Dionisia Tabureguci

Transtel paves way

Transtel Ltd, the card-making arm of Telecom Fiji Ltd (TFL) and subsidiary company of Amalgamated Telecom Holdings, has launched its electronic payment service machines which it says will open up more business opportunities for e-commerce.

"We launched these machines last week (mid- February) as part of our move towards e-commerce. So now when you go to a shopkeeper and pay cash, you will get a receipt with your number on it instead of a card," says Transtel spokesperson Tamarisi Digitaki.

This is expected to reduce card-making costs and the business will be managed by Pacific Phonecards, an Australian company which manages Transtel's card business.

Digitaki says Transtel will continue to sell cards. But this new product will provide flexibility for its customers to buy more services like billpay and account payments.

The machines have been installed in all TFL customer centres, Connect Ltd, FINTEL, Vodafone outlets, and all Courts Homecentres branches.


Fijian Holdings Ltd, Datec deal

Fijian Holdings Ltd (FHL) has chosen Datec Fiji Ltd ahead of 10 other software vendors that expressed interest to develop its Financial Management Information System.
Datec Fiji pitched its expertise to apply and support the financial software EPICOR to FHL's financial system to help the latter with its group convergence exercise.

"FHL is confident EPICOR solution would cover the diverse functionality of FHL comprehensively while providing an enriching business proposition," FHL announced this at the market. This contract will cost the indigenous investment conglomerate less than half-a-million dollars


Kontiki Fund Ltd reports growth

The Kontiki Fund Limited (KFL) reported a strong fourth quarter last year with capital growth up 15 percent in US dollar terms, which its directors attributed to strong performance from Flour Mills of Fiji, Fiji TV, Communications Fiji Ltd and FijiCare Insurance Ltd.

This fund was restricted only to offshore investors and largely provided them the doorway to Fiji's equity market, with over 88 percent portfolio exposure to Fiji.

The fund is now accessible to local investors via its affiliate company Kontiki Growth Fund (KGF), the newcomer at the stock market. KGF, which listed last December, announced its equity participation in KFL early last month.


CFM will bid again

Communications Fiji Limited (CFM) announced it will bid again for the Government contracts on the provision of the Hindustani and Fijian public service broadcast services.

This comes after the Fiji High Court issued a ruling quashing the decision by the Major Tenders Board that awarded the Hindustani Public Broadcasting Service to CFM.

CFM managing director, William Parkinson says the company is waiting for the Government to prepare fresh tender documents.


Share price movements
(from January 16 to February 15, 2005)

Lots of shares moved during this period, totalling 153,324. Fijian Holdings Company was the most active with over 28 percent of the total shares traded. FHL price remained steady at $3.26 despite spending the month mostly at $3.24 per share.

Supermarket chain RB Patel Group made a rare appearance and gained a cent, resting at $1.07 on January 27.

Pacific Green Industries Ltd (PGI) is in the process of supplying its "new significant Asian contract" with palmwood columns and has yet to announce its rebuilding programme after a fire destroyed its Sigatoka factory late last year. PGI closed at $2.40 with no price movement.

FijiCare Insurance Ltd gained two cents to settle at 84 cents in early February.
Brokers are recommending a "buy" for this stock as sustainable growth is forecasted. Kontiki Growth Fund (KGF) was steady at $1.03 in early February.

A total of 3000 KGF shares changed hands during the month. South Pacific Distilleries shares experienced the biggest gain of the month. Price shot up 60 cents to halt at $12.20 per share.

Brokers believe investors are reacting to media reports on an SPD-CBF merger but the company has yet to inform the market of the details of the merger.

Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Ltd dropped to $1.04 on February 8 and stayed there during the rest of our monitoring period.

The two media companies-Communications Fiji Ltd (CFM) and Fiji Television Ltd (FTV)-continued their upward climb in share prices.

Big parcels of CFM shares were traded with the stock settling at $1.57 in early February. Brokers are recommending an "accumulate" for CFM shares.

FTV shares gained 11 cents during the month and activities saw the stock settling at $3.80 on February 10.