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A family-owned business in Nabouwalu, Bua on Vanua Levu tonight walked away with the major 2008 Fiji Development Bank (FDB) Small Business Awards.
And judges of this awards event saw it fitting to honour Varasiko Gasau, a middleman for dalo farmers in the Bua province and buyers in Suva, for his tremendous assistance via ensuring farmers in his province still had a market to cash their crop.
Gasau who won two awards, the other under the Wholesale/Retail category, was tonight honoured among five other small business operators for their enormous contributions to their communities and to the whole economy as a whole.
Gasau told FijiLive that while he acknowledged the recognition of the achievement, it was time real assistance reached the shores of Vanua Levu given the many opportunities available, particularly with infrastructural improvements.
He said the potential in agricultural exports was available on Vanua Levu, particularly in Bua, but things like allowing for road access for farmers would greatly benefit them.
Other winners included:
- Meli and Marica Tualau of Malawai Housing in Votualevu in Nadi whose dance group began with 15 dancers and choreographers now total more than 30. Their dance group are often hired by hotels and private functions. They win $2000 cash and gift packs sponsored by FijiLive;
- Siliva Nasaqa of Colo-i-Suva who runs a successful nursery business providing flowers and landscaping plants to private residences and hotels as well;
- Suluifiga Tapaeko, a hair dresser in the northern town of Labasa. Tapaeko began in October 2004 at a small scale and has now expanded her business and employs three staff; and
- Sanjay Vinod Chand of Saru Rd in Lautoka who manages their family-owned farm and recently expanded to poultry farming after obtaining a soft loan from the FDB.
FDB chief executive Ratu Deve Toganivalu applauded the efforts of these small businesses who he said, together with other small entrepreneurs, could be as successful as larger businesses.
“Small businesses may not be able to compete with the larger businesses in the country in turnover but you can be just as competitive, just as creative, and in your own way and just as successful as the large business in Fiji,” Ratu Deve said.
Fiji Islands Trade and Investment Bureau (FTIB) chief executive Annie Rogers said small businesses encouraged and required as a business necessity, entrepreneurship and innovation, which raised the overall dynamism and business diversity of the economy.
She said small businesses helped raised exports and investment in Fiji, which in turn helped raise our growth potential.
On employment, she added that while firm statistics on how many businesses in Fiji actually constituted what could be termed a small business, it was however, estimated that around 57 per cent of Fiji’s total labour force was involved in various enterprises that fell under small businesses.
“These businesses provide the owner with an income stream and in many cases provide income streams for others, by giving them jobs,” Rogers said in her official address.
