Ni sa bula vinaka and good morning to you all.

It is a joy for me to be here and see this splendid business, which is the result of one man’s vision and one man’s sweat and sacrifice. It is a fine example of the ingenuity and drive that we Fijians have, and it is an example for all Fijians to follow.

This flourishing Devesh and Bharos Nursery proves that there is opportunity in Fiji, and that the Fijian people know how to seize that opportunity. It is government’s job to do three basic things. Government needs to establish economic policies that encourage investment and reward good ideas. It needs to clear away unnecessary obstacles to entrepreneurship and investment. And it needs to develop programs that can provide targeted support to propel small businesses to the next level.

That is what has happened here. On the surface, we are here to see how a government grant of a little more than $19,000 has funded materials for a seedling bench, water tank, pressure pump and borehole. But really, we are here to bear witness to how one energetic and intelligent young man has built a thriving business, and how government and non-governmental organisations have had the wisdom to invest in him. I say that because government, banks and other assisting organisations, when providing such assistance, actually invest in people. If a person has good ideas, a good plan and good character, then that person’s project will be a good investment.

Mr. Devesh Nath, who founded this business, is only 28 years old. He has a diploma in computing and economics, but his vision drew him to agriculture. He started his nursery business in 2008 with the idea of supplying vegetable and fruit seedlings to farmers, and he set up a small nursery beside his house. The next year, thanks to loans from a bank and from family members, he bought a new piece of land and was able to extend the nursery and erect proper structures.

He also had help from a well-known NGO, Market Development Facility, and from the Ministry of Agriculture.
His business grew steadily, and in 2013, he was named Young Farmer of the Year at the 2013 Crest Agricultural Show in Lautoka.

Today, just six years after he took the risk to expand his business, this nursery has the capacity to produce 240,000 potted seedlings and 450,000 seedlings in trays at one time. Some 400 to 500 farmers get seedlings from this nursery, so Mr. Devesh already has a huge impact on Fijian agriculture.

Mr. Devesh also has a 38-acre farm where he uses about eight acres to produce vegetables for the export market. Each week, he supplies vegetables to Tropiko and Green Valley exports. He has enough work for 10 permanent employees and five casual labourers, and if the past is any indication, I expect that number to grow.

Ladies and gentlemen,
It takes a great deal of courage to do what Devesh Nath has done. It fills me with pride and hope when I see a young person who was barely out of school, and who through wise management, sound planning and strong knowledge of the market, build a successful business such as this. How many other Fijians are putting a vision to the test? How many other Fijians have small businesses today that will make people stand up and take notice tomorrow? Many, I am sure.

I have had the honour to distribute many grants to small and micro-businesses around the country. When I look into the eyes of the people receiving those grants, I know that many of them have the drive and ingenuity to create something truly important. And I think Devesh Nath and this nursery should be a source of inspiration and encouragement to them all.

When I talk about a new Fiji, a Fiji that is focused on the future, a Fiji that does not accept mediocrity or second-class status, this is what I see—forward-looking businesses like this one, in agriculture, in technology, in retail and in manufacturing. We have a bright future, and our young people will take us there.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to use that observation to make another: Fiji is not the same country we were at our independence, or even the same country we were ten years ago. We are making our own future, determining what kind of nation we will be, what kind of people we will be. And that is why I am asking the people of Fiji to help us adopt a new flag.

I have served under our current flag with pride as a military officer and your Prime Minister, and I love it. But while that flag took us out of the past, I would like us to have a flag that takes us into the future—to where we are going rather than from where we have been. The new flag—always with our beloved Fiji blue—can stand for the kind of people we are, the kind of nation we aspire to be, and the kind of country we will leave to these children. It can stand for people like Devesh Nath and many others who have the drive and commitment to turn a dream into a successful project.

We have established a transparent process for choosing a new flag, and I ask you all to participate. We are accepting design submissions until February 29, and then we will select five designs to put before the people. There will be a national consultation during which time you will be able to tell us which design you like best.

I believe we will love whichever design we choose as much as we have grown to love our current flag—because it stands for Fiji. It stands for us. The new flag will tell the world that Fiji is a modern country, a leader in the Pacific, and a country on the move.

Devesh, Congratulations to you and we wish you all the best.

Vinaka vakalevu.