Reforms needed for stability: PM

The Fijian government will not hesitate to review structures and relations that have been an impediment to economic growth, says Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

Speaking at the Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Awards in Sigatoka last night, Bainimarama said these impediments have fostered corruption, created an uneven playing field, cronyism and a jaundiced system.

He said the FNPF reform is one such initiative which despite being criticised by some economists and those who benefited from a skewered system managed to get international recognition and an award to FNPF as a leading superannuation fund.

Bainimarama said similarly, the Essential Industries Decree creates a rational approach to labour relations in identified critical economic sectors.

“Unreasonable and unrealistic labour relations do not help workers. The do not help employers, they do not help investment and they do not help families. In fact, they hurt them all as only a privileged few benefit from a skewered system whose long term objective is to protect those privileges,” said the Prime Minister.

He went to say that Air Pacific (soon to be Fiji Airways) was saved because his government made the appropriate decisions which included the application of the Essential Industries Decree to Air Pacific.

“Now our national airline has made a remarkable turnaround. Instead of closing down or cutting jobs as many airlines throughout the world have done, Air Pacific/Fiji Airways is buying a new aircraft.”

“It is rebranding and can add more routes. This will create more jobs for Fijians and will expand our ability to bring more tourists to our shores. All of this will lead to more growth in our economy. All of this has been done without a single job lost or exploitation of its workers,”

He concluded by urging all citizens of the country to back the export sector as it not only promotes and sells Fijian made products and services but also keeps the nation’s foreign reserves healthy.

By Reginald Chandar