Suva, Fiji. The Fiji Development Bank (FDB) was invited to present its products and services at a recent business workshop organized by Film Fiji and coordinated in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communication (MCTTT).
The aim of the workshop was to support local Film Fiji crew members and encourage them to invest in themselves by starting small businesses, which would ultimately develop economic growth within the filming industry.
Held at the Corner Café in Nadi town with 30 attendees, FDB was represented by its Nadi branch team, Mr. Mohammed Jaffar and Ms. Nilishma Sharma.
The duo highlighted awareness on the Bank’s Loan for Women Entrepreneurs, the Small and Medium Enterprise Sustainability Package and Fishing Loan. In addition, they also touched on key aspects of financial literacy.
Likewise, MCTTT representatives introduced its Integrated Human Resource Development Programme (IHRDP) which garnered great interest. The team demonstrated how such programmes operated in seamless collaboration with financial institutions like FDB.
FDB CEO, Mr. Filimone Waqabaca said that, “Most entrepreneurs don’t lack ambition – but they often lack access, exposure and of course, resources. That is what makes this partnership with Film Fiji and MCTTT so special. This programme is as much about opening doors, as it is about providing a financial solution to assist these talented, entrepreneurial artists.”
“We’ve been collaborating with the Ministry of Trade on this IHRDP programme for quite some time and have assisted many business types to fulfil their business dreams. Partnering with MCTTT opens doors for niche entrepreneurs in so many different spaces, and in this case, being able to work with Film Fiji, which plays a vital role in promoting our rich cultural identity on the global stage, is truly special for FDB,” he added.
Throughout its proud history, FDB has countlessly assisted small craft artisans, and this is a great opportunity to see Fiji’s culture expand into new entrepreneurial pathways.
