Trade Pasifika 2014, a three-day trade expo to be held in Suva, Fiji, from April 2-4 next year will be supported by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) which has agreed to  assistance in technical areas, such as marketing and event promotion.

The officer-in-charge of the SPC in Suva, Michael Petterson signed the agreement with the chair of the Trade Pasifika Steering Committee, Kaliopate Tavola, last Friday.

The theme of the 2014 trade show is "Exporting for Growth It's everyone's business" promoting trade in the Pacific, and to form trade networks with Pacific Island businesses. It will provide an opportunity for various industries in the Pacific to showcase their economic potential, especially in areas such as tourism and agriculture.

The expo is expected to provide a platform for Pacific enterprises to form business relationships that will help secure markets for their products.

Michael said “We hope that this initiative will help Pacific to become a recognised provider of high quality, consistent, safe, and clean products”.

Kaliopate stated that “The crucial role that SPC plays in enabling and empowering small and medium enterprises to be effective and consistent exporters of some very specialised, value-added, certified export allows the entrepreneurs to take full advantage off the increasing market opportunities and premium prices. This makes all our efforts for Trade Pasifika so worthwhile.”

The agreement is part of a partnership between the SPC and the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), the organiser of Trade Pasifika 2014. The organisation dedicated to assisting the private sector was setup in 2005 by Pacific heads of government.