The garment industry in Fiji mainly works on cut, make and trim (CMT) basis is a major employer and an important source of export revenue. More than 40 garment companies operate in Fiji, 15 of which are based in the Western Division.

The garment sector in the Western Division is returning to normality after having hit by severe tropical cyclone Winston, said Textiles, Clothing and Footwear Council of Fiji (TCF) president Kaushik Kumar.

Many staff had damage to property and was unable to report to work. Some factories also suffered damage and could not operate because of power outages and high absenteeism of staff, he said.

Most factories are now back to normal operations and have been working hard to catch up on delayed deliveries and keeping their clients satisfied. Most clients understood the situation, but in certain cases, orders were lost because of the inability to supply on time.

The Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Council of Fiji is also planning to set up a training facility, in order to resolve the issue of severe shortage of skilled workers faced by the country's garment industry. The availability of more skilled workers would increase growth prospects of the country's garment industry.