No time to tinker with sugar: Sharma

This is not the time to tinker with sugar industry reforms, Fiji Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive Surendra Sharma says.

Sharma said the Sugar Ministry, now under the interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, has started tinkering with reorganising, reshaping, reviewing the major institutional framework of stakeholder representation in the sugar sector.

“I suspect the bureaucracy rather than the Prime Minister is at work here but this is the time to mobilise on-farm production and efficiencies in harvesting, transporting and milling activities, not tinkering about with institutional reforms in the sugar industry.”

He made the comment in a statement issued yesterday to clarify the status of the EU funding after a statement by interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama that an election will take place when the interim Government decides, even if it means losing the EU’s $350 million.

Sharma said the Prime Minister must be vigilant to see that “he is the one making decisions and ensure that those decisions are implemented forthwith if we are to comply with the spirit of the EU’s well-intentioned assistance programme.

“It is in this context that we will relentlessly pursue directly with the Prime Minister if need be, to have that support. Indeed, the Prime Minister has made his promise of tangible support to the sugar industry and I am sure he will honour that promise.”

The SCGC chief executive said a one-year delay in elections, in terms of the $350 million EU funds, is a financial loss of around $27 million to Fiji

“This, however, translates into an inestimable loss to the sugar industry if the PM does not support the needs being currently expressed via the Sugar Commission and the Sugar Cane Growers Council for assistance already submitted and for fertiliser subsidies,” Sharma said.

“The acid test for the Prime Minister is to see if he can demonstrate his sincerity by providing support to this sector, which is the only one gravely at risk if we do not follow through with the programmed activities.

“Each year the programmes are delayed is a year too late.”