. And in Papua New Guinea for example we will just appoint agents now. So they will, they can on behalf working for our company and running the whole show. Because they know the market pretty well, than us. So that's the best way to go.

JM: Ok so do you hope to walk away with signed contracts for agents in countries like Papua New Guinea and say Vanuatu?

DP: Yes, confirmed. So we have already been working with them for the past couple of years now. And now we will be going to take it and sign and sit down and get it done.