Fiji continues to achieve its 8th year of consecutive economic growth and its foreign reserve sits at USD$1.4 billion.
This was highlighted by the Attorney General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at the 2017-2018 Budget Consultations at USP today.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the economy is expected to grow by 3.6 percent in 2017.
Participants at the consultations raised concerns about their future as Fiji’s minimum wage rate sits at $2.32 per hour.
While answering the question, Sayed-Khaiyum says the $2.32 rate is for unskilled workers.
He adds that this would apply to the person that cuts grass or a house girl.
Sayed-Khaiyum says this does not apply to everyone else, where they have their own minimum wage set by the wages council or the wages are determined on market rates.
He says electricians in Fiji are paid $12 per hour and carpenters are paid $7 or $8 per hour because of the demand after Cyclone Winston.
Sayed-Khaiyum says they are also investigating a security company that was paying employees $1.50 per hour and they will be looking into related offences.
Another USP student raised the issue on how the Environment Levy is used.
Sayed-Khaiyum says levies go into the Government’s consolidated fund which is then transferred to the Ministry of Environment.
He gave an example saying that if they collected $1 million, it is all given to the Ministry of Environment which is used solely on environmental programs.
Meanwhile Sayed-Khaiyum has confirmed that the 2017-2018 National Budget will be announced on the 29th of June.
