Garment jobs slashed by 10,000, says Singh
Monday, July 03, 2014
Fiji Times, Fiji
THE employment level in Fiji’s garment industry has dropped from more than 18,000 people to only about 8000, says Fiji Public Service Association general secretary Rajeshwar Singh.
Speaking at the Pacific Co-operation Foundation in New Zealand on Friday, he said 5000 more people could be employed in the industry if the rules of origin requirements were changed in the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Co-operation Agreement – SPARTECA
Fiji would like to see SPARTECA reviewed but to get this the backlog of our island neighbours and the support of Australia and New Zealand governments is needed.
What, in fact the industry wants is to at least have the same access that Australia and New Zealand give to least developed countries and that is to allow Fiji to use 25 per cent local content in our exports rather than the 50 per cent stated under SPARTECA, he said.
He said Fiji’s island neighbours did not have garment industries so they did not care about the issue.
Highlighting a similar trade crisis facing the sugar industry, Mr Singh said the reform of the sugar protocol and the expected decrease in European Union prices by 36 per cent in four years time, was of immense concern to Fiji.
Mr Singh said the Government realised the immense adverse impact the changes would have without appropriate accompanying measures, not only with support from the EU but other donors and their initiatives.
The future of the Fiji sugar industry will be based on three main products – raw sugar, molasses to be transformed into ethanol, and electricity through co-generation mainly bagasse, Mr Singh told the meeting.
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