If a person wants to stay & invest in Fiji, they need to prove their mettle – AG

Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says if a person wants to stay and invest in Fiji, they need to prove their mettle where they have to stay in Fiji for 15 years.

While giving his right of reply on the Investment Fiji Bill 2022, Sayed-Khaiyum says this will give them enough time to know whether these people will be good citizens.

He says there is nothing wrong with this policy and we should be proud that nobody can willy-nilly become citizens of Fiji.

Sayed-Khaiyum then stated that it was the People’s Alliance Leader, Sitiveni Rabuka who removed dual citizenship after the 1987 coup. He then told some opposition members to ask prominent lawyer, Richard Naidu about this issue.

Sayed-Khaiyum says multiple citizenship was introduced under the Bainimarama government.

When contacted, Naidu says he does not have time today to deal with this kind of nonsense from Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

Meanwhile, NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad says when investors decide to come to a particular country, they do not come in a vacuum but come with families and with an aspiration.

Prasad says the immigration laws require people to be here for 15 years before they can be considered for citizenship.

He says there are many good people who have come and invested to become citizens in Fiji however the government has brought the 15 years requirement to be eligible for citizenship.