Tower Insurance And Business Link Pacific Enter New Partnership

Tower Insurance and Business Link Pacific (BLP) have today announced a new partnership focusing on lifting insurance awareness, understanding and penetration across the South Pacific region.

Tower’s Managing Director – Pacific, Paula ter Brake, says that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on small businesses across the Pacific, and this partnership is a real and tangible way to help businesses come out of the pandemic stronger and more prepared than before.

“We have seen the impact of slowing economies first-hand, with businesses downscaling their operations and minimising costs. Despite this, insurance needs to remain an important aspect of any business’ operations because natural disasters and other accidents can still happen,” says ter Brake.

“Our partnership with BLP will enable us to engage more closely with businesses across the Pacific and offer free, comprehensive insurance reviews and specialised pricing for small businesses to help them protect their key assets.

“As well as this, we will be co-hosting education sessions with BLP and collaborating on an array of initiatives to help lift the awareness and understanding of insurance. This partnership is a significant and exciting milestone that further solidifies our commitment to supporting Pacific Islanders and their businesses,” says ter Brake.

BLP’s Director, Steve Knapp, says that the organisation is excited to find new ways to reach small businesses, support resilience and adaptation.

“BLP is a private sector development initiative funded by the New Zealand government and delivered by DT-Global. Since 2018, the programme has worked on building a strong network of local business advisors that are quality approved and offer services in a wide range of areas to small businesses. In the current environment, business advice and access to insurance products are more needed than ever,” says Steve Knapp.

“Through our work, we have identified that only 22% of businesses hold insurance to protect their assets, a worrying trend in a region that is at high risk of natural disasters and vulnerable to external threats.

“Our partnership with Tower will see us work to raise the profile and importance of insurance more broadly with our networks.

It’s exciting to partner with an organisation that also works right across the Pacific and is committed to supporting small businesses and local economies to become more resilient to natural disasters and other events,” says Steve Knapp.

About Business Link Pacific:

BLP is a private sector development programme funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and aimed at supporting the economic growth of Pacific Island countries, delivered by DT-Global.

The Business Link Pacific team is based in New Zealand and is currently supported by in-country partners in Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga. Kiribati and the Cook Islands.

Since Business Link Pacific was established in 2017, it has assisted over 4,500 small-medium sized businesses with online Business Health Checks, Continuity Plans and in-depth diagnostics. Also, it has facilitated 800 business advisory services subsidies and contributed to the creation of an estimated 890 new jobs; 52% of which are filled by women.

Case studies and stories about the business talent in the PICs have been captured and shared with the Business Link Pacific audience both in New Zealand and across the Pacific Region, and can be accessed via the Business Link Pacific website.

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