Nanise Rogosau with daughter and their products yesterday. Photo: PAULINI RATULAILAI
By RANOBA BAOA
The Westpac Microfinance Market is fast-gaining popularity amongst the informal business sector and with this Westpac Fiji is looking to have a night event in the coming months.
The market was hosted at the Fiji National Provident Fund Downtown Boulevard building in Suva and is a joint event from the superannuation fund and Westpac Fiji.
It is being held once every two months. Westpac manager Sustainability, Eseta Nadakuitavuki said: “We are planning to have this microfinance market to be the one place where the informal sector can display their products.
“We’re already in negotiations with the Suva City Council on permits and space to cater for the businesses and time and date will be revealed over the next few months.
“Since its inception a few years ago, the market has become very popular. We keep in contact with the stall owners so as to try and get their business sustainable.”
The bank also provides a Business Registration Workshop which aims to move the informal sector business to become formal.
“During the workshops we teach them basic steps on how to manage their money. All of them have the ideas but to manage finance can be difficult for them and this is where we step in.”
Kurusiga grabs the opportunity
Laisiasa Kurusiga of Lapita Marketing Enterprises and his family-owned business has been grabbing every opportunity from the market.
His family’s business has already been registered and their products have been sampled by the Ministry of Industry and Trade he said.
“Whenever the team (Westpac) alerts us on details of the market, we come as often as we can,” he said.
“This is a good platform to start up a business. I would encourage people to take this opportunity to become a part of the market. There are also others like the RoC and the Pacific Market Day which my mother, father and I usually go to.”
Mr Kurusiga’s business involves a marketing one. Since its establishment in 2009 by his father, the business has significantly grown, he believes.
Their products range from honey which is supplied from Kadavu, Virgin Coconut Oil, the making which the family acquired from a man in Ra, Noni supplied from Savusavu.
Also, they sell locally-made salt for woman in Nadroga, and his mother’s most recent creations, home-made scented soap.
Island Style Accessories
Coming for the first time for the market is online business, Island Style and Accessories.
Titilia Lovolevu of the popular high end accessories especially for women is conducting business from Australia.
The owner has managed to make a name on social network, Facebook with as many as 2300 already closely engaged with the page. Mother, Nanise Rogosau said: “The business started early this year and it has managed to be a very popular site. “We decided to come for the market day to promote more of the products that my sister sells online. We thought we would sell very little of our products here but we’ve managed to sell a lot of the stuff.”