Page 3 - IB Dec 2020

Editor’s Note

WE MADE IT! YOU MADE IT!

When we were planning our Islands Business editorial calendar this time last year,
things looked entirely different. But very quickly as the coronavirus pandemic deep-
ened globally, its vast repercussions on our economies, our mobility, our schools,
the way we do business, our quality of life—even in countries still spared from any Managing Director / Publisher
Samisoni Pareti
cases—and our views on the future were unended. So the pages of this magazine
and posts to our website have been dominated by COVID-19 and its impacts this Managing Editor
year. But one thing we knew early on—even as so much else was uncertain—was that Samantha Magick
we would have no shortage of contenders for our Pacific Person of the Year.
The resilience of the many individuals we met and interviewed across the region
this year, the decisiveness (by-and-large) of our governments in acting quickly and
making decisions based on science for our health, the willingness of groups—both Designer
organised and informal—to rally and support the more vulnerable in our communi- Dick Lee
ties, the vigilance of others to ensure accountability; it was inspiring to watch.
We were spoilt for choice in the end, but this year our Pacific People of the Year Contributors
are our health workers. True, they took an oath to serve, but in so many cases Bernadette Carreon
they have gone above and beyond this year. And as vaccines start to arrive on our Netani Rika
islands, they will be called to the frontlines again as part of what is going to be a Joe Yaya
complex immunisation program. Ambassador Kaliopate Tavola
You will see that this issue profiles other Pacific people for their contribution in Kevin McQuillan
specific fields this year, and we will have even more features online, so look out for
that on our website.
We’d also like to say a big ni sa bula vinaka to our new readers this month.
Through an arrangement with South Pacific Business Development, Islands Business Islands Business is published monthly by
Front Page Pte Limited
will be delivered to thousands of microentrepreneurs across Fiji. This sector has Editorial & Advertising Offices
always been incredibly important to Pacific economies, and never more so than PO Box 12718, Suva, Fiji Islands.
now, when so many people have lost formal employment or had their hours or pay Tel: +679 330 3108
reduced. You can read some of their stories in this issue.
Finally, regular readers may recall we flagged a price rise for subscribers and Emails
Editorial: editor@islandsbusiness.com
news stands earlier this year. We pushed pause on that when it was clear how much Subscriptions: subs@islandsbusiness.com
COVID-19 would hurt businesses, but we can’t delay the inevitable. So from Janu- Advertising: marketing@islandsbusiness.com
ary, print issues of the magazine will cost more. Full details of our new rates are on
our website. Of course if you subscribe before the end of the year, it will be at the
current rates. Printing:
For now, we hope you have time to relax, reflect and reboot. We’ll be back in PrintHouse, Suva, Fiji.
2021, hoping for a better year for us all, but also that we remember the positive
things we’ve learnt about ourselves and each other, and take them into the future.
Until then, stay safe
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FIAME’S
NEW
CHAPTER
editor@islandsbusiness.com COVID-19: “I haven’t felt
What now for
this excited
the Pacific? for a long time”
about politics
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Palau ........................... US$6.00
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