1,214 residents of Sigatoka yesterday received their Micro and Small Business Grants.
One of the happy 1,214 recipients of the MSBG programme was 34-year-old Tamani Leweni whose grant is expected to boost his small yaqona business.
Leweni says many yaqona traders are selling low-grade kava to the public and he wants to ensure there is a higher standard of Kava quality in Sigatoka.
30-year-old Arunesh Chand also received a grant which will assist him to grow his poultry business and hopes one day he will be able to produce at a large scale and even provide employment to other Fijians.
Minister for Trade Faiyaz Koya in handing out the grants noted that it was government’s vision to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in Fijians, noting they received a total number of 3,871 applications from Sigatoka and nearby areas.
Koya says through the MSBG programme, 22,145 micro and small entrepreneurs have been assisted, impacting the lives of 110,725 Fijians, with Government’s investment of $21.4 million.
The government will continue to implement the MSBG program under the 2018/2019 financial year with a budget of $6.4 million.
