A dividend of $13.6 million has been paid out to the shareholders of Fiji Ports Corporation Limited with close to $5.6 million going to the Fijian Government, $5.3 million going to FNPF and $2.7 million being given to Aitken Spence.
The Permanent Secretary for Trade and Tourism Shaheen Ali has also announced a dividend payout of $217,892 to the 155 staff of FPCL and Fiji Ships and Heavy Industries Limited.
Each staff will receive a minimum of $500 which is based on the Performance Management System.
Ali says despite the challenges, FPCL recorded a net profit after tax of $22.73 million for the year ended 31st December 2020.
He says their income decreased by $7.7 million last year and this is attributed to the restriction of entry into Ports of international Cruise ships from March 2020 and disrupted cargo movement.
Ali says this resulted in a decrease in Marine Service Charges by 8% and a reduction in Dockage and Wharfage revenue by 21% and 13% respectively.
He adds Fiji is still dealing with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and FPCL has improved port security protocols.
