Bottler’s model project pends

November 20, 2009 11:31:45 AM

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An eco-friendly theme based model company project is still on the cards for Pleass Beverages & Packaging Ltd (PBP), although the publicly-listed company has denied media reports of plans to build a zoo in Fiji.

PBP managing director Warwick Pleass said local media reports alluding to the venture were incorrect.

“I am afraid we are not doing a zoo, which I clearly told the newspaper the day before they printed that amazing but not true story,” Pleass said. 

According to the newspaper report, PBP was in talks “with a company to build the zoo” and that “animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys - those that are not found in Fiji, are expected to be brought into the country.”

While Pleass said this was not the case, he told FijiLive that PBP’s proposal for a “model company”, which he had unveiled in a meeting with stock brokers in the mid year, was still alive.

“We still have the proposal for the ‘model company” before government, waiting for their response. You may refer to it as the Centre For Excellence in Rural Sustainable Development. Unless government confirms this as a tax free zone we will not be able to proceed with it as it is a huge cost and the activities proposed are so new and risky we need incentives to enter into this venture,” Pleass said. 

”We will be proceeding with our water factory down there though and eco-visitor centre, so that is exciting,” he added.

The company’s new bottling plant, to cater for the expansion, will be located in Navua on a piece of freehold land that the company had recently purchased.

Its bottled water products are sold under the AquaSafe brand while food and beverage products are retailed under the Party Time brand. 

PBG shares are trading at 91 cents per share on the South Pacific Stock Exchange.