Sivaniolo Lumelume 
The First Nation (Fiji) Resources Foundation is actively engaged in the endeavour of empowering resource owners by harnessing their own assets.
Addressing the audience at the commencement of a three-day symposium held at the Suva Civic Center today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica underscored the concerning reality that, despite owning 90 percent of the land in Fiji, the i-Taukei community still faces business-related disparities.
“Close to 60 percent of our population in Fiji is of iTaukei descendants however, if you look at it in terms of that reports that was produced by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics. Out of the 25% or quarter of the population that lives in poverty, 2/3 are iTaukei.”
Kamikamica is calling upon both Fijians and the nation to initiate a dialogue about collectively addressing a prominent economic challenge in Fiji, without approaching it from a racial standpoint.
The Minister holds the view that the ongoing symposium holds the potential to be advantageous for natural resource owners, as it can pave the way for the development of new industries and contribute to increased employment and GDP, benefiting both the government and the wider community.
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