Bank Details Products With Prospective Clients
“The main target for the talanoa session or awareness is for our people, our farmers – so they can grow in business such as the small business loan, the fish-farming loan, taxi, rental, market vendors and the big loans are for our commercial clients.
Sunday 05 May 2019 | 01:08
Fiji Development Bank Labasa Branch Manager Tevita Turagatani (left) with 70 year-old Solomone Senikauciri and Mosese Betekasa of Batiri, Seaqaqa, during the FDB talanoa session at the old MH site on May 4, 2019. Photo: Laisa Lui
The Fiji Development Bank (FDB) says it is working on ensuring that farmers are aware of the initiatives and programmes it offer to help them.
Yesterday, it held a talanoa session at the old MH site in Labasa.
FDB Labasa branch Manager Tevita Turagatani said that it was the initiative of the bank to create awareness among the general public on the products the bank had.
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Mr Turagatani said these were products that farmers could access to enhance their businesses and elevate their socio-economic status
“There is a new product called the “Agriculture Family Loan” which is specially designed for our rural farmers who are farming on communally-owned land or land that is owned by the mataqali and they don’t have any form of formal lease,” he said.
“Previously the bank lent money to farmers with leasehold, but the bulk of our rural farmers are farming on communal land and they are unable to access FDB assistance, so the bank designed a new package to try and accommodate this group of farmers, so we came up with this Agriculture Family Loan.
“Like any other loan it has several criteria and for this new product it needs a consent letter from the head of the clan, along with identification, TIN letter and deposits.
“The main target for the talanoa session or awareness is for our people, our farmers – so they can grow in business such as the small business loan, the fish-farming loan, taxi, rental, market vendors and the big loans are for our commercial clients.
“We assist any business that is licensed by the Government of Fiji to operate,” Mr Turagatani said.
“We believe that at the end of the day, it will be a successful one as we have customers inquiring about other products.”
Fiji Development Bank Labasa Branch team during the FDB talanoa session at the old MH site on May 4, 2019. Photo: Fiji Development Bank facebook page
Seventy-year-old Solomone Senikuraciri of Batiri in Seaqaqa said coming to the talanoa session was a success for him because his enquiries were answered.
He is even encouraging other landowners to take advantage of such awareness programmes to be able to get the right information from FDB officers themselves.
Edited by Epineri Vula
Feedback: laisa.kabulevu@fijisun.com.fj
