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PACIFIC TRADE INVEST AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Photographer: David Kirkland. Source: SPTO. CONTENTS LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL ...............................1 TRADE & INVESTMENT COMMISSIONER’S FOREWORD .......2 OUR VISION ..........................................................................................4 WHO WE ARE ......................................................................................5 OUR ROLE ............................................................................................................... 5 OUR APPROACH ................................................................................................... 5 STRATEGIC FOCUS .............................................................................................. 7 OUR SERVICES ...................................................................................................... 7 OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS ................................................................................ 8 MONITORING AND EVALUATION .................................................................... 8 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS .........................................................................9 OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS ...................................................................................... 9 TRADE ...................................................................................................................... 11 INVESTMENT ......................................................................................................... 13 TOURISM ................................................................................................................. 15 COUNTRY PROFILES .........................................................................18 COOK ISLANDS ..................................................................................................... 19 FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA .......................................................... 21 FIJI ............................................................................................................................. 23 FRENCH POLYNESIA ........................................................................................... 25 KIRIBATI ................................................................................................................... 27 MARSHALL ISLANDS ........................................................................................... 29 NAURU ..................................................................................................................... 31 NEW CALEDONIA ................................................................................................. 33 NIUE .......................................................................................................................... 35 PALAU ...................................................................................................................... 37 PAPUA NEW GUINEA ........................................................................................... 39 SAMOA ..................................................................................................................... 43 SOLOMON ISLANDS ............................................................................................ 47 TONGA ..................................................................................................................... 49 TUVALU.................................................................................................................... 51 VANUATU ................................................................................................................ 53 LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY GENERAL It is my pleasure to introduce Pacific Trade Also worth noting in 2018, PTI Australia marked Invest (PTI) Australia’s Annual Report for 2018 – its efforts through the Bilum Initiative in Papua a significant year, where PTI Australia harnessed New Guinea with the Goroka Bilum Festival the strength of the Blue Pacific to deliver celebrating its tenth anniversary. Over the last commercial outcomes across the region. decade, the festival has helped to grow market awareness of bilum and the skills of its weavers. As an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Today, sustainable export channels have been Secretariat, PTI Australia supports and delivers created for weaving communities in some of the on the Secretariat’s Strategic Results Framework remotest parts of Papua New Guinea. Outcome: increasing economic prosperity – with emphasis on supporting the private sector and PTI Australia continues to support the priorities business growth in the Pacific Islands. Their work identified by the Pacific Leaders through the in the region continues to support job creation, Framework for Pacific Regionalism. business diversification and sustainable To that end, I recognise the contribution economic development opportunities to and continued support of the Australian improve the livelihoods of Pacific people. Government and its commitment to the In 2018, PTI Australia launched innovative economic development of the Blue Pacific partnerships and initiatives through digital trade region. On behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum and tourism, which resulted in a milestone Secretariat, I extend our thanks to PTI Australia’s export deal between Carnival Australia and Trade & Investment Commissioner Caleb Vanuatu’s Azure Pure Water. Jarvis and his team for their tireless hard work and commitment to seeking new trade and Similarly, working with a diverse range of Pacific investment opportunities for the Pacific. businesses from the agriculture, tourism and fashion sectors, PTI Australia facilitated A$23.5m in exports and worked with 981 businesses. In 2018, they assisted 278 women-led businesses; their efforts to support women's empowerment through business should be applauded. Meg Taylor, DBE Secretary General Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat TRADE & INVESTMENT COMMISSIONER’S FOREWORD Reflecting on our achievements over the past Innovative partnerships have allowed us 12 months, I am incredibly proud to lead an to increase our impact. We partnered with organisation that has a life-changing impact in home-sharing platform Airbnb to support the Pacific. In 2018, we facilitated A$25.79m the development of micro-enterprises in the in trade and investments and assisted 981 Pacific, and to empower communities in the businesses from across the Pacific. Our Pacific through home sharing. In 2018, PTI commitment to empowering Pacific women Australia facilitated Airbnb Pacific workshops in business saw us work with 278 women-led in Samoa, the Cook Islands and Vanuatu, businesses, facilitating 218 deals with A$6.03m contributing to a significant growth in inbound in exports facilitated. guest arrivals and listings. A groundbreaking partnership we facilitated between REAL Impact Steered by our Vision of improving the and crowdlending platform, Kiva, is providing livelihoods of Pacific people by enabling important working capital for SMEs in the decent work and economic growth in the creative industry sector, with the first loan in Blue Pacific, we are required to be agile in Papua New Guinea reaching its funding target seizing opportunities to generate commercial in just 14 hours. The funds were used to set up outcomes in the dynamic environment in which a handicraft business developing new products we operate. using the traditional skills of weavers in Ialibu in Businesses in the Pacific remain at the heart the remote Southern Highlands Province. of our work. Our three key focus areas – Trade, Community is important; we couldn’t do this Investment and Tourism – underpinned PTI alone. What we achieved in 2018 is a testament Australia’s work in 2018 and our efforts to drive to the commitment of our team, partners and economic growth for the 16 Pacific nations we networks. Together, PTI Australia is so much have the privilege of serving. stronger. Connectivity and technology have rapidly I would especially like to thank staff at PTI changed the trade and investment landscape. Australia for the work they do each day and In 2018 we looked at how the digital revolution acknowledge the Pacific Islands Forum should inform our programs and work in the Secretariat and the Australian Government, Pacific. We expanded the breadth of our Pacific which have supported us and our work in the Islands Export Survey to understand the use Pacific regions for the past 39 years. of digital channels by exporters in the Pacific, the 2018 results providing governments and the I look forward to continuing to work together in private sector with insights to stimulate export 2019, as we celebrate 40 years of driving private growth. Also in 2018 we launched our Digital sector growth in the Pacific. Trade program, a regional initiative to support the development of the private sector’s digital capability, arming them with tools to drive export sales through platforms such as Amazon Australia. Caleb Jarvis Trade & Investment Commissioner Pacific Trade Invest Australia 2 OUR VISION “Improving the livelihoods of Pacific people by enabling decent work and economic growth in the Blue Pacific.” PTI Australia’s Vision is founded on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 – Decent work and economic growth. Dancers in Papua New Guinea 4 WHO WE ARE OUR ROLE As the Pacific’s lead trade and investment promotion agency PTI Australia develops and promotes Pacific businesses and people from the Pacific through trade, investment and tourism.