• Our Chief Guest, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister for Industries, Commerce, Business Development and Public Enterprises, Honourable Manoa Kamikamica
• The Minister for Finance, Honourable Esrom Immanuel
• Your Excellencies members of the Diplomatic Corps
• Partners of the Fiji Innovation Hub – development partners, sponsors, industry leaders, and members of the startup community,
• Captains of industries, CEOs, Heads and Senior personnel of various institutions and Government ministries
• members of the Media
• Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

Bula Vinaka and a very good afternoon to you all.

On behalf of the Governor, the RBF Board of Directors, it is my honor to move the vote of thanks.

Proverbs Chapter 29, verse 18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish”.

Allow me to begin by thanking our Chief Guest, Deputy Prime Minister, Honourable Manoa Kamikamica for believing and supporting the vision that brings us here today and more broadly your widely articulated thoughts on positivity, human endeavour, innovation and digital transformation.

Sir, together with the Honourable Minister for Finance, your presence and leadership underscore Government’s commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic transformation in Fiji. We are grateful for your continued support of this important initiative.

Throughout this afternoon, we have heard a powerful and consistent message from government and our development partners:

Innovation matters. Collaboration matters. And Fiji’s future depends largely on our willingness to embrace both.

We therefore thank all our speakers who have generously shared their insights, experiences, and aspirations for Fiji’s innovation ecosystem.

Ladies and gentlemen, the work on the Fiji Innovation Hub has, from the word go, exceeded our expectations. Every event has been filled with high octane energy, excellent quality of discussion, immense optimism, and the progress towards the Hub’s goals has exuded commitment, endeavor and persistence.

We have witnessed the growth of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, innovators, mentors, and supporters committed to making a meaningful difference and shaping Fiji’s future.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners and sponsors who believed in this journey from the very beginning and were prepared to invest despite the uncertainties that naturally accompany any new initiative.

• The UNCDF, UNFP Pacific Digital Economy Program, Fakhrul, Edward, Zeituna, Aneth and your team.
• The European Union, the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand who are all represented here today – thank you your excellencies
• The Minister and the Permanent Secretary of Industries, Commerce and Business Development
• HFC Bank CEO Mr Rakesh Ram, Admond and Roko
• Mastercard
• Fiji Airways for providing complimentary tickets to help get our implementing partners to Fiji

We also warmly welcome the Fiji Development Bank and the Ministry of Policing and Communications as new sponsors and partners for Year Two of the Fiji Innovation Hub. We thank you for joining this growing movement and for your commitment to supporting innovation-led growth in Fiji.

The Governor spoke earlier about timing, synergy, and learning. The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister spoke about ambition, opportunity, and Fiji’s place in an increasingly connected world.  Together, these perspectives point to a simple yet profound truth: success depends on all of us. It depends on our willingness to collaborate across sectors, to share knowledge and resources, to invest in talent, and to work together toward a common vision for Fiji’s future.

Therefore, to all our invited guests, heads of financial institutions, chief executives, industry leaders, development partners, private sector representatives, and distinguished guests, thank you for accepting our invitation and for joining us today.  Your presence reflects the growing recognition that innovation is a collective endeavor.

The resilience and growth of economies rely on the sum of the parts being greater than the whole – this requires entrepreneurship and innovation to improve productivity.

So, to the entrepreneurs, founders, innovators, and aspiring changemakers in the room, we salute your vision, courage, commitment, and persistence.

We continue to be inspired by your boldness, your commitment, your courage and ambition.

We, Government, RBF, partners here today commit to continuing to support you and likeminded individuals and groups who are up to challenging yourselves, to learning from one another, to building partnerships, taking risks and most importantly, to persist meaningfully towards your vision that makes your life and your dependents better, and ultimately contribute to the growth and prosperity of our nation.

On behalf of the Reserve Bank of Fiji and the Fiji Innovation Hub team, Vinaka Vakalevu, thank you, and we wish you a pleasant evening.