Ritika Pratap 
The Reserve Bank of Fiji’s February Business Expectations and Retail Sales Survey results show that many businesses anticipate an improvement in general business conditions over the next six to twelve months.
However, RBF says the positive sentiments expressed are lower when compared to the survey conducted in August 2023.
Governor Ariff Ali says remittances which stood at 9.8 percent up to February and the tourism sector remain supportive of economic activity.
Ariff Ali
Visitor arrivals totalled 194,391 cumulative to March, 10.9 percent higher than the same period last year.
Arrivals were mainly driven by visitors from China, New Zealand and the United States of America, while visitors from Australia, Fiji’s largest source market, contributed marginally to the outcome.
Ali says current economic indicators suggest a return to growth trend for the domestic economy following the past two years of post-pandemic recovery.
Domestic demand has slowed, as evidenced by the lower annual growth in domestic VAT collections despite the increase in income levels.
The annual headline inflation rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in March underpinned by higher food prices particularly prices of market items.
