Suva, Fiji. In another collaboration with its development partners, the Fiji Development Bank (FDB) has been busy as a bee. The Bank teamed up with the Pacific Agribusiness Research in Development Initiative (PARDI), to deliver a financial literacy workshop for the Fiji Beekeepers Association.
PARDI is an initiative of the Australian Government that supports the ongoing development of agricultural industries in the South Pacific region. PARDI aims to provide sustainable livelihood improvements to communities. The organisation has been assisting Fiji’s bee farmers to be profitable yet sustainable while optimising networking opportunities.
Held at the Tanoa Hotel in Nadi, this joint effort also educated participants to navigate FDB’s website to access and utilise Financial Literacy templates such as Budget Worksheets and Business Plans, as well as how to best engage with FDB’s web Chatbot system and understand the Bank’s agricultural loan products.
FDB GM Relationship and Sales, Ms. Titilia Vakaoca, shared that workshop sessions such as these are indispensable, with more being planned to further develop financial literacy of those engaged in commerce in the Fijian economy.
“Financial Literacy plays a critical role in shaping the success of any business venture. It has become an essential life skill in this ever-developing society. Any Fijian wanting to become an entrepreneur or a critical cog in a small business must learn the basics of starting a business, managing it efficiently and how to eventually take it to the next level.”
She explained that, “FDB’s comprehensive Digital Financial Literacy Program will assist entrepreneurs in learning the fundamentals of financial management so that informed financial decisions can be made to ensure that a business runs effectively.”
A dozen participants were present at the workshop, comprising of the executive team of the Fiji Beekeepers Association along with bee farmers. Moreover, the workshop served as the first capacity building session for the association’s executive team.