Support For Business

COVID-19 Concessional Loan Package

- 14 May 2020

The Fijian Government has announced COVID-19 Concessional Finance Support Packages to aid Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in Fiji. These packages are tailor made to support existing, majority owned MSMEs severely impacted by the global COVID-19 economic fallout.

Applications will be made available on Monday 8 June 2020 and will close on Tuesday 30 June 2020.

Click HERE to find out more.

Amazon 101: Helping businesses through COVID-19

- 14 May 2020

Amazon is holding a free online webinar specifically focused at getting offline businesses onto their platform for the first time. Representatives from the company will guide you through the entire process and answer any questions you may have. We encourage small, medium & large Fijian businesses to watch the webinar.

Topic: Amazon 101: Helping businesses through COVID-19

Agenda: This webinar will provide you with the tips and resources you need to move your offline business online at this critical time.

When: Wednesday, 20 May 2020, *7pm – 8pm;

Friday, 22 May 2020, *1pm – 2pm

Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/2242010168888177419

Cost: Free

*Kindly note a change in timing

Fiji Airways - Weekly Freight Services

- 21 April 2020

Maintaining the supply chain to move goods is vita, especially at times like these. Fiji Airways have established weekly freight services, to help your business plan supply logistics to/from Fiji with complete peace fo mind.

Space of freighter service is limited and available on a first-come-first served basis. Book through your freight forwarder or contact Fiji Airway's dedicated Cargo Managers for assistance.

Fiji - Hare Parker : +679 990 7597

Australia - Kristy Winchester : +61 4 193 143 16

New Zealand - Azhar Buksh : +64 2 162 7260

USA - Kathleen Miller : +31 0 999 5966

Find Out More>>

Business Link Pacific COVID-19 100% Subsidy Package Support: Terms and Conditions

- 09 April 2020

Following Business Link Pacific’s (BLP) announcement on the COVID-19 100% Subsidy Package Support for BLP approved business advisors (BASPs), this document outlines the terms and conditions of the package.

Amount

100% subsidies to a maximum value NZD 5,000 (local currency equivalent) per subsidy will be available through approved BLP business advisors (BASPs). BASPs can apply for multiple subsidies, however 100% subsidies will be limited, at least initially, to one per SME.
Subsidy requests over NZD 5,000 and/or multiple subsidies for the same SME will be considered on a case by case basis.

Find Out More>>

List of Approved Operations during Lockdown and Respective Regulations

- 09 April 2020

Industries to be considered for operations in the lockdown areas – this is subject to any changes to the COVID-19 situation in Fiji:

Essential Businesses:

Air and Rescue Services;
Air Traffic Control Services, civil aviation;
Telecommunication services
Food and sanitary manufacturing plants;
Electricity Services;

Additional Industries Approved to Operate:

Support Industries to the Food Manufacturing Sector; (these are industries that supply packaging material, labels and pellet wrappings);
Textile, Clothing and Footwear; (to complete current orders and position for new orders);
Container, Cartage, Supply and Logistics;
Support services for fuel industries;

Find Out More>>

Industries Update:

Protocol for Nation-Wide Curfew

- 07 April 2020

As announced by the Hon. Prime Minister, in order to minimise non-essential movement of Fijians, in Fiji’s bid to contain Coronavirus (COVID-19), the nation-wide curfew hours has been extended to 8pm to 5am daily, from 10pm to 5am, from 3rd April 2020.

There are industries and certain service providers who require staff to do shift work or may need staff to address emergency calls.

In this regard, all industry players have been advised by the Hon. Attorney-General that they will need to ensure all staff who are required to work during curfew hours should carry the following:

Company Photo ID cards, in the absence of company ID, the staff will need to carry a valid National photo ID, such as Voter ID, Joint ID or Driver’s License;
Letter on company letter issued to staff that they are required to work during that specific time; and
National Contact Centre telephone contact (where applicable) to verify the claims of the staff. Where there is no contact centre, a contact officer should be identified and contact details provided.

Find Out More>>

List of Businesses Allowed to Continue Operations

- 04 April 2020

The Honorable Attorney General and Minister for Economy yesterday (4 April 2020) announced a list of business sectors which will be allowed to operate from Monday 6 April 2020. These businesses can operate provided they are able to maintain clean environment, do sanitized wipe down of operations and maintain social distancing. Also workers only from lock down/confined are allowed to go to work.

