Skilled professionals will now have better and easy access to long term and short term work permits

Skilled professionals in Fiji will now have better and easy access to long term and short term work permits after the cabinet has approved a new phase of economic reform to be undertaken by the coalition government known as the Growth Reset Package.

While making the cabinet announcement today Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka highlighted that the growth reset package will focus on legislative reforms for investment, short and long-term immigration, energy generation, environment and planning laws and foreign land ownership.

He says this will build on the work that has already begun through national consultations, Economic Summit, Fiscal Review Committee and the Budget Development Processes.

Rabuka says this package compliments the work of the investment facility established by the cabinet earlier this year to examine business processes whereby the first phase will focus on issues identified by businesses and investors as impediments to economic progress.

He further says they will also look at better ways to use the skills of non-citizens already in Fiji and are available.

Rabuka says the investment in land, buildings and infrastructure intends to ease the significant red tape constraining foreign and domestic investment in land buildings and infrastructure including the Land Sales Act, the foreshore lease processes, environmental impact assessments, town and country planning rules and processes.

He says this process will need to include our urban population and our resource owners as well.

The prime minister also highlighted that there has been some improvement in the regulation of foreign investment however, we need to look further for simplification in the current investment regulation.

He says in the electricity and energy saving sector reforms, we must urgently address challenges for our investors and access to electricity to ensure we meet our energy needs in the next ten years refocusing on the renewal energy targets.

Rabuka says these changes will be implemented through a standing committee co-lead by the Ministry of Finance and Trade and include members from the private sector with experience in delivering projects which will be coordinated and monitored through the Ministry of Finance and Strategic Plan office.