New BSP Partnership to Develop Local MSMEs.
BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) and Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) have partnered to deliver a localised business development program that will unlock the potential of Micro and Small to Medium Enterprises, including women-led businesses. BSP is rolling out this program in Fiji with ABV, a not-for-profit international development organisation, after a successful pilot phase in Papua New Guinea with BSP PNG.
BSP Country Head, Haroon Ali said, “This partnership enables the delivery of impactful sustainable outcomes through a training and mentoring program specially designed for Fiji businesses that will build capacity and further support the national agenda for MSME development”.
BSP is the major funding partner for this program with the support of associate funders such as the British High Commission and this concerted effort will provide a unique offering for local businesses, not always available for free.
“We are delighted that this collaborative effort will give program participants, many of whom are women entrepreneurs, access to ABV’s international development specialist staff and their network of over 300 Skilled Business Professionals (SBP) providing business tools and mentoring over six months”, confirmed Mr Ali. “We value the contributions made by local businesses including small to medium enterprises and we are proud to lead this concerted effort in alignment with our commitment to the MSME Pillar under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2022-2030”.
ABV has opted to deploy the program in Fiji and ABV Chief Executive Officer, Liz Mackinlay has applauded the Bank’s decision to support local MSMEs and reaffirmed their commitment to this ongoing partnership.
Working in the region for over 40 years, ABV CEO Ms. Liz Mackinlay said, “We’ve delivered some 500 programs in over 30 countries, and time and again the success of these boils down to how locally-driven the programs are for the unique contexts of the communities in which we are invited to walk alongside,”
“Being able to co-design the practical business mentorship programs with BSP stakeholders whilst also drawing from direct support of business management experts through our network of skilled business people who donate their time creates sustainable change for the businesses involved”.
The partnership program led by BSP Fiji and ABV, supported by the British High Commission, will be officially launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Honourable Manoa Seru Kamikamica next week.