A 50 per cent discount on application fees for loans that relate to climate change and women empowerment is in store for the sugar cane community.

It is among moves by the Sugar Cane Growers Fund to improve its services.

Fund Chief Executive Officer, Raj Sharma made the comment following the organisation’s win at the President’s Fiji Business Excellence Awards.

The fund won the Achievement in Business Excellence Award.

He said the win in the annual event organised by Fiji National University’s National Training and Productivity Centre awards, was just the beginning.

The fund was one of five winners of the Achievement in Business Excellence.

Female farmers who want to buy a farm or related machinery will receive a 50 per cent discount on loan application fees from January 2, 2022, Mr Sharma said.

“We are promoting women empowerment in terms of the Sustainable Development Goal,” he said.

The 22nd awards, held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, was the first time the fund had attended the annual event.

He dedicated the win to sugar cane farmers.

“There are a lot of initiatives that we have brought in,” Mr Sharma said.

The fund will also introduce an online banking app, he said.

Meanwhile, other winners of the Achievement in Business Excellence category were:
– Manubhai Industries Pte Ltd.

– Ajax Spurway Fasteners Pte Ltd.

– RC Manubhai and Company Pte Ltd.

Under the Commitment to Business Excellence category, CRP Industries Pte Ltd and Roofing and Profiled (Fiji) Pte Ltd were announcement winners.

In another development, Minister for Infrastructure, Meteorological Services, Land and Mineral Resources, Jone Usamate, received the Asia Productivity Organisation award for outstanding recognition.

He said the award was for productivity, and an annual award system that was the best tool any organisation could have to improve its systematic operations.

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