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By APD writer Alice
Many Pacific island nations such as Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu, have seen the resurgence of bartering due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Facing difficulties from the pandemic, many residents of Pacific island nations have exchanged goods with each other.
In Fiji, a Facebook page named “Barter for Better Fiji” was set up a few weeks ago in response to sharp falls in employment due to coronavirus. The page now has more than 100,000 members, in a country of just under 900,000 people.
Among the barter trades via the Facebook page are two piglets for a pre-loved kayak, a taxi fare in exchange for fresh produce, hot cross buns for online tutoring, an old carpet for a professional photography session, vegetable seedlings for homemade pies, and even offers to have backyards cleaned for prayers.
Marlene Dutta, a business expert, said the primary reason for setting up the Facebook group was to help offer a solution to the current economic situation.
For many people in the world in general and Fiji in particular , money will be harder to come by. The initiative is to create an environment for people to get what they need without spending money, thus saving their limited cash to cover bills and services that must be paid with money, the expert said.
The barter system has reappeared in other countries across the Pacific with similar Facebook pages such as “Barter for Change” in Tonga, “Barter for Better Samoa” and “Le Barter Samoa” in Samoa, and “Barter for Nambawan Life Vanuatu” in Vanuatu – as these island nations begin to face economic difficulties due to Covid-19.
The Pacific island nations are severely economically affected by the pandemoc, though not many people have been infected with the coronavirus. According to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, six countries and territories in the region recorded a total of 260 Covid-19 cases and seven deaths from the disease.
Most countries in the region have applied travel restrictions to prevent Covid-19, with the tourism industry hardest hit. The IMF has forecast a 2.7% decline in growth for the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) with a 40% drop in tourism across the region.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
