Sainiani Boila 
[File Photo]
Over $14 million in grants were provided to 14,249 recipients of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises during the 2018–2019 financial year.
Permanent Secretary Shahin Ali says this includes a wide range of sectors such as agriculture, wholesale, retail, and manufacturing services, food and hospitality, construction, and fisheries.
While presenting the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism’s 2018-2019 Annual Report to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, Ali says the MSME package included financial literacy training, and approximately 1,668 recipients benefited from it.
“Through this, we were able to help communities such as the Cakaudrove, e-Vanua Beekeeping, and Koro Farmers and Fishermen Cooperative Limited. Each was given support of up to $70,000, and the lowest amount was $54,000.”
Ali says the MSME Fiji Unit conducts the monitoring and evaluation of businesses that have been awarded the respective grants.
During the monitoring exercises, the officers also provided business advisory services that ensured that their businesses were provided with proper support to grow and support sustainable livelihoods.
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