Islands Business August 2021 cover
August

Fiji’s shot in the arm for MSMEs

The Fiji government’s latest budget included a F$200 million (US$94 million) financial package for MSMEs to be rolled out by the Reserve Bank of Fiji and commercial banks.

Bilum & Bilas jewellry
August

Weaving a path to sustainability

As founder and creative director, Jessica Cassell’s ambition for Papua New Guinea’s Bilum & Bilas is for the venture to be well-known internationally as “a brand that has best practice around in working with artisans and working with cultural creative industries.”

Pacifc kava grower
August

Kava: brewing up a storm

There’s a storm brewing over the Pacific as a Queensland town mayor suggests kava could be grown in Australia.

July

We need art now more than ever

By Ariela Zibiah The cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many artists in Fiji, this means many are relying on one meal

July

Science in a different dialect

By Ariela Zibiah The Pacific region has relied on traditional knowledge from time immemorial to predict bad weather. Across our ocean of islands, sightings of low-flying frigates, or an abundance

Pacific Kava
July

Debt traps and doing business

By Samantha Magick Tourism may be the poster child of the Pacific’s post-COVID economic crisis, but it’s not the only sector that has suffered. A stark example of the challenges

July

USP’s regional students struggle to study

By Leila Parina Regional students studying at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus in Fiji have had another difficult semester. The COVID-19 outbreak which began in April this