Venkat Raman
Auckland, November 21, 2019
We are happy to announce that Attorney General and Finance Minister of Fiji, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will be a Guest of Honour at the Twelfth Annual Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards on Monday, November 25, 2019 at SkyCity Convention Centre in Auckland City.
He will join New Zealand’s Finance Minister Grant Robertson, Workplace Relations & Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway, Ethnic Communities Minister Jenny Salesa, National Party Leader Simon Bridges, Indian High Commissioner Muktesh Pardeshi, Fijian High Commissioner Filimone Waqabaca, New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Curr, National Party Finance Spokesman Paul Goldsmith and more than 15 Members of Parliament, Chairmen and Chief Executives of major public and private sector companies and others at the Annual Awards Ceremony.
The Programme
The Programme will commence at 5 pm with Cocktails, Networking and Exhibition of Sponsors Stall, followed from 6 pm by Speeches, Entertainment, Dinner and Awards Presentation Ceremony. Finalists and Winners in 17 categories and the Winner of the Supreme Business of the Year Award, selected by an independent panel of judges, will be announced and presented with Awards at the event. In addition, a few Commemorative Awards will also be presented, marking the 20th Anniversary of Indian Newslink.
Entry to the event is by tickets, which cost $172.50 (including GST) per person. Tables seating ten persons each at $1725 are also available.
For details, please call (09) 5336377 or 021-836528 any time.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has attended all our Business Awards events has regretted her inability to attend this year since she would be undergoing urgent dental surgery tomorrow followed by several days of rest.
About Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
One of the busiest ministers in the Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama Cabinet, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is also responsible for Civil Service, Communications and National Economy.
As the Minister responsible for Climate Change and as the Leader of Fiji’s COP23 Delegation, he is a global proponent of climate adaptation and increasing access to climate finance, and is working with governments, multilateral organisations and development banks to allow countries such as Fiji to obtain adequate levels of funding, on the basis of vulnerability, to build their resilience to climate change.
At the COP23 negotiations, where Fiji served as President, the parties agreed that the Adaptation Fund would serve the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Fund was replenished with an impressive total of US$93.3 million.
Global Partnership
His Speech as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC on October 18, 2019 made international headlines for his advocacy of global partnership for growth and development.
“We have seen the damage that inward-looking policy-making is having on market sentiment and business confidence. As the growth of the global economy slows, those who turn away from multilateralism give way to the same forces that once drove our world into devastating conflict. We cannot dismiss the lessons of history. We cannot squander the power of global partnerships – we must harness that potential for the sake of our young people and to foster enduring cooperation between the nation-states of the world,” Mr Sayed Khaiyum said.
As the Minister for National economy, he has extended concessions and tax benefits to benefit all Fijians and attract overseas investments. Fiji is experiencing its lowest unemployment rate in 15 years, recording unprecedented ten consecutive years of growth.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum is currently overseeing a programme of Civil Service reform within the Fijian Government to promote merit-based recruitment and advancement.
