Buy Fijian Made
One of the campaigns Government pushed forth to encourage people to buy local was the Fijian Made, Buy Fijian Campaign both domestically and also internationally through a national branding strategy. Today when our tourism sector has rallied to provide specials and the push is for people to travel locally to assist the tourism sector, the Buy Fijian campaign becomes very timely.
When the campaign was launched in 2011, under its branding strategy, there were the categories: Fijian Made, Fijian Product, Fijian Packed, Fijian Crafted, Fijian Grown, Fijian Assembled, Fijian Design, Fijian Sewn and the latest is Fijian Organic.
From 2018 till today a total of 341 businesses have all been issued licences under this Campaign by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Tourism and this brings the total number of businesses licensed to 686 with 3482 products having been registered under the campaign since its initiation in 2011.
Sixty-nine per cent of the total businesses registered have micro, small and medium enterprises and 53 per cent of those businesses are Fijian-crafted licences, meaning that we are providing market access and opportunity for ordinary Fijians, particularly women running rural and maritime-based businesses,
Minister Faiyaz Koya explained that at the moment, the Fijian Made, Buy Fijian Campaign initiative, is being strengthened and the Ministry is trying to do more with it.
“For example, it actually builds loyalty and it also builds national pride for the Fijian products and the campaign helps to reduce our rising import bills.”
The campaign actually keeps the money in the economy, and it drives business confidence and helps boost our public and private investment in the infrastructure and in plant and machinery. This Campaign is now more crucial than ever.
We are able to reignite some nationalism in Fijians to buy Fijian products and support Fijian businesses and our trade commissions and our missions overseas are actively participating aggressively in promoting the exports of our Fijian-made products.
Why buy local:
Apart from the obvious that this reduces our import bills, buying local especially at this time when the world is fighting against COVID-19, means helping Fijians in need.