Opinion

PM to industry leaders: work with young Fijians, tap into their boundless potential

This is the full speech of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa last night.   The Honourable Minister for
25 Nov 2018 13:47
PM to industry leaders: work with young Fijians, tap into their boundless potential
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in dicussions with Reserve Bank of Fiji Governor Ariff Ali at the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards night at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa on November 24, 2018. Photo: DEPTFO News
  • This is the full speech of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama at the Prime Minister’s International Business Awards at Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa last night.

 

The Honourable Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism;

Your Excellencies and members of the Diplomatic Corps

The Chairman, Board of Directors and General Manager of Investment Fiji;

Sponsors,

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Bula Vinaka and very good evening to you all.

 

I’m delighted to join all of you this evening as we recognise excellence in our export industry, honouring women and men leaders in business who, together, form one of the most pivotal engines of our economic development.

There are plenty of statistics I could put in front of you this evening that show exactly how well our development is progressing. The facts and figures tell a consistent story: our trade is growing, our exports are increasing, we’re creating more jobs, we’re attracting historic levels of investment, our economic base is steadily expanding its diversity, tourism earnings are up again from last year, our levels of foreign reserves remain strong and we continue to deliver development across the country at a pace Fiji has never before experienced.

What’s happening in our economy is nothing short of historic. But it is hardly surprising, at least, it’s hardly surprising to me. Because we’ve set out a strategic vision for our economic progress and stability from the very start of our time in Government, we’ve stuck with that plan every step of the way, and that consistent effort has now led us to our ninth consecutive year of economic growth – just in case you haven’t heard from our campaign commercials these past few weeks.

But seriously, that is a fact well worth repeating, because it marks the single longest stretch of growth in our nation’s history. But what you may not already know is that projections for our continued growth are nothing but positive in the years ahead. Top economists from the world’s leading financial organisations, the IMF, the World Bank and the ADB, have taken a good look at the state of our economy and, should we maintain the present course, their projections for our continued growth are positive, positive and more positive still.

So, it’s much more than a record-breaking year for our economy, we are witnessing a record-breaking era of growth and development for our country. That’s good for Fiji, that’s good for ordinary people and that, certainly, is good for business.

 

Walking the talk

Ladies and gentlemen, with our economy projected to remain on such stable path of growth, it’s safe to say we’re walking the talk when it comes to sustainable development – a topic I spoke on at length during last year’s awards ceremony. And I’m very proud that the leadership and economic management we’ve brought to Fiji has once again received the endorsement of our people, as the FijiFirst Government I lead was re-elected in our second genuine parliamentary elections last week to lead our nation through the next four-year term of government.

Again, I consider it an honour and a privilege to have been granted that mandate by our people, who have once again given us their trust, their confidence and their support to take our country forward. And I thank the many in this room for their personal congratulations on our victory, we greatly appreciate your support.

I’ve always strived to be a Prime Minister for all people, that includes those of you, as leaders in business, that includes all of those breadwinners across the country, who are hard at work providing for their families, that includes Fijians who call home some of the most rural and maritime regions of the country, and that includes those most vulnerable in our society, those who must be afforded special levels of care and assistance.

But just as importantly, I work every day for the benefit of both those who agree with me on policy, and of all those who do not. So, in welcoming our victory, I not only thank those who backed my campaign and who ultimately gave my Government their support. I say Vinaka vakalevu to all of those who braved the rains and made their voices heard by casting their votes, regardless of whom it was they supported.

And I give my full assurance that we have heard all voices that have spoken at the ballot box in this election, and we will listen. And I ask those whose support we did not win, to run with us, work with us, and help us continue to make Fiji a better, safer and more prosperous country for all Fijians. Not only by voicing your opinion and offering your critiques – as is your democratic right and civic duty – but by genuinely seeking to cooperate with us, and I assure you, I will give back that same level of commitment.

But what we cannot accept are any further efforts made to poison the minds of our citizens with the hateful politics of division, by pitting Fijians against one another on the basis of ethnicity, religion, province, employer against employee, or any of the differences that politicians seek create in our society. And we cannot accept any attempts to create economic chaos, with irresponsible statements about our economy and outright lies about our economic performance. We cannot and should not accept any lies about indigenous lands being permanently alienated from indigenous landowners. Because it is simply not true.

As leaders in business, you all know that one of the key ingredients for success in any industry is a stable economic environment. As captains of different industries, you all have vital roles to play in taking our economy forward. That is why it is important you don’t take a back seat when it comes to the management of our economy. It is your duty to bring your experience and expertise to the table by giving your professional opinion when it comes to matters affecting our economic growth and the wellbeing of our people. And I would like to thank the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry Council for doing exactly that in recent months, when they called out irresponsible statements being made about our economy, and I hope to see more business organisations come forward and give their honest take on the various political debates on financial and economic policy, instead of simply swaying with the political winds or, even, the possible political winds.

