PM plans sugar industry changes

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister, who has been reassigned the Sugar Industry portfolio, has set several areas of specific interest he wants to concentrate on.

Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama wants “to drive and expedite the sugar industry reforms in an effort to ensure viability and sustainable survival of the industry”.

In a statement, Bainimarama said he was specifically interested in “effective implementation of the recommendations emanating from a ‘snapshot’ review of the financial and operational viability of FSC recently undertaken by (former Fiji Sugar Corporation general manager) Rasheed Ali and Ram Karan.

He said this reports would be made available to all industry stakeholders once the FSC Board has considered and accepted it.

Bainimarama said other areas he would look at include expediting the mill upgrading programme under the Sugar Technical Mission (STM) assistance, giving further support to the work of the Committee on Better Utilisation of Land (CBUL) to ensure that land is made available for sustaining the existing industry and/or further expansion thereof and ensuring that agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and herbicides are readily and competitively available to farmers;

In his New Year’s address to the nation, the interim Prime Minister said new initiatives would be put in place for the sugar industry in particular for FSC.

Bainimarama said there would be a review of the functions of Sugar Cane Growers Council, Sugar Commission of Fiji, and Fiji Sugar Marketing Authority to ensure that the overhead costs for farmers and the FSC are reduced and in return they get maximum benefits in areas of cane development, industry facilitation and export marketing.

He also plans to strengthen the board of FSC.

Bainimarama also wants appropriate provisions in the Master Award reviewed and modernised to ensure survival of the industry on a sustainable basis.

The Sugar Industry portfolio was reassigned to the PM’s Office from the Ministry of Agriculture.
source: fijilive