Creative industry to be established in the country

The Minister for Local Government says the ministry intends to set up a creative industry in the country.

Premila Kumar was speaking at the 63rd anniversary of the Suva Curio and Handicraft Center.

Kumar says the government has provided its assurance for a diversification plan that includes the creation of a creative industry.

She says this will encourage more economic activities in the area of heritage and arts.

Kumar says this aims to provide prominence to the industry, and the perspective of handicraft businesses needs to change.

“We always term handicraft or curio vendors as vendors who sell in the market place and they are small businesses – that’s how we look at it. We need to change our perception, we need to change our thinking. While we need to change our thinking, it is simply because as vendors – you are not only protecting our culture and heritage but you are also promoting our culture and heritage.”

Kumar has also assured vendors about the waiver of stall fees, which continues in the 2022–23 financial year as they recover from the effects of COVID-19.

The Suva Curio and Handicraft Centre caters for about 70 vendors who have inherited art making from their ancestors, and some of these vendors have inherited the business from their parents.