TOP-level executives of 20 superannuation, provident, trust and sovereign wealth institutions from across the Pacific who collectively manage about $160 billion worth of assets are meeting in Nadi this week to build relationships, discuss best practices, share experiences and opportunities, as well as highlight pertinent industry issues as the 5th Pacific Islands Investment Forum (PIIF) Annual CEO Forum kicked off yesterday at the Sheraton Resort and Spa in Denarau, Nadi.
While opening the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad said with 91 registered participants from 10 member countries, and 15 partner institutions in attendance, it was the largest gathering of its kind and spoke volumes about the centrality of the forum in the Pacific’s development landscape.”
“You represent 20 superannuation, provident, trust and sovereign wealth funds from 12 Pacific nations. Collectively, you manage approximately $160billion in assets.
“This $160billion are the tools that the region has to deliver retirement security to financial wellbeing to Pacific peoples,” Prof Prasad said.
“These funds hold the promise and dreams of over 1.6 million Pacific people across the Blue Pacific.
“The PIIF is a platform for sharing investment opportunities across our region. It is a platform to pool our resources to support our economic development efforts across this vast region.
“This allows us to overcome one of our binding constraints to development – scale.
“In these difficult times, this platform must evolve and foster learning. It must support professional development of Pacific islanders employed across these institutions.
“It must evolve to support long-term partnerships across the region,” Prof Prasad said.
Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF chief executive officer Viliame Vodonaivalu said there were commonality among the 10 member countries that were part of forum.
“Some are employee driven, some are employer driven and others are both employer and employee driven,” Mr Vodonaivalu said.
“The forum members would discuss a number of issues including the appointment of a new chairperson for the PIIF.”
The meeting ends today.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated April 9, 2025.
