The Young Entrepreneurs Council (YEC) will be restructured as the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Council.

YEC is one of 10 Councils under the Fiji Commerce Employers Federation (FCEF).

At a roundtable discussion with owners of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), YEC Chair Watesoni Nata confirmed the Council would undergo significant reforms to better advocate the current needs of its members and the wider MSME community in Fiji.

These reforms include removing the current 18 to 40 age requirements for members and only admitting businesses that meet the Ministry of Trade’s policy definition of MSMEs.

YEC chair Watesoni Nata said, “The two main councils that deal with MSMEs are the Women Entrepreneurs Council and the Young Entrepreneurs Council.

“What do they have in common – they are limited by gender and age requirements. So where does everybody else go?”

Mr Nata said that establishing a new MSME Council was driven by the priority to address funding needs, expand activities to rural communities, respond to hundreds of new member applications, and create a dedicated forum for local MSMEs.

“If you look at the MSME landscape in the country, there’s no formally registered body specifically looking after MSMEs,” he said.

“We need a formally registered body to look after our needs as a Council.

“We also need to convert registered interest to join the Council to become paid members.”

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