Shania Shayal Prasad 
Employees at the Rarawai Sugar Mill in Ba have been assured that no jobs will be lost following yesterday’s fire that brought operations to a halt.
All workers will remain employed, with some to be redeployed to the Lautoka Mill, which is now taking on the additional crushing load.
Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, says the Fiji Sugar Corporation and the line Ministry are committed to ensuring staff welfare during this period.
He adds that all cane deliveries scheduled for Rarawai are being redirected to the Lautoka Mill.
“And FSC is providing these concessional $15 per tonne to support the extra cost that will be incurred by the farmers that take the cane through the lorries to Lautoka Mill.”
Professor Prasad says there is no cause for alarm or concern as they are putting in place all necessary measures.
“The site, I’m told, the infrastructure there was also insured. But that is another issue that will be looked at after the appropriate assessment is done.”
Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh states that investigations by the National Fire Authority are still underway to determine the cause of the blaze.
“Because we just want to know the real cause of the fire, whether it was a sabotage, or was it an arson, or was it a deliberate attempt to halt the mill’s operation, or was it accidental. So at this stage, we have no idea.”
Professor Prasad will be visiting Ba tomorrow with the Minister for Sugar and FSC officials to meet farmers and view the site.
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