I’m sure there are a few floating questions in your community about what exactly to anticipate over the next four years. To that, I say that our past performance should give you ample indication.

You can expect the vast majority of our expenditure to go towards infrastructure development, the education of our people and key steps that modernise our economy, engrain new technology in our society, and grow our competiveness in the global marketplace.  You can expect policies that incentivise corporate sustainable development and if you take the lead in that arena, you can expect to be recognised for that effort. You can expect greater protections of our natural environment, you can expect even greater investment to climate-proof our economy and you can expect that Fiji will remain an advocate on the world stage, fighting for the causes that matter most to our citizens and our development. And you can expect to find, not an adversary or an oppressive regulator in my Government, but a partner to all of you and your continued success.

 

Swearing-in

On Thursday … my new cabinet took their oaths of office, including our new Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Honourable Premila Kumar. Minister Kumar has been a mediator between businesses and Fijian consumers for over a decade, as I’m sure many of you know. If you’ve worked with her in the past, you know she has business savvy and a wealth of knowledge and experience that spans industries across the country. And she’ll be our point person in government to help make sure Fijian businesses can succeed, while consumers are protected and the high Fijian brand of quality is upheld across the marketplace. And for those who haven’t yet had the chance to meet our new Minister, she’s here tonight, and I know she’s very keen to get to know as many of you as possible.

She and I, along with our Honourable Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, all recognise that an economy is driven forward by the energy, ambition and expertise of the private sector, together with a productive and well-compensated workforce, alongside the gentle influence of a forward-thinking government. It’s important that we – as businesses and government – remain close partners, it is important we work together to sustain and create new and better employment opportunities, as it is equally important that we share priorities for our economic development.

So what I want on the minds of every business leader in the country, and all those present here today – no matter the size of your enterprise – is that we are a young and ambitious nation, home to a young and equally ambitious people.

 

We’re seeing a new generation of Fijians enter the workforce. Fijians who have known a stable, secure and united Fiji for the majority of their lives. Fijians who have been able to receive a primary and secondary education for free, afford their travel to school, study from free textbooks and go on to university where they can earn scholarships – based on merit – and access an unprecedented level of funding towards tertiary loans. Every year, we’ll see more and more of those Fijians venture into new industries in Fiji, enter the ranks of Fijian businesses and start new enterprises of their own.

 

These young Fijians have been embracing new technology from their earliest years. They are passionate and informed about the great challenges facing our nation and our development; such as the cause for climate action, and preservation of our environment and the protection of our oceans and seas. They are putting forward some remarkable new ideas in business, in civil society, in education, and in government as well. And, most importantly, they are bringing with them dreams for themselves, their families and their country that we may once have thought unimaginable.

 

I’m betting big on the potential of this new generation of Fijians. I’m not only talking about the billion-dollar allocation we’ve set aside in our most recent national budget towards the Fijian education system. We’re backing their ideas with financial capital, we’re granting them exposure to real-world expertise and we’re giving them the confidence that they can give life to their business ideas in a growing and stable economy. I remember back to the very start of this year, when I had the pleasure of launching our Young Entrepreneurship Scheme, which awarded grant funding to five young Fijians who are currently pursuing their own bold ideas in enterprise. And, during our next term in government, we actually plan to open up this initiative to those without tertiary qualifications, increase the eligible age to 40 years and raise the grant amount to up to 30,000 dollars.

 

But what I ask of all of you, is that you make bets of your own on the abilities, the talents and the ideas of young people in this country. I ask that you lend your ear to these Fijians. Listen to what they have to say. Find ways to work with them, involve them and tap into their boundless potential. These are your future employees, your consumers and the future leaders of business in this county. And any business that fails to engage with young minds is simply counting the days until its business model fades into irrelevance. It’s that simple.

 

Young people see opportunity where others may only see risk or difficulty. They see solutions where others may see only immovable obstacles, and they see Fiji’s place in a world that is rapidly evolving, and – in many ways – rapidly shrinking. They can forge connections with each other, between communities, across industries, throughout the region and around the world. And that is a skillset that will only become increasingly critical for the success of all businesses, across all industries, in the years ahead. And I would even go so far to say, that all of our success is tied directly to how well we engage with these young Fijians and how well we work with them to seize unrealised opportunities.

 

I look forward to our next four years of working together, in that aim, and many others, as we strive to take our economy to even greater heights for the benefit of every Fijian. Together, I’m confident we can make this time in our history more than an era of unprecedented economic growth, but an era of unprecedented opportunity and prosperity for all of our people.

 

I wish you all a wonderful evening.

 

Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.

 

 

 

 

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