Social Protection Minister Sashi Kiran has urged an overhaul of how rural women who make and sell handmade products are paid, saying the current system leaves many artisans waiting days — and sometimes weeks — for their earnings. Kiran described the delays as unacceptable given the long distances many women travel to markets and collection points, and said the ministry is now exploring a new system that would pay women immediately when their products are accepted for sale.
“Even here in Viti Levu, women from places such as Naitasiri come to sell their products in the market, but sometimes it takes two or three days before they actually receive their money,” Kiran told reporters. She also highlighted cases where artisans consign goods to organisations or retail outlets and are only paid once an item is sold, a model she said is unfair to producers who need reliable cash flow.
The ministry’s preliminary proposal, announced as the latest development in efforts to support small-scale producers, would pair immediate payments with stronger quality and stock-management standards. Kiran said the planned measures include requirements for proper packaging, bar-coding and inventory control — changes intended to make products easier to handle for buyers and distributors, and to underpin faster payments.
Officials argue the reforms could address a basic cashflow problem that undermines the livelihoods of women artisans across Fiji. Many of these women travel from remote villages to urban centres to reach customers, often incurring travel and accommodation costs. Delays in payment reduce the net benefit of their work and increase economic vulnerability, the minister said. By ensuring payment at the point of acceptance, the ministry aims to stabilise income streams and make artisanal work a more reliable source of household revenue.
The proposed standards also aim to make rural-made products more market-ready. Proper packaging and bar-coding would assist outlets with stock management and traceability, potentially opening new retail opportunities beyond local markets. Kiran framed these requirements as complementary to immediate payments: better presentation and record-keeping could persuade buyers to purchase outright rather than taking goods on consignment.
At this stage the ministry is still exploring the best model to implement the change and has not announced a pilot, timeline or funding arrangements. The announcement represents a policy shift toward treating craft and handiwork as formal economic activity that requires market infrastructure and financial protections, rather than informal commodity exchange.
This is the latest step in government attention to rural livelihoods and small-scale entrepreneurship. If implemented, the changes would affect women artisans across Fiji, particularly those who now face inconsistent payment practices when bringing handmade goods from villages such as Naitasiri to urban markets on Viti Levu. The ministry’s next moves — whether piloting a payment scheme, partnering with retailers, or rolling out packaging and bar-code support — will determine how quickly the intended benefits reach the women who make Fiji’s traditional crafts.
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