Riya Bhagwan 
The Government says migrant workers are not a threat to Fiji’s economy or local workforce.
Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel has assured that despite the rising number of migrant workers entering Fiji’s labour market, there is no cause for concern over income outflows.
He says income outflows are close to $400 million, while inflows reached nearly $1.4 billion last year. Government expects those inflows to increase further this year.
Immanuel highlighted that the construction sector continues to employ the highest number of migrant workers, mainly to address existing labour shortages.
“Bangladeshi workers—they’re here to fill the gaps that exist. They won’t be here for the long term, but once we have sufficient numbers, we will probably slow down the intake of Bangladeshi workers.”
The Minister adds that Government is working to retain local skilled workers and reduce reliance on overseas labour.
He says training programmes and increased funding support are being rolled out to develop and retain skilled workers in Fiji.
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