Suva businesswoman Vera Chute has been re-elected president of the Fiji-Australia Business Council (FABC) at last week’s executive committee election by members.
As the Prime Ministers of both countries recently recommitted to a renewed and elevated Fiji-Australia Vuvale Partnership last month, the announcement of the new FABC executive committee is quite timely, FABC said in a statement.
Deepening the economic relationship between Fiji and Australia is pillar two of the Vuvale Partnership where FABC and the Australia-Fiji Business Council (AFBC) engagement was specifically highlighted, it stated.
“Moving forward, FABC will ensure that enhanced engagement continues so that both FABC and AFBC can identify opportunities to expand trade and investment links, and work with both governments to address economic issues as they arise,” said Ms Chute.
FABC’s newly-elected executive committee are: president Vera Chute (Value City), vice-president Himen Chandra (Comfort Home Furnishings), vice-president Saud Minam (Fiji Development Bank), treasurer Mark Halabe (Mark One Apparel), and other committee members – Rabih Yazbek (ANZ), Shane Smith (Westpac), Lisa Apted (KPMG), Glenis Yee (Munro Leys), Ajay Raniga (Budget Pharmacy and Sunergise International), Bruce Sutton (SouthPac Advisory), Christine Lyons (Fiji Times Pte Ltd), and Tim Joyce (Joyce Aviation Fiji Group).
The committee will handle all the preparations for the 2024 Joint Business Forum while they continue to build their connections and relationships with current partners such as the High Commissioner to Fiji and Australia’s inaugural Special Envoy for the Pacific and Regional Affairs, Ewen McDonald, who was appointed in July of this year.
