Neptune Pacific Line Seeks to Acquire WG Operations in Fiji

Neptune Pacific Line (NPL) has tendered an expression of Expression of Interest to buy Williams & Gosling Pte Ltd (WG) operations in Fiji.

It understood that negotiations between the two parties, Government through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and the Fijian Competition & Consumer Commission have been ongoing for months now. Fijian Competition & Consumer Commission (FCCC) Acting chief executive officer, Senikavika Jiuta said: “The FCCC are currently carrying out their inquiry into the likely effects of the transaction as required under section 73 of the FCCC Act 2010.

“For all mergers and acquisitions there is a requirement for regulatory clearance from the FCCC.

“In undertaking such assessments, the FCCC is looking at a range of markets in which the parties to the proposed transaction are active, and are aiming to establish whether there would still be adequate competition in these markets if the transaction was to go ahead.This will involve examining a range of factors, including:

■how many other firms are ac tive in these markets,

■how effective these competitors are

■a■d how easy it is for competi tors to enter the market if they wish to.

“The purpose of the merger investigation is to ascertain whether the proposed merger would allow any of the businesses involved in the transaction to effectively dominate one of the markets in which they are active.

“The aim of the FCCC is to ensure that mergers in Fiji do not lead to any dominant position in the market.

“Our investigation is still ongoing, and we’re still establishing what the likely effects on competition could be.”

When this edition went to press queries sent to Williams & Gosling and Neptune Pacific Line were unanswered.

Williams & Gosling

Major freight forwarders and logistics company, Williams & Gosling is a joint venture partner with Pacific Direct Line (PDL) in partnership with Transam Fiji Ltd. The Transam agency network includes American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis & Futuna.

About Neptune Pacific Line

Neptune Pacific Line is part of The Wonderful Company, an international company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA.

NPL, with its head office in Sydney, Australia was established in 1997 to provide liner and bulk shipping services in the trades between Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

NPL provides services between most Pacific Island nations and Australia and NZ as well as, Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Europe, South Africa, and North America.