Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Bula Vinaka and Good Morning to you all.
It is indeed a pleasure to be here today in the West amongst all of you. It is especially a privilege for me to open the “Western Craft Fair 2014”.

The Western Crafts Fair has been, for the past 39 years, providing platform for the recognition of Fiji’s gifted artisans and crafters.

This event has allowed both established and emerging crafters the opportunity to showcase their talent and craftsmanship under one roof, where knowledge can be shared and displayed to our visitors and locals. In short it provides a snapshot of what Fiji is capable of.

I applaud the Fiji Arts Council for their undying commitment to ensuring that Fijian arts and crafts are alive and that the tradition is not lost. Your unequivocal effort to keep the traditional arts and crafts going is evident through the growing success of the Western Crafts Fair.

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism will continue to support your efforts in the event and towards the development of local our skilled artisans and entrepreneurs.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am proud to say that we Fijians have never lost our cultural heritage and have managed to maintain our uniqueness. In fact, our identity as a nation has never been stronger. Such events ensure that our tradition and culture are preserved and is passed down generation to generation.

This is where the Fijian Government’s ‘Fijian Crafted’ brand, under the Fijian Made-Buy Fijian Campaign fits in well. This initiative is a celebration of Fijian arts and craft and the artisans who make them. It is designed to ensure their continuity into the future and provide sustainable livelihoods for talented Fijians.

The Fijian Crafted brand is designed to differentiate our genuine Fijian crafts from the generic island style products imported from overseas. These non-genuine products that have been displacing our traditional, genuine arts and we are determined to change this.

Today, we have a large number of crafters who are licensed under the campaign. Through our logo, international visitors to Fiji can easily identify whether a particular item is authentically Fijian and truly represents Fijian craftsmanship and culture.

Furthermore, our Fijian Crafted logo has enabled our Fijian handicrafts to compete with other similar products in the market and through this branding strategy, help support livelihoods, create jobs and help micro and small businesses in the handicraft sector to grow.

The various crafts on display this morning symbolizes authenticity, quality, craftsmanship and uniqueness in skills of ordinary Fijians – the men and women who use their hands to create items of beauty – masi, mats, wood carvings, pottery, paintings, to name a few, all of which genuinely express the richness in Fijian culture.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today marks another milestone achievement in our ‘Fijian Made-Buy Fijian’ Campaign, as we will award licenses to 78 of our local crafters who have had their hard work officially recognized and authenticated with the “Fijian Crafted” brand.

These hardworking men and women form part of the micro, small and medium enterprises sector, which contributes approximately 10 per cent towards the Fijian economy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The FijiFirst Government is committed to providing you the environment to grow and for you to actively contribute to the betterment of the Fijian economy.

The Bainimarama Government has set aside, as per our manifesto, a sum of $1million that can be used by small and micro enterprises for start-up or growth of your businesses. The details of the grant scheme will be made available in the next few days.

Coming back to today’s event, and as I give away these licenses, I wish to urge you – the crafters and artisans that please do not compromise the authenticity, quality and attractiveness of your work. It is the high quality of your art that attract top prices.

On that note, I am also pleased to announce that the Ministry has partnered with the private sector in strengthening the vital link between them and the local and international market, taking the products from the villages to malls and duty-free shops.

Soon, I will be officially launching the Fijian Crafted dedicated handicraft in-store displays at Prouds, Tappoos and Jack’s outlets here in Nadi.

I commend these companies for coming on board and lending their support to our craftspeople. Their efforts will ensure that there is greater visibility of the Fijian Crafted brand for locals and tourists alike.

I also encourage other large companies to learn from their example and provide, where possible, guidance and support to micro, small and medium enterprises.

This support will not affect your bottom line, but will provide the smaller operators the ability to understand the business environment and improve their businesses and contribute to the health and wealth of our beloved nation.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the hardworking crafters who are here today to participate and display their crafts in this event and the Fiji Arts Council for the smooth organization of the event and members of the general public for turning out in support of our local craftspeople.

I hope to meet you all personally at the conclusion of the formalities.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to officially declare the 2014 Western Craft Fair Open.

I wish you all a good day.

Vinaka Vakalevu and thank you very much!


END.