For those businesses who have Farms/warehouses outside Suva, mechanisms have been worked by Fiji Police out to allow for supplies to come in for example swap of drivers etc at the border.

These provisions are made to allow for life to continue in the lockdown area, but emphasis is also placed on the need to maintain the rules set in place.

Sectors to Operate from Monday 6 April 2020:

Support Industries to Food Manufacturing Sector, such as packaging manufactures, labelling and palette wrapping ;
Textile and Clothing Industries with demands or have to complete orders from Overseas;
Transportation, Container, Cartage, Supply and Logistics; e.g logistics to and from ports and shops;
Support Services for fuel industries – cartage of fuel, maintenance/repairs of pipelines;
IT Support : annual maintenance, system crash;
Gas Suppliers;
Locksmiths – can operate on call;
Plumbing – on call services;
Electrical services and air-conditioning services – on call services;
Beverage Companies, who may also exporting;
Tobacco Manufacturing Plants;
Poultry Industry;
Hardware services;
Insurance companies and public trustees;
Construction Sector.

Find Out More>>

Industries Update:

Protocol for Nation-Wide Curfew

- 28 March 2020

The Hon. Attorney-General and Minister for Economy together with the Hon. Minister for Industry, Trade, Tourism, Local Government, Housing and Community Development today met with industries to develop clear protocols to manage movement of staff during the nation-wide curfew period.

As announced by the Hon. Prime Minister, in order to minimise non-essential movement of Fijians, in Fiji’s bid to contain Coronavirus (COVID-19), there will be a nation-wide curfew in place from Monday, 30 March 2020. This curfew will apply daily from 10pm to 5am.

Find Out More>>

Reserve Bank of Fiji

Announced an accommodative monetary policy stance along with policy initiatives to support the private sector and households:

Expand its Natural Disaster and Rehabilitation Facility to include businesses affected by epidemics/pandemic;
Renamed the Disaster Rehabilitation and Containment Facility. Total allocation for this facility has been raised to $60 million. Businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can access funds under this facility through their respective commercial banks, licensed credit institutions or the Fiji Development Bank at an interest rate of up to a maximum of 5.0 percent.

Find Out More>>

On 18 March 2020, reduced its overnight policy rate (OPR) to 0.25 percent from 0.50 percent following the Bank’s assessment of the global effects of the recent coronavirus outbreak and its implications on Fiji’s GDP growth and the RBF’s twin monetary policy objectives.

Find Out More>>

Financial Institutions

HFC Bank is now offering the following incentive for its customers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic;

a loan repayment holiday;
restructure loans (re-negotiate terms and conditions including term extension, interest-only concessions and debt consolidation), short term funding or top-up loans for business continuity and support and enabling customers to access any government or Reserve Bank of Fiji initiative stimulus package;
reduction on overnight borrowing policy rate by 0.25 per cent, in line with the recent RBF announcement.
customers affected would be assessed and depending on their circumstances, they would be assisted through one of the four relief options on offer.

Find Out More>>

Financial Institutions

ANZ Pacific Introduces COVID-19 Customer Support Measures;

A reduction of 0.50% per annum on all local currency overdrafts for commercial customers (effective 6 April);
A reduction of 0.50% per annum on all local currency variable term loans for commercial customers (effective 1 May);
A reduction of 0.50% per annum on all local currency variable home loans and personal loans(effective 1 May);
Removal of monthly loan administration charges for term loans for both retail and commercial customers (effective 1 May);
A waiver on loan restructuring fees for commercial customers on a case-by-case basis;
A reduction in repayment amounts for commercial customers in line with the reduced interest rates.

Find Out More>>

BSP Offers Relief Packages

Commercials loans – an arrangement for interest-only repayments for up to three months for affected sectors on a case by case basis.

Personal loans – three month repayment holiday (principal and interest) for those impacted by reduced hours or loss of employment with term extended accordingly

Find Out More>>

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Agriculture Announced Agriculture COVID-19 Response Package to ensure access to adequate food of acceptable quality and nutritional value is not affected.

Find Out More>>