Fijians are being urged to verify overseas job offers through the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations before travelling, as there are growing concerns about people being lured abroad by false promises of employment and ending up exploited, unpaid or unable to leave.
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Sakiasi Ditoka says Fijians should be cautious of recruiters who demand fees, hold on to their passports or promise wages that appear too good to be true.
He is also urging people to keep their families informed of their whereabouts when travelling overseas for work.
The Minister says the Ministry and Fiji's overseas diplomatic missions continue to assist Fijians facing difficulties abroad, including those caught up in conflicts or natural disasters, those who lose their travel documents, become seriously ill or are detained.
He says the Ministry also helps reunite families and repatriate the bodies of Fijians who die overseas.
Speaking in Parliament, the Minister says the Ministry worked on repatriation plans in 2026 for Fijian nationals in Israel and the Gulf region following growing Iranian missile attacks on countries viewed as close allies of the United States.
He says the process can involve locating individuals, verifying their identities, issuing emergency travel documents, negotiating with foreign authorities, arranging safe passage and, in some cases, securing their release from employers who would rather they did not leave.
The Minister says families with loved ones experiencing difficulties overseas should contact the Ministry early, as its Executive Support Division is responsible for reaching out to embassies to arrange urgent consular assistance.
He says Fiji maintains 12 diplomatic missions overseas and, where the country has no diplomatic presence, relies on honorary consuls and partner governments, including Australia and New Zealand, to assist Fijians.
He says the Ministry has developed an economic diplomacy delivery system, which tracks opportunities identified through diplomatic engagements and follows them through to concrete results.
He says Fiji's exporters, including carbon growers, farmers, manufacturers and service providers, need better access to overseas markets and support to meet international standards.
He says a single unresolved biosecurity or standards issue can close a market to an entire industry, and the Ministry continues to work with trading partners, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Trade and the private sector to address these challenges.
The Minister says Fiji's trade commissions overseas connect local businesses with international buyers, investors and strategic partners through targeted market outreach, trade exhibitions and business-to-business engagements.
The Minister says Fiji has also launched its first national trade information portal, providing businesses with free access to information on import and export procedures, permits, licences, tariffs, fees and regulatory requirements.
The Minister says New Zealand has already welcomed Fiji's proposed membership, adding that small economies need to be involved in discussions where international trade rules are developed.
However, he acknowledges that Fiji continues to import significantly more than it exports, with the country's trade deficit standing at $2.9 billion for the first six months of 2026.
He also addressed public concerns about his overseas travel expenditure, saying he welcomes scrutiny of how public money is spent but wants the figures understood in context.
He says his travel included accompanying the Speaker of Parliament to London for a visit to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch, which involved a cross-party delegation comprising the Government Assistant Minister, two Opposition members and parliamentary officers.
He says the delegation also visited Fiji's Permanent Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, and inspected Fiji House in Brussels, Belgium, as Government prepares to reopen its mission there.
The Minister used the global fuel supply disruptions caused by the war in the Gulf region as an example of the importance of such engagements.
He says Singapore's Foreign Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, assured him that fuel supply lines to Fiji and the region would not be interfered with, while Australia's Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, conveyed a letter confirming a grant of AUD20 million to help Fiji manage the impact of the fuel crisis.
The Minister says one of his trips accounted for 31 percent of the travel expenditure referred to and was directly related to his newly assigned external trade portfolio and participation in the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference.
The Minister says Australia has indicated support exceeding $1.5 billion over 10 years, comprising approximately $1.05 billion in grants and $550 million in loans.
Meanwhile, on behalf of the Leader of the Opposition MP Rinesh Sharma questioned the Government's economic diplomacy efforts, saying the figures show Fiji imported $1.9 billion worth of agricultural produce last year while exporting only around $300 million.
He says the country needs to strengthen its secondary industries and improve local production rather than continue relying heavily on imported agricultural products.
Sharma also raises concerns about the challenges faced by local investors, saying they encounter numerous hurdles and approval processes when trying to progress developments.
He questions the results of Fiji's overseas trade missions and commissions, asking which markets had been opened for local products such as dhal, cassava, ginger and fish over the previous 12 months.
He also says the National Export Strategy had approved $300,000 worth of export projects, which he argues is insufficient to address the country's trade gap.
Sharma questions the Government's response to United States trade tariffs, saying Washington imposed a 32 percent tariff on Fiji in April 2025 before reducing it to 15 percent in August.
He says Government had promised a list of Fijian products that would receive zero-duty access to the United States market, but 15 months later, exporters of products such as water, fish and turmeric were still paying the 15 percent tariff.
He also raises concerns about Fiji's ability to meet export supply requirements under PESA Plus, questioning whether local producers could consistently supply three 40-foot containers of turmeric or ginger each week.
Sharma says access to land remains one of the country's biggest challenges and questions the funding allocated to Investment Fiji for marketing and promotion.
He says Investment Fiji received a grant of $2.59 million in the 2022-2023 financial year, but only $337,000 was allocated to marketing and promotion, while the organisation ran a deficit the following year.
On Government travel expenditure, Sharma refers to 182 international trips costing $2.6 million between 1 May 2025 and 31 August 2026.
He questions the return on investment from these trips, particularly at a time when Fiji's national debt is expected to increase by $2.8 billion by the next financial year, and the country is facing cost-of-living pressures, the HIV crisis and concerns about investor confidence.
He says Government needs to demonstrate the benefits of its overseas travel and consider reducing costs.
Sharma also says appointments of heads of diplomatic missions should be based on merit and that senior counsellors should be considered.
On the proposed agreements with Australia, the Sharma says the Government should withdraw its motion and return to the negotiating table to address the gaps identified by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.
He raises concerns about the committee's report, including the Solicitor-General's failure to appear before the committee, the absence of a work plan and proofreading errors in the treaty document.
