Riya Mala 
General Manager Ramesh Chand
Limited access to finance and the difficulty of getting MSMEs to attend in-person training are the biggest challenges faced by Business Assistance Fiji.
General Manager, Ramesh Chand, said as a new organization their objective is to contribute to the growth of small businesses.
He added they are conducting free business diagnostics to identify areas where owners need improvement, while also building a network of service providers in various sectors.
Chand said tin order to address these challenges, the organization is collaborating with the Ministry of Trade and MSME’s.
“The support of Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises. And we are able to, you know, overcome some of the challenges that we face in terms of addressing the issues which MSMEs have, like, for instance, training issues, you know, access to finance.”
Chand adds it is crucial for MSMEs to be equipped with the necessary knowledge to understand and adapt to easier ways of conducting business.
Permanent Secretary for Trade Shaheen Ali says they working on a strategic plan to structure and organize the MSME Fiji department.
“Ministry is working on a strategic plan, a specific legislation for MSMEs and ensuring that the department is becoming well equipped with expertise, resources available to be the one-stop shop for MSMEs as far as support is concerned.”
Ali added their vision is to enhance the contribution of MSMEs to the GDP and overall economy.
