India should invest more in Fiji: Mahendra Pal Chaudhry

NEW DELHI: India should increase its investment in key industries in Fiji and garment companies in particular would be more than welcome to sell Indian dresses there, says Mahendra Pal Chaudhry, finance minister and a former prime minister of the South Pacific islands.

"Indians should enhance their investments in Fiji. We would want them to invest more in our agro-processing, ICT (information, communication and technology) and tourism which needs development," Chaudhry, minister for finance, national planning and sugar industry, told IANS in an interview.

"At the moment it's (investment from India) very little, it should be manifold," said Chaudhry, who was here on a visit.

In 2002-03, India's trade with Fiji reached $25.45 million, which soared to $28.89 million in fiscal 2004-05. In 2006-07, it increased by three percent to touch $29.75 million, according to official statistics.

Trade between both the countries is expected to reach $40 million mark within the next five years on the back of various programmes and trade enhancement initiatives.

"Currently Fiji's three main industries include tourism, sugar and fisheries. Indians are also welcome to invest in these sectors," emphasised Chaudhry, who was also Fiji's first Indo-Fijian prime minister.

Some of the main items of export to Fiji from India are drugs, pharmaceuticals fine chemicals, gems and jewellery, electronic goods, manmade yarn fabrics among others. Items of import from Fiji include metal scraps, dyeing, tanning, colouring materials, pulp and waste paper.

"We would also like to see more and more Indian garment companies coming in Fiji and blend with our style. Ladies in Fiji just love Indian sarees, salwar-suits and ghaghra-cholis."

The minister, during his 10-day India visit, would be also traveling to Hyderabad. He has also met Indian business leaders under the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

"India and Fiji share and common historical and cultural ties. In 1879 Indians migrated to Fiji as sugarcane plantation labourers. Hence, we share a long socio-cultural bond. Hindi is used by a majority of them," Chaudhry said.

"So I can assure Indian investors would find a new home in Fiji, away from home."

Of Fiji's 900,000 population spread over a hundred islands, nearly 45 percent are of Indian descent.