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The exodus of skilled workers has had a significant impact on various sectors in the country, and Energy Fiji Limited is no exception.

The company has lost more than 200 technical personnel in the last four years.

While making a submission before the Public Accounts Committee, EFL Chief Executive Hasmukh Patel says they have lost very skilled people in the technical sector, such as technicians, electricians, and line mechanics who have undergone training.

According to the EFL Chief Executive, finding replacements for the 218 staff members is challenging due to their high skill levels.

“So what we do is we take fresh people, and then we have to go through the training ourselves. So I must admit that to some level, the level of service will get affected.”

Patel has highlighted that the organization has a retention strategy, which includes a double-digit pay rise.

He adds that last year, EFL gave a 17 percent pay raise to its workers.

The CEO says that they also provide retirement benefits to their workers, such as loyalty payments.