Shania Shayal Prasad 
Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica.
The introduction of Fiji Airways direct flight to Vancouver in November last year is expected to boost trade relations between Fiji and Canada.
Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica says the city in southwestern British Columbia has over 100,000 Fijian members of the diaspora, and some of them have shown interest in investing back in their homeland.
Kamikamica says the government will tap into the investment opportunity.
“So very exciting for the country. And I hear there are a lot of very well-to-do former Fiji citizens who are now there wanting to come back and do some good in Fiji. So it’s certainly very exciting. Canada always likens Canada to another Australia. It’s got the same kind of mix and demographic. And so it can potentially be a big trading partner for Fiji. So that’s very exciting.”
The Trade Minister says the government will ensure that the right strategy is in place to allow this opportunity to thrive.
Meanwhile, Investment Fiji Chief Executive Kamal Chetty says they have already put plans in place to monitor the progress of this market.
“But we might be going to Canada and doing outbound missions, but at the moment we are already in touch with our network partners in those markets.”
Chetty says they are creating strategies on how the diaspora can “look back home” and invest in the existing opportunities.
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