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Businesses in Nadi want to be exempted from the new wage order in light of the massive devastation caused by the recent floods.
And the Nadi Chamber of Commerce has written to the interim Government to this effect.
Commerce president Doctor Ram Raju said Nadi was still reeling from the aftermath of the recent flash flooding.
He called on the Interim Government to waive the new wage order until Nadi Town is back on its feet.
“The flood was the worst that hit Nadi Town. Some have lost their business and everyone is trying to recover from their loss. It will take us a good six months to stand on our feet again so we ask the Government to spare us from the new Act,” he added.
Shops in Nadi including some of the country’s biggest retailers and garments outlets remain closed, trying to repair the devastation left behind by floodwaters.
Courts Homecentres, mobile phone distributors Vodafone and Digicel and the South Pacific Bank remained closed with obvious damages.
A garment retailer which opened its business in Nadi in 1965 lost more than $180,000 in goods during the height of the flood.
Managing director Dalip’s store, Dalip Kumar who was born in their shop 43 years ago, said the flood washed away almost all dreams of a good business future.
“It was bad, just bad. It was like being struck in the chest because we lost everything in front of our own eyes, everything we built on for more than 40 years was just washed away in a couple of minutes,” he added.
School uniforms and all assorted garments soiled from the flood were on sale to clear stocks.
“….definitely we have lost everything.”
“Our show glasses were broken and waters just rushed in. Even the insurance cover could not repay all that but we hope to start all over again. It would take a long time. This is the worst flood with waters reaching the ceiling of our store,” he added.
The Wages Council had approved wage rate increases in nine different industries.
Among others, the Fiji Indigenous Business Council has expressed its disagreement on the timing of the implementation of the new wage order.
FIBC President Ulai Taoi said the increase in wage rates at a time when the economy was struggling would lead to job losses and dampen plans by businesses to expand.
