Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Ltd., owned by Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA), has revealed its new FJD 18 million brewhouse at its Suva Brewery.

The brewhouse was officially opened by Fijan Prime Minister Rear Admiral Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and CCA Group Managing Director Alison Watkins, and is part of owner CCA’s three-year, FJD 44 million capital investment program.

Prime Minister Hon. Voreqe Bainimarama said: “Any investment of this scale is naturally very welcome. And I’m also pleased to learn that as many Fijian businesses and local tradespeople as possible have been employed to work on these upgrades.”

Ms. Watkins said: “Today is a significant milestone marking our commitment to the Pacific region.

“In December 2012 after we purchased the Paradise Beverages business, we announced a three-year program to invest FJD 44 million to modernise our facilities, improve the capability of local teams and provide better working conditions for our staff.

“Roughly half the total investment has been spent here at the Suva Brewery. The new brewhouse is fully automated and the latest state of the art technology means will optimise the quality and consistency of our beers.

“As a significant local employer, we place great importance on supporting the region as well as providing our customers with the highest quality beverages.”

In 2012, CCA purchased the business from SABMiller, renaming it Paradise Beverages (Fiji) Ltd. as part of CCA’s alcohol beverages strategy for the Pacific region and Australia, following the latter’s takeover of Australia’s Foster’s Group Ltd. (FGL), parent company of Foster’s Group Pacific Ltd.

The purchase means CCA is now one of Fiji’s biggest tax payers (contributing FJD 66.1 million in 2014).