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Microfinance Pasifika Member Profile

 

Institution Contact Details
Name of Institution

National Centre for Small & Micro Enterprise Development

Postal Address

PO Box 2532, Government Buildings, Suva, Fiji

Country

Fiji

Telephone

(679) 3307122 / 3301587

Fax

(679) 3302711

Email

lkinivuwai@govnet.gov.fj

Website Address

http://www.ncsmed.org.fj

Skype

N/A

Contact Person

Ms Luse Kinivuwai

Position

Director Microfinance Unit


General Institutional Information

Current Legal Status of the Institution

Our institution is a statutory body and is regulated by the Small and Micro Enterprises Development Act 2002

 

Objectives

SME Development including access to Finance for
Poverty alleviation and employment generation

 

Brief History

  • National Microfinance Unit was set up in 1999 to manage a Pilot Project to develop Microfinance services in Fiji
  • Pilot Project ended in December 2003 and the National Microfinance Unit merged with the National Centre for Small and Micro Enterprises Development in 2004
  • It is now a Unit under the Centre and it acts as an apex body for microfinance institutions in Fiji.

 

Ownership

 

Government funded statutory body

 

Operations related to
microfinance
and financial inclusion

  • The Unit provides funding, technical support and monitoring services to microfinance institutions in Fiji.
  • There are three Urban Microfinance Institutions and 5 Rural based institutions providing microfinance services.
  • Services are provided in 12 of the 14 Provinces in Fiji.

 

Main Funding Sources

The Government of Fiji

 

Main Challenges

  • High transaction costs. In Fiji it is a challenge due to the scattered populations and remote locations of the different communities in particular the rural population.
  • Low population density and remoteness. Fiji has a low population count and low population density. The expense of outreach effectively to the target group is a costly exercise
  • Countering the Grant culture and programmes. Many rural and peri urban communities have been exposed to a variety of grant schemes. Countering this grant culture takes resources to counter.
  • Lack of Business Support Structures.
  • Access to affordable microfinance training

 

Other Networks

None