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Fiji’s natural water resources are renewable and will be in supply for a lifetime, says Island Chill director and bottled water industry spokesman Jay Dayal.
And he said industry players need not to be likened to mining companies in that it had to pay royalties because the resource was not scarce compared to mining.
Dayal made the comments in response to interim Finance and National Planning Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, who said bottlers needed to pay royalties like those in the mining industry for the extraction of natural resources.
“Bottled water is far different from mining resources. We’re pumping water at a sustainable rate and within the standard limit,” Dayal told FijiLive.
“We can’t be compared to mining companies because water is a renewable resource and it will be passed on from generation to generation whereas compared to those in the mining industry, when gold is finished, it’s finished but our water source is replenished by rainfall,” he said.
“Besides, we monitor our pumping levels ensuring we are pumping within our limit,” he added.
“Natural water resource is not scarce, it is always readily available.”
Dayal preferred not to make any further comments saying the bottled water industry was positive that Chaudhry would seriously consider the industry-players’ plight.
“Our operations are not viable right now because the 20 cents per litre export and excise duty is adding fuel to the fire,” he said.
All of Fiji’s bottlers are protesting Cabinet’s endorsement of a 20 cents per litre on all bottled water exports and the same for domestic consumption through ceasing any product sales.
All players are expected to each make a written submission to the minister by Thursday highlighting their issue of opposition to the interim Government’s decision.
