A motion on the Sugar Cane Industry Amendment Bill 2015 was passed in parliament this morning.
Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the Bill proposes to amend the composition of the Council to reflect the cabinet decision in 2010 so that the members of the board are reduced and appointed by the minister responsible for the sugar industry.
He says the amendments to the act are envisaged to legitimize the appointment of the 9 member council, give the cane growers a voice with representatives from the Association and allow the council to operate smoothly with a smaller membership.
‘’With regards to the membership of the Council will now consist of 9 members as proposed in the Bill – 6 from the Cane producers Association in the major cane producing areas in Fiji – they are elected members by the cane farmers themselves – they have their own constitution. And the Commissioner Northern and the Commissioner western for obvious reasons because these are the main cane producing areas and a representative from the Sugar Ministry’’.
The motion was passed with 32 votes and the Bill will be debated in parliament tomorrow.
