The impacts of COVID-19 continue to take its toll affecting many Small Micro and Medium enterprises.

The impacts of COVID-19 continue to take a toll, affecting many Small Micro and Medium enterprises.

67 employers took part in a survey by the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation which shows that many in Suva and Nadi were unable to survive the crisis and have shut down.

Chief Executive Kameli Batiweti says they targeted employees in the garment, tourism, transportation, and equipment industry, as well as underwater survey, retail, sales, financial and insurance institutions.

The Chief Executive highlighted that their registered tourism enterprises felt the full brunt of the pandemic.

“A lot of customers depended on the tourism, when the tourism went down they went down as well because there’s no more tourism. The workers in the hospitality industry were now not earning any money and not buying anything therefore, the demand of their good went down”.

At least 14.93 percent of the 67 members surveyed have stopped operating, 29 percent are partially open while 43.28 percent are in full operation.