Malani, Chamber talk business
Fiji Times, Fiji
Monday, January 28, 2008
AS part of the northern development, former Minister for Women, Adi Laufitu Malani has started consultation with the Fiji American Chamber of Commerce over possibilities of exportation of handicraft work to the US from women in the north.
Adi Laufitu, who started the project to help better living standard of women in terms of small revenue generating businesses, said handicraft items to be exported would be made out of kuta, voivoi and wame.
“Consultations are on going with the Fiji AMCHAM and we are hopeful that these consultations will be fruitful.
“At this stage only handicrafts that are made from kuta, voivoi and wame are being looked at for the markets and we are in the process of applying for membership in Fiji AMCHAM and we will have to satisfy all the requirements before we can start exporting to the US,” Adi Laufitu said.
She said the move was a ministry’s flagship program for traditional handicraft makers.
“Once we have got this group of weavers successfully exporting to the US, we will then concentrate on other traditional handicraft makers.
“The reason why we choose to pilot this in the Northern Division is to work in tandem with Government’s Northern Development Program.”
Training already started in the division with the help of the National Centre for Small and Micro-Enterprise Development.
“The NCSMED will provide business skills training for the women and we have established a committee with stakeholders and the AMCHAM is part of this committee as they have been helping the ministry liaise with American markets.
“We are looking more widely at handicraft development and this means that we are also looking at local and regional markets as well as the US markets and we will be doing product testing,” Adi Laufitu said.