Sivaniolo Lumelume 
Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica.
Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica highlights that commercial industries, culture and art, and climate change are some of the opportunities available for resource owners to further empower them economically.
Kamikamica made the comments while opening the three-day First Nation Natural Resources Symposium in Suva yesterday.
The Minister says that the government is working on bringing back commercial industries.
“There are some industries, big industries in the past that were, like Cocoa, for example, dairy. There is a concerted effort to see that we can bring back these industries into the mainstream in Fiji.”
The Minister believes climate change is also an opportunity.
“There’s carbon offset available for forests; a lot of iTaukei here today have a lot of big forests, and perhaps that can be monetized to assist in bringing about economic empowerment for the resource owners.”
Dr Akanisi Kedrayate, First Nation (Fiji) Natural Resources Foundation Chair, says they are ready to help resource owners realize their economic potential.
The three-day symposium saw 83 mataqali represented by the Turaga ni Yavusa, or Mataqali, women’s group, and youth leaders, respectively. SL FBC News
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
