“The time for lip service is over. This is the era of delivery. And MSMEs are at the heart of it,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica when he officially opened the BAF MSME Conference 2025 by Business Assistance Fiji (BAF) and Business Link Pacific (BLP) at the Sheraton Fiji Golf & Beach Resort in Denarau yesterday.
Hinting that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) may be central to Government’s budget for the next financial year – scheduled for delivery in Suva today by Minister for Finance Prof Biman Prasad – Mr Kamikamica said the budget was not crafted in isolation.
“We—the Ministry, and many of you here—have fought for a more MSME-focused budget. We have tabled your concerns, your ideas, your aspirations. While we remain cautiously optimistic, I can say this: your voices have not only been heard—they have shaped the direction of Government policy.”
It’s a policy that aligns with the theme of this year’s conference: “Sustainable Tides: Connecting MSMEs for a Circular Economy”, which Mr Kamikamica said “is not a talk shop” but “a platform of empowerment and delivery.”
“Your Government is not simply supporting the MSME sector—we are strengthening its foundations for the long term. This is not business as usual. This is systemic transformation.
“We are building an enabling environment by:
- Launching Fiji’s first-ever MSME Strategic Plan in the coming months;
- Unlocking new avenues of access to finance through landmark legislation like the Access to Business Funding Act 2025;
- Digitising Government support through platforms like the BusinessNow Portal and the upcoming Trade Information Portal;
- Driving service delivery reforms from the top down;
- Scaling training, mentorship and enterprise advisory support; and
- Actively investing in incubation, acceleration, and digital readiness programmes.
“These are not isolated initiatives—they are the building blocks of an ecosystem that works for our smallest, most ambitious entrepreneurs. We are aligning policy, capital, and capability in service of those who create jobs, generate income, and keep communities strong,” Mr Kamikamica said.
MSMEs in Fiji, the “heartbeat of our economy…account for over 18per cent of our GDP, employ nearly 60per cent of our workforce, and make up more than 80pe cent of all registered businesses in Fiji,” Minister Kamikamica said.
More than 300 MSME operators from across Fiji are attending the two-day conference, which ends today.
Note: This article was first published on the print version of the Fiji Times dated June 27, 2025
