Products on display at the Asco Motors trade road show in Nabouwalu, Bua, last week. Photo: SITERI TALEITAKI
By SITERI TALEITAKI
The Asco Motors trade road show held in Nabouwalu, Bua, ended in a big way last week.
Asco Motors manager Yamaha Rupeni Matakibau said the two-day event was a successful one in a sense that partners came together to be part of the trade show 2013.
“The business houses are very grateful and happy with the Bua Province partnership and support that enabled the tradeshow to run smoothly,” he said.
Mr Matakibau confirmed the Chinese-run Xinfa Aurum Exploration (Fiji) Limited donated $25,000 and $8000 was donated by the business community.
“A total of $33,000 was collected and this will go towards scholarships funding for the Bua’s young generation,” he said.
Mr Matakibau said that the next Bua Tradeshow would be better and he promised to bring Suva City to Nabouwalu.
“This is only the beginning. The Bua Province should expect more next year,” he said.
“Next year will bigger and explosive and it will be a real trade show.”
New partnerships
Asco Motors National Marketing manager, Elenoa Korovulavula Mule, said this year Asco Motors had brought in five new companies to partner with them for the tradeshow.
“The Bob’s Hook Line and Sinker was one of the companies coming in as the people of Bua had specially requested them for their products,” she said.
Ms Mule said Solar Pacific, a subsidiary of Hot Bread Kitchen, was also there with their range of solar lights and products.
Mr Matakibau commended the Patterson Brothers for their good ferry-bus services and hoped to deliver more excellent and better services in the future.
Other partners in the tradeshow were Vodafone, Telecom Fiji, Kasabia’s, Goodman Fielder, Ministry of Agriculture, Land Transport Authority, Bank South Pacific and Westpac along with Merchant Finance and Fijian Holdings Unit Trust.
He hinted that the next Trade Road show will be from November 21 to 23 in Kadavu.
Mr Matakibau also highlighted that chief executive Public Rental Board, Mesake Seinibulu, is also interested being in partner for the next year’s trade show.
Access to services
Roko Tui Bua, Rupeni Kunaturaga, said having government departments and organisations represented during the tradeshow gave an opportunity for villagers in the Province of Bua to gain access to services.
“The show is for the people of Bua to know the different kinds of services provided by government departments and other statutory organisations since they live far from the main town,” he said.
“Villagers living in Bua areas always spend huge sums of money to get to these kinds of services in Labasa”.
Mr Kunaturaga said school students also have an opportunity to broaden their knowledge on their career paths.
He said the initiative has opened the eyes of the people of Bua and especially the students to realize and learn about their future career plans.