Trade Minister, Premila Kumar has called on business leaders to make use of the various statutory organizations.

Kumar was responding to a suggestion to set up a duty desk within the Ministry to deal with the issues.

Speaking at the 2019 Business Summit organized by the Fiji Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Kumar highlighted the various avenues that businesses could work through.

“That the first approach for the private sector would be the statutory organizations, all the agencies that are currently existing, they’re supposed to serve you so go through those agencies.  If it is not working, you come across some stumbling block, you need our assistance, that’s when you can come to us, come to the Ministry and we’ll be able to assist you.”

The Trade Minister further explaining that working through the existent framework would also allow the ministry to identify where improvements are needed and where further discussion and deliberations would instead be warranted.

“Because that way we will also get an insight into the delays, the reasons for the delays and how we can overcome those delays.  If it’s a policy matter, sometimes the delays are caused by the policy matter, we can’t do nothing about it, and it’s the law.”

Meanwhile, the Chamber President, Dr. Nur Bano Ali hoped that open dialogue between the Ministry responsible and the stakeholders involved would open up a more conductive environment to harness private sector growth.