Fiji PM reprimands sugar leaders

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has reprimanded the country’s sugar industry leaders, calling on them to stop the bickering and blame game if the industry is to remain viable.

In a statement today, Bainimarama said the industry needed all the help it could get rather than industry leaders making public statements and engaging in political points scoring.

“It is disappointing to see the people that had been tasked to look after the interests of the farmers and the industry were more interested in promoting themselves through frequent statements and appearances in the media,” he said.

Bainimarama issued the statement following a heated exchange this week between leaders of the Sugar Cane Growers Council and the Fiji Sugar Corporation, Fiji’s only sugar miller, over the future of the beleagured South Pacific Fertilizers Ltd, in which both entities are shareholders, along with the Sugar Cane Growers Fund.

Bainimarama said the interim government was fully aware of the fertilizer issue and in the coming weeks “would take decisive steps to address the issue as well as provide some incentives to farmers on replanting of new cane given the season had now just set in”.

He did not comment, however, on a proposal by the Growers Council that the interim government give the SPF a $4-$5 million capital injection, the equivalent of government’s annual sugar export tax earnings.

The proposal was made at a meeting yesterday between leaders from all three entities and interim government officials to find a solution to SPF’s troubles, the most recent of which is a $6.56 million loan it took from the Growers Fund last year at 70 percent cost to growers, a deal that has growers organisations up in arms.

Bainimarama said while his government had taken some initial steps to reform the various industry institutions to bring about operational efficiencies, they would not be able to do all this on their own and would have to look at partnership arrangements with the farmers and various stakeholders.

“It is in this regards, I urge the industry and stakeholders to work together closely and come up with practical suggestions on how we can all move together in addressing the various problems facing the industry.”

source: Fijilive