Exhibitors to the region’s biggest and most exciting annual trade fair – the MSG Trade Fair – are set to open their booths at the Chambres du Metiers in Noumea, New Caledonia to trade, exchange ideas and develop opportunities and partnerships.
The trade fair will be held over two days and ends on Friday.
On Wednesday, business and private sector representatives joined public sector investment officials for the MSG’s Investment Roadshow at the Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre.
Speakers included Roy Mickey Joy, Vanuatu’s Ambassador to the EU, Andre Boudart from the Cabinet Office of the Strategic Orientations of New Caledonia, Investment Fiji CEO Godo Mueller-Teut, UNDP Private Sector Specialist Dr. Asif Chida, Winifred Amini from WIN-IT Consultancy PNG and a range of commercial entities and investors from MSG countries.
Delegates discussed how they need to be prepared to take advantage of the MSG Free Trade Area in 2017, the business opportunities that will arise from the revised MSG Trade Agreement, how they can grow private enterprises in rural and maritime areas and the challenges of climate change to the private sector.
Over 60 exhibitors from the five MSG countries will be participating in Thursday’s trade fair in Noumea.
Among them is Motiram & Co Ltd from Fiji who specialize in linen, uniforms, exhibit fabrics and samples.
“We are looking to explore export opportunities in the Pacific region, and express our interest to be commercial linen suppliers to the hospitality market in New Caledonia,” said company representative Geeta Raniga.
“We are currently supplying to PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands and are hoping to establish firm business relationships with the New Caledonian market,” she said.
The aim of the Investment Roadshow is to showcase possible areas of investment opportunities in Melanesia , and showcase products manufactured within Melanesia with the hope of establishing markets.
The Investment symposium was also attended by the High Chief, Roch Wamytan of FLNKS, Willie Jimmy, Minister of Finance for Vanuatu and Madame Caroline Machoro-Rehnier who opened the symposium on behalf of the Chair of the MSG Trade Ministers Meeting (TMM).
This is the 3rd Investment Roadshow and Trade Fair organized by the Melanesian Spearhead Group, with previous trade fairs held in Fiji in 2013, and PNG in 2014.
The events are being supported and funded by MSG members and budgetary support from the European Union, through the Pacific Islands Forum, under the Pacific Integration Technical Assistance Project (PITA)