2010 TFL Prime Minister's Exporter of the Year Awards Launched

The Fiji Trade and Investment Bureau (FTIB) will officially launch this year’s TFL Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Awards (EYA) at the Tanoa Plaza Hotel in Suva on 19th July, at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka on 21st July and for the first time in Labasa at the Grand Eastern Hotel on the 23rd. With support pledged by the majority of last years sponsors again this year, and with new sponsors coming on board, the 2010 EYA will be a bigger and better event than ever before.

This year marks the sixth year of Vodafone Fiji Limited’s major sponsorship with FTIB. In expressing his appreciation of Vodafone’s role in the annual event, FTIB Executive Chairman Adrian Sofield said “we are indeed grateful for Vodafone’s continued commitment to the EYA Launch Events. Having signed a three year sponsorship contract in 2009, we again look forward to their participation next year. In addition, Vodafone sponsors the Tourism Services Exporter of the Year Award”.

Aside from Telecom Fiji Ltd (TFL) and Vodafone Fiji Ltd sponsorship for the Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Award and Launch Events respectively, there are 16 other sponsored Award categories.

• The Polynesian Shipping Small Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Life Insurance Corporaton of India Medium Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Australian & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd Large Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Westpac Banking Corporation Services Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Fiji Export Council Unique Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Technix Bitumen Exporter to New Zealand Award;
• The Fiji Australia Business Council Exporter to Australia Award;
• The Home Finance Company Ltd Exporter to the Pacific Islands Award;
• The Fijian Holdings Ltd Indigenous Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Reserve Bank of Fiji Agriculture Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Hangton Pacific Fisheries Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Fiji Hardwood Corporation Forestry Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Vodafone Fiji Ltd Tourism Services Exporter of the Year Award;
• The Bank of South Pacific Manufacturing Exporter of the Year Award;
• The FINTEL Information, Communication, Technology Services Exporter of the Year Awards; and
• The Naim Cendera Holdings Ltd Exporter to Asia Award

As announced at the contract signing between FTIB and TFL on 16th June at the Kalabu Tax Free Zone (KTFZ), there are major developments for this year’s EYA. These include the introduction of the new Exporter to Asia Award and the widening of the scope of the Agro-Processing Exporter of the Year Award (now renamed the Manufacturing Exporter of the Year Award), a review of the judging criteria and the selection of judges, including additional judges has also been undertaken.

In the past, there was also a combined Award for the Unique or Emerging Exporter of the Year. According to the Chair of the 2010 EYA Committee and Manager Marketing FTIB Ms Kelera Cavuilati, “this year, the Bureau has decided to streamline this to the Unique Exporter of the Year Award as it is of the view that a business that is emerging can apply for the category into which it is emerging. For instance, if a business is emerging small then they can apply for the Small Exporter of the Year Award; if they are emerging medium then they can apply for the Medium Exporter of the Year Award and if they are emerging on a big scale then they can do likewise for the Large Exporter of the Year Award.”

This year’s EYA theme, Exports Excellence: The Pillar of Economic Prosperity, stresses on the importance of increasing exports and its link to economic performance and wealth creation. The Awards are an avenue to reward and give accolades to Fiji’s Exporters and rightfully so, the Bureau will play a more rigorous role this year in calling for applications from exporters not only in the Central/Eastern and Western Divisions but also in the Northern Division.