Indigenous Fijian businesses should not only survive but also thrive - Rabuka

After a lapse of 10 years, the Fiji Indigenous Business Council has returned and while opening the Fiji Indigenous Council Workshop, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka urged the Council to be innovative and come up with ideas that will ensure indigenous businesses not only survive but thrive.

Rabuka says today marks a significant revival of an association dedicated to supporting and promoting the participation of indigenous Fijians and Rotumans in businesses.

He says as highlighted by the Chairman of the Fiji Indigenous Business Council, only 5 percent of the businesses in Fiji are owned by indigenous Fijians and this should be uplifted.

The Prime Minister also urged the Council to come up with new ideas and solutions that will suite the environment nowadays.

He says improving access to digital infrastructure should be the way forward.

He adds the slogan of indigenous Fijian businesses will stand and fall should no longer be followed as it moves us back decades.

Rabuka says iTaukei business can reinvest in community and create employment opportunities, reducing the unemployment rate and increase iTaukei sufficiency.

Fiji Indigenous Businesss Council Chairman Ulaiasi Taoi says the last time the Council met was 10 years ago and the directors then had made a decision to meet next when a new government comes into power.

He also questioned as to why iTaukei owned businesses have reduced over the years and asks why the previous governments did not invest more into iTaukei businesses.

Taoi says the workshop today lays a foundation to many great things in the future for the indigenous community.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad, Minister for iTaukei Affairs Ifereimi Vasu, government officials, private sector representatives, youth groups, NGOs and civil society organizations are also attending the workshop.